Immigration Lawyer Blog

Belarus will soon open an embassy in Brazil, Foreign Minister of Belarus Sergei Martynov said in an interview to Belarus-TV Channel. “Actually we are opening the embassy there. The first employees have already been deployed. Previously we had a consulate general in Brazil, and now we are opening a full-fledged embassy,” Sergei Martynov said.

The minister explained the importance of cooperation with Brazil, which is the eighth economy in the world. For Belarus this is one of the major trading partners in Latin America. “The downside is that Belarus has been primarily exporting fertilizer there. And we want our trade with Brazil to be diversified with other goods including machinery and chemicals, and also the manufacture of our products in Brazil,” Sergei Martynov said.

“Our approach to foreign economic relations is that we need to proceed from simple forms of trade (exports/imports) to more sophisticated forms. We seek to create joint ventures and through them increase our presence in the market,” the minister stressed.

He also noted that in the near future Belarus will open its embassy in Nigeria. “This is a reflection of the policy that we must advance onto new markets - the countries new to us,” the minister said.

Over the past two years we have discovered, figuratively speaking, 34 new countries. Naturally, that our diplomatic presence moves along with our economic interests,” Sergei Martynov added.

Effective immediately, travellers with ordinary Taiwan passports issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taiwan no longer require a Temporary Resident Visa to visit Canada, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced today.

“Canada regularly reviews its visa requirements and has determined that Taiwan meets the criteria for a visa exemption,” said Minister Kenney. “This decision will help boost Canada’s significant trade, investment, cultural and people-to-people links to Taiwan.”

In 2009, more than 51,000 Taiwan travellers visited Canada. More than 150,000 Canadians are of Taiwanese descent.

“The decision to lift the visa requirement means that Canada will benefit from stronger ties between Taiwan and the Canadian-Taiwanese community,” said Minister Kenney.

Canada’s visa policy is based on an assessment of a number of established criteria, including immigration violation rates, asylum claims, the integrity of travel documents and the cooperation on removals by the country or territory in question.

In Taiwan’s case, Canada’s review found, among other things, a very high visitor visa approval rate for travellers from Taiwan. It also found a very low number of asylum claims from Taiwan nationals: 23 claims between 2007 and 2009. The review also found low numbers of immigration violations and removals from Canada to Taiwan. This means that a large number of people were meeting Canada’s eligibility criteria to come and visit.

The visa exemption only applies to holders of ordinary Taiwan passports issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taiwan that contain the personal identification number of the individual. During a technical visit, Canadian officials observed good passport management practices for ordinary Taiwan passports.

The Consulate of Vietnam has officially been inaugurated in Nagoya city, Aichi prefecture with the Chairman of the Central Japan International Airport Co. Ltd. (Centrair), Yukihisa Hirano, being appointed as the honorary consul.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan, Nguyen Phu Binh said Nagoya is a major economic centre in central Japan and the expanded area of Nagoya accounts for 1 percent of global GDP. The appointment of Mr Yukihisa Hirano as the honorary consul is of great significance for promoting relations between the two countries, Mr Binh emphasised.

Under the Vietnamese Foreign Minister’s decision issued in September, two Japanese citizens were appointed honorary consuls. Mr Yukihisa is located in Nagoya city while Taro Nakajima, President of the Kushiro Coal Exploitation Company is located in Kushiro city in Hokkaido prefecture.

Mr Hirano said he would do his best to promote exchange activities with Vietnam especially when Vietnam Airlines has opened a direct air route from Centrair to Hanoi and HCM City.

Situated on Honshu island, Nagoya is the centre of Japan’s third biggest urban area in Chukyo with a total population of 8.74 million and an area of 326.45 km2. Vietnam has now set up three diplomatic representative offices in Japan, including an embassy in Tokyo and two consulate generals in Osaka and Fukuoka.

The EU will lift visa requirements for Eastern Partnership states if the latter introduce European security standards, a senior official has said. The European commissioner for enhancement and European neighbourhood policy, Stefan Füle, made the remarks at the opening of the second European civil society forum in Berlin on Thursday.

The European commissioner described as "extremely important" social contacts among EU citizens and the countries involved in the EU's Eastern Partnership - Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Armenia and Ukraine, Ukrinform's correspondent in Germany reported.

"I believe we will be able to gradually remove barriers to the free movement of people in Europe but for this purpose our partners in the east must ensure the appropriate level of security control," Füle said.

He also stressed the special role of civil society in promoting the liberalization of the visa regime in Europe. He described civil society as a fundamental part of the democratic process. In addition, in the countries of the Eastern Partnership civil society will help introduce the reforms that will bring these states closer to European standards. Füle stressed the important role of the Civil Society Forum which he said had become one of the most dynamic elements in the Eastern Partnership in just one year. He promised that the European Commission would listen to the recommendations of the forum participants.

The forum involves 230 public organizations from among member-states of the European Union and Eastern Partnership countries. The overall aim of the event is to develop contacts among civil society organizations and assist their dialogue with state bodies. The two-day conference is discussing the political and economic situation in the Eastern Partnership countries, social problems, energy conservation, climate protection, combating corruption and ensuring free speech.

UK’s Migration Advisory Committee today recommended that the number of migrant workers coming into Britain from outside EU be cut between 13-25 per cent next year.

The MAC submitted a 300-odd page report to the government in which it has said that the number of visas issued both under tier 1 and tier 2 categories in 2011-12 should be between 37,400 and 43,700, that would represent a 6,300 to 12,600 reduction over the 2009.For the Tier 1 General route, in order to achieve the Government’s policy objective, the MAC suggested a reduction in the number of entry clearance visas issued, compared to 2009, in the range of 3,150 to 6,300 and a limit on the number of Tier 1 entry clearance visas in the range of 8,000 to 11,100 in 2011-12.

For the Tier 2 shortage occupation, RLMT (resident labour market test) and intra-company transfer routes, the MAC has recommended a reduction the number of entry clearance visas issued, compared to 2009, in the range of 3,150 to 6,300 and a limit on the number of Tier 2 entry clearance visas in the range of 29,400 to 32,600 in 2011/12. This limit excludes extensions, switchers and dependants.

The MAC report sets out to answer the question raised by the the Home Secretary who wrote to the MAC Chair commissioning the following question: “At what level should limits on Tier 1 and Tier 2 of the points-based system be set for their first full year of operation in 2011/12, in order to contribute to achieving the government’s aim of reducing net migration to an annual level of tens of thousands by the end of this Parliament, and taking into account social and public service impacts as well as economic impacts?”

Submitting the report today the Chair of the Migration Advisory Committee, David Metcalf, said, “It is not possible to reduce net migration to the tens of thousand by limiting work-related migration alone. The Committee assumes that work-related migration takes 20 per cent of the total cut – its fair share – which implies that family and student migration must take the other 80 per cent.”

The MAC report is only recommendatory in nature. The final decision on the exact cap imposed on non-EU immigrants will be decided by the government. The final decision is expected by end of December this year. The Conservatives, the main party in the current coalition government came to power with one of its promises being setting a cap on immigration.

Business lobby CBI, reacting to MAC recommendations tabled today said,“The committee rightly accepts that those coming to the UK with a job offer should have priority, and this has been something that businesses have consistently called for. It is also important that companies with an international operation can transfer their own staff, as required, on a temporary basis, and we would like to see these ‘Intra-Company Transfers’ exempted from the cap.”

The report submitted by UK Migration Advisory Committee today revealed that India topped as the largest source of migrants into UK under five different categories. Indians topped the list under Tier 1 General (41 per cent of total approvals), Tier 1 Post-Study Work Route (31 per cent), Tier 2 General (24 per cent) and Intra-Company (68 percent) transfers and finally Tier 2 Dependents (45 per cent). The data relates to approved applications between the first quarter of 2009 and first quarter of 2010.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada will again start accepting applications under the federal Immigration Investor Program from 1 December 2010. Applicants under the Immigration Investor Program will need to have a personal net worth of $1.6 million CAD, which doubles the previous net worth requirement of $800,000. Moreover, applicants will be required to make an investment of $800,000. Under the previous rules, only a $400,000 investment was needed.
According to Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, changes to the criteria for the immigration investor program were overdue.

"These changes were necessary," said Kenney. "The requirements had not been increased in more than a decade and we need to keep pace with the changing economy."

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) said that Canada had the lowest requirements for their investor immigration schemes compared to other countries with similar programs. To reduce the backlog of applications and to avoid a rush of applications before the changes take place Canada suspended the Immigration Investor Program in June 2010.

"The new criteria now align it more closely with other immigrant-receiving countries," CIC said in a statement.

CIC said that the previous requirements were leading to a backlog of applications. By raising the net worth and investment requirements, Canada hopes to reduce the number of applicants and only let in those who can make a substantial investment in the Canadian economy.

"Higher investment amounts mean provinces and territories will receive more investment capital to put toward job creation and economic development projects," Kenney said.

Canada's Immigration Investor Program grants applicants a permanent residence visa and a guaranteed repayment of their investment. The immigrant investor program was already an expensive way of gaining permanent residence in Canada. Doubling the investment requirements is bound to put off some people. It remains to be seen if the changes will in reality result in increased investment into Canada. There are already a number of ways in which you can emigrate to Canada and a number of other Countries around the World without having to invest any money.

Australia has announced changes to its independent skilled migration points test which will go into effect on 1 July 2011. The new immigration points system will put increased emphasis on work experience and high level educational qualifications.Points will continue to be awarded for study in Australia, regional study, community languages, partner skills, and for completing an approved Professional Year. However, points will no longer be awarded for a particular occupation, but an applicant must still nominate an occupation on Australia's Skilled Occupation List (SOL).

The news points test will only apply to the following visas:

* Subclass 885 Skilled Independent
* Subclass 886 Skilled Sponsored
* Subclass 487 Skilled Regional Sponsored
* Subclass 175 Skilled Independent
* Subclass 176 Skilled Sponsored
* Subclass 475 Skilled Regional Sponsored

One significant change to the points test is that people aged 46 to 49 will now be able to apply, although no points can be earned under age for applicants from 45 to 49 years of age. The age related points will be as follows:

* Age 25-32: 30 Points
* Age 18-24 and 33-39: 25 Points
* Age 40-44: 15 Points
* Age 45-49: 0 Points

Moreover, points can be earned for English language proficiency above Competent English, which is a minimum score of 6 on each of the four components of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Points earned for higher levels of English language proficiency are as follows:

* Superior English (a score of at least 8 in each of the fourcomponents of the IELTS): 20 Points
* Proficient English (a score of at least 7 in each of the fourcomponents of the IELTS): 10 Points

The pass mark for the points test will change as well and is expected to be set at 65 points.

"These changes to the points test are an important next step in the series of reforms to the skilled migration program announced by the Government in February this year," said Immigration Minister Chris Bowen. He added, the reforms set the foundations for a skilled migration program that will be responsive to our economic needs and continue to serve Australias interests in the medium to long term.

A review of the current points test found it had resulted in applications from people in only a small number of occupations and a growing backlog of people waiting for a skilled immigration visa. Bowen said, The existing points test has not always led to outcomes consistent with the objectives of the skilled migration program. For example, the current test puts an overseas student with a short term vocational qualification and one year's work experience in Australia ahead of a Harvard educated environmental engineer with three years' relevant work experience. The new points test should ensure that Australia admits the "best and brightest people" from the pool of applicants.

The new points test will only affect skilled independent immigration and not employer-sponsored immigration. Anyone lodging an application after 1 July 2011 will come under the new points test. If you meet the requirements for skilled immigration to Australia it may be best to apply now and come under the current immigration scheme. You may not qualify under the new immigration scheme from 1 July 2011.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Koy Kuong said yesterday Cambodia and Thailand would sign an agreement next week allowing nationals from each country to cross the border without having to obtain a visa.

He said the agreement would be signed during the two-day Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy Summit in Phnom Penh, which begins November 16. “At the ACMECS meeting we have planned to sign this exemption for ordinary passport holders,” he said.

Thani Thongpakdi, deputy spokesman for the Thai foreign ministry, said he hoped the agreement would be signed “as soon as possible”. “Thai nationals and Cambodian nationals [currently] need to get visas [to cross],” he said. “This agreement is about exempting that.”

He said procedures for crossing the border remain in place, stating that nationals must still pass through designated border gates. Koy Kuong said yesterday Cambodia has signed similar pacts with ASEAN members Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Laos, Vietnam and Indonesia.

Meanwhile, the Thai newspaper The Nation yesterday quoted Thawatchai Samutsakorn – commander of the Thai troops stationed near the Preah Vihear temple – as saying that he would push for the Preah Vihear border gate to be reopened before the New Year so that tourists could visit the temple from the Thai side.

But Koy Kuong said the gate would only be opened when Thai troops withdrew from the temple. “Samdech [Hun Sen] stated clearly that if Thailand made the situation normal again, the border gate can open anytime,” he said. “It was closed when Thailand sent troops to invade Cambodia.”

Relations between Thailand and Cambodia soured in July 2008 when the temple was listed as a World Heritage site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Both countries claim a 4.6-square-kilometer zone adjacent to the temple. Thai parliamentarians are set to meet next month to discuss agreements made between the two countries to undertake joint demarcation and demining projects and to redeploy troops in the area.

Immigration New Zealand head Nigel Bickel says sponsors will need to meet more specific eligibility criteria and be willing to take real responsibility for ensuring people they sponsor don’t become a burden to New Zealand taxpayers.

More specific rules for people sponsoring family and friends to visit or live in New Zealand come into effect from the end of this month. The changes are about ensuring that New Zealand citizens and residents who sponsor friends and family to come here are fully aware of their obligations.

From 29 November, sponsors will be required to sign an undertaking that they will be responsible for all aspects of ‘maintenance, accommodation and repatriation’ (or deportation if required) of the sponsored person – rather than being able to choose just one aspect. This includes responsibility for all ‘third party’ costs, such as health costs. More specific criteria for sponsors are also being introduced.

For temporary entry visas, this broader obligation will be in place for the whole time the sponsored person is in New Zealand. For resident visas, the obligation will be in place for a specific period.

Another change allows organizations (companies, charitable trusts and societies) and government agencies to sponsor individuals in some circumstances. These new categories of sponsors will be eligible to support visitor visas and also work-to-residence and residence-from–work visas under the ‘talent’ category (arts, culture and sports). The new sponsorship rules are part of changes related to the Immigration Act 2009, which come into effect from 29 November this year.

“The Act creates a new, strengthened framework for sponsorship that better protects sponsored individuals and New Zealand taxpayers by ensuring sponsorship requirements and obligations are applied consistently across different categories,” Mr Bickle says.

The new Act does not make any changes to the categories under which people apply to come to New Zealand to visit, study, work or live. Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs Chief Executive Dr Colin Tukuitonga says it is important for sponsors to understand the new rules.

“Many Pacific families sponsor relatives to come to New Zealand. The Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs will be working alongside Immigration New Zealand to help our Pacific communities understand the minimum criteria to be a sponsor and the associated obligations,” Dr Tukuitonga says.

The country’s President Tarja Halonen announced during her visit to the Russian city that Finland will open a visa centre in March 2011in Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan. It is a part of Halonen’s four-day state visit to Russia.

Speaking with republican President Rustam Minnikhanov, Halonen said that the visa center will be opened in order to “make relations between people easier, more comfortable and closer“. -Nothing can replace communication between people, she stressed.

The Finnish President also told journalists that Finland will do whatever it can to help introduce visa-free traveling between Russia and the EU, but admitted that this is a very complicated process.

Russian tourists have for several years been the largest group of foreign travelers to Finland. In 2010, Finland will grant nearly one million visas to Russian businessmen and tourists, more than any other EU country. Furthermore, over 80 per cent of the visas will be multiple entry visas.

The European Parliament passed a proposal Thursday to grant visa-free privileges to Taiwanese nationals entering the 28 European countries, following the inclusion of Taiwan in visa-waiver programs for the United Kingdom and for Ireland.

The proposal still needs to clear the Council of the European Union before it can be implemented, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said later that day. The visa-waiver program will cover the Schengen Area, which comprises the territories of 25 European countries, including 22 EU member states and three-non EU states -- Norway, Iceland and Switzerland. The visa-waiver program is also applicable to three non-Schengen EU member states

Zambian Ambassador to Ethiopia Albert Muchanga has noted with concern the increasing number of Zambians being denied entry in Ethiopia due to lack of VISAs. Mr. Muchanga has since appealed to all Zambians travelling to Ethiopia to ensure that they obtain VISA documentation before departing Zambia.

He said Zambians travelling on official business to Ethiopia can submit required documents to the Zambian Embassy in Addis Ababa a week prior to departure while those on personal trips can obtain VISAs from the Ethiopian Embassy in Harare, Zimbabwe. The Ambassador advised Zambians travelling to Ethiopia to strictly adhere to the Ethiopian Immigration rules to avoid being deported.

The South African embassy in Nigeria has introduced N120, 000 as caution visa fees for visa applicants travelling to South Africa for the first time or applicants that the embassy suspect will not come back.

The caution fee would be returned to visa applicant when he or she returns to Nigeria from South Africa, but the embassy holds back the money if the applicant absconds. Spokesman of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ozo Nwobu said the foreign ministry is aware of the new development, but it will be discussed at the bi-national commission joint meeting, but the status quo is reciprocal, all South African first timers to Nigerian must drop N120,000 at the Nigeria embassy in South Africa before they are issued visa.

The Federal Government of Nigeria on Tuesday announced the extension deadline for expiration of the Machine Readable Passport (MRP) to the Harmonised ECOWAS Electronic (Smart) Passport, otherwise called e-passport from December 31, 2010 to April 30, 2011.

The Minister of Interior, Captain Emmanuel Ihenacho, who made this known during the presentation of his ministry’s scorecard for 2010, in Abuja, said the December 31 deadline earlier announced was not feasible because a lot of complaints had been received by the ministry from most Nigerians abroad who were yet to obtain the e-passport.

He disclosed that in order to protect and meet the expected high demand for the e-passport from Nigerians in diaspora, the Nigerian Immigration Service had procured 15 mobile enrolment and 135 officers had been selected and trained for passport intervention programme in the six continents of the world.

Canadian passport holders will have to obtain visas prior to entering the UAE from January 2, 2011, the UAE Embassy in Ottawa announced on Tuesday.

The Canadian diplomatic missions in the UAE have posted the new visa regulations for Canadian nationals on their websites.

According to the website of the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, the Canadian nationals who plan to travel to the UAE for tourism and business purposes after this date should contact the UAE Embassy in their country for details. It said all diplomatic and special passport holders must also obtain their visa before traveling to the UAE.

It said that the information on entry and exit requirements has been confirmed with the authorities of the UAE. However, these requirements are subject to change at any time. It is the traveler responsibility to check with the embassy of the UAE for up-to-date information. It is the sole prerogative of each country or region to determine who is allowed to enter. All countries or regions have special requirements for persons intending to reside for extended periods (usually more than 90 days) or who plan to work, study, or engage in non-tourist activities. Violations of entry and exit requirements may result in serious penalties.

In view of Mr. President Barack Obama visit to South Asian giant 'India', here are some updates on Indo-US bilateral relationship. The basic purpose of Mr. Obama's visit is to strengthen the bilateral relationship.U.S. President Barack Obama began his maiden visit to India on last Saturday by promising to remove restrictions on sensitive high-tech exports, a nagging irritant in the evolution of bilateral ties, even as he declared deals worth $15 billion that would support some 54,000 American jobs and seek to answer critics back home. This step will considered to be greatest achievement of Mr. Obama after the recent debacle in US Polls.

The United States is the world’s largest recipient of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). India is among the fastest growing investors in the United States. As the U.S.-India economic relationship deepens, investment from India contributes to the growth and vibrancy of the American economy and in the creation of jobs in the United States. Over the last decade, investment capital from India grew at an annualized rate of 53% reaching an estimated $4.4 billion in 2009. This growing flow of capital from India reflects the increased integration of the two economies and has brought many benefits to the United States, increasing U.S. exports and supporting tens of thousands of jobs in the last six years alone.

An increasing number of Indian-owned firms contribute to U.S. jobs, exports, and growth:

• Goods exports to India reached approximately $17 billion in 2009, in part due to increased FDI from India.

• Indian companies have aided the turnaround of struggling U.S. firms, saving jobs and improving company performance. They have also made important new investments, stimulating innovation and production in the American economy.

Just a few examples include:

* The Essar Group invested over $1.6 billion in the declining Minnesota Steel Industries and now employs over 7,200 people in almost a dozen states.
* The Tata Group has invested more than $3 billion in the U.S. and now employs nearly 19,000 throughout the country.
* Jubliant Organsys Total Capital invested $246 million in the U.S. and now employs nearly 900 employees throughout the country.
* Wockhardt, a pharmaceutical company, acquired Morton Grove for $37 million. The deal preserved the jobs of all 200 original Morton Grove employees.
* Crompton Greaves, an entity of the Indian conglomerate Avantha Group, has invested and partnered on a $20 million project to launch a Center for Intelligent Power with the University of Albany. The deal will create 100 high-tech jobs in upstate New York.

Indian FDI in the U.S. is on the rise:

• Indian investment capital is spread throughout the United States; it has reached states on both coasts and in the American Midwest. Geographically diversified investment by Indian firms has helped to support employment, particularly in towns reliant on industry and manufacturing that faced difficulties during the recent economic downturn.

• According to a report by Ernst & Young and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), the largest share of investment capital from India has been allocated to industries associated with the knowledge economy. This capital is helping the U.S. increase employment in high value-added industries, such as IT and pharmaceuticals.

• FDI from India is expected to continue to grow in the future. There is strong interest from Indian investors in the power, steel, and extractive industries. The pharmaceuticals and health care industries are also expected to receive major investments. This inflow of capital will expand the U.S. economy across a wide variety of fields, creating jobs and keeping the U.S. competitive in global markets.

The Ministry of Interior has denied rumors that it has stopped issuing visas to the immediate relatives of expatriate residents. Major General Nasser Al Awadi Al Menhali, Director-General of the Naturalization and Residency Department, told Gulf News that visas are still being issued to immediate family members, and especially to parents.

He added that a husband has the right to sponsor his wife, parents and in-laws. Wives in turn have the right to sponsor their husbands, parents and in-laws. Parents have the right to sponsor their children if they are under the age of 21. The ministry takes into consideration humanitarian and social imperatives and sometimes issues visas to children above the age of 21 who want to visit their families or continue their education.

A local Arabic-language newspaper reported yesterday that the Naturalisation and Residency Department had stopped issuing visas to parents of residents, but continued to issue them to husbands, wives and children. The report prompted panicked expatriates to call newspapers and residency department offices.

Al Menhali said there had been no change in the UAE's naturalisation and residency laws. Applicants are required to deposit a guarantee of Dh5,000, in addition to the visa application fee.

New Zealand is to open a full Embassy in Vienna, Austria, in January 2011, Foreign Minister Murray McCully has announced. New Zealand already has a Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Vienna, which will now be co-located with the Embassy.

“New Zealand and Austria share many common values and have a good record of cooperation on international issues,” Minister McCully says.

“The Embassy in Vienna will help to consolidate New Zealand’s diplomatic footprint in Europe. Vienna is an important gateway into Central and Eastern Europe and it is the home of many significant international organizations. A key focus of the Embassy will be to develop trade and economic links with Austria and its neighboring region.”

Career diplomat Philip Griffiths will take up the position of Ambassador to Austria in January 2011. Mr Griffiths will also hold the position as New Zealand’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Vienna.

Taiwan's latest visa-refusal rate has met the requirement of the United States for its Visa Waiver Program (VWP), but there is no timetable for Taiwan's inclusion in the program due to various technical issues, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) official said Thursday.

Taiwan's U.S. visa refusal rate for fiscal year 2010 was 2.2 percent, much lower than the minimum requirement of 3 percent as stipulated for inclusion in the VWP and a great improvement over the 4.4 percent of 2009, said Bruce J.D. Linghu, director-general of MOFA's Department of North American Affairs.

This was a "big step forward" to Taiwan's eventual VWP inclusion, Linghu said, but a country's visa-refusal rate is just one of the criteria considered when determining eligibility for VWP status.

To be admitted to the program, he said, a country must meet various requirements, such as enhanced law enforcement and security-related data-sharing with the U.S. The country is also required to maintain high counterterrorism, law enforcement, border control, and document security standards.

The U.S. expressed concern over Taiwan's passport-application-and-issuance procedure, which does not require travelers to apply in person but is usually undertaken by travel agencies, Linghu said. William Stanton, director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), the U.S. representative office in the absence of official bilateral ties, said in a recent interview that Taiwan's inclusion in the VWP "is not a political problem but a legal issue."

Citing media reports that human trafficking rings have smuggled Chinese citizens into the United States by falsifying or tampering with Taiwanese passports, Stanton said that this problem results from Taiwanese citizens not being required to apply for passports in person.

With this in mind, a new procedure will be tested in Taiwan next year requiring visa applicants to complete passport application in person, Linghu said. The measure will later be implemented nationwide, he added. The two sides will probably need to reach agreements on a number of issues, such as anti-terrorism. Linghu said. Moreover, it will take collaboration between at least four governmental agencies to secure VWP eligibility, he noted.

Passport authorities at King Abdulaziz International Airport Haj Terminal, Saudi Arabia have turned away 61 pilgrims so far because of discrepancies in their documents and fingerprint records, a senior official said on Tuesday. The General Directorate of Passports has installed state-of-the-art equipment to detect fraudulent Haj visas at the Haj Terminal in Jeddah. The equipment can accurately detect forgeries using techniques such as ultraviolet rays, fingerprint comparisons and infrared. Any illegal additions, deletions and alterations can be detected with the help of these devices. Brig. Ayed Al-Harbi, a commander of the Passport Forces for Haj, said 61 pilgrims were not allowed entry into the country either because of discrepancies in information supplied in their travel documents or because fingerprint records showed they were blacklisted. All land, sea and air entry points to the Kingdom have been linked to the fingerprint system, so that any traveler entering the country will have to undergo fingerprint examinations, said Al-Harbi. He added that deported expatriates would not be allowed to come back as Haj pilgrims. Commander of the Passport Forces for Haj at KAIA, Col. Khalafallah Al-Tuwairaqi said the Passport Department is determined not to permit any deported expatriate with a criminal record to return to the country using a different passport. The special (passports) lounge, staffed by trained personnel of the Passport Department, will be operating round the clock during the Haj season under the supervision of the superintendent of the Anti-Forgery Unit Lt. Col. Abdul Rahman Al-Takhis, said Al-Tuwairaqi. The equipment will also alert immigration officials if there is a security warning about any of the pilgrims. The system contains passport data from a large number of countries so that any forgeries could be identified. Al-Harbi said domestic pilgrims who attempt to enter the holy sites without Haj permits would be sternly dealt with. Passports officials at 16 entry points to Makkah are watching for violators of Haj and residence regulations, he said. Any traveler without a Haj permit or any vehicle carrying pilgrims without Haj permits will be stopped at these points. Those transporting illegal pilgrims will be fined up to SR10,000 for each pilgrim and will have their vehicle confiscated, he said. He added that 1,600 violators of residence regulations were detained and 2,900 pilgrims without permits were turned back up till Monday.

The British government will create a new “entrepreneur visa” and reform its intellectual property laws to try to attract high-tech businesses.

Cameron will set out plans to transform a stretch of East London into a high-tech hub to rival Silicon Valley, starting with new investments from the likes of Internet search leader Google, computer chipmaker Intel and social networking site Facebook. “Right now, Silicon Valley is the leading place in the world for high-tech growth and innovation. But there’s no reason why it has to be so predominant,” Cameron will say in a speech, according to excerpts released in advance by his office.

The government last month announced a four-year plan of deep cuts in public spending to tackle a record budget deficit. Almost no area of government spending will be spared the axe and half a million public sector jobs are expected to be lost.

Cameron says he wants to create better conditions for the private sector to generate the jobs and growth that the public sector will no longer be able to provide. The proposed new “entrepreneur visa” would allow people with great business ideas and the backing of serious investors to set up shop more easily in Britain.

The proposal comes at a time when the government is working on plans to introduce a cap on immigration, in line with a pre-election pledge from Cameron’s Conservative party. Some in the Liberal Democrat party, the junior partner in the two-party coalition government, are uncomfortable with the cap. Business Secretary Vince Cable, a Lib Dem, has argued that it would harm business interests by keeping top talent out.

The “entrepreneur visa” could be part of Cameron’s response to those concerns.
Copyright Laws. Cameron will also say that a company like Google could never have started up in Britain because of a copyright system that is not as open to innovation as it is in the United States. So I can announce today that we are reviewing our intellectual property laws, to see if we can make them fit for the Internet age. I want to encourage the sort of creative innovation that exists in America,” he will say.

Cameron will also say that the government has had a series of meetings since it came into office in May with technology companies and venture capital investors to discuss ways to turn East London into a world-class high-tech center. These talks have led to a series of commitments from companies to invest in East London, previously a deprived residential area which is already the focus of regeneration efforts as it will host the London 2012 Olympics.

Projects will include an Intel research lab focusing on performance computing and energy efficiency, an “innovation hub” from Google where researchers, developers and academics can pool ideas, and a permanent London home for Facebook’s “Developer Garage” programme for new talent in high-tech fields.

A drug-smuggling tunnel and approximately 30 tons of marijuana were discovered early Wednesday in the Otay Mesa section of San Diego, said officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration.

The officials said the tunnel, which contained much of the drugs, was roughly 600 yards long and had been used to shuttle marijuana between California and Tijuana, Mexico, for some time.

exican officials said they found five tons of marijuana at the southern end of the tunnel. The discovery comes weeks after Mexican authorities seized 134 tons of marijuana in Tijuana, a record-breaking amount for the country. Officials said it was unclear whether the tunnel discovered Wednesday was related.

In the last four years, authorities have found more than 75 such tunnels along the border.

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On 19 July 2010, the UK Government introduced a limit on the number of initial applications that can be issued under Tier 1 (General) of the points-based system until 31 March 2011. The limit does not affect applications from dependents or applications to extend existing Tier 1 visas.

The UK Border Agency administers the limit on a monthly basis. In order to avoid breaching the monthly allocation for October 2010 we stopped issuing visas for Tier 1 (General) on 20 October. The new limit for this month has opened today, 1 November 2010, and we are now restarting the granting of visas for successful Tier 1 (General) applications. All applications are processed in the order in which they are received at post in so far as that is operationally possible.

Details of massive fraud and abuse of the popular H-2B work visa program have been made public by a government report, which shows that in one of such cases more than 87 Indian nationals paid at least USD 20,000 each to enter the US illegally.

"Several recent convictions have shown that some employers and recruiters may be abusing the foreign workers in the program," the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in its letter to Congressman George Miller, chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor.

The report details 10 cases of wrongdoings that showed violations in areas such as unfair wages for employees, excessive fees charged to employees, and fraudulent documentation submitted to federal agencies to circumvent program rules. The 10 cases that we reviewed demonstrate fraud and abuse committed by recruiters and employers participating in the H-2B visa program and operating in 29 states.

"The 10 cases that we reviewed demonstrate fraud and abuse committed by recruiters and employers participating in the H-2B visa program and operating in 29 states," the report made public yesterday said.In six of the 10 cases GAO reviewed, there were allegations that employers did not pay their H-2B employees the established hourly wage, overtime, or both.

In six cases, employers charged their H-2B workers fee that was for the benefit of the employer or charged excessive fee that brought employees' wages below the hourly federal minimum wage. Also in eight of the 10 cases, employers were alleged to have submitted fraudulent documentation.

The H2B working visa is a non-immigrant visa which allows foreign nationals to enter into the US temporarily and engage in non-agricultural employment that is seasonal, intermittent, or based on a peak load need. According to GAO, a company in Louisiana obtained USD 1.8 million from a fraudulent H-2B visa conspiracy to bring 87 Indian nationals into the United States illegally.

The company submitted fraudulent H-2B documentation to federal agencies allegedly seeking workers from India.It charged at least USD 20,000 each for the H-2B visas but never employed the Indians. The GAO report said representatives of the firm traveled to India to assist the Indians with the application process and corresponded with the US Consulate on behalf of the workers. These conspirators were indicted on federal criminal charges in 2008.

The Indian Government has agreed to streamline visa procedures for citizens from Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and the Philippines, said the Financial Times of India on October 31.

Citizens from the four ASEAN nations will be granted immigration visas to enter India at the border. The decision will come into force as of January 1 next year. India has finalised a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on developing tourism with ASEAN countries.

Around 3 million Indian people visit ASEAN countries each year and there are 380 flights from India to ASEAN countries every week. On India-ASEAN trade relations, the newspaper quoted Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the 8th ASEAN-India Summit in Hanoi, saying that ASEAN is a nucleus for the economic links that should be established in the Asia-Pacific region. The Indian PM also said he hoped that the necessary procedures for implementing the India-ASEAN free trade agreement on the exchange of goods will be completed soon.

In addition, the signing of cooperation agreements on services and investment will give fresh impetus to the two sides’ common goal of promoting comprehensive economic cooperation.

We hope that this will be a positive steps towards improving bilateral ties.

Canada has admitted recently that its new visa application form, criticized by Russia for seeking sensitive information on applicants' military service, aims to weed out visitors inadmissible to Canada. Citizenship and Immigration Canada 'must protect the health and safety of Canadians, maintain the security of Canadian society and promote international justice and security by fostering respect for human rights'.

'Temporary resident applicants from a number of countries have been asked questions regarding military, security and political activities that could make someone inadmissible in the past to ensure that officers have adequate information when determining admissibility to Canada.' The new visa application form merely attempts to standardize various questions that have been asked before and eliminate the need for country-specific forms.

Earlier, Russia protested against the new visa application form issued by Canada, complaining it will 'seriously complicate' the application process for Russians and could provoke reciprocal measures. 'The modified Canadian form goes beyond the conventional criteria, and its adoption goes against the global tendency to ease visa regimes,' Russian foreign ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said at a briefing. The new form will 'make the process for Russian citizens to receive Canadian visas much harder,' he added. Russian tourist operators also complained this week that the form, required for visa applicants outside Canada, asks for information that is illegal for Russian citizens to disclose. Applicants are asked to provide details about military service, including location of the military unit and name of the commanding officer.

The Finnish Immigration Service is looking into the possibility of introducing a citizenship test in Finland.

According to a report in the Turun Sanomat daily, immigrants applying for Finnish citizenship would have to pass the test before being granted the right to a Finnish passport. Officials say the results would also help them evaluate the effectiveness of integration programmes.

The possibility of administering such a screening procedure has not previously been investigated in Finland. Other European countries currently apply some kind of test to citizenship applicants.

However Jorma Vuorio, Chief Immigration Director, said the test would not ease the backlog in citizenship applications, since other conditions must be met by applicants before citizenship can be granted. These prerequisites include a clean police record, residence of a certain duration and adequate proficiency in the Finnish language. Vuorio added that a compulsory language test could be part of the citizenship screening.

This year citizenship requests grew by four percent, with immigration authorities receiving about 1,500 applications at the beginning of the year.