Immigration Lawyer Blog

Russia will finalize the details of a long-discussed visa agreement with the United States by the end of November, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Thursday.

"Within the next few days we will complete all the technicalities concerning simplification of the visa regime [with the United States],” Ryabkov said.

The agreement will shorten the time it takes to process visa applications and extend the visa validity period.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin proposed scrapping visa restrictions between the two countries altogether during a meeting with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden in Moscow in March.

In May, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and U.S. President Barack Obama announced plans to liberalize visa restrictions for businessmen and tourists traveling between the two countries. Under the new agreement, eligible business travelers and tourists would be issued visas valid for 36 months at a unified and reciprocal fee.

The new building of the UAE Embassy in Manila, the capital of Philippines, was inaugurated today by Ambassador of the UAE Musa Abdul Wahid Al Khaja.

The ceremony in Mckinley Hills neighborhood, Manila was attended by senior Philippine Foreign Ministry officials, Arab ambassadors and diplomats.

In a speech, Al Khaja hailed the distinguished relations between the UAE and the Philippines.

France said Wednesday it was tightening immigration rules to require would-be citizens to provide written proof that they speak enough French to manage their daily lives.

Announced in the government's official gazette, the new rules require candidates for citizenship to “prove knowledge of the French language consistent with understanding the essential points needed to manage daily life.”Candidates previously had their language skills tested in interviews with government officials, but will now be required to provide evidence of French-language skills “by producing a diploma or certificate delivered by a state-recognised organism.”The new rules take effect in January. It is learnt that about one million foreigners living in France did not speak French.

It said the French government was growing increasingly concerned over the issue and was spending 60 million euros ($83 million) to promote French-language skills and integration among immigrants.

France grants citizenship to about 100,000 candidates every year, according to official figures.

Foreign nationals could soon have to take a test on British history before they are granted a UK passport after David Cameron set out moves to toughen up requirements for citizenship. The Prime Minister appealed to the public to "shop" illegal immigrants and announced a drive against bogus marriages as he promised to "reclaim our borders". In a major speech on immigration, he said the Government would overhaul the structure of citizenship tests, which were introduced nine years ago by Labour, to give them a more traditional flavour.

"Instead you'll find questions on the roles and powers of the main institutions of Europe and the benefits system within the UK. So we are going to revise the whole test and put British history and culture at the heart of it."

Mr Cameron has set his government the target of reducing net migration to Britain from "hundreds of thousands" to "tens of thousands" by the next general election. The figure for last year was a "staggering" 239,000, he told the Institute for Government in London.

Ministers believe a series of reforms to the visa system are already beginning to have an effect and the target can be achieved. Striking a note that could dismay his Liberal Democrat coalition partners, the Prime Minister said he wanted the Government to "go further and be even tougher" on immigration. He urged the whole country to play its part in tackling the issue by reporting suspected illegal immigrants to the authorities. He declared: "Together we will reclaim our borders and send illegal immigrants home."

Under moves set out by Mr Cameron yesterday, individuals applying to come to Britain for family reasons will have to demonstrate that they can speak English, have the means to support themselves as well as genuine family links in Britain. Families who want to sponsor overseas relatives to settle in Britain will have to post a financial bond worth thousands of pounds.

"We will make migrants wait longer, to show they really are in a genuine relationship before they can get settlement," Mr Cameron said. "We'll also impose stricter tests on the genuineness of a relationship, including the ability to speak the same language and to know each other's circumstances.

"We will also end the ridiculous situation where a registrar who knows a marriage is a sham still has to perform the ceremony."

Mr Cameron also confirmed that forcing someone to marry against their will could become a criminal offence. He said he had asked the Home Secretary, Theresa May, to consult on whether the practice should be outlawed in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Yvette Cooper MP, the shadow Home Secretary, said: "The Prime Minister needs to realise that making pledges and consistently failing to meet them undermines trust in the entire system."

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Alejandro Mayorkas joined the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness in Pittsburgh to announce “Entrepreneurs in Residence.” This new innovative initiative will utilize industry expertise to strengthen USCIS policies and practices surrounding immigrant investors, entrepreneurs and workers with specialized skills, knowledge, or abilities. Mayorkas announced the initiative at the Jobs Council’s High Growth Entrepreneurship Listening and Action Session at AlphaLab in Pittsburgh before the Council’s quarterly meeting with President Obama.

“This initiative creates additional opportunities for USCIS to gain insights in areas critical to economic growth,” said Director Mayorkas. “The introduction of expert views from the private and public sector will help us to ensure that our policies and processes fully realize the immigration law’s potential to create and protect American jobs.”

USCIS will launch the “Entrepreneurs in Residence” initiative with a series of informational summits with industry leaders to gather high-level strategic input. Informed by the summits, the agency will stand up a tactical team comprised of entrepreneurs and experts, working with USCIS personnel, to design and implement effective solutions. This initiative will strengthen USCIS’s collaboration with industries, at the policy, training, and officer level, while complying with all current Federal statutes and regulations.

The initiative builds upon USCIS’s August announcement of efforts to promote startup enterprises and spur job creation, including enhancements to the EB-5 immigrant investor visa program. Since August, USCIS is:

- Conducting a review of the EB-5 process
- Working with business analysts to enhance the EB-5 adjudication process
- Implementing direct access for EB-5 Regional Center applicants to reach adjudicators quickly; and
- Launching new specialized training modules for USCIS officers on the EB-2 visa classification and L-1B nonimmigrant intra-company transferees.

Overseas visitors who fail to pay off their debts for NHS treatment will soon be denied permission to enter or stay in the UK, Immigration Minister Damian Green has announced. Changes to the Immigration Rules were laid in Parliament today, meaning that those subject to immigration control who fail to settle an outstanding bill of £1,000 or more will not be allowed to enter or remain in the UK until the debt is paid off.

Damian Green said:

'The NHS is designed to meet the healthcare needs of the UK and we won't tolerate abuse of this service.

'We welcome overseas visitors, but those who use NHS facilities need to pay for them, or they will be barred from coming here.

'It's very simple - pay up or you won't be welcome in the UK.'

The NHS will provide information that will enable the UK Border Agency to identify the debtors and - when they apply to return to or remain in the UK - to refuse their applications. The information sharing arrangements are being phased in over the coming months.

It is hoped that the £1,000 threshold will capture 94 per cent of outstanding charges owed to the NHS. This change follows consultations carried out last year by the UK Border Agency and the Department of Health. A 2009 review set out to examine the rules on charging overseas visitors for access to NHS services in England.

The change was announced in a written ministerial statement, which you can download from the right side of this page. Our Consultations section contains an impact assessment and policy equality statement relating to the change.

The Russian government has approved a draft agreement with the United States, which makes it simpler for the two countries' citizens to obtain visas. It is proposed that the agreement be concluded through the exchange of notes, according to a document posted in the databank of government acts. The same document approves the draft of a Russian note.

The agreement sets out the conditions for issuing visas for short-term official trips, as well as the conditions for issuance of Russian business, private, humanitarian and tourist visas and U.S. B1/B2 visas, the approved draft note said.

The countries' diplomatic missions and consular departments will normally make the decision about a visa within 15 calendar days from the start of processing, the note said. The period for making a decision on a visa application can be extended in certain cases. At the same time, this period can be reduced to three business days or less in urgent cases.

The parties shall agree to issue normally multiple-entry visas for a stay of no more than six months from the date of each entry and valid for 36 months from the issue date, the draft agreement said. This agreement shall be valid, provided the parties observe the principles of reciprocity.

For short-term official trips, the parties agree to issue mainly multiple-entry visas for a stay of up to three months from the date of each entry and valid for 12 months from the issue date.

When considering a visa application, diplomatic missions may request additional information to confirm the stated purpose of the trip and available funding, the draft document said. A joint recommended list of documents for submitting such information will be agreed by the parties through diplomatic channels, the draft agreement said.

"The provisions of the note do not aim to limit the powers of the competent authorities of either party to refuse a visa, to cancel a visa, to refuse entry or exit to another country's citizens, or to limit their stay in accordance with the national laws," the note said.

In the event that this proposal is acceptable for the U.S., the said Russian note and the note sent by the U.S. Embassy in response shall be deemed to constitute an agreement simplifying visa formalities, which will become effective within 30 days from the date of receipt through diplomatic channels of the last written notice about completion of internal procedures, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

As a result of public input during recent outreach sessions in the CNMI, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issued Thursday the procedures and requirements that will now allow foreign workers applying for H-1B and other nonimmigrant classification to remain in the CNMI and continue working while awaiting a decision on their application.

Without this welcome relief from USCIS, foreign workers being petitioned for H-1B or other Immigration and Nationality Act classification by their employers need to exit the CNMI if the Form I-129 petition has not been adjudicated by Nov. 27.

Examples of nonimmigrant classifications for which an I-129 petition may be filed include H-1B specialty occupation, E-1 treaty trader, E-2 investor, L-1 intra-company transferee and R religious worker.

Douglas Brennan, president of the Saipan Chamber of Commerce, said yesterday that the largest business organization in the CNMI “gladly accepts this change in practice by USCIS.”

Brennan, general manager of Microl Corp., said many employers “were extremely concerned with having to exit their specialized personnel if their visa applications had not been processed by Nov. 28, 2011.”

“Some of our educational institutions would have had to literally remove teachers from their classrooms mid-term, so this is welcome news,” Brennan said when asked for comment on the matter.

Richard Pierce, the Chamber's executive director, said “as USCIS administers the new system from California, where petitions are adjudicated, and Hawaii, where enforcement offices are stationed, it's rare to see where the district director can effectuate changes from what he's gathered here in the CNMI.”

“Makes you almost wish there was a permanent presence in the CNMI,” he told Saipan Tribune.

Only those whose Form I-129 petition for nonimmigrant worker was filed before Nov. 28, 2011, may apply for parole and an employment authorization document, or EAD.

Parole will allow the foreign worker with pending H1-B and other INA classification application to remain in the CNMI.

There is no filing fee to apply for parole in this situation.

EAD will allow them to continue working while their application is still pending.

There is a filing fee of $380 for the I-765 request for employment authorization.

If granted, parole and employment authorization document, or EAD, in these instances generally will be valid for 120 days.

Pierce also said the Chamber spent considerable time with USCIS acting deputy chief counsel Philip B. Busch discussing this oversight by USCIS.

“He reported they had not even considered the implications where enough time was not available to process H-1B applicants so as to avoid exiting current employees from the CNMI. We're satisfied there has been a decision based upon those exchanges we had on Sept. 21st,” Pierce added.

USCIS district director David Gulick told Chamber members and guests on Wednesday about the agency's plan to consider allowing those with pending H-1B, R-1 and L-1 applications to remain in the CNMI and continue working here.

At the time, Gulick said the procedures were still being finalized. USCIS issued the requirements and procedures on Thursday, along with a question-and-answer. Back in September during the outreach sessions, USCIS officials said those whose petitions for INA classification have yet to be adjudicated by Nov. 27 will need to exit the CNMI unless they are paroled. And even if they have parole status after Nov. 27, they could not work.

But USCIS developed an approach in response to input received from the public during USCIS outreach sessions in the last two weeks of September.

Employers and workers were concerned that businesses would have to close if the benefiting employees had to leave the CNMI to await decisions on their employer's I-129 petitions.

“There was particular concern about a negative impact on schools and hospitals,” USCIS said.

USCIS said it also recognizes that it is important to support movement into regular employment-based nonimmigrant categories under the INA, as that is the ultimate goal of the CNMI transition to federal immigration law.

“A continuing employment provision in the CW transitional worker final rule allowed this convenience for workers who are being petitioned for CW-1, but there are no equivalent special regulatory provisions for those under INA categories,” it added.

Effective October 6, 2011, the Source Country class has been repealed. This means that individuals can no longer apply for resettlement to Canada under the Source Country class.

As part of the measures taken to repeal the Source Country class, Canada will also be ending direct access in designated geographic areas as of November 5, 2011. This means that applicants in the countries listed below will be required, as of November 5, to include a referral from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, a designated referral organization or a private sponsor with their resettlement application in order to be eligible for resettlement.

These changes apply to people residing in the following countries:

- DR Congo Nairobi, Kenya
- Sudan Cairo, Egypt
- El Salvador Guatemala City, Guatemala
- Guatemala Guatemala City, Guatemala
- Colombia Bogota, Colombia
- Sierra Leone Accra, Ghana

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru has reassured that the Nigeria Consulate in San Francisco, California will be reopened next year. Ashiru gave the assurance on Wednesday night at a town hall meeting with Nigerians in the Diaspora during his first official visit to the Nigeria embassy in Washington D.C.

``By next year we will reopen the consulate in San Francisco; lucky enough we have a building there owned by the federal government. I have already told the ambassador to renovate the property in time for reopening of the consulate,’’ he said.

The consulate in San Francisco was closed in the 80s because of rationalisation of foreign missions carried out by the then government. The Minister also informed the gathering that foreign mission and consulates are being repositioned for effective service.

He stressed the need for Foreign Service officers to spend ``more time with investors’’ with a view to attracting more investment to Nigeria. ``The first priority is to take care of Nigerians resident in their host country, we believe that Nigerians deserve the best and they should be so treated,’’ he said, adding that ``foreign policy must be relevant to the ordinary people."

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."

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.

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.

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 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.

More than a million of the highest-qualified and best-trained Britons have gone to live abroad and are contributing to the wealth of other countries, a report found yesterday.
They have made up more than half of the British emigrants who have gone abroad over the past 14 years to work in countries including America, Australia, or, increasingly, Germany, it found.

The report from the immigration think tank MigrationWatch warned of a new brain drain and said that no other country loses as many university graduates through emigration.

The analysis of who is going abroad comes at a time when numbers of people leaving the country to live abroad have plummeted, mainly thanks to the recession. At the same time levels of immigration have remained at sky high levels. As a result net migration – the number of people added to the population by migration – last year totalled 239,000, the second highest total ever.

The new report said that professionally qualified workers and experienced managers continue to make up the majority of emigrants from Britain, numbering more than 50,000 in 2009.
It put the number of British graduates working abroad at 1.1 million, and added many will stay away permanently.

Citing the verdict produced by the Paris-based grouping of rich nations, the report said: ‘This is consistent with the findings of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development that the UK suffers from a brain drain less serious only than Mexico whereby a significant proportion of its tertiary level educated go overseas to work.

The report said the need to import engineers means that British companies may be paying too little for highly qualified staff.

The UK Border Agency Shortage Occupation list includes civil engineers, mechanical engineers and electrical engineers among others. It said, perhaps suggesting that UK companies are not paying sufficiently well to keep the brightest and the best. Despite the NHS claiming to be reliant on migrant labour, 27 per cent of our skilled emigrants had a health or education degree.

The UK Border Agency has completed its review of the criteria to become a Highly Trusted Sponsor (HTS) under Tier 4 of the points-based system. We are now inviting comments on the proposed new criteria. From April 2012, all Tier 4 sponsors must obtain HTS status. By the end of 2012, they will also need to have been inspected, audited or approved by one of the educational oversight bodies specified by us.

In April 2011, we committed to review the criteria to become a Highly Trusted Sponsor. We have now completed this review, and the proposed new criteria are set out below.
- Mandatory requirements - all must be passed
- Minimum qualifying period 12 months, with the last 6 months as an A-rated sponsor
- Minimum period with no civil penalties 3 years
- Refusal rate < 20 per cent
- Enrollment rate > 90 per cent
- Course completion rate More than 85 per cent
- Declaration of progression 100 per cent
- No serious concerns (Linked to the new visiting officer report)

Core measurable requirements start with 100 points; must score 70 or above.

To become a Highly Trusted Sponsor, you must pass each of the mandatory requirements. You will then be assessed against the core measurable requirements, with points deducted according to a sliding scale.
For example, a sponsor meets all the mandatory requirements and has an 18 per cent refusal rate, a 94 per cent enrolment rate and a 92 per cent course completion rate. They are deducted 20 points for the refusal rate, 10 points for the enrolment rate and a further 10 for the course completion rate, losing 40 points in total. This leaves a score of 60 points so their application is refused.
If you fail on one or more mandatory requirements, you will become a legacy sponsor. You will not be able to sponsor new students, and your licence will be revoked from April 2012.
Sponsors failing on the core measurable elements may reapply after 3 months.
All education providers who wish to begin or continue to sponsor students from outside Europe must apply for HTS status by a date to be specified, and must obtain HTS status by April 2012.
Sponsors who currently have HTS status will need to apply up to a month before their current status expires. For the current renewal process and guidance, see our How to apply as a Highly Trusted Sponsor page.
Sponsors who do not already meet the accreditation requirements must also apply to Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) or the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) by 9 September 2011. We published further information about the enhanced role of QAA and ISI in a news story last month.
Since 21 April 2011, all independent schools with an 'A' rating and appropriate accreditation are automatically awarded HTS status. Independent schools with a 'B' rating are given HTS status, if they have the appropriate accreditation, as soon as they become A-rated.
New independent schools are given HTS status immediately, if they are A-rated and have the appropriate accreditation.
If you were registered after 1 March 2011 with a zero CAS limit, you will be given 50 per cent of your requested CAS allocation and must apply for HTS 12 months after receiving your licence, providing you have been A-rated for the last 6 months.
Any sponsor who misses either application deadline will become a legacy sponsor, unable to sponsor any new students. Their licence will then be revoked in April 2012.
Sponsors who achieve or successfully renew HTS status will be subject to an interim CAS limit until they have obtained satisfactory educational oversight (EO) inspection.

U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced it will no longer offer parole to Lautenberg category members who are denied refugee status in Moscow. Individuals who have been offered parole by USCIS in Moscow must make plans to arrive in the United States by Sept. 30, 2011.

A provision of the Lautenberg Amendment to the Foreign Operations Appropriations Act allows certain individuals who are paroled into the United States after being denied refugee status to adjust to lawful permanent resident status after being physically present in the United States for one year. Within the Moscow program, this provision is limited to only those refugee applicants from countries that made up the former Soviet Union who meet the Lautenberg criteria.

Congress has not extended this Lautenberg Amendment provision, which expires after Sept. 30, 2011.

Legislation cracking down on crooked immigration consultants will come into force on June 30, 2011, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced today.

At the same time, oversight of the consultant community is being turned over to the newly created Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC). “The Government of Canada has promised to crack down on crooked immigration consultants and their shady practices, and with Bill C-35, we now have the tools,” said the Minister.

Bill C-35 strengthens the rules governing those who charge their clients for immigration advice or representation, making it an offence for anyone other than an accredited immigration representative to conduct business, for a fee or other consideration, at any stage of an application or proceeding. It also increases penalties and fines for unauthorized representation and allows for more government oversight in order to improve the way in which immigration consultants are regulated.

With the designation of the ICCRC as the regulator of immigration consultants, consultants who are currently members in good standing of the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants (CSIC) can begin to register with the ICCRC on June 30, 2011.

Immigration representatives must be either members in good standing of a provincial or territorial law society, including paralegals; members of the Chambre des notaires du Québec; or members of the governing body for immigration consultants.

A 120-day transitional period will be put in place to ensure a smooth transition and continuity of service for both CSIC members currently in good standing and their clients during the transition to the ICCRC. The transition period will end on October 28, 2011.

After a notice was published on March 19, 2011, in the Canada Gazette, Part I, proposing the ICCRC be designated the regulator of immigration consultants, over 70 percent of the public comments received during the 30-day consultation period supported the proposal to establish a new regulator of immigration consultants.

US Dept. of State has issued following notification:

We regret to inform you that, due to a computer programming problem, the results of the 2012 Diversity Lottery that were previously posted on this website have been voided. They were not valid and were posted in error. The results were not valid because they did not represent a fair, random selection of entrants, as required by U.S. law.

If you checked this website during the first week in May and found a notice that you had been selected for further processing or a notice that you had not been selected, that notice has been rescinded and is no longer valid.

A new selection process will be conducted based on the original entries for the 2012 program.

If you submitted a qualified entry from October 5, 2010 to November 3, 2010, your entry remains with us. It will be included in the new selection lottery. Your confirmation number to check results on this website is still valid.

We expect the results of the new selection process to be available on this website on or about July 15, 2011. We regret any inconvenience this might have caused.

Albania has signed a visa-waiver agreement with Taiwan, becoming the 115th country to do so, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) announced Friday in a press statement.

Effective immediately, Taiwanese passport holders visiting the European country for less than 90 days will not need apply for tourist visas, making travel more convenient for the local population, said MOFA spokesman James Chang. Asked how many Taiwanese people actually visited Albania last year, Chang said only: "Not many."

Albania is the 115th country or territory to grant visa-free access or landing visa privileges to Taiwanese citizens, according to MOFA.

According to Chang, the agreement is significant for Taiwan because Albania used to have a "very close relationship" with China. Albania has proposed several times to exclude Taiwan from the United Nations and has maintained a friendly relationship with China for a long time.

Taiwan lost its U.N. membership in 1971 and has since been unsuccessful in its attempts to rejoin the international body.

On 1 July, the Lithuanian-Belgian agreement comes into force, under which Belgium will represent Lithuania when issuing Schengen visas in Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria and Rwanda.

This agreement will facilitate travelling to Lithuania, because foreign citizens of the countries, in which Lithuania will be represented by Belgium and where there are no Lithuanian diplomatic representations, will be able to contact the Embassy of Belgium for visas to travel to Lithuania.

The agreement that was signed in Vilnius on 21 June by Lithuanian Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Asta Skaisgirytė Liauškienė and Belgian Ambassador to Lithuania Christian Verdonck will also come into force on 1 July. The agreement provides that in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, foreign nationals shall be able to submit applications for Schengen visas to Lithuania at a common centre that accepts applications for the issuance of Schengen visas. Lithuania has signed similar agreements of representation with Austria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Norway and Slovenia.

Currently, Lithuania is represented in the sphere of visa issuance by 22 Schengen countries in various regions of the world. Lithuanian diplomatic missions and consular posts represent other Schengen countries in eleven foreign countries.

The U.S. Embassy in Brasilia, along with the U.S. consulates in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Recife, will open on Saturday, June 18, to accommodate Brazilian travelers seeking visas to visit the United States. U.S. consulates in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo will also open on July 23. All appointment openings for visa interviews were rapidly filled.

Trade, commerce, education, and tourism between Brazil and the United States have grown dramatically over the past several years. This has fueled a 230 percent increase in Non-Immigrant visa (NIV) demand in Brazil since 2006. In 2010 alone, the U.S. consulate general in Sao Paulo issued more than 319,000 NIV’s – more than any other post worldwide. This demand is expected to continue and even increase by up to 30 percent over last year.

About 95 percent of all Brazilian visa applicants receive visas, and most visas issued are the new combined B1/B2 for business and tourist travel with ten-year validity.

UK Immigration Minister Damian Green has announced the next set of changes to the Immigration Rules affecting Tier 4 - the student tier - of the points-based system. The has been laid in Parliament today. The changes will come into effect on 4 July 2011.

The Home Secretary announced changes to the Immigration Rules in a statement to Parliament on 22 March, following a major public consultation on reforming Tier 4. The first set of changes came into effect on 21 April.

The aim of the revised Immigration Rules is to deliver a strong migration system which tackles immigration abuse, while allowing genuine students to study at genuine colleges.

From 4 July we will:

- Restrict work entitlements to migrants studying at higher educational institutions (HEIs) and publicly funded further education colleges only;
- Restrict the sponsorship of dependants to those studying at postgraduate level at HEIs on courses lasting at least 12 months, and government-sponsored students on courses lasting at least 6 months;
- Require education providers to vouch that a new course represents genuine academic progression;
- Ensure that maintenance funds are genuinely available to the applicant, by introducing a declaration on the visa application form;
- Commit to publish a list of financial institutions that we consider, on the basis of experience, do not verify financial statements to our satisfaction in more than 50 per cent of a sample of cases;
- Introduce a streamlined application process for low-risk nationals applying to attend courses with Highly Trusted Sponsors;
- Extend the list of courses for which students must receive ATAS clearance;
- Restrict the ability to deliver accountancy courses accredited by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) to those sponsors accorded platinum or gold status by ACCA; and
- Clarify the position of overseas universities with campuses in the UK.

Migrants coming to the UK to work on temporary visas will no longer be able to apply for settlement, under proposals announced by the government today.
The government is implementing reforms to the immigration system which will reduce the level of immigration to sustainable levels. Today's announcement is the next step in this process.

Launching a public consultation on reforms to the work routes leading to settlement, Immigration Minister Damian Green set out plans to re-classify visas as either 'temporary' or 'permanent' and introduce stricter criteria for those who want to stay.

Immigration Minister Damian Green said:
'The proposals I am making today are aimed at breaking the link between temporary and permanent migration.

'Settlement has become almost automatic for those who choose to stay. This needs to change. The immigration system has got to be made to work properly.

'We want the brightest and best workers to come to the UK, make a strong contribution to our economy while they are here, and then return home.'
Under the current system, many workers are allowed to apply to stay here permanently. In 2010, 84,000 people who entered the UK for employment were granted settlement. This compares to less than 10,000 who qualified for employment related settlement in 1997.

The government has already implemented new settlement requirements for skilled workers entering under Tiers 1 and 2 of the points-based system, which require applicants to demonstrate English-language proficiency, continue to meet the salary requirements and to pass a new criminality test.

Key proposals under consideration in the 12 week consultation are as follows:
- Re-branding Tier 2 (the skilled worker route) as temporary, ending the assumption that settlement will be available for those who enter on this route;
- Allowing certain categories of Tier 2 migrant, for example those earning over £150,000 or occupations of a specific economic or social value to the UK, to retain an automatic route to settlement;
- Creating a new category into which, after three years in the UK, the most exceptional Tier 2 migrants may switch and go on to apply for settlement;
- Allowing Tier 2 migrants who do not switch into a settlement route to stay for a maximum of five years with the expectation that they and any dependants will leave at the end of that time;
introducing an English language requirement for adult dependants of Tier 2 migrants applying to switch into a route to settlement;
- Restricting the maximum period of leave for Tier 5 Temporary Workers to 12 months; and
closing or reforming routes for overseas domestic workers.

Damian Green added:
'A small number of exceptional migrants will be able to stay permanently but for the majority, coming here to work will not lead automatically to settlement in the UK.'
The Government has committed to reforming all routes of entry to the UK in order to bring immigration levels under control. The settlement, Tier 5 and overseas domestic worker reforms will work alongside the annual limit, the new student visa reforms and changes to the family route which will be consulted on later this year.

Foreign Minister Urmas Paet and Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya discussed Estonia’s request for Estonian citizens to be able to enter Thailand without a visa, bilateral relations, co-operation in international organisations, and tourism exchange.

Foreign Minister Paet said that Estonian citizens could be given the opportunity to visit Thailand without a visa. “Currently Estonian citizens must apply for a Thai visa at the border,” he noted.

Thai Foreign Minister Piromya promised he would do whatever he could to make sure that Estonian citizens can travel to Thailand without a visa in the near future.

Paet asserted that Thailand is an important partner for Estonia in South-East Asia and that we will soon be prepared to sign an agreement for the avoidance of double taxation and a cultural and educational co-operation agreement with Thailand. “Estonia could also be of interest to Thai entrepreneurs as a place to develop a regional distribution centre,” he added.

Foreign Minister Paet also met with Mongolian Foreign Minister Gombojav Zandanshatar in Budapest. Foreign Minister Zandanshatar stated that Mongolia is very interested in learning about Estonia’s reform experiences so that it can strengthen democracy in its own state and learn about how a multi-party system functions.

Paet confirmed that Estonia is open to the idea of sharing its reform experiences with Mongolia. “Establishing regular political consultation would definitely be helpful,” he noted. Estonia will also soon be appointing a non-residing ambassador and an honorary consul to Mongolia.

Foreign Minister Urmas Paet and Latvian Foreign Minister Girts Valdis Kristovskis met in Budapest and signed a bilateral agreement on the reciprocal exchange and protection of classified information between Estonia and Latvia.

All national children under the age of 15 must have an Emirates ID card by the end of this month, the Emirates Identity Authority (Eida) said yesterday.

Although no penalties have been set for families that fail to meet the deadline, officials said they hoped people would be prompt. "There are only a few locals who did not do it yet," an Eida official said. "That is why we set a deadline."

Non-nationals are also required to apply for ID cards for children under the age of 15, but no deadline has been set. The cards will be required for anyone renewing their residency visa. That, the official said, would be considered their deadline.

Newcomers to the country will be required to obtain an ID card for their children on arrival. "It will help to see how many people are in the UAE," the official said. "And it will help the Government in so many things."

Children do not have to be present at the typing centre when their parents apply for the ID cards. Unlike adults, children do not have to give fingerprints. A parent or guardian must bring passport and visa copies and a passport-sized photo of the child on a light blue background. Any child who has a passport needs an ID card. The cost for children is Dh120.

Ukraine and Russia will extend their consular presence in the two countries, according to the agreement reached at the fifth meeting of the subcommittee on international cooperation of the Ukrainian-Russian Interstate Commission in Odesa.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kostiantyn Hryshchenko said the expansion of the consular presence is important for the development of bilateral economic cooperation.the sides agreed on the opening of Ukraine's consulate general in Nizhny Novgorod (Russia) and Russia's consulate general in Donetsk (eastern Ukraine). Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in turn, said that Russia wanted to open its consulates general in Sevastopol, Uzhgorod, and Dnipropetrovsk. Hryshchenko noted that this year "very significant work was done to improve the Russian-Ukrainian relations, and it is giving real results."

Kosovo will introduce visas for Russian and Chinese nationals, the local media reported.
Kosovo is considering introducing visas for countries in Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America, including those who recognized its independence.

Visas will be introduced for Russia and China not because they have not recognized Kosovo’s independence, but because the local authorities believe most refugees arrive from these two countries.

Kosovo’s borders will be open for citizens of the U.S., all regional countries and the EU.

The increase in H-1B and L1 visa fee by US Congress to fund enhanced border security measures, which was basically intended to have financial implications on Indian companies, is impacting American firms too, a key Democratic Congressman has said, highlighting the need to fix this.

"Mr Speaker, I rise to bring to your attention an unintended consequence brought on when we enacted last year's emergency supplemental appropriations bill to fund additional border resources HR6080, the Emergency Border Security Supplemental Appropriations Act," Congressman Steven R Rothman said on the floor of the House of Representatives.

This bill, the New Jersey Congressman said, was fully paid for by imposing additional fees for new H-1B and L-1 visas on a select group of companies. Specifically, the companies impacted are those with more than 50 employees; and with a US workforce in which more than 50 per cent are on a professional temporary visa -- basically the H-1B and L-1 visas.

"While, I applaud the intent of this provision to incentivise job creation at home, I would like to express my concern about the implementation of the additional visa fees. These fees were meant to be targeted at companies who utilise H-1B and L-1 visas at very high levels for the purpose of building their employees' proficiencies in IT, so that they can take this knowledge and the work back to their home countries," he noted.

"It turns out, however, that some US companies are being impacted by these fee increases because many of their professionals are stuck in green card backlogs and in the meantime remain in temporary visa status," Rothman said.

The Congressman noted that in his remarks at the time of Senate passage of HR 6080, Senator Charles Schumer commented that, when the H-1B visa programme is used as a stepping-stone for skilled immigrants to obtain permanent resident status, it is "a good programme for everyone involved. It is good for the company. It is good for the worker.

"And it is good for the American people who benefit from the products and jobs created by the innovation of the H-1B visa holder. I agree with Senator Schumer's remarks, and encourage my colleagues to work with me on a technical fix that would ensure that the implementation of this bill is consistent with these policy goals," he said.

"The clearest way to achieve these goals would be to exempt from the so-called '50/50' calculation any H-1B or L-1 worker who has sought to acquire permanent residence by taking steps to file or is the beneficiary of a pending or approved application for alien employment certification with the Department of Labour, or a pending or approved immigrant petition with US Citizenship and Immigration Services," Rothman said.

Those H-1B and L-1 workers are best defined as 'intending immigrants,' as they relinquish their non-immigrant intent when their employers pursue a Green Card application on their behalf, he said.

"We should not punish companies that are doing the right thing by investing considerable resources to sponsor professionals for permanent resident visas," Rothman said.

"They are building a highly skilled workforce in the US within technical specialties in which few American workers with applicable skills exist. This is something we need to do if we are going to grow out of our current economic difficulties," he said.

Rothman had earlier urged Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, to consider making the technical fix as part of regulatory guidance on this new fee.

"The Department later informed me that such a fix required Congressional action," he said.

"I raise this issue Mr Speaker, because it is my hope that we can work with our colleagues in the Senate to ensure that companies that are trying to do the right thing are not unintentionally hurt by this provision. Since this unintended consequence was caused by a provision in an appropriations bill, I hope that we can make the necessary technical fix on an appropriations bill at the appropriate time," Rothman said.

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) today reminded foreigners intending to study in the Philippines to secure a visa or study permit from the bureau before enrolling in any school in the country. Immigration Commissioner Ricardo David Jr. issued the statement as the start of new school year is on June 6 and when foreign students are expected to troop by the hundreds to the BI main office to get their student visas.

David also reminded schools that they cannot admit foreigners for enrollment unless the students have the required visas or study permits from the BI student desk. BI added that a school must be accredited or authorized by the BI before it could accept foreign students, or the school will be fined for violating the bureau’s regulations. Existing immigration laws require foreigners who want to enroll in the Philippine college or university to get a student visa.

The BI student desks processes and evaluates applications for student visas and SSPs and thereafter forward the same to the office of the commissioner for his approval. A student visa applicant should at least be 18 years old and must submit a notice of acceptance from his or her school which, also, must issue a written endorsement for conversion of the applicant’s status signed by the school registrar.

The applicant is also required to submit a medical certificate from a government medical institution stating that the applicant is not afflicted with any dangerous, contagious or loathsome disease and is mentally fit; and clearances from the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) Clearance and BI.

British Parliament may assist Azerbaijan in simplifying visa regime between the two countries to develop tourism. This proposal was received from the UK-Azerbaijan Parliamentary Group members, who met with the Azerbaijani Culture and Tourism Minister Abulfas Garayev during their visit to Baku.

At the meeting the sides exchanged views on bilateral cooperation between the UK and Azerbaijan, on the current state of political and economic relations.

Garayev considers it important to widely use of potential of the established relations.
Garayev expressed confidence in further expanding of cooperation in tourism and culture between the two countries.

The delegation head Mark Field congratulated the minister with Azerbaijan’s brilliant victory at the Eurovision Song Contest 2011. The guest expressed confidence that Azerbaijan will successfully hold this contest in 2012.

The US may scrap a category of business visas that allows Indian companies to send employees to the North American nation to work on short-term projects in a move that indicates a tightening of immigration laws, according to a letter released on Wednesday by US senator Charles E. Grassley’s office.

Grassley had raised concerns that foreign-based firms may be using B-1 business visitor visas to circumvent restrictions on H-1B visas, in a April letter to secretary of state Hillary Clinton and department of homeland security secretary Janet Napolitano.

In response, the state department said it is working with the department of homeland security to consider “removing or substantially amending the FAM (foreign affairs manual) note” regarding the “B1 in lieu of H-1B” visa category.

The move comes just days after Infosys Technologies Ltd received a grand jury subpoena from an east Texas court requesting it provide “certain documents and records related to the company’s sponsorship for, and uses of B1 business visas”, reinforcing concerns among US lawmakers around the already-sensitive topic of immigration and misuse of visas.

Few Indian software firms use this category of visa, so any amendments to this particular visa category is unlikely to have any material impact on their operations. The visa category, B-1 in lieu of H-1B, allows companies to send workers to the US to engage in work generally limited to H-1B holders for short-term business projects, and is not subject to the prevailing wage requirements or caps that restricts H-1B visa use.

On June 1 the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) will launch a new J-1 Visa Exchange Visitor Program website. The J-1 Exchange Visitor Program is a work and study exchange program created to further mutual understanding between the people of the United States and people of other countries. More than 350,000 J-1 visa visitors come to the United States each year, including high school and university students, researchers, physicians, and summer work travelers.

The new site (http://j1visa.state.gov) will greatly improve the online application experience. Everything potential applicants need to know, from how to participate in a program to what the program is like can be found on the new site.

The look and navigation of the new site reflects state-of-the-art web design and plain-language instructions on how to participate in the Exchange Visitor Program. The site features descriptions of each Exchange Visitor program category, so that individuals can find which category is right for them, and testimonials from exchange participants. The site also provides clear instructions on how to apply. Videos and interactive content have been developed to extend the site’s reach into social media. It will give users a faster, easier, and more efficient web experience.

The site is designed to perform well in either low or high bandwidth environments. The site also features an interactive map of the United States for individuals interested in finding out, state by state, how many participants and sponsors are involved in the Exchange Visitor Program.

The new site reflects the Department of State’s commitment to a revitalized Web presence that connects international audiences with the information they need to take part in valuable cultural exchanges, and is the first step in a comprehensive re-design of ECA’s web presence aimed at organizing websites according to how users access ECA information. ECA’s existing J-1 Visa Exchange Visitor Program website receives the highest volume of user traffic and represents the most popular search item on the ECA website.

A new immigration law took effect in Mexico on Tuesday aimed at better protection of undocumented migrants passing through Mexican territory on their way to the United States.
The new law will permit undocumented migrants to obtain a special visa when entering Mexico from either Guatemala or Belize and tries to enact reforms in the country's immigration ministry, which has been implicated as complicit in criminal acts such as kidnapping migrants.

"Today, Mexico is doing its part to improve the immigration system in North America," President Felipe Calderon said during a ceremony in which he signed the law. "This, without doubt, is advanced legislation, bold legislation, immigration legislation with few precedents in the world," he said.

Migrants have been attacked and kidnapped in increasing numbers in Mexico. The National Human Rights Commission has reported that 11,333 migrants were abducted by criminal groups, including Los Zetas, during a six-month survey period in 2010.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials are reminding foreign travelers and Mexican border crossing card (or “laser visa”) holders about requirements to enter the United States, how to obtain an I-94 permit, and when an I-94 permit is required in time for the busy summer travel season.

Under U.S. immigration law, an applicant for admission into the U.S. as a temporary visitor for business or pleasure must prove to a CBP officer that their projected stay in the U.S. will be temporary.

Unless otherwise exempted, each foreign traveler admitted into the United States is issued an I-94 permit (arrival/departure record), as evidence of the terms of their admission.

Mexican citizens entering the country through the southern land border with a border crossing card (“laser visa”) are exempted from the requirement for an I-94 permit unless they are intending to remain in the U.S. for more than 30-days and/or will travel more than 25 miles from the border. Applicants who present a border crossing card (or laser visa) are not eligible to work in the United States.

Those applicants requiring an I-94 permit must demonstrate that they are financially solvent and have sufficiently strong ties to their country of origin, including a home abroad they do not intend to abandon. “Ties” are the various aspects of a person’s life that bind him or her to his or her country or residence. Some examples of ways to document these ties can be pay stubs for a person’s employment/income, a house or apartment mortgage or rental receipt, bank account records, utility bills, etc.

It is not possible to specify the documents applicants for admission should carry, since each applicant’s circumstances vary greatly. Applicants should carry with them whatever documents they think demonstrate their individual circumstances. All traveling family members need to be present during the I-94 application process.

The I-94 permit, which costs $6, allows visitors to travel further than 25 miles from the border and remain in the U.S. for more than 30 days. By U.S. law, a foreign traveler must posses his or her entry documents, and if required, the I-94 permit, with them at all times while in the United States.

In addition, at checkpoints, U.S. Border Patrol agents check foreign travelers for entry documents and the I-94 permit. Travelers not in possession of their entry documents and an I-94 permit may have their visa cancelled and be deported from the United States.

Russians won’t need visas go from the Kaliningrad region (Russia’s most northwestern point) to neighboring regions of Poland and vice versa in next few months to come. This was revealed by Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov after talks with his Polish and German counterparts in Kaliningrad.

Originally, Kaliningrad was a German city and had the name of Königsberg. There was also a strong Polish influence in this region. The Polish name for the city is Królewiec. After WWII, this region became a part of the Soviet Union, and the city’s name was changed to Kaliningrad.

Many great people have lived and worked in Königsberg, like astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, physicist Hermann von Helmholtz, writer Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann and philosopher Immanuel Kant.

The history of the region embraces three cultures – German, Polish and Russian. The international nature of the Kaliningrad region can still be felt now. Polish and German tourists are frequent visitors here. On weekends, many residents of the Kaliningrad region go to Europe for a spot of shopping. According to official data, Poland issued twice as many visas to Russians so far this year as in the whole of 2010. Similar things are true for Germany.

Some Student visa applicants are required to provide the results of an English language test.

To date, the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test is one English language test option accepted by the department for Student visa purposes. The department can also accept an English language test result from test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and the Occupational English Test (OET) in 14 countries where IELTS is not available.

However, the department will shortly be able to accept the following English language test options for Student visa application purposes:

- TOEFL in all countries
- Pearson Test of English Academic (Pearson) in all countries
- Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) from Cambridge ESOL (Cambridge) in all countries.

Equivalency scores for TOEFL, Pearson and Cambridge are being finalised and will be announced shortly. Test results from these alternative test providers (or in the case of TOEFL, from applicants in countries other than the 14 previously specified) will not be accepted for Student visa purposes until after this process has been completed. This is expected to be in place later this year.

The department will continue to accept a test result from IELTS. Current testing arrangements and equivalency scores for IELTS will not change. The department will be closely monitoring the implementation of the new test providers and a review will be undertaken to determine whether these should be extended for the use with other visa programs.

From Monday 23 May, tribunals will not consider evidence submitted after an application has been made, in appeals relating to applications made in the UK under the points-based system.
UK Border Agency statistics show that around two-thirds of appeals allowed by immigration judges are due to late evidence being submitted.

The rules change is designed to end unnecessary appeals and help make sure that applications are right first time. It will apply to all applications made within the UK through the points-based system.

South Korea may open embassy in Georgia. This desire was voiced at a meeting of a delegation of the Korean Republic’s National Assembly and a delegation of the Georgian-Korean friendship group of the Georgian Parliament.

According to the head of the Korean-Georgian friendship group of the Korean Parliament In-Ji Ri, the opening of the embassy will bring the relations between the two countries into a more active phase and cooperation will become more fruitful. He said South Korea may offer assistance to Georgia in the sphere of high technologies and share its own experience.

The UK Border Agency in New York is now responsible for processing all visa applications in the United States. Effective today (20th May 2011) the UK Border Agency in Los Angeles will close.

Please note, if you are a resident in one of the States previously covered by the Los Angeles visa section and submitted an online application prior to 8th March or 6th April (for California residents) you should review the visa issuing post stated on your visa application form.

If the Los Angeles office is stated on your visa application form, you should submit your application and supporting documents to the visa processing office in Los Angeles prior to 20th May 2011. The Los Angeles office will cease accepting applications made prior to 8th March or 6th April (for California residents) on 20th May.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today proposed significant enhancements to the administration of the USCIS Immigrant Investor Program, commonly referred to as the EB-5 Program—transforming the intake and review process for immigrant investors as part of the Obama administration’s continued commitment to improve the legal immigration system and meet our economic and national security needs for the 21st century. The EB-5 Program makes 10,000 visas available annually to immigrant investors who invest in commercial enterprises that create at least 10 U.S. jobs. EB-5 investors may petition independently or as part of a USCIS-designated Regional Center.

“Congress created the EB-5 Program in 1990 to attract investors and entrepreneurs from around the globe to create jobs in America,” said USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas. “We are dedicated to enhancing this program to ensure that it achieves that goal to the fullest extent possible.”

USCIS is proposing three fundamental changes to the way it processes EB-5 Regional Center filings. First, USCIS proposes to accelerate its processing of applications for job-creating projects that are fully developed and ready to be implemented. USCIS will also give these EB-5 applicants and petitioners the option to request Premium Processing Service, which guarantees processing within 15 calendar days for an additional fee.

Second, USCIS proposes the creation of new specialized intake teams with expertise in economic analysis and the EB-5 Program requirements. EB-5 Regional Center applicants will be able to communicate directly with the specialized intake teams via e-mail to streamline the resolution of issues and quickly address questions or needs related to their applications.

Third, USCIS proposes to convene an expert Decision Board to render decisions regarding EB-5 Regional Center applications. The Decision Board will be composed of an economist and adjudicators and will be supported by legal counsel.

This proposal will be online until June 17, 2011, for public comment—providing stakeholders an opportunity to offer feedback on the proposed changes to the administration of the EB-5 Program.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced that effective Aug. 15, 2011, petitioners residing in countries without USCIS offices will be able to file a Petition for an Alien Relative (Form I-130), with the USCIS Chicago Lockbox facility. This will increase the efficiency of the relative petition filing process and give USCIS more flexibility in managing its workload. Previous regulations permitted these petitioners, who comprise about 5 percent of all I-130 petitioners, to file with USCIS or the U.S. Department of State at their local U.S. embassy or consulate.

Under the new regulation, published today in the Federal Register, petitioners residing in countries without USCIS offices may file a Petition for an Alien Relative based on the addresses provided in the revised form instructions, also available on www.uscis.gov:

For U.S. Postal Service:

USCIS
P.O. Box 804625
Attn. CSC/I-130/OS
Chicago, IL 60680-4107

For Express mail and courier deliveries:

USCIS
Attn. CSC/I-130/OS
131 South Dearborn – 3rd Floor
Chicago, IL 60603-5517

Petitioners residing in a country with a USCIS office have the option of sending their I-130 forms to the Chicago Lockbox, or they may file their Forms I-130 at the international USCIS office having jurisdiction over the area where they live.

To enable a smooth transition, petitioners should continue to file at their local U.S. embassy or consulate through Aug. 14, 2011. Beginning Aug. 15, petitioners residing abroad must file according to the new instructions.

Individuals with questions or concerns should contact the USCIS National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283.

The Federal Government will implement a suite of regional migration initiatives together with a measured increase in permanent migration – to 185 000 visas – in 2011-12 to deliver on its broader economic and regional development priorities. Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Bowen MP, made the announcement today as part of the 2011-12 Budget, and said a new model for selecting skilled migrants was proposed to be introduced, as the significant next step in the government's migration reforms.

The government's recent reforms have contributed to a decline in net overseas migration levels by almost half from its peak of more than 315 000 for the year ending December 2008 to about 180 000 for the year ending September 2010, slowing the rate of population growth to a more sustainable level.

'This has provided scope for a moderate increase in the migration program in 2011-12, while maintaining more sustainable annual levels of net overseas migration – in the region of 170 000–180 000 over the next few years,' Mr Bowen said.

About two-thirds of the increased migration program will be for skilled migrants to help fill critical skill needs, particularly in regional areas. The skill stream intake will increase to 125 850 places, with 16 000 places allocated to the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme. Regional visas will also be afforded the highest processing priority to recognise the needs of employers and encourage regional migration.

'For the first time, the Federal Government will specifically allocate permanent visas for regional areas,' Mr Bowen said.

The government will also fast-track permanent residency for temporary business (subclass 457) visa holders who have spent two years in regional Australia and where their employer will continue to sponsor them for a further two years. This will make it easier for 457 visa holders to remain in the region where they have been living and working.

Mr Bowen said regional areas would also benefit from the introduction of Regional Migration Agreements, a new initiative that will bring together employers, local and state governments and unions to cooperate in addressing local labour needs.

'This government recognises that different regions face different opportunities and pressures. The patchwork nature of the Australian labour market means it's important to recognise unique local circumstances and tailor migration solutions accordingly,' he said.

'Regional Migration Agreements will offer a coordinated, localised response to labour needs, helping local areas to implement workforce strategies that support growth while ensuring local workers remain the first choice for employers and industry.'

Fostering training initiatives for Australians will be a strong focus of the new agreements. The existing network of regional, industry and union outreach officers will also be further resourced to ensure regional employers and industry groups are well informed about such initiatives, and can better gain access to skilled labour where it is needed.

'This is a responsible and measured approach that recognises the role skilled migrants play in supporting regional enterprises, such as in the resources and healthcare sectors and in trades and professions currently facing significant shortages,' Mr Bowen said.

The family intake for the 2011–12 migration program will increase to 58 600 places. The family program is socially important as it allows for the reunification of Australians with their close relatives, children and spouses.

Mr Bowen said in setting the size and composition of the migration program for 2011–12, and announcing recent reforms to skilled migration, the government has balanced the importance of maximising prosperity for all Australians, ensuring communities and regions are sustainable and maintaining job opportunities for local workers. It is critical that Australia's skilled migration program is driven by Australia's skills needs, rather than the desires of prospective migrants.

'That's why the government will introduce a new model for selecting skilled migrants to better target Australia's future skill needs, expected to come into effect on 1 July 2012. The new model concludes a series of reforms to ensure the skilled migration program is more focussed and efficient, demand-driven and tailored to employers' needs.

The European Commission (EC) is not planning on implementing any measures for the time being that would result in ending the liberalized visa regime for the Western Balkans, EC Spokesman Martin Grabiec told B92 on Friday (May 6th). He confirmed that several days ago the EU's executive arm had received a letter from Belgium, expressing concern about certain cases involving so-called false asylum seekers, but said the EC's stance is clear. "Even if Belgium really requested suspension of the visa-free regime it would be necessary to hold a debate and get consent from all member states," he explained.

On Saturday, European Parliament (EP) Rapporteur on Visa Liberalisation for the Western Balkans Tanja Fajon told Belgrade-based daily Vecernje Novosti that "a new wave of false asylum seekers from Serbia and Macedonia, especially in Belgium and Sweden is a reason for a great concern among the EU member states."

According to her, the possibility of reintroducing visas for the citizens of one or both countries should not be ruled out. "Visa-free travel has certain restrictions. If you don't respect the rules you will face consequences," she warned.

Norway’s Consulate General in Murmansk plans to enter agreement with an external company for receiving of the visa applications and handing out issued visas.

More and more people in Murmansk and Arkhangelsk regions apply for visa to Norway, Sweden and Finland.

In February, Finland opened the world’s largest visa-centre in St. Petersburg. The centre is operated by a private Indian company that receives applications and delivers out visas on behalf of the Finnish Consulate General in the city. Now, Norway wants to do the same in Murmansk.

A Redwood City, Calif., man was sentenced Wednesday to three years in prison and three years of supervised release following his conviction by a federal jury for conspiracy, impersonating a federal officer and attempted extortion.

Frank Salvador Solorza's sentencing came after a jury found him guilty of attempting to extort money from six individuals while posing as a federal immigration officer. The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The jury also found that the 46-year-old had engaged in a conspiracy with others to commit these crimes.

Evidence at trial showed Solorza conspired with others to send letters purporting to be from a government immigration agency. The letters were directed to six individuals. The letters demanded money -- $50,000 in total -- to clear up the immigration status of each individual. The letters threatened jail and deportation of each individual if the money was not paid.

After receiving the letters, the victims contacted ICE HSI, which immediately opened an investigation. The evidence at trial showed the defendant and others also called the individuals after delivery of the letters and continued to claim to be officials from a government immigration agency and to demand money. During these calls, the defendant and others designated a time and location for the victims to pay the money. The defendant was arrested by HSI agents when he arrived at the designated location at the designated time and attempted to collect the money. When arrested, the defendant was wearing a clown suit as a disguise and riding a child's bicycle.

"The prison term in this case is absolutely appropriate," said Shane Folden, special agent in charge for ICE HSI in San Francisco. "Regrettably, schemes like this involving the impersonation of federal officers potentially undermine the public's confidence in their government and law enforcement. HSI will continue to aggressively pursue those who exploit innocent individuals for their own enrichment."

Solorza was originally indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2009. In October 2009, the grand jury returned a superseding indictment accusing him of one count of conspiracy, two counts of impersonating a federal officer, and two counts of attempted extortion by a federal official.

Elvira Sosa left Mexico for the United States more than 30 years ago, but last year was the first time she'd been counted as part of the U.S. Census.

Sosa was among thousands of illegal immigrants in Los Angeles who filled out a census form last year, and city officials said the response, especially among Latinos, might have saved the area money and congressional representation.

The increased count was purposeful: A Census Bureau outreach program urged undocumented workers to fill out the census and assured them that nothing on the form could be used against them.

The program included Spanish call centers that would field questions about the census, plus billboards, bus advertisements and fliers with information. Celebrities publicized the census, too.

The response: The 2010 census showed that the numbers of Latinos living in this country increased by 43%, from 35 million to more than 50 million, during the past 10 years.

Read more....

The principality of Liechtenstein got the green light Monday from the European Union for its long-sought admission into the world of relaxed borders of Europe's Schengen zone. The European Council ratified the final agreement in the official acceptance process, the council said late Monday.

But the process won't be finished until the tiny Alpine country, with its population of 36,000, shows evidence that it meets Schengen standards for data protection and police cooperation.

"The admission of Liechtenstein to the Schengen region could finally take place in the second half of 2011, when Poland has the EU presidency," said Liechtenstein's Interior Minister Hugo Quaderer. Entry into the Schengen agreement means not only that systematic passport controls at the border are done away with, but also that Liechtenstein commits to working more closely with police and justice officials of other member states.

The tiny country, bordered by Switzerland to the west and south and Austria to the east, is not a member of the European Union. After successive expansions, the Schengen agreement now includes 25 countries, including the 22 members of the EU as well as the associate members Norway, Iceland and Switzerland.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Catholic Charities, Santa Rosa and Petaluma Adult School will host a free information session at the Catholic Charities Immigration Services Office on March 19. The objective is to help immigrants better understand the naturalization process, including the content of the naturalization test, and to become familiar with free educational resources and materials available from the agency. Those who attend will also learn how to avoid being victimized by people not authorized to practice immigration law.

The public is invited, and USCIS personnel will be on hand to discuss the naturalization process step-by-step, and provide information about eligibility and residency requirements, application forms, fees, the background security check and processing times. Participants will also see sample questions from the new test, and will receive an overview of U.S. history and civic principles. Free educational materials will be handed out while supplies last.

To reach out to the vast Indian community, which has one of the highest penetrations of Internet users among all ethnic communities in the States, Indian embassy in U.S. launched its Facebook page recently.

It's a part of the efforts of its Ambassador Meera Shankar to reach out to the ever-increasing and vibrant Indian-American community. "We are happy to announce the launch of the Facebook account of the Embassy. The address is http://www.facebook.com/pages/Embassy-of-India-Washington-DC/164730746912290," Embassy spokesman Virander Paul said in a statement. "Please join the group and also invite other 'friends of India' to join," he said.
The 'Maximum India' festival being launched by the Kennedy Center from March 1 is one of the few first messages on the page.

"Join and enjoy the splendour of 'Maximum India' - a mega festival hosted by the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in cooperation with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations and the Embassy of India, Washington DC from March 1-20, 2011," the Embassy said.

Visa-free travel with the occupied regions of Georgia will be established by Russia soon. In March Moscow will ratify relevant agreements with puppet regimes in Sukhumi and Tskhinvali. The Duma committee for foreign affairs was instructed to prepare papers for consideration.

In particular, a special regime for stay of Russian militaries in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region was also determined. Soldiers-contractors and members of their families will be able to travel to the occupied territory with just their service passports. And recruits will need passports of Russian citizens and their military cards.

As to civilians, residents of Russia and the occupied territories will be able to pass through a checkpoint on the Psou and Roki with their internal documents. Thus, in fact, Moscow brings regulatory framework in line with the existing order of things.

The Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C. will conduct a consular outreach service in Atlanta, Georgia on 27 March 2011, Sunday, from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon and 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The Embassy’s consular team will accept and process applications for electronic passport (ePassport), notarization of documents, and registration of births and marriages. Passport applicants are no longer required to bring photographs since they will have their pictures taken using ePassport data capturing machines at the outreach site. However, they still need to bring other necessary requirements, such as their current passport, the passport application form which may be downloaded from www.philippineembassy-usa.org, an application fee of $60.00 (cash or money order payable to the Philippine Embassy) and a self-addressed stamped (Express Mail with tracking number) envelope, or a prepaid courier envelope, with their application.

The outreach program will also include an oath-taking ceremony for individuals who will reacquire their Filipino citizenship under the Dual Citizenship Law. The oath taking will be only for applicants who will send their applications to the Embassy not later than 18 March 2011. The consular services will be held at RV Industries, 1665 Heraeus Blvd., Buford, GA 30518.

In early 2010, the visa process to enter Iraq was both liberal and easily accessible taking only around 24 to 72 hours to go through the relevant procedures and paperwork. Officials were so flexible in fact that expats who went home for the holidays without first obtaining a re entry visa for their return were simply waived through, rather than being redirected all the way to Amman to obtain permission.

Mr Karoly Niklasz Move One’s Operations Coordinator in Iraq said that this easygoing attitude has since changed considerably. Now everything is different due to changes the Iraqi government has installed.

Instead of the original five forms, now eight separate documents need to be filled out, two of which are in Arabic. Moreover, the administration process has been prolonged to at least 14 days. As of February 2011, Iraqi authorities have extended the process even further to a total of 21 days which led to complaints by the US Embassy and has caused disagreements between the two countries.

Mr Karoly said that what makes the situation even more complicated is the fact that the Iraqi Government is demanding a billion dollars from the US for damages caused to Baghdad, claiming that everything is still surrounded by T walls and that army convoys use public parks as through routes, etc.

With seven offices located throughout Iraq, Move One employees have all the necessary documentation, work permits and visas needed to reside and operate legally within the country. Our extensive local knowledge of the region dates back to 2003 and has helped us build a successful track record in handling everything from small shipments to heavy, over sized cargo for a variety of customers in the oil and gas industry as well as civil reconstruction.

China has reached an agreement with Russia on mutual exemption of visa requirements for Heixiazi Island, vice governor of Heilongjiang Province Jiahao Du said on Tuesday. The Island, a 327 sq km sandbar in the middle of the confluence of the Heilongjiang and Wusuli Rivers, has long been a source of conflict between China and Russia and a major border irritant since it was seized by the Red Army in 1929.

China has restored sovereign control over half of Heixiazi Island from Russia since October 14, 2008 after the two countries jointly unveil a stone monument on the Island. Heilongjiang has unfurled plans to develop the Chinese side of Heixiazi as a tourist resort, including hotels and a free trade shopping area.

Anyone applying to visit the United States on a non-immigrant visa from March 1, 2011, will have to pay their visa fees at Guaranty Trust Bank, and no longer the United Bank for Africa (UBA). The U.S. Embassy in Nigeria announced that applicants who have already scheduled appointments for March or April with the embassy in Abuja or the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos must pay the $140 visa application fee at a UBA branch no later than February 28.

Visa fee collection services will no longer be available at UBA after February 28. According to the embassy, the shift to GTB is a result of an ongoing realignment of contracts between the U.S. Department of State and companies which provide visa appointment services.

The US Embassy in Accra on Wednesday announced new non-immigrant visa appointment service with effect from March 1, 2011. Under the new system, non-immigrant visa applicants in English Speaking West African countries would pay their application fees at Ecobank branches instead of Standard Chartered Bank and complete their application form (CEAC/DS-160) online.

Mr Michael Evans, Consular Chief at the US Embassy, said the new service system would require non-immigrant visa applicants to schedule appointments through the US Visa Information Service at www.ustraveldocs.com or by calling 233-263011685 which is a call center for further inquiries.

Briefing newsmen, he said the process and fee for US non-immigrant visa application remained the same except that the new system had included a life operator service which would allow applicants to call the US Service Center for more information. Mr Evans assured the public that the new service was now more user-friendly and had sophisticated inputs to prevent fraud or any form of manipulations to protect the integrity of the system. He said the new system had special visa categories which made it easier for the Consulate to know how many visas were given to a particular category daily.

Mr Evans explained that the change of bankers was due to the fact that the new operating contractors of the US Visa application system had an existing contract with Ecobank Ghana and therefore it was important that they honored their agreement with the bank. However, he explained that applicants who had Standard Chartered bank receipts and had already scheduled visa appointments through the current online system should proceed via the current process as they would not be affected by this change.

Mr Evans said applicants who had paid their MRV fee prior to March 1, but had not scheduled an appointment would be given up to April 30 to schedule an appointment or would forfeit it and would have to pay the MRV fee again if they had not scheduled an appointment before the set date. He said the new online visa application system had now become the standard product world-wide for all applicants and urged Ghanaians to educate themselves about the new application process to avoid being duped by middlemen.

Mr Evans said the US Embassy did not have any special contract or ties with anybody or persons, but dealt directly with clients as individuals.

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said on Saturday that Turkey and Georgia have already started works to allow citizens of both countries to travel with only state identity cards. Davutoğlu told a joint news conference with his Georgian counterpart, Grigol Vashadze, during his visit to Tbilisi that they plan to apply “single window customs” at the Sarp border gate, the largest and busiest gate in the Caucasus, facilitating trade transactions and enabling cross-traders to present their documents at a single location. Davutoğlu said it is a very serious initiative regarding the integration of the two countries’ economies.

Davutoğlu earlier met with Vashadze to discuss bilateral relations between the two countries, regional developments and ongoing restoration in the cultural heritage of Georgia in Turkey and Turkish heritage in Georgia. Ministers then headed delegations during a follow-up meeting, where they discussed ways to ease travel between the two countries. Turkey and Georgia don’t require visas for tourists to stay in the country for up to 90 days.

Speaking about the protection of mutual cultural heritage, Davutoğlu said it will be a important area of cooperation and that the historical churches in Turkey are also part of Turkey’s cultural heritage. The foreign minister promised that Turkey will continue necessary restoration work on Georgian churches, adding that historical and cultural heritage in Ajaria and its capital, Batumi, where a substantial number of Georgian Muslims live, is also shared cultural heritage for both countries.

Speaking during the press conference, Vashadze said they discussed “important subjects” concerning Turkey and Georgia, along with border facilitation works.Noting that he will meet again with Davutoğlu in the near future, Vashadze said they will discuss regional security issues and the Georgia-Russian conflict. Davutoğlu also held talks with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.

There is a new development in the cordial relations between the Bahamas and Australia was realised with the official launching of the Australian Honorary Consulate and the introduction of Caroline Moncur as Honourary Consul.

The event took place Thursday at the Lyford Cay Club, where Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of National Security Tommy Turnquest underscored the importance of such relations. The Bahamas and Australia have been enjoying friendly and supportive relations since the establishment of diplomatic relations on January 7, 1974.

"We work together in the bilateral and multilateral levels. One of our latest important bilateral endeavours was the signing of a Tax Information Exchange Agreement in March 2010. On the multilateral level we are working together on important climate change and maritime issues," Mr Turnquest said.

Australia also maintains relations with other members of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM); having extended a hand in friendship and co-operation in a number of areas.

Significant changes to Australian Skilled Sponsored Visas on 1 July 2011 will result in the removal of the permanent family sponsored visa route; Family members can still sponsor relatives under a provisional sponsored migration visa.

This visa can still lead to permanent residence. Holders of a provisional sponsored skilled migration visa may be eligible for a Skilled Regional (Residence) visa (subclass 887) after meeting certain eligibility criteria. As Australia's economy heats up, demand for skilled overseas workers will increase. Australia is well known for its skilled migration program, which has influenced immigration programs in other countries such as those in the UK.

The eight SAARC countries have decided to exempt 19 categories of people from visa requirement and agreed to grant multi- entry visas for three to six months to selected journalists, business persons and sportspersons without prior clearance.

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is an organization of South Asian nations, founded in December 1985 and dedicated to economic, technological, social, and cultural development emphasizing collective self-reliance. Its seven founding members are Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Afghanistan joined the organization in 2007. Meetings of heads of state are usually scheduled annually; meetings of foreign secretaries, twice annually. It is headquartered in Kathmandu, Nepal.

The meeting of SAAARC council of ministers, held in the Bhutanese Capital of Thimphu also endorsed India's proposal for setting up of a SAARC forum, comprising non-government officials to act as a pressure group for increasing regional integration, media report said.

Revisiting the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme, the meeting approved a proposal under which visa regime could be liberalised for selected groups.

People from 19 other categories, including members of parliament, diplomats and non-government people involved in SAARC projects will get visa stickers from the respective foreign ministries exempting them from visa requirements.

Finland’s Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb opens state-of-the-art visa centre in St. Petersburg with 83 service counters and more than 200 employees. The 3,000 square meters top-modern visa centre was opened this week by Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb.

With the new visa centre, Russians will no longer need to stand for hours in queue to deliver their passport documents. Applying for visa will take no more than 15 minutes, according to the information posted at the portal of Finland’s Consulate General.

It is, however, not the staff of the Consulate General that man the new visa centre. Finland is outsourcing the work on receiving and delivering out visas. The centre is operated by the Indian company VFS, while the all decisions relating to visas still will be taken by the staff of the Consulate General.

Since 2005, visas to Finland issued in St. Petersburg have tripled to 751,000 in 2010.55 of the 83 service counters are reserved ordinary applicants. The 28 other counters are for tour operators and travel agencies. The visa-centre is located over two floors with both escalator and elevators within the Olympic Plaza shopping centre.

With an ensured maximum waiting time of 15 minutes, customers can drop in and pick up their visa during the lunch break without wasting much time.
Consul General Olli Perhentupa said "It is hard to imagine a better place for the visa center, because it is located near several metro stations and other transport hubs downtown."

The centre is open from 9 to 17 on weekdays, but the Consulate General says the centre can work even in weekends if necessary. Also, if visa applicants forget to bring a photo, they can do it at the new centre. There is a bank desk, and customers can purchase snacks and refreshments.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that they decided to set up High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council between Turkey and Kyrgyzstan. Holding a joint press conference with Kyrgyz Prime Minister Almazbek Atambaev in Bishkek on Wednesday, Erdogan said that the first meeting of the council would take place in Turkey in March.

Noting that it would be beneficial to establish an Investment Agency in Kyrgyzstan, Erdogan said that the two countries could take mutual steps as well as steps in third countries through Investment Agency. He added that Turkey could share its experiences with Kyrgyz officials.

Erdogan said that investments and support made by Turkey in Kyrgyzstan had reached 450 million USD so far, adding that the support which Turkey extended only regarding Manas University had reached 150 million USD so far.

Turkey donated 10 million USD to Kyrgyzstan in 2010, said Erdogan, adding that International Cooperation & Development Agency of Turkey (TIKA) would make an investment of 15 million USD for hospitals and schools especially in southern regions of Kyrgyzstan in 2011.

Noting that a tripartite cooperation could also be made between Turkey, Kyrgyzstan and Russia to make investments in Kyrgyzstan, Erdogan said that today Turkey and Kyrgyzstan signed an agreement to lift 90-day visas. He added that the agreement included a sentence to lift visa procedures completely between the two countries by the end of the year. Visa will be lifted between Turkey and Kyrgyzstan by the end of 2011, said Erdogan.

The Federal Government will make it easier for businesses helping the Queensland reconstruction to employ overseas workers. Prime Minister Julia Gillard has promised quicker visa approvals for employer-sponsored temporary skilled migrants who join the effort.

"Skilled labour will be as important as funding for rebuilding," Ms Gillard said. There will be extra resources, assistance to employers and simpler processes to ensure a five-day turnaround for decision-ready applications. The median processing time now is 18 days.

The Australian Council of Trade Unions urged caution.

"No one wants to see a return to the sort of abuses we saw under the former Coalition government, where unscrupulous employers were allowed to exploit overseas workers and to remove job opportunities and push down the wages of Australian workers," ACTU president Ged Kearney said.

The Philippines will introduce special medical visas for foreigners, as the country seeks to grab a bigger share of Asia's booming health tourism industry. The medical tourist visas, to be introduced later this year by the Bureau of Immigration, will allow foreigners to stay in the country for six months without having to apply for extensions, as regular tourists are required to do.

The government is banking on its English-speaking and internationally trained doctors among its advantages, as well as medical and surgical costs that are up to 50 % cheaper than the United States or Europe. It is optimistic that by offering this visa, it will get more medical tourists from Europe and the United States. The Philippines' health department launched a programme in 2004 to promote medical tourism by encouraging state hospitals and specialised private institutions to compete with medical organisations elsewhere in Asia. But despite many initiatives, actual numbers have been far lower than set targets. The proposed visa will also help the government earn income from the visa fees and charges.

The Bureau of Immigration is preparing the proposed guidelines for the visa, for approval by the Department of Justice and the President. Under the proposed guidelines, the visa holder may stay in the Philippines for six months without having to secure an alien certificate of registration or identity card. Medical tourist visa holders will also exempted from paying the annual report fee levied on foreign residents. Visa holders will be required to post a bond based on the value of their airline tickets, to help ensure that the foreigners will not violate the conditions of their stay in the Philippines. But local medical tourism businesses are unhappy that making patients post a bond goes against the point of launching the visa; and if a customer has to pay visa fees and arrange a bond, it could drive them to countries with a less bureaucratic approach. The Immigration Act currently allows the extension of tourist or temporary visitor’s visas only to foreigners who come to the Philippines for business or pleasure. Foreigners are initially allowed to stay for either 21 days or two months that may be extended every month up to a maximum of two years.

India has now exempted foreign tourists from the mandatory two-month gap to re-enter the country for regular onward medical treatment. A circular issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs said,” For persons coming for medical treatment, there is a separate category of medical visa. Foreign nationals coming for medical treatment will have to come only on medical visa and not on tourist visa. But this is subject to their submission of a detailed itinerary and supporting documentation (ticket bookings."

Medical tourism in India has grown. The government estimates, although there are no real figures, that in 2002 150,000 foreign patients visited India for treatments, and this could reach 500,000 this year.

India has recently clamped new restrictions on foreign tourists visiting the country on tourist visas to avoid misuse of such visas which entailed tourists had to give a mandatory two-month gap before re-entering India. So foreign nationals holding Indian tourist visas with multiple entry facility have to make a two-month gap mandatory between two visits. India issues tourist visas to foreigners who do not have a residence or occupation in the country, will now allow foreign tourists who after initial entry into India plan to visit another country as part of neighborhood tourism-related travel and allow them to re-enter India before their final exit to have two or three entries.

Syria lifted visa restrictions on Iraqi nationals on Tuesday in a sign of improving ties between the two neighbours after political disputes curbed border movement. Syria’s official news agency said a cabinet decision will make it possible from Feb. 1 for any Iraqi to apply for visa at border points, instead of from the Syrian embassy in Baghdad.

Visa rules imposed in 2007 limited visas to Iraqi merchants and academics, making it difficult for other Iraqis fleeing violence in their homeland to go to Syria. Syria, which has a 600-km (375-mile) border with Iraq, received hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugees following the US invasion that removed Saddam Hussein from power in 2003 and ushered in sectarian strife.

Iraq withdrew its ambassador from Syria in 2009 after Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki accused Damascus of sheltering two people he said were behind bomb attacks in Baghdad that killed 100 people. Syria reciprocated immediately.

Relations between the two countries improved last year and the two governments agreed to restore ambassadors to each other’s capital in September. Syrian Prime Minister Naji al-Otari discussed the visa issue during a visit to Baghdad this month. The Syrian and Iraqi side also talked about the possibility of building a 56-inch gas pipeline from Iran to Syria via Iraq.

U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has planned to launch a website that can be used by public. This website would be pretty much useful for companies as they can post notices regarding their proposal to hire H-1B workers. This has led to a more transparency regarding the H-1B hiring process.

If the website is launched, then it would be helpful for U.S. workers to find out about their Visa status and also to identify whether the employers are showing discrimination against U.S. workers. Through this website the employers can rank their H-1B visa holding employees, which would be easy for the employers to hire the best candidates. This has been suggested in a 118-page report by the GOA which comprises of this particular suggestion about the website as well as other issues.

Britons are still wanted down under as over 24,000 UK residents emigrated to Australia last year. NSW remains the most popular choice for new arrivals to Australia despite an overall drop in migration, a new survey shows. The Department of Immigration and Citizenship’s (DIAC) Settler Arrival survey reveals 140,610 people moved to Australia in the 2009-2010 financial year, a drop of 11 per cent from last year.

NSW was still the most attractive destination, with about 30 per cent of all new arrivals flocking to the state. The next most popular states was Victoria which attracted 26 per cent of new migrants, followed by Queensland at 18 per cent.

Western Australia attracted around 15 per cent of arrivals.Most migrants to NSW were educated professionals hailing from China and India, with settler arrivals from those countries at 17 and 11 per cent respectively.

Kiwis were Australia’s biggest import at around 13 per cent of all migrants, closely followed by China at about 12 per cent and India at 11 per cent. UK migrants account for around 9%. This is a major change as 3 years ago, British migrants were ahead of both China and India ; although this situation is anticipated to be reversed in 2012 as the tougher rules on studying in Australia begin to bite.

More than half of all settlers into Australia were professionals or worked as managers and administrators.The Settler Arrival survey sources its data from passenger arrival and departure cards filled in by new arrivals.

Foreign workers without work permits would be forced to leave the country, said deputy minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Thanh Hoa. The regulation comes under a draft decree which has been edited by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to submit to the Government.

The draft decree also regulates that highly qualified foreigners who worked as high-ranking experts would not need a work permit. Government Decree 34/CP, which regulates foreign worker recruitment and management, came into effect in April 2008, but enterprises that employed foreigners without permits only received administrative punishment under the regulation.

Foreign workers who did not obey the decree were to be expelled, but in fact, that never happened, and the level of punishment was not enough of a deterrent, said Hoa. Procedures to issue work permits would not be changed, but would be more strictly regulated, he added.

The draft decree would not have unnecessary procedures like the old one, under which the Minister of Public Security had to authorise any expulsions. Under the updated version, city police directors would have the power, said Hoa. He added: The draft decree creates good conditions for foreign workers with high levels of ability to work in Viet Nam, and manage other foreigners better.

According to ministry statistics, there are currently 57,000 foreign workers in the country, 70 per cent of whom do not have a work permit, and 30 per cent work under a visa.

Four out of every five Britons want the government to cut the level of immigration. A large-scale poll carried out for the government by the Communities Department has revealed more than half the UK population wants to see the numbers of immigrants arriving to stay permanently in Britain reduced by a large amount. The survey suggests public demand for a cap on immigration is rapidly growing.

The results of the poll can be seen as a warning from Whitehall to Home secretary Theresa May and PM David Cameron that concerns over the high level of immigration are not going away. The issue played a prominent part in pre-election campaigning last year and is likely to lead to frustration amongst the electorate if pledges made last May are not adhered to.

Promises during the run-up to the general election included a reduction in the number of immigrants to 1990s level of under 100,000 a year. In Labour’s last year in office, net migration stood as 215,000. The Communities Department Citizenship Survey was set up under Labour as an attempt to measure ‘community cohesion’ One important point in its design was that Muslim and ethnic minority communities were ‘robustly represented’ in the results.

A total of 10,000 people took part, with pollsters later taking opinions from another 5,000 ethnic minority residents and 1,200 Muslims before reaching their conclusions. Results stated 54 per cent of the population wanted immigration cut ‘a lot’, with 24 per cent saying ‘a little’ and only 19 per cent saying levels should stay the same. NO evidence was found that local communities were becoming more divided. Some 22 per cent believed they received poor treatment from public services due to racial prejudice, but 85 per cent believed their communities were racially cohesive.

Sir Andrew Greene, considers the figures are a clear indication immigration still features large in the public concern, in spite of other worries. He adds the coalition government, especially its Lib-Dem members, should take the survey seriously. Critics are stating the UK is busy importing workers while six million of its citizens remain on benefits and unable to find jobs.

The Bulgarian Parliament passed the amendments to the Foreigners Act on January 13 2011, in which it stipulated that a short-stay visa will be issued to foreigners for a period of up to three months within any six-month period from the date of first entry. Another type of short-stay visa will be the transit visa, which in turn will be valid for up to two days.

Changes to the country's Foreigners Act, were approved earlier in 2010 by the Cabinet.

A Cabinet memorandum signed by Prime Minister Boiko Borissov envisaged that the changes were intended to bring the country's legislation in line with the EU, for example on visas to meet the criteria for Schengen visa zone implementation.

The amendments revise rules on obtaining permanent residence and open the way for the "Blue Card" system earlier approved by the EU that is intended to encourage skilled non-EU nationals to live and work in the bloc's 27 countries.

To apply for long-term residence, the applicant will have to prove sufficient resources and have health insurance so as not to be a burden on the state. Third-country nationals wanting to become, and remain, long-term residents "should not pose a threat to public order and national security".

A bill has been introduced in the US Congress to allow temporary protected status for qualifying Pakistani nationals in America on account of the situation and hardships created in Pakistan by last year’s floods.

The Pakistani Temporary Protected Status (TPS) Act of 2011, sponsored by Democratic Congressman Al Green, has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee.

The measure seeks to designate Pakistan as a TPS-eligible country and sets forth related TPS eligibility requirements, including continuous US presence since July 22, 2010. The initial period of such designation shall begin on the date of the enactment of this act and shall remain in effect for 12 months.

Young people from Australia and Bangladesh now have the opportunity to work in each other’s countries through a work and holiday arrangement that came into effect today (December 31). University-educated Australian and Bangladesh travellers who are aged between 18 and 30 will now be able to work and holiday in the other country for up to 12 months.

The work and holiday visa differs from a working holiday visa as it requires applicants to have the support of their government, have or be studying towards tertiary qualifications and to speak functional English. Bangladesh has become the latest country to have a reciprocal work and holiday visa arrangement with Australia, joining a number of other countries, including Chile, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Turkey and the United States.

Feedback on these arrangements has been positive and these places are quickly filled each year. There will be an annual limit of 100 work and holiday visas for both countries but this figure will be reviewed each year. This new arrangement is an investment in future relations with Bangladesh and will also help develop links between people in both countries.

For the first time in several years, thousands of H-1B visas, the once most sought after by Indian professionals in the US, still remains unused, even as the year comes to an end.

About 11,000 H-1B visa slot still remains available for qualified applicants for the fiscal 2010-2011, says the latest figures released by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

This is in the Congressional mandated-general category of 65,000 H-1B visas. Last year the cap was reached on December 21, 2009. However the cap has almost reached in the H-1B Master's Exemption category. So far USCIS has received 19,700 applications in this category against the Congressional mandated cap of 20,000.

The latest figures indicate that the employment situation in the country has still not improved. Till a couple of years ago, the cap in H-1B visas was reached in the first few days of USCIS starting to accept applications. For instance, in 2008, the cap was reached on April 8 and the USCIS had to resort to computerized draw of lots to determine successful applicants.

The extension of the deadline for national ID card registration does not offer much of a reprieve to expatriate businessmen and professionals as the card will be mandatory for them to access government services soon, a top official told Gulf News. The Emirates Identity Authority (Eida) plans to link the ID card registration to the issuance and renewal of residence visas, but expatriate professionals should not wait until their visas expire, Dr Ali Al Khoury, Director-General of Eida, said.

It will be a gradual process to be implemented in all emirates by the end of 2011.Unlike labourers, professionals have to perform many transactions with the government and without an ID card, they will not be able to access many services, Al Khoury said. So they should not delay the registration. But labourers [blue-collar workers and household workers who constitute the majority of expatriates] can wait until the renewal of their visas.

Eida has extended the December 31 deadline for both Emiratis and expatriates. Emiratis who have not yet registered will have until June 30, 2011 to register, according to a press release issued by Eida yesterday. Al Khoury revealed that about 125,000 Emiratis, mostly newborns and children, have not yet registered.

Although Eida did not specify the next deadline for expatriates, the announcement mentioned that Eida was keen to complete the registration of all legal residents based on the new Eida Strategy 2010-13. The deadline extension has dispelled rumors and confusion about fines or other penal action against non-registered expatriates.

Thousands of expatriates had caused chaos at certified typing centers in the past two weeks in an attempt to complete the pre-registration process before the December 31 deadline.
It is understood that Eida plans to stick to the new strategy announced last year which envisaged enrolling all residents by the end of 2013.

The Nepali Ministry of Foreign Affairs is all set to distribute the machine readable passport (MRP) from Sunday by distributing the diplomatic passports to the distinguished personalities first.

The ministry said the MRP will be first provided to President Ram Baran Yadav amidst a function Sunday morning. For the first round of the distribution, MRPs will be provided to the President, the Vice-President, the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice and the Chairman of the Constituent Assembly.

After distributing the MRPs to the distinguished persons, it will be distributed to all commoners in need from the Central Passport Office, Narayanhiti in Kathmandu.

Chief of the Passport Office, Bharat Poudel said the MRP generally provided in six months after application can be provided in a week but with extra charge. The ministry is planning to distribute the MRPs from all three districts of the Kathmandu Valley after some days.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has signed into law a new bill easing work permit regulations for highly qualified foreign specialists in Russia, including those employed at the Skolkovo hi-tech research hub, the Kremlin said on Monday.

Highly qualified specialists from abroad will now be able to extend the term of their residence permit not after, but during receipt of a work permit. Foreign labor quotas will not be applied to such specialists or their families. They will also be exempt from the necessity to register their residence, a bureaucratic leftover from the Soviet era.

Skolkovo, dubbed Russia's Silicon Valley, is being built from scratch 20 kilometers west of Moscow. The hub will focus on five research areas: energy, information technologies, communications, biomedical research and nuclear technologies.

Earlier, Federal Migration Service head Konstantin Romodanovsky said that about 20,000 high-profile foreign professionals and researchers come to Russia annually, while the Kremlin needs some 46,000 skilled foreigners a year to implement its ambitious modernization plans.

The number of Chinese people living in South Korea topped 600,000 for the first time last month, accounting for nearly half of all foreigners in the country, the Justice Ministry said Wednesday.

As of the end of November, 606,408 Chinese nationals, including illegal immigrants and those on short- and long-term stays, were living here, making up 48 percent of some 1.25 million foreign residents, the ministry said.

The tally at the end of October was about 597,000. Chinese nationals of Korean descent accounted for two thirds of the total, numbering 404,000 last month. The majority of the Chinese residents, or 87 percent, had legal justification to live here, while the rest were illegal immigrants.

The Chinese also took up large portions of marriage immigrants and visitors to South Korea. Of some 140,000 marriage immigrants in the country, 66,000, or 47 percent, were Chinese, including about 31,000 of Korean descent. The number of Chinese visitors rose sharply this year, helped by an easing of visa regulations, and hovered around 1.62 million as of the end of November, marking a 44 percent increase from the same period last year.

Chinese students also accounted for three quarters of all foreign students in the country, numbering 67,000. The second-largest foreign community was that of U.S. citizens, with 128,000 residents, while Vietnamese, Filipinos and the Japanese rounded out the other top five nationalities.

The Sweden Government has today decided to close Sweden's Embassies in Buenos Aires, Brussels, Hanoi, Kuala Lumpur and Luanda.

"This painful decision is a consequence of the recent decision of the Riksdag to cut funding to the Government Offices by SEK 300 million," says Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt.

The five embassies will be closed during 2011.

THE consular staff of the Indonesia Embassy in Brunei will be visiting Kuala Belait from December 25-26, to provide consular services for Indonesians living in the area.

In a statement made available to The Brunei Times yesterday the embassy will also brief expatriates residing in the Belait District on the regulation on employment order and immigration act stipulated in the country for those working here.

The consular services will take place at Syarikat Asoh Raya (Driving School) No: 456, Lot 1600 Kampung Mumong, Jalan Singa Mentiri, Kuala Belait. The two-day event will be conducted from 2pm to 5pm on Sunday, while on Sunday it will be opened from 8am to 4.30pm. "Considering the importance of this activity, the embassy hopes that the Indonesian community or the Indonesian migrant workers living in Belait District are able to take this opportunity at its best," the statement said.

The Indonesian community who need assistance in consultation related to labour regulation, passport renewal, paper work legalisation, and reporting their domicile in the country are encouraged to come to the gathering. Referring to the Indonesia Foreign Ministerial Regulation on Citizen Service, an integrated system has been provided for the protection of Indonesian citizens, including expatriates working abroad.

According to a data provided by the embassy, there are currently a total of 50,839 Indonesia's expatriates working in the Sultanate. Out of the total number, 27,401 are working in the informal sector such as domestic helpers, while the remaining 17,700 are those working at the formal sector such as in the oil and gas industry, constructions, medical, agriculture, and service sector.

The UK Border Agency has announced that it will stop accepting Tier 1 (General) applications made overseas from 00:01 on 23 December 2010. This is to ensure that we do not exceed the limit set by the government for issued Tier 1 (General) applications between 19 July 2010 and April 2011.

Tier 1 (General) overseas will not reopen for applications. Tier 1 (General) in the UK will remain open until 5 April 2011. There will be transitional arrangements beyond 6 April 2011 for some applicants who are already in the UK, and we will announce details of these in due course.
Following a court judgement on Friday, the government has also set a limit until 5 April 2011 on the number of certificates of sponsorship that are available to licensed Tier 2 sponsors under Tier 2 (General). The level of the limit will be 10,832, and the changes will take place immediately.

Immigration Minister Damian Green said:
The recent Court ruling is about process, not policy - the policy of having a limit has not been found to be unlawful. The court's ruling rests on a technicality, which we have set right today to ensure that from now on the interim limit is back up and running. This judgment does not affect the annual cap in any way. The interim limit was a temporary measure introduced specifically to tackle a rush of applications ahead of the introduction of the annual limit. As a result of the volume of applications received since the interim limit was introduced last July, no more Tier 1 visa applications from overseas will be accepted after 22 December. The government remains firmly committed to reducing net migration to the tens of thousands.

A worker with an expired contract in the UAE can now obtain a new work permit and shift to another employer without a consent of his sponsor, a move that will also benefit the Indian workers in the country.

According to a new resolution issued by the UAE Labour Minister Saqr Gobash, the new regulations on conditions and criteria of issuing new work permit for a worker after the expiry of his service contract and transfer of sponsorship will take effect as of first of January 2011 in implementation of a cabinet resolution regarding internal work permit at the ministry.

The resolution says that the new employment permit will only be granted to the worker after the end of his work relationship with his employer without consideration of the legitimate six month period which is usually calculated after the cancellation of the worker''s labor card, but stipulates two must-do conditions.

The UAE has 1.75 million Indian population, which is the largest expatriate community in this country. Once operational, the new regulations will replace the current formalities of transfer of sponsorship for expatriate workers.

Gobash said the new measures aim to infuse broader flexibility in the labour market and strike a balance in the contractual relationship between the employer and worker.The conditions mean that the two contracting parties should end their work relationship cordially and the worker should have worked with his employer for at least two years.

The resolution defines two cases where the worker can obtain the new work permit after the end of the contractual relationship without the agreement of the two contracting parties. The resolution also defines three cases where the worker shall have the right to get a work permit without fulfilling the condition of working two years at least with the employer.

The Consular Section of the US embassy in Bangkok will be in Phuket tomorrow (December 17) to provide consular outreach services.

The “consular clinic” will be at the Metropole Hotel on Montri Road in Phuket Town from 8am to midday. Consular staff will be available to provide services on:
• Passport renewal applications ($110 or 3,300 baht for adult passports, and US$105 or 3,150 baht for a child’s passport).
• Notarial services and certified copies ($50 or 1,500 baht). This includes income affidavits for retirees in Thailand.
• Extra visa pages (US$82 or 2,460 baht). However, the embassy notes, “We can accept applications, but the passports will have to be brought back to the embassy for final processing the next working day.

“As of this writing, Thailand Post has approved our request to use prepaid envelopes to return passports. We will bring prepaid envelopes on outreaches that you can buy from us (at cost) if you wish us have us mail your passport back to you. “Alternatively, one can pick up their passport at the embassy. One can also have a friend pick up your passport by giving them written authorization to present to us,” said the consular release.

Consular Reports of Birth cannot be processed during consular outreach trips.
The next two outreaches planned for Phuket will be on March 16 and June 16, 2011.

For more information on US consular outreach services, email acsbkk@state.gov or call the American Citizen Services Unit at 02-205 4049.

UK Border Agency have today published new versions of our application forms and policy guidance under the following categories of the points-based system:

* Tier 1 (General)
* Tier 1 (Entrepreneur)
* Tier 1 (Investor)
* Tier 1 (Post-study work)
* Tier 2 - all categories (application form only - no change to policy guidance)
* Tier 5 (Temporary worker) - all sub-categories
* PBS Dependant

These new versions reflect the new requirement for Tier 1 and Tier 5 applicants to obtain biometric residence permits, and other minor changes. One should use the new forms with immediate effect. However, and in line with paragraph 34 (I) of the Immigration Rules, we will continue to accept applications made on the previous version of the application forms until (and including) 4 January 2011. We will consider all applications under the current Immigration Rules, regardless of which version of the application form you send. For details visit http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/applicationforms/pbs/tables-changes-1210.pdf

Three years ago, the U.S. Armed Forces struggled with a serious recruiting crisis, a crisis that evaporated temporarily only when the economy slumped. As it recovers and our population continues to age, the Armed Forces will face yet another challenge in recruiting the high-quality people needed for the modern military.

For that reason, the Department of Defense identified the DREAM Act as a smart way to expand the pool of eligible candidates for enlistment.

The Development, Relief and Education of Alien Minors (DREAM) Act is a bipartisan bill that would provide a path to legal residence for undocumented young people who were brought to the United States as children. The conditions: They must graduate from high school, demonstrate good moral character, and -- to keep their legal status -- complete at least two years of higher education or at least two years service in the U.S. military.

Without the relief of the DREAM Act, the future of these American-educated young people is bleak.

About 65,000 such eligible students graduate from U.S. high schools each year, but upon graduation, these young people, who include honor roll students, star athletes and junior ROTC members, hit a wall.

Read the story...

U.S. consular officials are arranging to meet with a San Diego-born 14-year-old accused of carrying out killings and decapitations for a major drug cartel in central Mexico.

Mexican officials approved the meeting after a formal petition from the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, the juvenile court judge handling the teen’s case said Monday.

Mexican troops arrested Edgar Jimenez Lugo, known as “El Ponchis,” and his two sisters on Thursday on the outskirts of the central Mexican city of Cuernavaca, a tourism destination 40 miles south of Mexico City and the capital of the state of Morelos.

All three have ties to San Diego, according to county birth records. The night of the arrests, the boy was carrying a San Diego County document registering his birthplace as San Diego, but the Mexican government was still waiting Monday for U.S. officials to authenticate his citizenship.

Army officials had made it known a month ago they were searching for “El Ponchis,” after graphic online videos prompted talk of a boy assassin.

An unnamed Mexican Army lieutenant said in written testimony that an anonymous tip led authorities to the airport where the arrests occurred.

Read more...

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Moscow is hoping for the speedier signing of a border deal with Poland on simpler border passage for citizens of the neighboring Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.

The issue is among the highlights during Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s current visit to Warsaw. European laws allow visa-free travel for people living within 30 km from the EU border.

Mr. Lavrov and his Polish counterpart Radoslaw Sikorski are considering expanding the future agreement to include the whole of the Kaliningrad region and the adjoining Polish provinces

Taiwan moved another step closer to obtaining visa exemption treatment from Schengen countries after the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) passed a visa liberalization motion for Taiwan yesterday, sending the proposal to a vote at the parliament’s plenary session late next month.

James Lee, Director-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department of European Affairs, said progress in the review of the proposal was going according to plan and the ministry remained cautiously optimistic about securing the privilege by the end of this year.

The European Parliament said in a press release that the LIBE had nearly unanimously adopted the proposal, with only one vote against, in favor of placing Taiwan on the list of countries exempt from EU visa controls. “The liberalization of visas for Taiwan will enable trade ties to develop,” rapporteur Agustin Diaz de Mera, a member of the European Parliament, said in the press release.

Diaz de Mera added that the EU had “already granted this exemption to other countries and entities in the same geographical area and at a similar level of economic development, such as Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, South Korea and Singapore,” the press release said.

If parliament passes the proposal, it will proceed to the Justice and Home Affairs Council of the Council of the EU for approval, expected in early December, the ministry said. Taiwan does not require visas for nationals from most EU member states, with the exception of Cyprus, Romania and Bulgaria. The ministry said that under the principle of reciprocity, Taiwan would add the three countries to its exemption list by the end of this year if Taiwan were granted visa exemption for Schengen nations.

The British High Commission in Nigeria said yesterday that it issued about 100,000 visas to Nigerians wishing to travel to the United Kingdom, out of the 170,000 that applied.

The commission stated this in a statement signed by its press secretary, Hooman Nouruzi in Abuja. The statement said: “The British High Commission would like to note that the UK is committed to providing a top class visa service. The UK Border Agency works to strict customer service standards which have been maintained during a busy summer in Nigeria that has seen demand exceed expectations.” “Last year we received over 170,000 visa applications from Nigerians wishing to travel to the UK, of which approximately 100,000 were successful.”

In an attempt to prevent foreigners from getting non-technical jobs, the government has made it clear that citizens of other countries will be taken only for highly-skilled assignments in India and should draw an annual salary of over USD 25,000.

In an order, the Home Ministry nullified a Labour Ministry circular which allows one percent foreigners among the total work force in any project with a minimum of five and maximum of 20 people.

"An employment visa is granted to a foreigner if the applicant is a highly skilled and/or qualified professional, who is being engaged or appointed by a company/organization/industry/undertaking in India on contract or employment basis," according to the Home Ministry guidelines. Besides, the ministry made it clear that employment visa shall not be granted for jobs for which qualified Indian are available and also for routine, ordinary or secretarial/clerical jobs.

"The foreign national being sponsored for an employment visa in any sector should draw a salary in excess of USD 25,000 per annum," it says.

However, this condition of annual floor limit on income will not apply to ethnic cooks, language teachers (other than English), staff working for the Embassy/High Commission concerned in India.

The Labour Ministry had ordered that visa applications could be cleared by the Indian missions abroad at their level if the foreign national is skilled and qualified professional, technical experts, senior executives or in managerial positions and those kinds of skills which are not available in India.

The EU will decide whether to scrap visa requirements for Bosnian and Albanian citizens on November 8th, Sarajevo-based daily Nezavisne Novine reported on Monday (October 18th) ,quoting diplomatic sources in Brussels. The source also said that visas will be lifted by the end of the year.

Several countries -- including France and Germany -- reportedly have requested additional security guarantees in order to back visa-free regimes for BiH and Albania. On October 7th, the European Parliament green-lighted lifting visa requirements for both countries. The final decision is up to the Council of Ministers.

Immigration New Zealand has begun trials of biometric technology that uses facial recognition to verify the identity of people coming through New Zealand customs.The trialled technology from biometrics technology firm Daon takes a photo of the person applying for a visa, and then uses this photo to verify the identity of the applicant when they attempt to gain entry to the country.

Over the next few years plans to use biometrics to confirm the identity of visa applicants and travelers at the border. Any technologies adopted will have substantial privacy safeguards, in accordance with New Zealand privacy laws. The trial is not currently being deployed in regular border control operations and a decision on whether the technology will be employed by Immigration New Zealand is not expected to be made for at least 12 months, the department said.

"The evaluation is a short-term trial that is not being deployed operationally," Immigration New Zealand said. "It is separate from the Immigration Global Management System (IGMS) replacement of the current Application Management System (AMS). IGMS, once approved, will provide future operational identity management capabilities for INZ."

A high court challenge is likely to cause problems for the UK's plans to implement a cap on immigration into the country.

The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants and a number of businesses that depend on skilled immigration to deal with skill shortages have brought a judicial review of the government's temporary cap on immigration. The cap was imposed on 28 June 2010.The JCWI says that the cap is unlawful because ministers did not seek proper parliamentary approval before introducing the immigration cap. If the immigration cap was debated in Parliament beforehand there would have been an opportunity for MPs to consider in detail what would be the appropriate limit on skilled and highly skilled visas.

According to the Government, the temporary immigration cap was implemented to prevent a large influx of Tier 1 (highly skilled migration) and Tier 2 (skilled migration) visa applications from migrants originating from outside the European Union and the European Economic Area. The temporary immigration cap reduces overall skilled immigration by a relatively modest five percent. The surge is expected because the Government plans to implement a permanent cap on immigration in April next year.

However, the Government is facing criticism as the immigration cap is damaging to UK business and so to the UK's global competitiveness. Startup companies, major research positions, and other highly skilled endeavors are well-represented by foreign-born members of society in many industrialized nations. The immigration cap has so far affected Tier 2 visa applications more than Tier 1 visa applications. Some businesses have been left in a situation where they are unable to sponsor anyone at all on a Tier 2 visa. Liberal Democrat business secretary Vince Cable complained publicly that the temporary cap was damaging British industry.

Iraq's ambassador to Afghanistan celebrated the opening its new embassy Wednesday in Kabul, saying it will strengthen diplomatic relations between the two countries that date to the 1930s and assist Afghans who want to visit holy sites in Iraq.

"Iraqis and Afghans are almost brothers," Ambassador Qais Subhi al-Yacoubi said at the opening. "Whenever I go on the street, people know that I'm Iraqi. Everyone welcomes me so I never feel that I am here as a guest. I am among my brothers and my friends. The relationship is not only Iraqi-Afghani, it is also Arab-Afghani and Islamic-Islamic and before everything else, we are Muslim.

The Afghan government has said it also has plans to re-open its embassy in Baghdad, as it tries to expand and deepen its links to the Muslim world. Iraq broke relations after the Taliban seized Kabul in 1996, but has had relations with the current government of Afghanistan for years.

The new Iraqi embassy in Kabul eventually will have a consular section to assist Afghans who want to visit Iraq, which is home to religious shrines important to Shiite Muslims around the world.

"We have thousands and thousands of Afghans who want to go to Iraq," he said. "Iraq is full of holy shrines from north to south. ... Our consular section will facilitate that. It will take some time, but we are working quickly."

Many Muslims, including Afghans, visit Iraq during Ashoura, the yearly mourning period in which Shiites remember the seventh century death of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson, Imam Hussein, in a battle in the central city of Karbala.

We have witnessed stricter immigration rules to tackle the gross misuse of Visa system globally. There is confirmation that Hungary is tightening its immigration rules to deter foreigners from gaming the EU system. Non-EU citizens whom the authorities can prove married or got adopted for the sake of obtaining a residence permit will be forced to leave the country should lawmakers pass the bill which aims to bring Hungary in line with EU law.

Further, students who enroll in Hungarian higher education in order to gain free travel within the EU face tougher admission requirements, such as having to prove that they possess the language skills required to start their studies. In turn, Universities must inform the authorities about new foreign students within eight days and let them know if they break off their studies or fail to enroll by the deadline. Employers, including research institutes, will be fined if their non-EU employees fail to leave after their permits expire. If a foreigner violates Hungarian migration rules, they will be banned from all EU countries. Rules for refugee applicants will also be tightened. The authorities will have the right to send immigrants to their home country if their application is turned down once. Currently immigrants have a second chance to apply before being sent home.

The UK Border Agency has expanded its partnership working with local government by launching a new checking service for settlement applications.

The settlement checking service pilot builds on the success of the existing nationality checking service. If a migrant is applying for settlement (also known as 'indefinite leave to remain') using application form SET(M), they can now have their application checked by a local authority officer before it is sent to us.

Form SET(M) is for migrants who are applying for settlement as the husband, wife, civil partner, unmarried partner or same-sex partner of a British citizen or a person settled in the UK. Although the service will not offer immigration advice, it will benefit applicants by checking and returning their valuable documents. It will also reassure them that their application is complete and valid when it is sent to us, avoiding any unnecessary delay.

The settlement checking service will extend the service provisions offered by local government. The first local authorities to offer the service are Brent and Barnet, which launch today. Another 10 local authorities will join the pilot over the next 2 months:

* Cambridgeshire County Council
* Cardiff City Council
* Dudley Metropolitan Council
* Leeds City Council
* Liverpool City Council
* Manchester City Council
* Newcastle City Council
* Oxfordshire County Council
* South Lanarkshire County Council
* Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council

Applicants can already book appointments in Oxfordshire and Stockport, where the service will begin next week.

UK is getting lot more protests from various quarters. In a rare intervention, eight British Nobel Laureates, including Russian-born Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov who share this year’s Nobel Prize for Physics, have warned that the Government’s plans to put an annual cap on immigration from outside the European Union would deprive Britain of international scientific talent and “isolate” it from the “increasingly globalized world of research”.

Sir Harry Kroto, who got the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1996, cited the case of Prashant Jain, an Indian material scientist from the Florida State University, who was offered a fellowship by Cambridge University. But he was refused a visa because he was not able to secure enough points under the points-based immigration system to be eligible for a work permit. He is a researcher who is very clearly going places. It’s an amazing loss to the country. He will probably now stay here in the U.S. when he was quite keen to work in the U.K.. It is a very good example of the problems that immigration (policy) is causing in science. Dr. Jain (28) said he was very keen to work at Cambridge which he described as a “wonderful place” but said he now saw his future in America.

In a joint letter the Nobel Laureates said that Britain’s reputation as a global center of research excellence would be damaged if a rigid cap on immigration made it difficult for universities to recruit the best talent from abroad.

Pointing out that Nobel prize-winners in science such as Professor Venki Ramakrishnan had been “enriching and enhancing British science and society for decades”. They add to our store of knowledge, and inspire countless young researchers to follow in their footsteps. These benefits are jeopardized by the Government’s plan to cap migration to the U.K. It would damage our ability to recruit the brightest young talent, as well as distinguished scientists, into our universities and industries. The U.K. must not isolate itself from the increasingly globalized world of research — British science depends on it’’, the scientists added.

Signatories to the letters include Sir Martin Evans (Medicine, 2007), Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov (Physics, 2010) and Sir Tim Hunt and Sir Paul Nurse (Medicine 2001). Their intervention follows warning by leading British businesses and universities that the proposed cap, set to come into force next year, would make Britain less attractive besides affecting its relations with emerging economies such as India and China.

Barbados has officially opened a new consulate in Cuba. And Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Maxine McClean, is hailing the move. The opening of the Embassy in Cuba comes just over a year after Prime Minister David Thompson, during an official visit to that country in 2009, made the announcement of Barbados' intent to establish a diplomatic presence in Cuba.

The Embassy will be instrumental in the establishment of business contacts and the identification of emerging opportunities within Cuba for Barbados' services, trade and commercial sectors. The increasing consular needs of the growing number of Barbadian students in Cuba all provide strong rationale for the establishment of a resident Embassy in Cuba.

US plans to maintain a strong presence in the eastern part of the capital, despite moving bulk of services to Arnona neighborhood. After six years of construction, the American Consulate in Jerusalem will open its new facility for consular services on Rehov David Flusser in the southern Arnona neighborhood next Tuesday.

The office that previously dealt with consular services, located on Nablus Road in east Jerusalem, will remain open for consulate programs, along with the facility in west Jerusalem on Rehov Agron, and America House, a cultural outreach center in east Jerusalem.

“The [new] facility was designed to enhance the provision of consular services to American citizens and local residents,” a US Consulate representative said. Consular services include issuing passports and visas, and reporting deaths and births abroad. There are 80,000 registered American citizens living in Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, which makes the Jerusalem consulate one of the US’s busiest in the world. It maintains an “e-consulate” for Gaza residents, offering most services online.

In accordance with the US Department of State’s dedication to environmentally friendly buildings for its consulates, the new building features “green rooftops,” with plants on the roof that minimize storm water run-off and reduce the need for air conditioning and heating by providing additional insulation. Despite moving the bulk of services for citizens and noncitizens away from east Jerusalem, the consulate plans to maintain a strong presence in the eastern part of the capital.

More than 3600 people from 118 countries became citizens at 68 ceremonies across Australia as part of Australian Citizenship Day on 17 September 2010. Chris Bowen, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, said that citizenship is a "bond which unites" all Australians.Australian Citizenship Day is a time for all Australians to take pride in their citizenship and reflect on the meaning of being a citizen of this great nation," he said.

He added: It is also a special day for our newest Australians to join the Australian community at ceremonies across the country. Becoming an Australian citizen is a step that shows commitment and loyalty to this country and the desire to share a common future.

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) and local government councils hosted citizenship ceremonies in state and territory capital cities, major metropolitan centres and regional towns across Australia.

A new website in 11 different languages makes it easier for Canadian immigrants to find community service information.

The 'In my language', developed by the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI), which represents more than 200 settlement agencies in Ontario provides an electronic library of translated content which will assist newcomers in adapting to life in Canada.
In my language website is an excellent resource for newcomers to Ontario, said Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration, and Multiculturalism.

The website has received funds of $1.4 million from the Government of Canada. Newcomers now have a website where they can get the information they need in the language of their choice. "This multilingual website will give newcomers to Ontario a head start on accessing information on housing, health care, legal advice, community services, and language training across the province," said MP Paul Calandra. The website has content in the following languages: English, French, Chinese, Punjabi, Urdu, Spanish, Tagalog, Arabic, Gujarati, Tamil and Russian.

"Helping newcomers get settled is the key to their success," said MP Bob Dechert. "Settlement information needs to be accessible, and this initiative is a significant step in fulfilling that aim."

Besides immigrants, other users of the website include community organizations, schoolboards, police services, and the healthcare industry. The new website has multilingual information on housing, healthcare, employment, schooling and other important topics.

Government funding of the new website was made possible through the Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement (COIA), which was signed in 2005. Through this agreement, the Government of Canada is investing $428 million in Ontario for settlement services for immigrants.

The removal of the entry visa to Canada for Grenadian citizens is still open for review, according to Minister of State of Foreign Affairs in the North American country, Peter Kent. He made the disclosure when he met with Grenada’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Peter David during a bilateral meeting on the margins of the 65th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York.

“We are aware of the visa issue and let me state that this has nothing to do with the relations between both countries but rather with individuals who took advantage of the economic citizenship program,” said Minister Kent, promising to follow up on the progress of the review.

The economic citizenship program was introduced by Grenada in October 1997 to supplement government revenues. It allowed investors to acquire a legal second passport for a specified minimum investment in the local economy. However, the system came under fire from critics who said it allowed criminals to effectively adopt new legal identities for a price. It was suspended indefinitely in 2001, with the Finance Minister at the time, Anthony Boatswain, saying it was too risky in the wake of the terrorist attacks in the United States. But in December of that year, Canada imposed the visa restrictions on citizens from Grenada, Dominica, Kiribati, Nauru, Tuvalu and Vanuatu, all of which sold passports. Before then, anybody holding a passport from one of those countries could have entered Canada without a visitor's visa.

Startling accusations Wednesday that GOP gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman had an illegal immigrant as her housekeeper for nine years have all the elements of a classic late-campaign "October surprise" - a sobbing victim, a media-savvy attorney, charges of hypocrisy and dirty tricks.

The charges sent Whitman's campaign team into overdrive as it worked nonstop to limit the political damage from the allegations, which the former eBay CEO dismissed as lies and partisan attacks.

The latest chapter in California's gubernatorial race unfolded live on TMZ.com, just hours after Whitman finished her first televised debate with her November opponent, Democratic Attorney General Jerry Brown, a debate in which she argued that California employers must be held accountable for hiring undocumented workers.

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The Iraqi government is to abolish entry visa fees for Iranian visitors, as part of efforts to boost tourism. The general policy of the country currently aims at promoting tourism through providing facilities for visitors to Iraq such as abolishing entry visa fees," Ali al-Alaq, secretary general of the Iraqi cabinet.

Visa fees for Iranians currently range from 10-20 dollars per person. The Iraqi government has been courting tourists for a number of years now, amid a decline in sectarian violence.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of Iranians take part in the various Shiite rituals across Iraq.

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian met with his Iraqi counterpart Hoshyar Zebari in the UN head-quarters in New York.

Nalbandian stressed Armenia attaches importance to the development of cooperation with Iraq. For this reason, a decision was made to reopen the embassy in Iraq. Zebari mentioned the Iraqi government also intends to establish diplomatic representation in Yerevan. He presented the Iraqi authorities’ efforts to establish stability in the country and the talks over the formation of a government after the parliamentary elections in the country.

Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have signed yesterday an agreement allowing their nationals to use smart ID cards instead of passports to cross the joint borders. The deal will take force only one month after being signed by Kuwaiti Minister of Interior Lt-Gen (rtd) Sheikh Jaber Al-Khaled Al-Sabah and Saudi Arabia's Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Prince Nayif Bin-Abdulaziz Al-Saud.

Sheikh Jaber said the agreement would give a strong impetus to the friendly exchanges between the two countries. Saudi Arabia is of strategic importance for Kuwait and constitutes a crucial link between Kuwait and the rest of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states. The deal will greatly facilitate the movement of citizens of the two sister countries and it sets example for what the ties between neighbors should be.

It is only a step which will be followed by other steps on road of cooperation in all domains," Sheikh Jaber affirmed. Meanwhile, Director-General of Saudi Passports Directorate Salem Bin-Mohammad Al-Belhid said the document materializes the political will of GCC leaders for facilitating the movement of the GCC nationals. Echoing Sheikh Jaber's remarks, Al-Belhid said: "The GCC interior ministers are determined to adopt a range of measures to bolster up integration particularly in the security field. The Kuwaiti and Saudi nationals will be able to use smart cards to enter each other's country through the official crossing points in line with the travel laws and their executive statutes.

Singapore is home to the largest proportion of high-earning expatriates compared to 24 other countries and cities, a new global survey shows. Nearly half the number of expats - 45 per cent - living and working here are earning more than US$200,000 (S$265,000) annually, compared to the worldwide average of 21 per cent, according to the Expat Explorer Survey conducted by HSBC Bank.

According to a paper on household income trends released by the Singapore Department of Statistics last month, the average annual income of the top 10 per cent of employed Singapore households from work was about $265,000. This means that less than 10 per cent of employed Singapore households earn $265,000 or more.

The HSBC figure puts expats in Singapore ahead of their counterparts in other countries and cities such as Russia, China, the Philippines, Malaysia and Hong Kong. The bank said the annual poll - which interviewed more than 4,217 respondents - is the world's largest survey of expatriates. Last year, in the same survey, Singapore was ranked fourth out of 26 countries and cities when it came to expat income.

On Sunday’s “Meet the Press”, former Secretary of State Colin Powell said, "illegal immigrants do essential work in the U.S. and that he has firsthand knowledge of that—because they fix his house." Today, Colin Powell clarified his remarks by saying "I don't hire illegal immigrants. On 'Meet the Press' yesterday, I referred to illegal immigrants working around my house. I was referring to the many service contractors who work in my neighborhood, using mostly immigrant workers, who do good work. Some may well be 'illegal.' There are 11 million illegal immigrants in this country and most are working somewhere in our economy."

Colin Powell’s stance on immigration was further clarified in the interview when he stated, "We can't be anti-immigration. Immigrants are fueling this country. Without immigrants, America would be like Europe or Japan with an aging population and no young people coming in to take care of it. We have to educate our immigrants. The DREAM Act is one way to do that."
Powell also said Republicans should back immigration reform that would create a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants, as Bush urged during his presidency.

Powell reminded Americans that immigrants are hard workers: "They're all over my house, doing things whenever I call for repairs, and I'm sure you've seen them at your house," he said. "We've got to find a way to bring these people out of the darkness and give them some kind of status. "

Colin Powell’s stance on immigration demonstrates how some moderate Republicans are seeking a way to change our immigration in a way that will have a positive impact on the U.S. As Gen. Powell noted above, the DREAM Act is one way that the American government can help alleviate the problems faced with illegal immigrants in America.

By embracing those who were brought here without even knowing they were here illegally, America is fulfilling its historical heritage by allowing them to become educated citizens and to contribute to our society through getting an education or joining the military. By nothing the differences between us and Europe or Japan, Gen. Powell emphasizes the importance it is to embrace our immigrants, be they legal or illegal, if they are here to help contribute to American society.

This is especially important right now, when the U.S. has been hit with a recession and is in need of an economic boost from the working population. Let us hope that there are more politicians like Colin Powell that will help move immigration reform forward.

On Monday in St. Petersburg Korea's Finance Minister Yoon Jeung-hyun reached a temporary agreement with his Russian counterpart which will ease immigration restrictions on Korean
entrepreneurs working in Russia. The agreement will reportedly shorten the number of days it takes for Russia to issue a working visa as well as change the current rule that requires even short-term visitors to register a home address.

The understanding was reached during the Korean minister's 12-day five-country tour of G20 member countries to fine-tune Korea's plans for the November G20 summit.

Bosnia is hopeful the EU will take a decision this December to exempt Bosnian citizens from needing a visa to enter the EU, the country's deputy foreign minister has said. Speaking at Georgetown University in Washington DC, on 17 September, Ana Trisic-Babic said that while the formal decision by the European Parliament and EU Council of Ministers still had to be taken, she had learned informally that the visa waiver was likely to come soon. It will be a great relief to the country, which has fallen behind its Balkan neighbours in the race to join the EU due to disagreements between its constituent Bosniak, Serb and Croat communities over how the state should function. Trisic-Babic noted that only 700,000 out of Bosnia's four million citizens relied solely on their Bosnian passports. Others manage to travel visa-free to the EU by using passports from Serbia, Croatia or other countries that are visa exempt.

"There is no alternative to us than joining the EU," she stressed. Noting how preoccupied the EU has been with internal, constitutional issues, such as forging a common foreign policy, she suggested "we have been left behind a little" and was looking to the US once more for its support. She claimed "the EU is not a carrot anymore for us to do reforms because it is so far away". Failure to reform its ethnically-based police force has been a notable obstacle hindering Bosnia's path to the EU. Commenting on Turkey's new involvement in Bosnia, she said Bosnians were split on this, with Muslim Bosniaks interested but Christian communities irritated. On Kosovo, she said Bosnia would not recognise its independence "for a long time" and would follow whatever Serbia and Kosovo agreed.

The Southern Island province of Hainan is now the most accessible Island in China, thanks to new regulations introduced by the Chinese government. The newly introduced visa exemptions, will grant passport holders from 27 countries including Australia and New Zealand unparalleled access to Hainan.

The first exemption is a ‘Free Landing Visa,’ targeted mainly at groups, which is the first in China to allow travellers free access in and out of Hainan Island without a visa. The second exemption is a special Landing visa perfect for individuals or couples and can be acquired on arrival of any airport of Hainan. The free Landing Visa entitles travellers to stay in Hainan for up to 15 days free, provided that they enter in and out of Haikou or Sanya international airports.

The Special Landing Visa policy has also been seen as a landmark for all travellers as it provides travellers with the easiest method of obtaining a visa in China. On arrival at any airport in Hainan, travellers must simply go to the visa station before customs to process, it normally takes 10 minutes and costs just RMB200(Approx $30AUD), compared to the $80 and a trip to the Chinese Consulate. This visa is also valid for 15 days, but can be extended at any of police station in China for up to a two-month period.

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has approved an agreement with the government of Israel on waiver of visa requirements for persons using the passport of citizen or official passports of Ukraine and Israel.

Thus, this intergovernmental agreement, signed on July 21, took effect in Ukraine. The instrument stipulates that citizens of Ukraine and Israel may stay in another country without obtaining a visa up to 90 days.

The Norwegian-Russian agreement on visa-free travel for people living in the border area will be signed when Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visits Oslo on November 2nd. Speaking at the joint press-conferance with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev in Murmansk today, Norway's Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg confirmed that the deal will be signed soon, but he did however not confirm the date.

Norway share a 196 km long border with Russia, and the negotiation regarding visa-freedom for the people lining in a 30 km zone on each side of the border has been under way since Sergey Lavrov visited northern Norway in the spring 2008. The agreement was first supposed to be signed during Russian President Dmitri Medvedev’s visit to Oslo in April, but the last few obstacles were then not solved. One of the problematic issues was regarding non-Norwegian citizens living within the Norwegian part of the border zone. The Russian position was first that only Norwegian citizens should be allowed to get the right to travel without visa. But, the Schengen-agreement says all Schengen-citizens should have the same rights. This issue is now solved and other Schengen-citizens that have lived longer than three years in Kirkenes will be included for visa-free border travel.

Britain is handing out passports to more foreign nationals than any other EU country. In one year, the number of citizenship applications rubber-stamped by the last government was almost a quarter of those issued across all 27 EU member states. From 2002 to 2008, the latest period for which full figures are available, the total number of approvals by Home Office officials was 1,008,500.

Eurostat, the EU's statistics authority, said this figure outstripped even Germany and France, which have larger populations. Once granted citizenship, people have full access to housing, benefits and the jobs market.

Immigration Minister Damian Green said: 'These statistics show why we must tighten our immigration system and look to be more selective about who we give British citizenship to.
While it is important that we attract the brightest and the best to ensure strong economic growth, uncontrolled permanent migration places unacceptable pressure on public services.

In addition to issuing the highest cumulative number of passports, Britain topped the league table in three individual years. In 2007, the 164,500 passport approvals was the equivalent on 23 per cent of the EU total. Over the entire seven-year period, they accounted for 20 per cent of those given out.

Labour repeatedly promised to make the citizenship rules tougher, but by the time it left government, the numbers were rising sharply. The Eurostat report stops at 2008. But, in the following year, Home Office figures show the government granted 203,790 passports.

Britain has the third largest number of foreign citizens living here - behind only Germany and Spain. The total of 4,020,800 consists of 1,614,800 people from inside the EU who - because of free movement directives - do not require a visa to live in the UK.

During the election campaign, Labour claimed there were equal numbers of workers entering and leaving the UK.

In reality, Eurostat says there were just 287,600 UK nationals filling jobs elsewhere in the European Union by autumn 2008. Yet there were 1,020,000 citizens from other Euro countries taking posts in the economy here. Earlier this week, Mr Green said that - as part of his plan to halve net migration - he wanted to make it harder for non-EU nationals to settle permanently in the UK.

The UAE plans to open an embassy in Azerbaijan this year. The UAE is the first country that recognized Azerbaijan's independence in 1991.

Diplomatic ties between the two countries were established in 1992. Azerbaijan opened an embassy in Abu Dhabi in 2001 and a consulate in Dubai in 2006.

Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni, Minister of Foreign Affairs, answering questions during his turn at the meet-the-press series at the Ministry of Information in Accra. Three new Passport Application Centres (PACs) are to be inaugurated by the close of this month to help ease the congestion and rush at the PAC and the Passport Office in Accra.

The new PACS are to be inaugurated in Sekondi, Sunyani and Tamale. Since the biometric passport was launched on March 23, 2010 in Accra, 29,019 Ordinary, 48 Service and 251 Diplomatic passports have been issued to various categories of Ghanaians. Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Minister, Alhaji Muhammad Mumuni, announced this in response to a question when he took his turn at the Meet-the-Press series organised by the Ministry of Information in Accra yesterday. He conceded that there had been challenges in the issuance of the biometric passports but explained that it should be expected of any new project. He, however, gave an assurance that when the three new PACs and the remaining ones were inaugurated, the challenges would be addressed.

Alhaji Mumuni also admitted that the old machine readable passports were being issued alongside the biometric passports because there were outstanding applications prior to the launch of the biometric passports and indicated that the ministry did not want to burden those applicants to re-apply by purchasing the new forms. According to him, the old passports are machine readable and are valid until 2015, when it will be phased out.

Touching on other activities of the ministry, Alhaji Mumuni said the ministry continued to pursue the policy of good neighbourliness to sustain the climate of peace and stability in the sub-region. The mutual trust and confidence established by President J.E.A. Mills and his counterparts as the basis for addressing common challenges to development across nation frontiers, was maintained.

Alhaji Mumuni said the ministry also sought to give substance to the government’s declaration to make regional integration the flagship of its foreign policy by actively participating in the deliberations of ECOWAS and other sub-regional and regional economic communities while ensuring that Ghana derived maximum benefit from its membership of such bodies.

According to him, the decision to relocate the new ministry at that site was because the AESL had advised against the reconstruction of the old ministry gutted by fire in October, last year. Besides that, Alhaji Mumuni explained that as the gateway to the government and the nation, it was important that the ministry was sited at a place that was attractive and conducive as against the old place which was close to the market.

As part of its response to the Canterbury earthquake, Immigration New Zealand is working closely with other Government agencies to identify occupations where skill shortages may occur, for example, in the infrastructure or construction sectors to ensure that where an immigration response is required we are able to respond in a timely manner. For instance, this may result in changes being made to the Essential Skills in Demand Lists before our next review which is due for completion in mid 2011.

From Sept. 8, travelers flying to the US which do not requires visas will be required to pay a $14 “operational and travel promotion.” According to US Customs and Border Protection website, people from Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries must pay when applying for an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).

The new tourist tax that was implemented today received criticism from European Union as “inconsistent with the commitment of the U.S. to facilitate transatlantic mobility.” The tourist fee affects air and sea travelers from VWP countries such as Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

The total fee for a new or renewed ESTA will be $14. The breakdown includes $US10 tax and $US4 to recover the cost of the ESTA system. ESTA approval, which went into effect in early 2009, allows travelers to enter the United States without a full travel visa, which can cost over $100. The ESTA authorization lasts for two years (or until the individual’s passport expires), and is valid for multiple entries.

Canadian immigration also intends to significantly increase the investment requirements for the immigrant investor program:
- A personal net worth of $1.6M instead of $800,000
- An investment requirement of $800,000 instead of $400,000

Canadian immigration feels that that the investment requirements are too low. The investment requirements have not changed for more than ten years. The current system attracts more applicants than are required each year under the immigration plan. This has resulted in an increase in processing times.

Canadian immigration will not be accepting any more Canadian immigrant investor applications until the new system is operational. This is to prevent a surge of applicants before the change in the immigration requirements.

Immigration Minister Kenney had the following to say about the immigrant investor program:
"Canada needs investor immigrants." These changes are necessary to keep Canada's program competitive with that of other countries, and keep pace with the changing economy.

The number of illegal immigrants in the U.S. has dropped for the first time in 20 years as substantially fewer undocumented workers from Mexico, Latin America and elsewhere are crossing the border in search of jobs, an independent research group says.

The analysis by the Pew Hispanic Center suggests the nation's economic downturn and increased border enforcement have reduced the number of illegal immigrants, who make up roughly 4 percent of the U.S. population.

The study released Wednesday estimates that 11.1 million illegal immigrants lived in the U.S. in 2009. That represents a decrease of roughly 1 million, or 8 percent, from a peak of 12 million in 2007, before Arizona intervened with its new enforcement measures.

More....

The Department of Homeland Security is systematically reviewing thousands of pending immigration cases and moving to dismiss those filed against suspected illegal immigrants who have no serious criminal records, according to several sources familiar with the efforts.

Culling the immigration court system dockets of noncriminals started in earnest in Houston about a month ago and has stunned local immigration attorneys, who have reported coming to court anticipating clients' deportations only to learn that the government was dismissing their cases.

Richard Rocha, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman, said Tuesday that the review is part of the agency's broader, nationwide strategy to prioritize the deportations of illegal immigrants who pose a threat to national security and public safety. Rocha declined to provide further details.

Critics assailed the plan as another sign that the Obama administration is trying to create a kind of backdoor "amnesty" program.

New U.S. legislation that sharply boosts visa fees to pay for tighter border security may play well in some parts of the country, but the applause is faint in Silicon Valley.

The measure, signed into law by President Barack Obama on Friday, is expected to raise operating costs for outsourcing firms that use large numbers of foreign-born employees to serve their U.S. customers. But the biggest impact, critics say, is to increase the perception that America is becoming more protectionist and hostile toward foreigners.

"It's adding to the negativity about America," said Vivek Wadhwa, a visiting scholar at the University of California and research associate at Duke University who studies immigration issues. "The money raised is insignificant and the damage is huge."

Backers of the bill predict the visa fee increase will raise about $200 million a year to help pay for a $600 million appropriation to beef up security on the U.S.-Mexico border. The money is expected to pay for improvements that include hiring more border guards, boosting the number of federal agents and drone aircraft used for surveillance.

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UK immigration has announced another review of the UK Tier 4 student visa scheme. There has been a on third increase in student numbers in the twelve months to March 2010:
* For the period to March 2009 there were 235,295 student visas and 24,780 dependants.

* For the period to March 2010 there were 313,011 student visas and 31,385 dependants. This is an increase of 75,000 compared to the previous year.

Immigration Minister Damian Green had the following to say:

"We are committed to attracting the brightest and the best to the UK, and welcome legitimate students coming here for study. However, in the past there has been significant abuse of the student route, and we need to ensure that every student who comes to the UK is genuine. Therefore I am undertaking a thorough evaluation of the student system over the coming weeks and months and I will introduce new measures to minimize abuse and tighten the system further."

The current Coalition Government and the previous Labor Government have been concerned that the UK student visa system has been used in some cases by students who are not genuine students. It was because of these concerns that Tier 4 Student visas were suspended for students from Pakistan and Nepal for a time earlier this year.

It seems quite likely that following the review there will be changes in future making it more difficult to come under the tier 4 student visa scheme. If you wish to come to the UK on a tier 4 student visa you should consider applying soon.

Every community has one of those. A San Diego man who federal authorities say defrauded fellow Somali immigrants of several million dollars, some of them losing their life savings, was arraigned Monday on a six-count grand jury indictment.

Mohamud Abdi Ahmed, 40, was charged in federal court with wire fraud and criminal forfeiture, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Valerie H. Chu. He was arrested Friday by FBI agents.

Ahmed owned and operated Shidaal Express, which offered financial services such as check cashing and money transfers to Somali immigrants, with several locations in San Diego, the indictment said. On Nov. 19, 2009, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission issued a preliminary injunction shutting down the firm. The company’s assets were frozen.

The commission’s complaint alleged that Ahmed also attracted stock market investors and raised at least $3 million from more than 40 investors in the Somali community in San Diego, Seattle and elsewhere, including at least $200,000 from a San Diego-area mosque. He would promise a return of 5 percent a month.

Read more....

UK Immigration policy witnessing new changes after the election on new Government. If you wish to join or marry your British citizen spouse or a permanent resident in the UK you will from 29 November 2010 need to pass an English language test with an approved test provider.If you are not an EU citizen you will need to show that you can speak and understand English if you wish to apply under one of the following categories to join your spouse or partner in the UK:

* Husband or wife
* Civil Partner
* Unmarried Partner
* Same-sex Partner
* Fiance/e
* Proposed Civil Partner

Immigration Minister Damian Green had the following to say:

"Speaking English promotes integration into British society and broadens opportunities. The new rules will help ensure that migrant spouses are able to participate in British life from the outset and integrate more easily into wider UK society".

If you wish to come under the current immigration rules you will need to apply in the next four months. From 29 November 2010 you will have to pay for and pass an English test to gain entry as a spouse or partner.

UK Immigration is making or has already made a number of significant changes to the UK tier 4 visa scheme for students:
If you wish to come under Tier 4 (General) on or after 12 August 2010 and will be on a course below NQF Level 6 you must at an English language ability at a minimum of level B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). This excludes Foundation Degree courses or an English language course.

Your Tier 4 sponsor must show the following for you:

* You are from a majority English-speaking country.
OR
* You have successfully completed a course as a Tier 4 (Child) student and were granted permission to remain in the UK while you were still under 18 years of age. The course should have lasted at least six months and should have ended no more than two years before the date when the confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) is assigned.
OR
* You have passed an English language test with an approved test provider for Tier 4 visas, and have reached at least CEFR level B1 in all four areas being reading, writing, speaking and listening.

We will continue to provide you more updates on UK Immigration.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security. ICE is a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities.

Nine people pleaded guilty to charges connected with their involvement in a scheme in central Ohio to arrange marriages between foreign nationals and U.S. citizens. The sentences were announced by the U.S. Attorney's Office and U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE). Brian Moskowitz, ICE special agent in charge of the Office of Homeland Security Investigations in Ohio and Michigan, along with Carter M. Stewart, U. S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, announced the sentences by U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley.
The sentences were imposed on the following individuals:
- Hasan Salohutdinov of Dublin, Ohio, and an illegal alien from Uzbekistan, was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment followed by deportation. He pleaded guilty on April 5, 2010, to one count of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and on count of presenting false statements to U.S. immigration authorities. Salohutdinov introduced other Uzbeks into the scheme in order that they might pay to engage in sham marriages.
- Dmitry Pani also of Dublin, and an illegal alien from Estonia, was sentenced to one year imprisonment. Pani also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud.
- Sviatlana A. Piskunova of Columbus pleaded guilty to conspiracy and sentenced to time served.
- Laura Elizabeth Grace Scott of Columbus pleaded guilty to conspiracy and was sentenced to two years probation which includes six months of home confinement.
- Courtnie Susann Good of Columbus pleaded guilty to marriage fraud and was sentenced to two years probation which includes six months of home confinement with electronic monitoring.
- Elbek A. Saidjanov of Philadelphia, Penn., pleaded guilty to marriage fraud and was sentenced to time served, about seven and one-half months.
- Iskander Odilovich Tairov, of Galloway, Ohio, pleaded guilty to marriage fraud and was sentenced to two years probation.
- Brent James Woods of Columbus pleaded guilty to marriage fraud and was sentenced to four years probation including four months in Alvis House.
- Djafar B. Sobirov of Columbus pleaded guilty to marriage fraud and was sentenced to two years probation.

Pani established an informal "business" to find U.S. citizens who would accept money to enter into sham marriages with aliens for the purpose of evading a provision of the immigration laws of the United States, and to aid and abet in the making of false statements to immigration authorities with respect to those sham marriages in an effort to convince the immigration authorities that they were genuine marriages. Salohutdinov, who had entered into a sham marriage in Illinois, moved to Ohio and came to know Pani. Salohutdinov and Piskunova joined the conspiracy with Pani and arranged sham marriages for certain other aliens that Salohudinov knew of.

The sham marriages typically occurred shortly after the alien and the U.S. citizen met each other, sometimes even the same day. Saidjanov, an alien, came to Columbus from Philadelphia, PA, and paid Pani to arrange a sham marriage on Feb. 9, 2009, with Good. Saidjanov also paid his girlfriend, who is an alien, too, to enter into a sham marriage on the following day. These sham marriages took place at The Columbus Wedding Chapel, in Columbus. After the marriages, Sadijanov and his girlfriend returned to Philadelphia, and did not live with their new American spouses.

"Today's sentences are a reminder that America's legal immigration system is not for sale," said Moskowitz. "ICE will aggressively investigate and bring to justice those who seek to compromise the integrity of that system for personal profit or to avoid immigration laws."
Stewart commended the investigation conducted by ICE agents, and the assistance of the ICE Office of Enforcement and Removal, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and the Columbus Police Department, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Brown, who prosecuted the case.

The new coalition government will impose a permanent immigration quota next year, promising to cut levels of migration to rates last seen in the 1990s and dramatically reduce the numbers of non-Europeans allowed to live and work in the U.K. It's long been a flagship cause for the country's Conservative Party, which leads Britain's governing coalition and bitterly complained in opposition that unchecked immigration had strained public services, distorted labor markets and fueled social divides.

British Prime Minister David Cameron won much attention on his recent trip to the United States with his program of savage spending cuts. He's also been sharpening his shears on another front: immigration. But business leaders warn the immigration quota could leave the country short in vital industries — leaving some areas without adequate medical staff, stalling efforts to meet deadlines to build new nuclear power stations, and leaving care workers needed for a growing elderly population in short supply.

It means the crackdown will target workers from Africa - who make up the largest group of non-European migrants working in the U.K. and Commonwealth countries such as India, Pakistan and Australia. Citizens of Commonwealth nations lost preferential treatment from Britain on immigration in the 1970s. Americans, who number about 80,000 working in the U.K., will also face new difficulties. Unemployment in Britain stands at 7.8 percent, a slight fall from recent months. But 7.82 million workers are in part-time employment, the highest rate since records began in 1992.

Saudi nationals can now get five-year multiple-entry temporary resident visas to enter Canada. The changes facilitate the movement of students and business people between Saudi Arabia and Canada. Despite the stricter visa controls, the number of Saudis entering Canada on temporary resident visas has increased considerably since 2002. In 2009, Canada granted temporary resident visas to 5,292 new Saudi students and 1,665 Saudi workers in 2009, according to data compiled by Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Starting in 2002, Saudi nationals were required to apply for temporary resident visas before coming to Canada to visit, study or work, and each visa was only valid for a period of 18 months. These strict visa requirements were imposed on Saudis due to security concerns over fraudulent Saudi passports. Prior to 2002, Saudi nationals could enter Canada without a visa.

There are currently around 8,200 students from Saudi Arabia at Canadian academic institutions, including 750 medical doctors. Two thousand more students from Saudi Arabia are expected to start studying in Canada before 2011. Canada hopes that the more lenient temporary resident visa policy will permit more Saudi visitors, students and workers to enter the country.

The UK government assured foreign investors that the proposed caps on immigration for economic migrants will not hurt companies seeking to do business in UK, and any changes to the takeover laws will not single out foreign investors.

“The policy will be managed to make sure that foreign investors interests are not harmed,” said secretary of state Vince Cable, at an event announcing UK’s national FDI figures. “The new government was expected to demonstrate that it was managing immigration. We are aware that foreign investors need to bring in high level managers, skills, and have intra-company transfers,” in a first such assurance that overseas investors are not hit by immigration caps. He also clarified that while the independent takeover panel is in the process of reviewing UK’s takeover laws, which were “too permissive in the past, the changes will not be enormous, and it will affect both domestic and foreign companies in the same way.”

The new government has committed to cut non-EU economic migration to ‘thousands’, but a mechanism to implement this policy has yet to be worked out. UK’s takeover laws are currently being tightened, after widespread criticism of the Kraft-Cadbury takeover, which resulted in massive job losses in the UK.

Canadian immigration feels that that the investment requirements are too low. The investment requirements have not changed for more than ten years. The current system attracts more applicants than are required each year under the immigration plan. This has resulted in an increase in processing times. Canadian immigration intends to significantly increase the investment requirements for the immigrant investor program:
* A personal net worth of $1.6M instead of $800,000
* An investment requirement of $800,000 instead of $400,000

Immigration Minister Kenney said: "Canada needs investor immigrants.These changes are necessary to keep Canada's program competitive with that of other countries, and keep pace with the changing economy."

UK Immigration has confirmed that the permanent limit on Tier 1 (General) applications under the points based system will start in April 2011. The interim limit on Tier 1 (General) visas will start on 19 July 2010.
Following are the major changes to the Tier 1 visa system:

* The passmark for the Tier 1 visa (General) will increase from 95 to 100 points from 19 July 2010 for many applicants. This will mean that fewer people will qualify for the Tier 1 (General) visa from 19 July 2010. Further details of people who do not have to come under the higher passmark can be found below.

* There will be a monthly interim limit on Tier 1 (General) visas from 19 July 2010. If in any one month your application is received after the limit is reached you will have to wait and your application will then be considered under the limit for the following month. The good news is that many people are excluded from this limit. Please see further details below.

* If you are already in the UK under the Tier 1 (General) visa and are applying for an extension or you are in the UK under another immigration category and wish to switch to Tier 1 (General) you will not come under the interim limit.

* If you are in the UK in any of the following categories and wish to extend your stay or switch to Tier 1 (General), you will only need to gain the lower points score of 95 points:
- Tier 1 (General)
- Highly Skilled Migrant Programme
- Writers, Composers and Artists
- Self-Employed Lawyers
* If you wish to come under the Investor, Entrepreneur and Post-study work categories of Tier 1 you will not come under the interim limit. There will be no limit on the number of applications that can be made.

* If you are in the UK in an immigration category not mentioned above for example Tier 1 (Post-study work) or Tier 2 visa then you will have to gain the higher 100 points to be able to switch into Tier 1 (General).

* If you are applying for entry at a British Embassy or Consulate from outside the UK you will have to gain the higher 100 points to come under Tier 1 (General).

Hence, if you are affected by the changes in the Tier 1 (General) points system and new Tier 1 limit you should consider applying before 19 July 2010.

All U.S. Consular Sections worldwide will introduce a two-tiered fee structure for nonimmigrant visas. This structured system coincides with a small global application fee increase, designed to balance the costs of recent enhancements to the visa application process.

All applicants for business or tourism (B-1/B-2), crew member (C-1/D), student (F or M), or exchange (J) categories will now pay $140 and receive a white receipt. Petition-based work visas (H, L, O, P, Q, and R categories) will now pay $150 and receive a green receipt. These two receipts will still be purchased at approved Banks branches. K (fiancé) applicants will now pay $350 and will continue to pay their fees at the Consular Section.

Applicants who purchased their receipts before June 4 will pay the balance between the old and new fees at the time of the interview. The previous application fee was $131 for all visas.

Mr. Jason Kenney, Minister for Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism has discussed and clarified the various changes which is the part of new Immigration Plan 2010 of Canada.
Canada is adjusting its 2010 immigration plan to put even greater emphasis on economic recovery and further reduce the federal skilled worker backlog.

The government is also proposing new eligibility criteria for the immigrant investor program so it makes an even greater contribution to the Canadian economy. Proposed regulatory changes will require new investors to have a personal net worth of $1.6 million, up from $800,000, and make an investment of $800,000, up from $400,000.

The minister clarified at the outset that these changes were not in any way a reduction of immigration numbers, but a way to bring in more transparency, controls and lastly a speedier more efficient processing system. One of the most important factors contributing to an immigrant’s economic success is the ability to speak one of Canada’s official languages. Under changes to the federal skilled worker program and the Canadian experience class, all new applicants are required to include the results of an English or French language test as part of their application. The language requirements themselves, however, are not changing.

According to the minister, “With the results of a language test, FSW applicants will know before they apply exactly how many points they will be awarded for language ability on the federal skilled worker selection grid. Canadian Experience Class applicants will also know in advance if they meet the minimum language requirements necessary as part of their application.”

He added: “In keeping with the Action Plan for Faster Immigration, processing times are expected to improve because the visa officer simply assigns points based on the language test result instead of taking the time to review a written submission. Finally, many regulatory bodies and industry sectors require language testing or other proof of language assessment, so in taking the test, applicants are one step further on the path to integration into the Canadian labor market.”

On the federal skilled worker category, Canada still receives thousands more applications each year than can be processed and accepted. This is true even when you consider that Canada has the highest relative level of immigration in the developed world, with a quarter million permanent residents admitted every year. Effective immediately, to be eligible to apply as a federal skilled worker, applicants must either have a job offer, or they must have experience in one of 29 in-demand occupations. These occupations were identified through analysis of updated labour market information and consultations with provinces, territories, stakeholders and the public. The government will limit the number of applications considered for processing to 20,000 per year as a way to better manage the supply of applications with labour market demand. Within the 20,000 limit, a maximum of 1,000 applications per occupation will be considered. The limit does not apply to applicants with a job offer.

Arranged employment is one of the six factors under Canada's new points system for selecting immigrants under the skilled worker category. It is essentially a genuine job offer by a Canadian employer that is validated by Human Resources & Skills Development Canada (HRSDC). According to the minister, this category ensures that immigrants are not stuck in the “survival job conundrum” and will be given priority at all times.

The minister also confirmed that there would be a comprehensive review of the provincial nominee program in conjunction with provinces to design a more standardized program that would benefit all provinces. Additionally, the Auditor General has asked for more information on the program as there is a lack of data on whether it meets its objectives and whether immigrants who come in under this program get jobs commensurate with their education and previous careers and lastly whether they move out of the province after landing.

Australia's new immigration policy aims to let in only the professionals it needs and to tell its citizens that their jobs will not be taken by immigrants in times of recession. It comes as a huge concern for Indian students in Australia as it has toughened its immigration laws and has brought down the list of professions which qualify for immigration from 400 to 181. Over the last one year, Indians have been at the receiving end of Australian racial attacks and mindless street violence. The tough new rules on the grant of student visas and permanent residence status will make it much harder for Indians to go to Australia.

Students who are already in Australia will be allowed to complete their courses but may have to return after a grace period. UK and Canada too have cracked down on immigrants from India.Australian High Commissioner, Peter Verghese said, “We want students to come to Australia to study. We want them to come to Australia to do a course which they judge is in their best interests. We want to separate out the study pathway from the migration pathway.”

It is clarified that beginning July 1, the number of visa-eligible jobs will drop from 400 to 181. The number of Indian students in Australia had exploded from just 8,000 in 2005 to a 100,000 in 2010. The growing visibility of Indians and shrinking jobs in Australia led to friction and a violent backlash. Graduates in cooking, hairstyling and gardening courses cannot hope for permanent residence. Instead, preference will be given to those on the new Skilled Occupations List which includes engineers, accountants, teachers, nurses, even welders and midwives.

The newly elected government finally come up with the numerical cap on its work permit for non-EU workers. The new permanent limit entering the United Kingdom will come into effect from April 2011. It will be announced after 12 week consultations within the government and with businesses and other interested groups.

Indians comprising the bulk of non-EU skilled immigrants to Britain- could be the worst affected after the British coalition government on Monday confirmed a stringent interim limit of 24,000 on work permits to be issued between July 19 and March 31 next year.
Home Secretary Theresa May said: “The government believes that Britain can benefit from migration but not uncontrolled migration. I recognize the importance of attracting the brightest and the best to ensure strong economic growth, but unlimited migration places unacceptable pressures on public services.”

It is widely understandable that this step will bring major fundamental changes in the way workers from outside the European Union will be chosen. It is also believed that high income group professionals may be excluded from the immigration curbs.

One of the most divisive issues for the new coalition Government in Britain has been immigration. The Labour Government had a points-based system, where decisions on who to let in was based on “points” they accumulated based on skills and experience. It's a system that has been fiercely opposed by the now-in-government Conservative Party, which had been consistently calling for new immigration to fall to “tens of thousands a year” rather than “hundreds of thousands” through the introduction of a cap on numbers.

A far cry from their coalition colleagues, the Liberal Democrats, who during the election campaign had mooted an amnesty for illegal immigrants.In the early days of the coalition, it seemed that the Conservatives had had their way – with the idea of the cap making its way into a joint policy document that had followed many hours of hard bargaining between the two sides. It is said that a consultation would shortly be taking place with “businesses and other interested parties” on a wide range of issues relating to the cap and its implementation.

The Conservative plans to cut immigration have been widely criticized not only by human rights campaigners, but also by business leaders, who have argued that the cap could hear the economic recovery, by depriving businesses of key skilled staff and universities of students, deter foreign investors from putting their money into Britain, and lead to tit-for-tat tighter restrictions on British companies operating abroad.

The India of today is shining in real sense. The recent concluded G-20 summit in South Korea affirmed the views of India in terms of financial independence. The narrative space within which this triadic India is situated today defies any specific statistical analysis. It is inevitable that a India surges ahead on its own steam, and that is what India shining denotes—the rebirth of a nation in terms of self-awareness, self-consciousness, self confidence, and the desire to take on the world. This is India shining.

Canadian Govt. too add a feather in India shining campaign by planning to invite Indian entrepreneurs to buy small companies in Canada that do not have succession plans through their Investor Visa program. Minister for advanced education, Rob Norris, explained, “nearly 40 percent of the SMEs do not have succession plans. In order have continuity of business we invite Indian entrepreneurs to explore acquisition of such SMEs.”

The Canadian province of Saskatchewan is hoping to attract Indian investors to move to Canada and buy SMEs in the region. The province is also keen to attract Indian students studying in Canada to stay on living and working in the country in order to enhance the local economy and create jobs.

In order to try to make this happen, Norris is now leading a delegation of officials to India to try to cement relationships between the two countries. He explained that attracting Indian investment will safeguard thousands of jobs and the huge contribution SMEs make to the local economy. The program is intending to attract C$100 million in investment from India. Norris says Saskatchewan is the perfect destination for firms focusing on research and development and state capital Saskatoon is one of Canada’s top ten entrepreneurial cities. This makes it a great destination for Canadian work visa holders and others looking to move to Canada.

It is the time which demands sincere commitments from India to make it a good deal.

The Department of State alerts U.S. citizens traveling to or residing in South Africa due to safety and security issues related to the FIFA World Cup taking place in nine cities across the country from June 11 to July 11, 2010. This travel alert expires July 31, 2010. Complete information about the World Cup for American visitors is available on the U.S. Mission to South Africa's dedicated World Cup website. It is well known that large-scale public events like the World Cup may present a wide range of attractive targets for terrorists. There is a heightened risk that extremist groups will conduct terrorist acts within South Africa in the near future. The Department of State will provide information to its public once it receives information of any specific and credible threat through an updated Travel Alert or Travel Warning. All US citizens in or traveling to South Africa are urged to register with the U.S. Mission to South Africa in order to receive these alerts as quickly as possible. It further says to ensure visitors at all places by taking ample precautions like avoid carrying or displaying expensive items or wearing eye-catching jewelry, stay in a group, and avoid walking at night, be alert and aware of your surroundings at all times, looking out for your own personal security, keep doors locked and windows closed while driving, avoid having purses, phones, bags and luggage in plain view, be wary of street vendors at traffic lights, planted obstacles and staged “accidents” that may be traps for unsuspecting motorists. Do not stop for cars with flashing lights unless they are clearly marked as police or emergency service vehicles. Park your car in secure, gated parking lots or garages wherever possible, and do not leave bags or valuables in plain view. Keep a copy of your passports all time while ensuring to keep originals at safe location. Need to report matters pertaining to lost or stolen passports or to US Consulate.

Top Justice Department officials have drafted a legal challenge asserting that Arizona's controversial immigration law is unconstitutional because it impinges on the federal government's authority to police the nation's borders, sources said Wednesday.

At the same time, the government officials said, the department's civil rights section is considering possible legal action against the law on the basis that it amounts to racial profiling of Latinos who are legally in Arizona but conceivably could be asked to provide documents proving their citizenship.

U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. met Wednesday with nine top police chiefs who object to the Arizona legislation and promised them he would act on the recommendations soon, a spokesman said.

The police chiefs urged Holder and the Obama administration, which has grave reservations about the Arizona measure, to stop the law. The chiefs said it would seriously hamper local police work if officers had to serve as border patrol policemen.

More here...

This is a letter by Rev. Dr. Billy Bruner, Letter to the editor. Another point of view about the Arizona Law debate:

I am writing this letter in concern over so many being upset about a law dealing with “illegals.” There are those who support the illegal immigrants and feel that any law against them is injustice. If these same people are supports of “illegalism,” I wonder, would they support me driving my car without a tag, without proper driver’s license and etc.? The state of Arizona passed a law against “illegal” immigrants, not “legal” immigrants — against those who violate the law of their state and that of the U.S., as far as I can understand the law. I cannot understand why there is so much concern by American citizens about being stopped by a law enforcement officer. I do not care if one stops me, because I have nothing to hide. I may be disappointed that I am being delayed, but the fact is that if the officer is doing the stopping due to some matter that affects the laws of the county, state or national government, I have no concern. Any officer who does this outside of the legal rights he or she has concerning their position as an officer should not be an officer in the first place. I contend that those who oppose this so strongly are those who have something to hide, and/or are against the democratic laws of our great nation. I close this about “illegals” by saying that the current administration will oppose the Arizona law because it affects those who supported Obama politically. It is a political issue rather than a true matter of dealing with illegal immigrants.

More here...

We feared that this may happen, and it did. Immigration reform has become the first of President Barack Obama's major priorities dropped from the agenda of an election-year Congress facing voter disillusionment. Sounding the death knell was Obama himself.

The president noted that lawmakers may lack the "appetite" to take on immigration while many of them are up for re-election and while another big legislative issue — climate change — is already on their plate.

"I don't want us to do something just for the sake of politics that doesn't solve the problem," Obama told reporters Wednesday night aboard Air Force One.

Immigration reform was an issue Obama promised Latino groups that he would take up in his first year in office. But several hard realities — a tanked economy, a crowded agenda, election-year politics and lack of political will — led to so much foot-dragging in Congress that, ultimately, Obama decided to set the issue aside.

Read more....

Attorney General Eric Holder said Tuesday that the federal government may go to court to challenge Arizona's new law which makes it a state crime to be in the United States illegally.

The controversial bill gives Arizona law enforcement the authority to stop people whom officers have "reasonable suspicion" of being in the country illegally, detain these individuals while verifying immigration status, and arrest undocumented immigrants for transfer to ICE custody. The bill, also known as the "Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act" also makes it a crime to be in the state illegally and to provide transportation to someone you know is undocumented.

Those who oppose the bill are concerned about possible civil rights violations, and worried that the legislation will lead to racial profiling -- a major concern for Arizona's approximately 30% Hispanic population and larger mixed race population. The bill does not list the characteristics officers will be looking for to determine "reasonable suspicion."

The Justice Department and the Homeland Security Department are reviewing the state law, which takes effect in late July or early August, 90 days after the Arizona Legislature adjourns.

A number of options are under consideration including "the possibility of a court challenge," the attorney general said in response to questions on the Arizona law posed during a news conference on another topic.

Read more here...

The owner of the landmark restaurant and bakery The French Gourmet and a longtime manager there pleaded not guilty to federal charges that they hired illegal workers and lied to the government that they had the proper work documents.

Michel Malecot, president of the restaurant, bakery and catering business on Turquoise Avenue in Pacific Beach, and Richard Kauffmann a manager and pastry chef, were charged with 16 counts of conspiracy, harboring illegal immigrants and false attestation. The charges stem from a raid conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at the business in May 2008.

Malecot posted a $75,000 bond and Kauffmann a $60,000 bond after entering their pleas in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Nita L. Stormes.

The indictment alleges that Kauffmann and other managers would hire illegal workers and then certify on government forms that they had verified their Social Security and other documents and they were legal to work in the country.

In a half-dozen instances alleged in the indictment, the restaurant received “no match” letters form the Social Security Administration saying the Social Security numbers submitted in the forms were not valid. The restaurant would then submit new forms with new Social Security numbers falsely saying that the documents appeared genuine, the government charged.

More from the Union Tribune....

Now that Arizona lawmakers have passed what's considered some of the toughest immigration legislation in the country, other states are watching to see whether they should follow in the state's footsteps or stand back.

Arizona's bill orders immigrants to carry their alien registration documents at all times and requires police to question people if there's reason to suspect they're in the United States illegally. It also targets those who hire illegal immigrant day laborers or knowingly transport them.

Critics, including immigrant advocates and the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, are concerned that the legislation will foster racial profiling, arguing that most police officers don't have enough training to look past race while investigating a person's legal status.

The bill made it through the state Senate on Monday after it was passed by the state House last week. It's now awaiting the signature of Republican Gov. Jan Brewer. Supporters of the measure expect her to sign it. Latino members of Congress are calling on Brewer to veto it.

more here...

Even though most Americans are putting money into the Social Security fund, those taxes are falling short of what's needed to break even. Commentator Robert Reich, NPR says letting more immigrants into the U.S. may be the answer.

The biggest reason Social Security is in trouble, and Medicare as well, is because America is aging so fast. The baby boom generation is retiring. Seniors are living longer. And families are having fewer children.

Add it all up and the number of people who are working relative to the number who are retired keeps shrinking.

Thirty years ago there were five workers for every retiree. Now there are three. Within a couple of decades, there will be only two workers per retiree. There's no way just two workers will be able or willing to pay enough payroll taxes to keep benefits flowing to every retiree.

This is where immigration comes in. Most immigrants are young because the impoverished countries they come from are demographically the opposite of rich countries. Rather than aging populations, their populations are bursting with young people.

Once the American economy recovers, most new immigrants to the U.S. will be working for many decades.

Get it? One logical way to deal with the crisis of funding Social Security and Medicare is to have more workers per retiree, and the simplest way to do that is to allow more immigrants into the United States.

Read the Article here...

Never a dull moment here in San Diego County. Dozens of minor aftershocks continue to rattle nerves as well as the ground Monday following one of the strongest earthquakes to ever hit the region.

Two people were killed and at least 100 injured when a 7.2 temblor rocked Baja and the county Sunday afternoon. At least five subsequent quakes have measured 5.0 or greater, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

On the Immigration front, more than three dozen Haitian earthquake survivors were released from Florida immigration jails on last week after more than two months in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Many had lost relatives in the Jan. 12 earthquake; some had been pulled from the rubble themselves. In the chaotic days and aftershocks that followed, many had been seeking security, food or treatment at the Port-au-Prince airport when they were waved onto military transports or other planes by United States Marines, only to be detained for lack of visas when they landed.

Lawyers at the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center, who had urged their release for weeks, were jubilant as they waited with relatives outside the Broward County Transitional Center, a privately operated jail in Pompano Beach, for the last ones to walk out. Immigration officials said 40 Haitian survivors would be released on orders of supervision by nightfall. This came on the day that The New York Times reported that at least 30 earthquake survivors were being detained.

Read more here...

Many students come to the US to gain great education and future opportunities as a result. At the same time, many prospective students, intend to use the student visa as a cover in order to stay in the US. After 9/11 the rules became tougher, if a student fails to attend school, he must be reported and and may be loose his status. Yet, there are some schools across the country that will enroll students, but will not require attendance. Only to make money.

A Florida language school helped illegally obtain student visas for foreign nationals who never went to class, violating laws enacted after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks exposed weaknesses in the program, authorities said Thursday.

Eighty-one student visa holders purportedly studying at the Florida Language Institute have been arrested. None was on any federal watch list or linked to terrorism, U.S. authorities said, though investigators were checking their backgrounds. The school's owner, Lydia Menocal, 58, and employee Ofelia Macia, 75, allegedly made $2.4 million over the past three years from foreign nationals applying for U.S. student visas. It was not clear how much they charged each student for the paperwork, authorities said.

Menocal and Macia were charged with conspiring to commit an offense against the U.S., and Menocal faces other charges including falsifying immigration documents, according to a grand jury indictment. ICE officials said the takedown of the school was the largest visa fraud investigation in the agency's history

More here...

Anne Arundel County state senator is continuing his efforts to better identify illegal immigrants in the state's prison system, hoping an increased number of deportations could save Maryland money. Well, it will take more than that to save them money.

The Senator has proposed legislation to require the state Division of Parole and Probation to contact the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency if a pre-sentence investigation report indicates someone has an unlawful immigration status. What a great use of government resources, as if the Division of Parole and probation is not busy as it is, but well he is a Senator.

"The main issue was to catch them on the front end," he said. "It has the potential to have quite a bit of savings. Every dollar we can save is certainly a benefit."

Sheriff Arpaio is determined to bring down illegal immigrants, even the Federal government is not a barrier anymore. It is Arpaio's law or the highway. When the federal government stripped Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his deputies of their power to enforce federal immigration laws on the streets, the sheriff repeatedly said nothing would change.

The sheriff said that starting today every one of his deputies will go through training to specifically target illegal immigrants. I wonder what kind of training that is?

The sheriff announced that he is ramping up the county's fight against illegal immigration by increasing the number of trained deputies from 100 to nearly 900. Sheriff Arpaio also did not comment on when the new enforcement would start. Isn't it time for some serious Fed action against this Sheriff to send a clear message to all the antis?

Read the article from AZ Family here

According to New America Media, Massachusetts could spell trouble for Democrats, but advocates of immigration reform say it’s not over yet.

By capturing the seat held by former Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy who passed away last summer, Republican Scott Brown brings a different vision to the historically blue state. While Kennedy was known as a champion of health care reform and was co-author of the 2006 McCain-Kennedy immigration reform bill, Brown has spoken out against both.

But advocates of immigration reform were quick to dispel fears that the election could be the death knell for immigration reform in 2010.

“This was a race that revolved around the issue of change, and Scott Brown – in spite of having a long history of being anti-immigrant, was able to tap into that wave,” Ali Noorani, executive director of National Immigration Forum and chair of Reform Immigration FOR America, said in a telephonic press conference Wednesday. “What didn’t happen is that we did not articulate that immigration reform is part of that change agenda.”

Janet Murguía, president and CEO of National Council of La Raza, added that the campaign by Democrat Martha Coakley made a fatal error in the election in Massachusetts – It “did not engage the Latino community,” she said.

Advocates of reform also note that, while some predict that the Massachusetts Senate race could spell the end of immigration reform, “conventional wisdom” isn’t always right.

Read more...

I recently was interviewed by the Latin America News Dispatch about our work with Mexican clients relocating to San Diego. The majority of clients are in need of immediate assistance to relocate due to the increasing violence. Our work with Business owners is to assist with obtaining an E2 visa for new investors or L1A for Mexican companies setting up Branch offices in the US. We expect this trend to continue in 2010.

Paola Reyes write:

As Mexico’s two year-old drug war intensifies, leading to greater violence and insecurity in the city of Tijuana, many families are moving across the border to San Diego.

Some are taking their businesses with them.

From 2000 to 2008 there was a 34 percent increase in the number of Hispanics living in Chula Vista, San Diego’s second largest municipality, and an 11 percent increase in those living in San Diego. Overall Hispanics comprise 51 percent of the Chula Vista population and 28 percent of the San Diego population, according to the San Diego’s Regional Planning Agency.

“People go out less at night and business [at the Tijuana location] shrank,” according to Eduardo Angulo Venenzuela, a member of the family that owns the Mexican restaurant chain Los Arcos.

People living in San Diego go less frequently to Tijuana to eat as well, he added.

In order to compensate, many Tijuana restaurants came to them. Tacos El Gordo is a popular taco shop chain in Tijuana that recently opened a San Diego location. One online reviewer on Yelp aptly explained why the San Diego location is so popular, “I know the tacos in TJ [Tijuana] are so tasty and cheap but no one wants to go down there these days because of the killings.”

Read more...

This story was posted originally at Immigration Impact, we thought it is worth sharing today.

Today, we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a man whose dream of equality and human rights changed the course of history. His legacy will be remembered this week by people of all colors and creeds who still believe in the American dream and who continue to fight for equality, civil rights and the basic human dignity they deserve. Over the weekend, thousands of human rights activists took to the street in Phoenix, Arizona, to march for civil rights and for “long-overdue federal action on immigration.”

So what is the link between immigration and civil rights? In a recent editorial, Rev. Harvey Clemons Jr., the pastor of Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Houston, connects Dr. King’s fight for equality with the struggle many immigrants face today.

Immigration is about human dignity and the nobility of parents of different tribes and nations facing the risk of coming to a foreign land, a land of opportunity, to work for a better tomorrow for their children…Dr. King invoked the truth, the truth being that all humans ought to be treated with a certain dignity. It would be natural for us to look to him as an example for fighting for a just cause.

Gerald Lenoir, director of the Black Alliance for Just Immigration, also draws parallels between the struggles of African Americans and the struggles of recent immigrants:

Even some of the migration experiences of African-Americans, coming from the South, leaving conditions of economic injustice and terrorism from both legal authorities and groups like the Ku Klux Klan, we see that same kind of movement in people across borders.

Something to think about.

Thousands of immigrant rights advocates marched in front of a county jail in Phoenix Saturday in a protest that was aimed at Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's immigration efforts and was marked by a clash between a small group of protesters and police officers.

Organizers say the protest was meant to show officials in Washington that Arpaio shouldn't handle immigration enforcement, and that Congress and the Obama administration need to come up with a way for immigrant workers to come to the country legally.

Critics have accused deputies working in Arpaio's immigration efforts of racial profiling, which the sheriff denies. He says his deputies approach people when they have probable cause to believe they had committed crimes.

Read more here...

Here is an interesting story by the NY Daily News. An advocate for immigrants is under fire for sending text messages to warn Hispanics about crime sweeps by an Arizona sheriff. What a horrible thing to do, don't you think:))

According to The Associated Press, Lydia Guzman, director of immigrant advocacy group Respect/Respeto, began sending text messages to alert thousands of people to the sweeps, which critics say are just an excuse to round up illegal immigrants.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said his department doesn’t engage in racial profiling, and that the real goal of the texts is to help illegal immigrants avoid arrest. What a saint, he must be nominated for a human rights award.

Read more here..

According to the LA Times, Predator drones, the unmanned aircraft used by the U.S. military in the Iraq and Afghanistan war zones, will soon be employed to track illegal immigrants on the Mexico-California border.

The drone, will be operated out of the Antelope Valley by the military contractor General Atomics. The drones will fly above the border region with advancing electronic tracking equipment looking for illegal immigrants crossing into California.

According to the San Diego-based company, the drones will transmit information to U.S. authorities on human smuggles as well drug smuggling.

Read more here....

Here is a good one from the Houston Chronicle. some Houston charities are asking whether children are in the country legally before giving them toys.

The Salvation Army and a charity affiliated with the Houston Fire Department are among those that consider immigration status, asking for birth certificates or Social Security cards for the children.

What is the point here???

The point isn't to punish the children but to ensure that their parents are either citizens, legal immigrants or working to become legal residents, said Lorugene Young, whose Outreach Program Inc. is one of three groups that distribute toys collected by firefighters.

Read more here...