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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.

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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.”

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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.

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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.

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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.

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President Ma Ying-jeou said Saturday that Burkina Faso will become the 124th nation or region to grant visa-free entry or landing visas to Republic of China (Taiwan) passport holders.

The decision was made earlier in the day by the government of the African ally, the president said at the opening of an exhibition held to mark the Republic of China’s 100th year.

“It is normal to apply for a visa when traveling internationally,” he said. “Visa-free treatment is a privilege.”
Traveling has become easier for Taiwanese because of the many visa waivers the country had obtained, Ma said, as he shared a story of how a friend benefited from the program when taking a trip to Europe.

Taiwan gained visa-free access to 35 nations or regions in the European Union on Jan. 11, 2011. During Ma’s presidency, the number of countries or regions granting visa waivers to Taiwan has risen from 54 to 124.

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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.

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Canada has repealed an ineffective refugee program in order to put more emphasis on work with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and refugees in the greatest need, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced today.

“By repealing programs such as the Source Country, we can direct more resources on proven and effective resettlement programs, such as our partnership with the UNHCR,” said Minister Kenney. “This will enable us to quickly offer refuge for more individuals in real need of protection.”
The Source Country class was intended to be a flexible tool for humanitarian intervention, capable of responding to a variety of situations. The objective of the class was to provide resettlement assistance to people who were in need of protection, but who were unable to leave their countries and were therefore not receiving international protection under the mandate of the UNHCR.

In practice, however, the Source Country class was an inflexible tool that did not allow the government to respond to emerging situations. The class was too restrictive as it only applied to people in countries listed in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations and this list was difficult to change. As well, in some of the designated source countries, there was minimal uptake, while in others, the people who applied were not eligible or were not those for whom the program was intended.

Furthermore, overall approval rates in the program were low. In Colombia, for example, the approval rate was estimated at less than 10 percent. This meant that CIC had to process nine cases before finding one that merited Canada’s protection. In contrast, by working through the UNHCR, over 85 percent of all cases are approved.

As part of the measures taken to repeal the Source Country class, Canada will also be ending direct access in the six countries where the source country program had previously operated. Direct access allows refugees in designated source countries to apply for resettlement directly to the Canadian embassy serving their area without a referral or a sponsorship. Once direct access ends, all applicants who have left their country of origin will need to include a referral from the UNHCR, a designated referral organization or a private sponsor with their resettlement application in order to be eligible for resettlement.

“Canada remains committed to those who need our protection,” added Minister Kenney. “We are working with international partners to find long-term solutions to a number of protracted refugee situations. For example, Canada will resettle 20,000 refugees from Iraq and Iran over a five-year period, many of whom were persecuted for their religious beliefs or sexual orientation. Also, as part of the measures to reform Canada’s refugee protection system, the Government of Canada is increasing the total number of refugees resettled each year by 20 percent. This means that up to 500 more government-assisted refugees and 2,000 privately sponsored refugees will find protection in Canada.”

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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

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Ukraine hopes for the liberalization of the visa regime with Greece, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has said.

“We hope that at the level of bilateral relations, Greece will continue constructively changing its visa policy for Ukrainian citizens,” Yanukovych said in Athens on Thursday, during a meeting with President of Greece Karolos Papoulias.

The Ukrainian head of state added that Ukraine highly appreciates the position of Greece on the liberalization of the visa regime between the two states, and its support for Ukraine’s movement towards European integration, especially before the signing of the association agreement with the EU.

Yanukovych added that during talks with his counterpart he expressed Ukraine’s support for Greece “in difficult times.”
The Ukrainian president invited the president of Greece to make a state visit to Ukraine and continue the dialogue.

The Ukrainian president’s press service said that during the meeting, Yanukovych said that the Ukrainian and Greek peoples have been united by mutual respect and support for a long time.

“The traditions and relations between the Ukrainian and Greek peoples do not depend on any political situations,” he said.

“Greece and its people are facing a difficult period. Ukraine [is facing difficult times] too, but we are making a visit today, because we realize that it is high time to take a very active position, and we have to find a way to support and help each other. This will support the long, traditional good relations between Ukraine and Greece,” Yanukovych said during a meeting with Papoulias in Athens.

The president of Greece, in turn, welcomed his Ukrainian counterpart on behalf of the Greek people and said that his state visit was an important step in development of bilateral relations between the states.