Articles Posted in Global Immigration Stories

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) form
* Tier 4 (Child) form
* PBS Dependent form
Last month UK authorities withdrew the facility to pay the application fee by cash at public inquiry offices, and the above application forms have been amended to remove all references to cash payments. They have also made the following additional changes to the Tier 1 (General) and Tier 2 application forms.

* Tier 1 (General) – we have corrected a question number (U2)
* Tier 2 – We have changed the help text about enrolling biometric information at a post office.

One should use the new forms from now on. However, 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 up to and including 27 September 2010. Any application submitted until 27 September 2010 will be considered under the new Immigration Rules, regardless of the version of the application form used.

The change to the Tier 1 (General) policy guidance relates to migrants who are currently in the UK as Innovators. The table in paragraph 46 has been amended to show that these migrants’ applications will be treated as applications to switch into Tier 2 (General), not as extension applications.

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 National Tertiary Education Union has warned that the fall in applications threatens Australia’s A$18 billion (US$16.2 billion) education export earnings.

It also has the potential to undermine the financial viability of universities and other education providers that have become increasingly reliant on international student fee income, the union stated.

“This drop in international student visas applications clearly indicates Australia is becoming a less attractive study destination for international students,” said Matt McGowan, the union’s Victorian Division Secretary. He also added that the reasons for the fall are no doubt many and varied and include the damage caused to Australia’s reputation from the reporting of attacks on international students, stricter regulations to weed out less reputable providers and reductions to announced cuts in net immigration by both parties in the federal election.

McGowan said fees from international students were the second most important source of income for universities and, on average, accounted for 15% of their total earnings. For a number of universities, the fee income accounted for up to half their annual budgets. In other words, some of our universities and the jobs of our members at those universities are very vulnerable to any cuts in international student numbers.

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 in Mumbai, India and up to 10 missions.

The opposition Social Democrats have criticized the plans saying they would harm Czech exports.

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 of European nations. It is from these and West Asian countries that Sri Lanka gets its chunk of tourists.

It means tourists going into Sri Lanka will now have to get their tourist visas stamped from Sri Lankan missions abroad. The decision comes a day after Economic Development Minister Basis Rajapaksa presided over a road show in New Delhi entitled “Sri Lanka as a destination for tourism and investment in its infrastructure” sponsored by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). The function was to promote the Island nation as a tourism hub.

But the Lankan government quite clearly has one major problem in issuing visas on arrival – lack of reciprocity. Only citizens from Singapore and Maldives will continue to get their visas on arrival as our citizens are extended the same facility by them. Sarath Kumara said the government was mulling the decision to withdraw the facility as there was no “reciprocity” from 79 countries.

“It should be done on a reciprocal basis. I don’t think it is a big issue. Tourists who plan to come will come,” Sarath Kumara said.

The new rule, however, could mean a drop of tourists coming to Sri Lanka which is just beginning to see an increase in arrival of tourists after decades of civil unrest. Countries like the UK and US only recently amended travel advisories. As for India, according to tourism department data, more than 83500 Indian tourists came to Sri Lanka in 2009 – the largest number from one country to come holidaying in Colombo.

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 between Taiwan and Hong Kong have been active, even more so since the beginning of the 21st century, which she said has helped lay the foundation for economic and trade relations between the two sides.

In the aspect of economy and trade, Hong Kong is Taiwan’s fourth-largest trade partner, and two-way trade and the number of travelers between the two sides are expected to reach US$38.8 billion and 3 million, respectively, Lai said. Meanwhile, the number of China-based Taiwanese businesses listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange has reached 60, and some leading Taiwanese companies now consider Hong Kong as the main place for raising business capital, Lai added.

She noted that with the aim of promoting civilian exchanges between the two sides, the government last year relaxed employment restrictions on Hong Kong students, allowing them to enroll in graduate programs after graduating from local universities, and also began extending the duration of stay on visas for Hong Kong-based Chinese citizens visiting Taiwan.

The government is also seeking to further streamline visa application procedures for Hong Kong citizens, Lai added. Despite the booming exchanges between Taiwan and Hong Kong, there are still some key details related to the exercise of public power to be addressed between the two sides, Lai went on. The meeting was the first of its kind between the Taiwan-Hong Kong Economic and Cultural Co-operation Council (ECCC) and its Hong Kong counterpart, the Hong Kong-Taiwan Economic and Cultural Co-operation and Promotion Council (ECCPC) , since they were set up earlier this year to improve and strengthen relations between the two sides.

Lai said she hopes the two sides will engage in talks on topics of mutual concern and enhance economic and trade exchanges and interaction through the forum. Also present at the meeting were Hong Kong Financial Secretary John Tsang, ECCC Chairman Lin Chen-kuo and ECCPC Chairman Lee Yeh-kwong.

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, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Increasing number of foreigners have been coming to the country for attending colleges and universities since a points-based system was introduced by the Labour government. But, campaign groups have claimed the system is a loophole, and said that many British students are giving up their plans to pursue further education because of unprecedented places.

Immigration Minister, Damian Green, has announced that there will be a thorough review of the rules. Many students enter Britain, with universities seeing them as a lucrative source of income at a time of cuts to higher education budgets. A recent research showed that a third of universities were preparing to increase the number of foreign undergraduates they admit from September.

Besides enrollment in traditional universities, tens of thousands of foreign students have been admitted to 600 ‘lower tier’ colleges, at which it is easier to gain a place but which are still accredited to hand out bachelor degrees. Last year, it emerged that some of these colleges offered qualifications in subjects such as circus skills, acupuncture and ancient medicine. Many of their students are given the right to work in Britain after graduating. The report said about 4,000 illegal immigrants are also thought to have taken advantage of bogus colleges to slip into the country.

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 to the mutual waiver of visas between Turkey and Syria in a deal struck earlier this year.

Every year, Turkey and Syria open the Hudut Gate at the Mardin border for visits between the two sides during religious holidays. The governor of the Nusaybin district, Murat Girgin, says 6,000 Turkish citizens are able to enter Syria during the holiday according to a protocol signed with Syria. However, only 2,030 people have applied this year. The application period has now expired.

Murat Girgin said that a total of 2,030 Turkish citizens will visit their Syrian relatives using their identification cards on the second day of the Ramadan holiday and will be able to stay there for 48 hours. Turkish citizens who spend the holiday with their relatives in Syria can bring back up to 300 euros worth of goods through customs.

New rules to strengthen Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program were announced today by the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism.

Changes that were initially published in the Canada Gazette Part 1 on October 9, 2009 are now being implemented.

“The government is taking action to protect temporary foreign workers, including live-in caregivers, from potential abuse and exploitation,” said Minister Jason Kenney. “We owe it to them, their employers and all Canadians to ensure that the program is fair and equitable. After all, they are an essential element of Canada’s economic success.”
“These changes represent an important step. Temporary foreign workers help the Canadian economy by filling labour needs in sectors where Canadians or permanent residents are not readily available,” said Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development. “Our government is taking action to improve the integrity of the program while ensuring that these people are afforded the necessary protections.”
Highlights of the changes, which come into effect on April 1, 2011, include:
* a more rigorous assessment of the genuineness of the job offer;
* a two-year prohibition from hiring temporary foreign workers for employers who fail to meet their commitments to workers with respect to wages, working conditions and occupation; and
* a limit on the length of time a temporary foreign worker may work in Canada before returning home.

Employers seeking to hire temporary foreign workers, including live-in caregivers, will now be assessed against past compliance with program requirements before authorization can be granted. Employers found to have violated worker rights may be refused authorization to hire a foreign worker. Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program helps address temporary labour shortages by allowing employers to hire foreign workers when sufficient numbers of Canadian workers are not readily available. Without access to temporary foreign labour, many small businesses would not be able to function and would be forced into insolvency.

From 20 August 2010, as part of a global initiative to streamline processes, the Consular departments of the British Deputy High Commissions across India, including in Mumbai, will no longer be accepting passport applications. After this date, British passport holders should submit their applications to the British High Commission in New Delhi.

The new process will also lead to a change in timelines, in line with global standards and service in the UK. Passports for renewal will aim to be returned to customers in four weeks from the receipt of the correct documentation and fee. First time passport applications are expected to take a minimum of 12 weeks in order to complete all required checks and verifications
Within this period if a British passport holder needs to travel urgently, the Consular office at the British Deputy High Commission in Mumbai and those in Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata and Goa will be able to issue an emergency travel document, provided that the pending application is for a renewal and is not a first time application.

n future if your UK Naturalisation and Citizenship application is refused and you wish UKBA to reconsider their decision you will need to pay a GBP100 fee. Since 6 April 2010 the UK Government has had the power to charge fees for the reconsideration of a refused application for UK naturalization or registration as a British Citizen.

From 1 September 2010 the following changes will come into place:
* You will have to pay a GBP100 fee for reconsideration of a refused UK Naturalisation or Citizenship application.

* If you do not pay the GBP100 for a reconsideration of your citizenship application you reconsideration application will be considered invalid and will be returned.

* If your application for reconsideration is unsuccessful the UK Government will keep the GBP100 fee. If your application is successful GBP80 will be kept to pay for the citizenship ceremony (if relevant). The remaining GBP20 fee paid will be refunded.