Immigration Lawyer Blog

The Department of Immigration and Emigration of Sri Lanka is to introduce new system called "Electronic Travel Authorization - ETA" in order to grant prior approval for visa via online for the foreign nationals visit Sri Lanka.

This was revealed to the public at a press briefing held at Ceylon Intercontinental yesterday (28 Sep) organized by the Department of Immigration and Emigration.

The new system will be introduced on 30 September, and it will terminate the presently implemented 'on arrival visa' at the ports of entry, the Department said.

Accordingly, foreign nationals from 78 countries visiting Sri Lanka on purposes of tourism affairs, medical treatments, sports, cultural shows, business conferences and discussions, training programmes and seminars can apply for the Electronic Travel Authorization via www.eta.gov.lk, the dedicated official website of the Department for the purpose.

Only an administration fee has been suggested for this "Electronic Travel Authorization, the Department said.

The previous method of granting visas on arrival at the airport free of charge to the nationals from the Maldives and Singapore is still in effective as a reciprocal gesture, the Department further said.

Information is available in nine international languages allowing great continence to foreigners. However, applications should be forwarded only in English language and six methodologies have been introduced to facilitate the process.

According to this new visa granting system, since the air and ship crew are exempted from obtaining prior approval for the visa, the old system will be effective as before. The foreigners, who officially or diplomatically visit Sri Lanka should obtain prior approval for visa through a government institute of Sri Lanka and such approvals will be granted free of charge.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kostiantyn Hryshchenko predicts that, with the current momentum of dialogue and constant demands, Ukraine's visa-free regime with the European Union is possible in 2-3 years.

Responding to a question about when Ukraine will be able to get visa-free regime with the EU, Hryshchenko noted that this could happen "in 2-3 years if the current dynamics of dialogue is maintained and the requirements that are put forward for visa-free regime do not materially change."

Prime Minister Donald Tusk says a local visa free zone between Poland and Russia will be established “in few weeks”. The zone, which will include more than four million people, will require a revision of the Schengen regulations.

Donald Tusk, who made a stop in the Warmia-Masuria Province as part of an election campaign tour, promised the regional population that it in “few weeks” will get a local visa-free zone with the Russian region of Kaliningrad. The cabinet leader maintained that the city of Gdansk and all of Kaliningrad Oblast will be included in the zone.

If established, the zone will be the second of its kind between Russia and a Schengen member. In November 2010, a similar agreement on local border traffic was signed by Russia and Norway, and a local zone of visa-free traveling is in the pipeline in the areas between the municipalities of Sør-Varanger and Pechenga.

The visa processing time for Chinese, Brazilians and Indians may be shortened to 30 days, said a U.S. tourism official on Monday.

"The U.S. Senate just introduced a legislation last week to bring the waiting time (for a visa) to under 30 days," Roger Dow, president and CEO of U.S. Travel Association (USTA), told Xinhua at an annual China-U.S. tourism leadership summit on Big Island, Hawaii.

"Specifically they are looking at China and taking a look at the feasibility of not having a face-to-face interview," Dow said.

Reports said the Senate held a meeting on Wednesday to consider a State Department funding bill that would require the department to hire sufficient staff in China, Brazil and India to allow visa applications to be processed in no more than 30 days.

Shao Qiwei, chairman of China's National Tourism Administration, said China and the United States are working together to improve the efficiency of visa issuance.

Since the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding in 2007 that aimed to bring more customers to the U.S. tourism industry by facilitating group leisure travel from China to the United States and permit U.S. destinations to market themselves in China, the two countries have seen significant growth in this market, Shao said.

The three-day summit opening Monday is designed to build business through creating relationships and knowledge of both the Chinese and U.S. markets. Members of USTA and the China National Tourism Association, including more than 70 regional tourism officials from the United States and China, attended the meeting.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) seeks public comments on a proposed rule published in the Federal Register today that would enable USCIS to process certain applications approved between 1995 and 1998 by immigrant investors under the fifth preference employment-based immigrant visa classification, also known as EB-5.

The proposed rule would implement provisions of the 21st Century Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization Act. These provisions apply to a group of immigrant investors who had a Form I-526, Immigrant Petition by Alien Entrepreneur, approved between Jan. 1, 1995, and Aug. 31, 1998.

Specifically, the rule would enable USCIS to process cases for approximately 580 principal immigrant investors and their dependents whose Forms I-526 were approved during the period described above and who, prior to Nov. 2, 2002, sought to:

Register for permanent residence or adjust their status (using Form I-485); or
Remove conditions on permanent residence obtained as an alien entrepreneur (using Form I-829).
The processes outlined in the proposed rule would provide an additional two-year period for most of these immigrant investors to meet the EB-5 investment and job-creation requirements. This rule would not impact any other applications or petitions filed under the EB-5 program.

EB-5 visas are available to immigrants seeking to enter the United States to invest capital in a commercial enterprise that will create at least 10 full-time jobs for qualifying U.S. workers. The public has 60 days—from Sept. 28 to Nov. 28, 2011—to submit comments on this proposal, which is available for review at www.regulations.gov.

Prime Minster David Cameron announced that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will be expanding its diplomatic presence in Canada by upgrading the UK Trade & Investment office in Calgary to a full Consulate-General next summer.

Speaking during his press conference in Ottawa, UK Prime Minister David Cameron said:

“Clearly in trade and investment, we are both massive investors in each other’s countries. The trade links are already very strong, but I always believe it’s with your best customers you can do even more business.”

Dr. Andrew Pocock, UK High Commissioner to Canada said:

“We are committed to refreshing and deepening our relationship with Canada, building on our existing close links. A clear indication of how highly we value the relationship is that we will be expanding our diplomatic presence there, upgrading the UKTI office in Calgary to a full Consulate-General. This will be our fourth Consulate-General in Canada – as well as the High Commission in Ottawa”.

Alberta is Canada’s third largest economy and has led Canadian growth for 20 years. Please note that consular services will continue to be provided for Alberta out of the Vancouver Consulate General.

Australia’s seaports are more secure than ever before, highlighted by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship’s grant this week of the millionth maritime crew visa (MCV).

“This is an impressive milestone given that the department first introduced the MCV on 1 January 2008,” a departmental spokesman said.

Since its introduction, all foreign shipping crew are required to apply for the visa, which involves a formal visa application process.

This process strengthens border protection at Australian ports by allowing for security checking as with other temporary entrants. Prior to the MCV’s introduction, crew accessed special purpose visa arrangements that did not involve a formal application process.

“The MCV is specifically for crew entering by sea and allows multiple entries during its three-year life. Visa holders are then permitted to continue work in relation to the usual operational requirements of the ship while they are in Australia,” the spokesman said.

The top nationalities using the visas include Filipino, Chinese, Indian, Indonesian and Ukrainian. In an average month, up to 20 000 MCVs are granted.

“The MCV scheme has maintained an impressive compliance rate of 99.8 per cent since its inception. This is testament to the support the visa has had from the shipping industry, crew manning agents, shipping operators and foreign crew themselves,” the spokesman said.

More than 60 per cent of maritime crew visas are applied for and granted online, while about 40 per cent are referred to the department’s global processing centre for additional manual assessment and processing.

Major factors that have contributed to the overall success of the MCV include the streamlined application form and processing arrangements, the absence of an application fee and the timeliness of decision-making. Most electronically lodged applications are finalised within a few days, if not immediately upon receipt.

The U.S. immigration agency is enforcing a new set of rules that can make life harder for Americans and their non-citizen spouses living overseas.

The new process of obtaining an immigrant visa increased from three months to a minimum of five. Sometimes it may take as long as three years, The New York Times reported on Aug. 14.

Ukraine is no exception. Americans married to Ukrainians residing in their home country will have to go through a long and complicated visa process if they decide to leave. The U.S. Embassy in Ukraine estimates that the rule will affect approximately 5,000 Americans internationally.

In an effort to centralize the process, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security now requires applicants abroad to mail the visa document called I-130 to a central immigration office in Chicago, whereas before it was enough to contact a local consulate.

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, who is visiting New York to attend the 66th session of UN General Assembly, and his Colombian counterpart Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar have signed a package of bilateral agreements.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan informs that the package composes an agreement on the exchange of visa requirements for holders of diplomatic, official and service passports as well as the memorandum on the introduction of a mechanism of political consultations between Foreign Affairs Ministries of Azerbaijan and Colombia.

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has approved an intergovernmental agreement between Ukraine and Serbia waiving mutual visa requirements for short-term stays in these countries.

The cabinet's resolution is dated September 21, according to the government's Web site.

The agreement between the governments of Ukraine and Serbia on visa-free travel for citizens of both countries was signed in Kyiv on May 31, 2011.

According to the document, citizens of Ukraine can stay in Serbia for up to 30 days without visas. The same applies to Serbs visiting Ukraine.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration today announced a 60-day postponement of the effective date for the final rule concerning the wage methodology for the temporary nonagricultural employment H-2B program. The delay will permit the various courts involved in ongoing litigation surrounding the implementation of the rule to determine the appropriate venue for the resolution of all claims and allow the department to avoid the possibility of administering the H-2B program under potentially conflicting court orders.

In consideration of these pending challenges, the department determined under Section 705 of the Administrative Procedure Act that the interest of justice would be served by postponing the effective date of the rule from Sept. 30, 2011, until Nov. 30, 2011. A Federal Register notice to that effect will be published next week.

The H-2B program allows the entry of foreign workers into the U.S. when qualified U.S. workers are not available and the employment of foreign workers will not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of similarly employed U.S. workers. The H-2B program is limited by law to a cap of 66,000 visas per year.

The department published a final rule on Jan. 19, 2011, that revised the wage methodology for the H-2B program and set the effective date of the wage rule as Jan. 1, 2012. On June 16, 2011, in response to a challenge, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania invalidated that date and ordered the department to announce a new effective date within 45 days.

In response to that court’s order, the department issued a notice of proposed rulemaking on June 28, 2011, which proposed that the wage rule take effect 60 days from the date of publication of a final rule. After a period of public comment, the department published a final rule on Aug. 1, 2011, which set the new effective date for the wage rule as Sept. 30, 2011, without altering the substance of the rule.

Britain could be the first country in the European Union that will introduce passports which do not contain details of the holder’s sex. The move has been proposed because some people have not yet decided whether they are male or female. This is a cause for worry for them at the airports’ border control.

The Liberal Democrats party that has lost its supporters is seems to have invented a method to leave its trace in the country’s history. The coalition government decided to introduce amendments to the passports of Britons on the initiative of the Liberal Democrats.

The citizens of Britain are issued dark red passports, which are like the Russian ones in colour, to travel abroad. Like in passports of all European states, it also has notification of the holder’s sex. Politicians insist on abolishing this information. The column “sex” will remain but instead of M for male and F for female there will be simply a cross. The Liberal Democrats believe this move will defend the rights of people who are undergoing a sex change operation or who have both male and female sexual organs. These people have to inscribe all these intimate details to border guards, who sometimes cannot grasp how this is possible when a woman is standing before them and hands over her passport with a photograph of a male. Although the number of such people is not so high, the Liberal Democrats suggest introducing a gender-free passport for all citizens unexceptionally.

Some officials of the Home Office oppose the move saying that the British border guards, who are working under constant tension owing to terrorist threats in the country, will have to do additional work with the identification of the personality. However, the supporters of the new move insist that details of the passport holder’s sex are not important at all. They point to the identity card issued to all British servicemen, which contains all details of its holder but no information about the holder’s gender.

According to the Home Office officials, no final decision has been taken yet about the amendments to the passport.

In fact, they will have an opportunity to study how this innovation has materialized in the former British colony, Australia. The holder of an Australian passport can write x – unidentified gender on the column of sex or ordinary identification male or female. This is a responsibility of a citizen and his physician because surgery to change the sex is unnecessary to make amendments to passport details. According to the clergy, the innovation not only defies Divine law but also commonsense.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), marking a significant milestone in its efforts to provide relief to victims of crimes, has for the second straight year approved 10,000 petitions for U nonimmigrant status, also referred to as the U-visa.

On an annual basis, 10,000 U-visas are set aside for victims of crime who have suffered substantial mental or physical abuse and are willing to help law enforcement authorities investigate or prosecute crime.

“Providing immigration protection to victims of crime and their families while aiding law enforcement efforts to bring criminals to justice is of the utmost importance to the Agency and the public we serve,” said USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas.

Due in large part to public education and partnerships forged with law enforcement agencies and service providers, USCIS reached the statutory maximum of 10,000 U-visas per fiscal year for the second year in a row since it began approving petitions for them in 2008. It is a significant milestone for the program created by Congress to strengthen law enforcement’s ability to investigate and prosecute cases of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and other crimes while at the same time offering protection to victims of such crimes. More than 45,000 victims and their immediate family members have received U-visas since the implementation of this program.

As part of this effort, USCIS adjudications officers have traveled to 30 cities, including Boston, Philadelphia, Seattle and Los Angeles to train federal, state and local law enforcement and immigrant-serving organizations on immigration protections available to immigrants who are victims of human trafficking, domestic violence and other crimes.

USCIS will continue to accept and adjudicate new U-visa petitions, and will resume issuing U-visas on Oct. 1, 2011, the first day of fiscal year 2012.

In recognition of Constitution Day and Citizenship Day on Sept. 17, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will welcome more than 27,000 new American citizens during 285 naturalization ceremonies held across the country and around the world during the week of Sept. 15. As part of this celebration, USCIS is again partnering with the National Park Service (NPS) to hold naturalization ceremonies at 14 national park sites across the country.

"Each year on Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, we commemorate the signing of the U.S. Constitution and what it means to be a citizen of this great nation," said USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas. "We continue to be enriched by our diversity and united by our shared respect for the foundational rights and responsibilities enshrined in the Constitution."

To introduce our newest citizens to the natural wonders and treasured historic sites across our great country, USCIS and NPS have partnered again this year to hold naturalization ceremonies at NPS sites across the country.

The capstone ceremony will take place on Sept. 23 at the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. In addition, this year’s celebration includes a ceremony at Federal Hall in New York City, where George Washington took his oath of office as the first President of the United States, and at Yosemite National Park in California, one of America’s first wilderness parks. Other national park ceremonies will include Fort Vancouver National Historic Site in Washington state, the Roger Williams National Memorial in Providence, R.I., and Point Reyes National Seashore in California.

"I can't think of places more appropriate to welcome our newest citizens than national parks," said NPS Director Jonathan Jarvis. "National parks preserve significant natural resources and cultural heritage sites, and are places where one can learn about and reflect on the American identity and the responsibilities of citizenship."

USCIS will also host ceremonies at Golden Hall in San Diego, the National Archives in Atlanta and Boston, and the Campbell Heritage Theater in California, in addition to a military naturalization ceremony on the USS North Carolina in Wilmington, N.C.

The Immigration Minister Damian Green has reaffirmed the importance of tackling abuse of the family migration route, and promoting better community integration for those who come to live permanently in the UK.

In a speech at the Centre for Policy Studies on the 15 September, the Minister highlighted research that supports the government's proposals on family migration. The proposals which are currently being consulted on, will prevent the family route being used to bypass our immigration laws, while welcoming those who want to make a life here with their family and contribute to their local community.

Reports on family migration to the UK show:

two-thirds of a sample of those granted a marriage visa in 2009 had never visited the UK before deciding to move here permanently; the proportion of people entering on family visas who settle here permanently varies hugely by nationality - of the family migrants granted a visa in 2004, 8 out of 10 from Bangladesh and Pakistan had settled here permanently within 5 years, compared with just 10 per cent of Australians; 20 per cent of a sample of sponsors of marriage visa applicants were either unemployed or had an income below the national minimum wage; 37 per cent of sponsors from the sample were living with family members or friends; and in 2009-10, the Department for Work and Pensions spent £2.6 million on telephone interpreting services and nearly £400,000 on document translation. Immigration Minister Damian Green said:

'These are sensitive issues which have been ignored for far too long but ones we are determined to tackle.

'We want a system that lets everyone know where they stand and what their responsibilities are. If your marriage is not genuine, if you have no interest in this country and its way of life, if you are coming here to live off benefits, don't come in the first place.

'That is why our focus is on delivering better family migration - better for migrants, for communities and for the UK as a whole.'

Plans to reform family migration are outlined in an ongoing consultation which includes proposals to:

- define more clearly what constitutes a genuine marriage for the purposes of the immigration rules to help identify sham and forced marriages;

- introduce a minimum income threshold for those sponsoring family migrants to ensure they are supported at a level that helps integration;

- extend the probationary period before spouses and partners can apply for settlement in the UK from 2 years to 5 years to test the genuineness of relationships and to encourage integration into British life before settlement is granted; and

- require spouses, partners and adult dependants aged under 65 applying for settlement to be able to demonstrate that they can understand everyday English.

In 2010, family migration accounted for around 18 per cent of all non-EU immigration to the UK. In 2010, 48,900 visas were granted to spouses, partners and dependants of British citizens and those with permanent residence in the UK.

Early findings from the consultation launched in July 2011 show broad public support for many of the changes the government has proposed. The great majority back the proposed requirement that spouses and partners must have to understand everyday English before being allowed to settle here permanently.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reminds eligible widow(er)s that October 28, 2011 is the deadline for filing a Form I-360 visa petition.

If you are the widow(er) of a U.S. citizen who died before October 28, 2009 you may be eligible to immigrate to the United States if:

- You and your deceased spouse were married for less than 2 years when your spouse died and
- You file Form I-360 for Special immigrant classification as a widow/widower by October 28, 2011. See section 568(c) of Public Law 111-83 for more information.

USCIS must receive your Form I-360 by October 28, 2011. Since you must file Form I-360 by mail or overnight courier, please be sure to ship it in time for USCIS to receive it no later than October 28, 2011.

The procedure for obtaining Schengen visas to Poland has been greatly facilitated for Ukrainian citizens recently, according to the newspaper Delo.

A letter from work with information about pay and holidays, a bank certificate and a copy of the work record card have been excluded from the list of documents required for obtaining visas. This applies to both reusable business (just the original letter of invitation is enough) and travel (only a partially paid hotel reservation is enough) visas. Now it is necessary to submit only a passport, application form, photo, insurance and paid hotel reservation (or a letter of invitation).

Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney today called on the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants (CSIC) to do its utmost to ensure a smooth transition to the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC), the new regulator of immigration consultants.

“The ICCRC is the designated regulator of immigration consultants under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and it is crucial that all parties involved make sure that there is no confusion about who now regulates immigration consultants,” said Minister Kenney.

On June 30, 2011, after a public consultation process, the ICCRC was designated, by regulation, as the new regulator of immigration consultants, replacing CSIC. These regulations also state that all CSIC members who were members in good standing on June 30 are now deemed to be members of the new governing body, the ICCRC, until October 28, 2011. During this 120-day transition period, these CSIC members are not required to pay fees to the ICCRC, which will provide them with ample time to register with the new regulator.

CSIC has filed an application before the Federal Court for a judicial review of the decision to designate the ICCRC as the regulator of immigration consultants and this hearing will be held in October. In the meantime, Minister Kenney urges CSIC to in no way hinder the ICCRC’s work.

Under IRPA, membership in CSIC is no longer required for individuals wishing to practise as immigration consultants under federal jurisdiction. The ICCRC, as the new governing body, is able to determine whether an individual, other than someone who was a member in good standing of CSIC as of June 30, 2011, may become a member of the ICCRC. If CSIC members are uncertain of their status, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) encourages them to contact the ICCRC.

Minister Kenney also took the opportunity to remind CSIC that it would be in the public interest for this organization to act in good faith and transfer all relevant documents to the ICCRC, including all previous, outstanding and ongoing complaints and discipline matters related to their membership.

USCIS is implementing the first phase in a series of proposed enhancements to the EB-5 program. Beginning today, Form I-924 applicants will be able to communicate directly with USCIS adjudicators via e-mail in an effort to streamline the process and quickly raise and resolve issues and questions that arise during the adjudication process. The Form I-924 is the Application for Regional Center Under the Immigrant Investor Pilot Program. Information on how direct e-mail communication will work can be found in our Questions and Answers document.

USCIS intends to monitor the progress of this new line of communication to assess whether changes are needed and to implement any required changes on a real-time basis. If you have feedback in response to your use of the direct line of communication for the Form I-924, please submit your comments to opefeedback@uscis.dhs.gov.

USCIS is eager to implement all of the proposed enhancements to the EB-5 program that it first announced on May 19, 2011. USCIS is currently exploring how it can accelerate the implementation of premium processing, which customarily takes months due to the need to revise the applicable forms. USCIS is currently hiring economists and other experts that will enhance and accelerate the adjudication process and also help constitute the Decision Board that was first described on May 19.

Implementation of enhancements to the EB-5 program is a high priority for USCIS. Director Alejandro Mayorkas will provide more information about the status of the proposed enhancements and other action items for this program in his first Conversation with the Director this Wednesday, September 14, and in the national stakeholder engagement on Thursday, September 15.

The Department of State released the lasted visa bulletin for October 2011 on September 9, 2011.

For the month of September 2011, the EB-1 category was still current for nationals all over the world. In EB-2 category, the cut-off dates moves forward from April 15, 2007 to July 15, 2007 both for Chinese Mainland nationals and Indian nationals. In the EB-3 category, the cut-off dates moved forward from July 15, 2004 to August 8,2004 for Chinese Mainland nationals and moved forward from July 8, 2002 to July 15, 2002 for Indian nationals.

For the recently popular EB-5 investment immigration, although applicants are getting more and more, the visa number now is still current.

It is imperative that you consult with a highly trained legal professional, particularly since USCIS has become stricter with EB-1 applications after a memo was released on August 18, 2010. In essence, the USCIS memo breaks the EB-1 evaluation process up into two parts:

1) Evaluating whether the applicant meets the baseline criteria for the immigration category and

2) determining whether the applicant’s evidence demonstrates the required high level of expertise for the immigration category. In the second part of the review process the USCIS will evaluate the evidence to see if, as a whole, it proves by a preponderance of the evidence that the applicant is at the very top of his or her field of endeavour.

The Republic of Kenya has opened its embassy in Oman in an apparent move to strengthen its bilateral relations and for attracting leisure tourists from the Sultanate.

Kenya’s Charge d’Affairs Yabesh O Monari said that although the embassy recently started its operation at Shatti al Qurum, a formal inauguration will be held sometime next month, when cabinet ministers from Kenya visit Oman,

“Since we opened in April, we have issued about 900 visas, 700 for Omanis and 200 for expatriates,” he said, adding, “The demand for Kenyan visas is rising steadily. The embassy now issues visas instantly upon application.”

Monari said people of both countries share a unique historical relation that dates back to several centuries. Swahili is widely spoken in Oman. In Kenya, Swahili is the official language and Muscat and Mombasa share a lot in common, he added. Monari said Kenya offers a unique and unforgettable experience for tourists, especially for those who love wildlife tourism. “Kenya has a total of 54 national parks and reserves. Kenya is one of the world’s leading travel destinations thanks to its scenery, magnificent wild life, sports and pleasant year round climate.”

A spectacular annual event that has been recognised as one of the wonders of the world is the biggest migration of large mammals. In July every year, over 1.5 million wild beasts migrate from Serengeti plains in Tanzania to fresh pastures in the Masai Mara before going back in October.

A Kenyan safari is an African experience, combining animals in the plains, the beaches in Mombasa, Rift Valley and Malindi.

Referring to the procedures for getting a visit visa to Kenya, he said Omani visa applicants have to submit their application, along with a copy of identify card and passport, passport-size photographs and a fee of RO20. For expatriates, apart from these necessary documents, the embassy needs a letter from
the employer.

The Government of Canada is offering a new tip line through the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) Call Centre where tips on suspected citizenship fraud cases may be reported, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced today.

“Canadian citizenship is not for sale. I encourage anyone who has information regarding citizenship fraud to call our tip line,” said Minister Kenney. “My department will ensure that all tips are investigated and that appropriate action is taken.”

Cases involving false representation, fraud or knowingly concealing material circumstances in the citizenship process – for example, pretending to be present in Canada to meet the residence requirements for obtaining citizenship – should be referred to the citizenship fraud tip line at CIC’s Call Centre at 1-888-242-2100 (in Canada only, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday). Those overseas can contact the nearest Canadian visa office. Tips may also be reported by e-mail at Citizenship-fraud-tips@cic.gc.ca.

All other types of fraud tips related to immigration should be reported to the Canada Border Services Agency’s (CBSA) Border Watch Tip Line at 1-888-502-9060. The CBSA is responsible for enforcing the provisions of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

To date, CIC has identified approximately 2,000 people from over 100 countries who may have obtained Canadian citizenship fraudulently, many by using the services of crooked consultants to misrepresent their residence in Canada. CIC is taking steps to revoke citizenship from those who obtained it fraudulently, where allowed by the evidence.

The Obama administration has decided to add the Republic of South Sudan to the list of countries included under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program. The move comes as South Sudan gained its independence last July and the United States swiftly recognised it. Southern Sudanese voted almost unanimously in favour of secession from the North earlier this year.

Sudan was initially designated for TPS in 1997 and Washington kept extending it throughout the years. The current designation expires next November. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is expected to announce extension of TPS for Sudan as well. All citizens of South Sudan who entered the US on or before the TPS designation is officially published will qualify regardless of their visa status. However, only Sudanese citizens who entered the country on or before October 7, 2004 will be covered by TPS extension.

TPS is a temporary immigration status granted to nationals of designated countries as part of the US Immigration Act of 1990. The US Congress established a procedure by which the Attorney General may provide TPS to aliens in the United States who are temporarily unable to safely return to their home country because of ongoing armed conflict, the temporary effects of an environmental disaster, or other extraordinary and temporary conditions.

During the period for which a country has been designated under the TPS program, the registrants are allowed to remain in the United States and obtain work authorisation and may not be deported unless they commit certain crimes. However TPS does not lead to permanent residence in the US which is better known as the ‘green card'. Several bills in the US Congress to grant permanent residence to some TPS beneficiaries have stalled.

Currently nationals of Burundi, Haiti, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Somalia are also covered by the program.

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) today announced the release of the submission guidelines for Enterprise Migration Agreements (EMA), to assist project owners and prime contractors on eligible resources projects.

The guidelines contain all the necessary information for those who wish to make a submission for an EMA. The agreements are a new migration initiative that will allow major resource projects to gain access to overseas skilled workers for genuine vacancies that cannot be filled from the Australian skilled labour market.

“Now that the submission guidelines have been released, eligible projects will be able to make submissions for access to an EMA,” a departmental spokesman said.

“The agreements are available to resource projects which have been approved by the relevant state or territory government with capital expenditure of more than $2 billion and with a peak workforce of more than 1500 workers.”

The spokesman said the EMA program would ensure that skills shortages do not put constraints on major resource projects and jeopardise Australian jobs.

"Access to overseas skilled workers will ensure the workforce needs of major resource projects are met, realising the economic and employment benefits of the projects,” the spokesman said.

“Overseas workers will only be supplementary, with resources projects required to demonstrate effective and ongoing local recruitment and training efforts.”

The policy settings in the guidelines reflect extensive consultation with relevant industry, unions and government stakeholders. The department has committed to negotiating the agreements within three months from the time a project owner submits a complete request.

Turkey is enjoying a growing number of tourists visiting this year and it has seen a nearly 11 percent increase in the first seven months of this year, the Turkish government has said.

Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry data shows that Turkey received 17,624,969 tourists in the first seven months of this year -- a 10.64 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

The month of July has also seen an increase in the number of tourists visiting the country by 5.49 percent. A total of 4,597,475 tourists visited Turkey in July alone. While Germany is topping the list, Russia is second and the UK third in terms of the number of tourists visiting Turkey.

Out of nearly 18 million tourists, 990,906 tourists (5.62 percent) spent only a single day in the country.

Recent statistics covering the years 2002-2010 released by the Culture and Tourism Ministry reveal the progress Turkish tourism has made over the last eight years. While in terms of the number of tourists it was ranked 17th among the most visited tourist destinations in 2002, the numbers show that Turkey clinched seventh place in 2009, according to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

The number of tourist who visited Turkey in 2002 was 13.2 million, whereas the same number rose to 28.6 million in 2009, representing a 117 percent increase.

While 14.29 percent of tourists came from Germany, 11.79 percent came from Russia, 7.95 percent from England, 6.28 percent from Iran, 4.62 percent from Bulgaria, 4.08 percent from the Netherlands, 3.94 percent from France, 3.45 percent from Georgia, 3.11 percent from Syria and 2.28 percent from the US in the first seven months of this year.

Until August, while 2,518,202 tourists visited Turkey from Germany, 2,078,741 from Russia, 1,401,833 from England, 1,107,067 from Iran and 813,976 tourists from Bulgaria chose Turkey as a place for their vacation.

Tourists visiting Turkey this year have mostly entered through border gates in Antalya (33.57 percent), followed by İstanbul (25.41 percent) and Muğla (9.48 percent).

Thanks to its retaining close political and economic relationships with its neighbors, Turkey managed to remove visa requirements for many countries in the region, resulting in a huge increase in incoming and outgoing tourists in the area. However, the political uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa, or the Arab Spring, has lead to a significant drop in tourists from those countries visiting Turkey

Germany, Russia and England is again topping the list in the number of tourists visiting Turkey in July. Out of 4,597,475 tourists who visited the country in July, 310,225 tourists (6.75 percent) stayed in Turkey only for a single day.

In July, while Germany sent 602,511 tourists (13.11 percent) to Turkey, 586,905 tourists (12.17 percent) were from Russia, 435,143 (9.46 percent) from England, 242,870 (5.28 percent) from the Netherlands, 191,681 (4.17 percent) from Iran, 186,631 (4.06 percent) from France, 146,162 (3.18 percent) from Bulgaria, 127,527 ( 2.77 percent) from Austria, 127,240 ( 2.77 percent) from Belgium, 124,147 (2.70 percent) from Georgia.

While the number of tourists visiting Turkey was 4,343,025 in July in 2009, this number was 4,358,275 in 2010. In the January-July period, the number of tourists visiting Turkey was 14,933,656 and this number increased to 15,929,702 in 2010.