UK Border Agency has published new versions of application forms yesterday, and a new version of the Tier 1 (General) policy guidance. New versions of the following application forms were published: * Tier 1 (General) form * Tier 1 (Post-study Work) form * Tier 2 form * Tier 4 (General)…
Immigration Lawyer Blog
Canadian Immigrant Investor scheme suspended – Investment requirements to double
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…
Plunging visa numbers threaten Australian universities
Visa applications from foreign students to study in Australian universities have dropped by 15,500, almost 12%, over the past 12 months, according to figures just released by the Department of Immigration. As negotiations continue over whether the Labor or conservative parties will assume government following elections on 21 August, the…
Number of illegal immigrants in US now declining
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…
Czech Republic To Close Embassy In Costa Rica
The Czech government announced on Saturday that it would be closing its embassy in Costa Rica, as well as four other countries, Congo, Venezuela, Kenya and Yemen. The closing is part of the Foreign Ministry’s budget saving plan. The Czech general consulate also said it would be closing its consulate…
No visa-on-arrival in Lanka except for Maldivians and Singaporeans
Tourists will no longer get their visas on arrival in Sri Lanka September 30 onwards except Maldivians and Singaporeans. On Friday, Department of Immigration and Emigration of Sri Lanka announced that it was withdrawing the visa-on-arrival facility for tourists from 79 countries including India, UK, USA, China, Japan and host…
Taiwan to simplify visa procedures for Hong Kong people
The government will introduce simplified procedures for visa issuance for Hong Kong citizens in the near future, Mainland Affairs Council Chairwoman Lai Shin-yuan said Monday. During a meeting in Taipei to promote economic and cultural cooperation between Taiwan and Hong Kong, Lai said that over the past century, civilian exchanges…
Immigration jumps in Britain amid surge in student visas
Amid increasing number of students coming to Britain, migration has risen by more than 20 percent last year in the country. Net long-term immigration was 196,000 last year, compared with 163,000 in 2008. The number of visas issued to students rose 35 percent to 362,015 in the year to June,…
Visa free entry eases Eid visits to Syria
A significantly lower number of people in the southeastern city of Mardin have applied to authorities this year to visit their relatives in Syria during the three day festival after the month of Ramadan, known as Eid al Fitr in Arabic. Officials say the decrease in numbers can be attributed…
Immigration Officials moving to dismiss some deportation cases
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…