“Chak De India” – the movie came out some years back, but I am sure that a majority of you still remember these lines from it…  “aapko apne hi desh mein koi mehmaan kahe to aapko kaisa lagega..?” (How will you feel if you are regarded as guests/outsiders in your own country?) The lines were uttered by two North-Eastern Indian women hockey players during their registration process in the Women’s hockey team of India. Remember the scene now???

Surely, the movie dealt with other major issues but this particular line caught my attention. And yesterday, when I was reading this incident that a North-Eastern girl was badly molested in Munirka (New Delhi), my belief strengthened that girls from North-Eastern states like Mizoram, Assam, Tripura, to name a few are still treated outsiders in their own country. This victim from Mizoram was waiting for her younger sister, just when a restaurant waiter approached her and started passing lewd comments at her. It was when she started shouting; the neighbours came into her rescue and saved her from the brutal deeds of the culprit!

This is not the first incident which marked any North-Eastern girl as a victim. One can count thousands of such occurrences in the past… Some call them Nepalis, some address them as Chinese or Tibetans, but is it really their fault that their facial features do not match any typical Indian woman? Every day or the other, these innocent girls, who come to metropolitan cities to make their career, have to face lousy comments in some form or the other and have no choice but to ignore them, each passing day.

Well, it is accepted that these “so-called outsiders” are not good at communicating in Hindi, but does this mean that they are not Indians? The fact is that in most of the North Eastern states, English is the most widely spoken language and they hardly converse in the national language of India. But, once they land at the core of the country, where Hindi is widely spoken, they should be little empathetic and show their willingness to learn a bit of the language.

Not only in Delhi, similar incidents are reported in the everyday newspapers in other Indian states as well. North-Eastern people, especially girls are not safe and secure in these states. However, the rate of these incidents is significantly higher in Delhi. Why? Are Delhiites harder on these people? Are they more discriminating than other Indians? Believe it or not, the discrimination on North-Eastern people is a sort of racism!

The fact that a majority of these girls come alone, stay alone, make them a soft target, be it for molestation or some other brutal crime. Why don’t we guys understand that having unfamiliar features does not make them outsiders and they are as much Indians as our mothers or sisters. It’s high time that we should start addressing these issues and commence making some really HUGE changes in our mindsets!

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Once again a Canadian church has become home for China spy! While Canadian agencies are still struggling to deport a former KGB agent who is hiding in a church in Vancouver, another case came out recently. A man, named Gankhuyag Bumuutseren who had spied in favor of China has been hiding himself in a Toronto church.

The spy spied on Chinese dissidents in the United States and Mongolia is spending his days in St. James Anglican church in Toronto since August last year, in order to avoid arrest, thereby deportation. Forty-one years old Bumuutseren is a native of Mongolia, being hired by the China to spy on the Falun Gong followers and Chinese dissidents in the US and Mongolia. Last August the Canada Border Services decided to deport Bumuutseren for espionage, but in the meantime, the latter slipped into the church. Since then, he has been living in the church basement.

Bumuutseren spied for almost eight years on exiled Chinese in the United States and Mongolia. The Chinese government initially appointed him, however, eventually he became a spy for the Mongolian government as well. He admitted that his spied information helped the governments, as a result of which many Chinese dissidents were compelled to escape and flee to Western countries.

This Mongolian native used to be a psychologist in the country capital, Ulan Bator. Along with a side business of fruits and vegetables, he had to shuffle between China and Mongolia and this is when he was being approached to collect information on Chinese nationals, especially those who were involved in political activities in Mongolia!

There are many instances of Canada deporting spies to their home countries in the past. While the Canadian police is allowed to enter the churches, but they are not in favor of arresting people at religious places!

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In an effort to help the earthquake stuck Haiti, the Canadian government has decided to come up with a plan that would ensure priority processing for the immigrants from Haiti. For this purpose, the rules for the refugees are thought of being revised so that the Haitian refugees could be permitted to live in Canada.

To begin with the relief operation, three military air planes carrying those evacuated from Haiti have already been brought to Montreal. These consisted of two hundred and seventy two people. The evacuees have been selected by the Canadian Embassy staff in Haiti for transport.

On the other hand, according to reports, four Canadians have also died in the massive earthquake with thirteen others injured and others consisting of almost five hundred and fifty people have been found. However, around one thousand four hundred and fifteen Canadians are still missing. A total of around six thousand Canadians were living in Haiti but only seven hundred people were registered with the Port-au-Prince embassy.

The Canadian government is also expected to consider policies that would allow Haitians who have Canadian relatives to come and live in Canada. However, deciding on whom to permit would be a major task.

Additionally, immediate amends include free passage of Haitians including those who are not traveling via commercial flights. With this, the government has permitted transports for aid purposes to stop in Canada for refueling purposes without the passengers to have a temporary visa for residency. The first two planes to have stopped by include that of a Russian and Chinese transport that were permitted to land based on the above grounds.

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Australia is one of those countries that attract the highest number of overseas flocks each year, be it for study purpose, business purpose or some other reasons. The statistics says the highest number of immigrants in the nation is from the United Kingdom, followed by China and other European countries.

Immigrants make up one quarter of Australia’s 22 million of total population. People from the UK comprise the largest migrant group in the nation. According to the statistics, British people account for more than 1.2 million of Australian population.

Australia also has a large number of migrants from New Zealand, reason being Kiwis are not required to obtain visas in order to enter Australia. Apart from British and New Zealanders, some other major immigrant groups contributing to the Australian population are from India, Vietnam, China, Philippines, South Africa, Greece, Macedonia, Netherlands, Indonesia, the US, Malaysia and Lebanon.

AS per the 2006 census, New South Wales boasts the largest immigrant population, including South Korean, Chinese, Iraqi, Lebanese and Fijian. With overseas-born population, including Italians, Turkish, Indians and Sri Lankan, Victoria is the Australian state with second largest immigrant population.

Besides, Western Australia has a considerable number of overseas-born settlers. The immigrant population in the state makes over 500,000. The state is second to New South Wales, when it comes to British settlers. Queensland with near about 700,000 foreign settlers proves as one of the most prospective states for immigrants. It hosts settlers mostly from New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.

When we see the statistics of the immigrant population in Australia, it comes clear that the nation is one of the hot destinations among the overseas settlers, along with the US and UK!

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New Zealand has everything of what it takes to become a dreamy and beatific destination. Let us start with a romantic drive on the Tutukaka Coast. The magnetic waters and the beaches are perfect to lure every person visiting New Zealand! The magical sightseeing option can serve as a perfect delight to everyone’s eyes!

Now let us move to Hamilton. More than anything else, I love the Botanic Gardens and the laid back attitude of the city. if you love greenery and gardens, the place would surely excite you with its USP that lies in its Japanese, Chinese and Italian gardens.

You can not forget Auckland, when you mention some of the spiciest places to visit in New Zealand. The best way to enjoy the complete view of Auckland is to visit Waitemata Harbour and enjoy its brilliant view. The place is called “City of Sails” as it holds a deep association with world famous yacht races and the ever demanded the America’s Cup. That makes it one of the most applauded and hottest destinations for people. And if you enjoy beaches, rainforests and volcanoes, the place is meant for you.

“The Mount,”Mount Maunganui is another place that is a must see for all those who are planning to visit New Zealand. The atmosphere is really rocking and holds the capacity to sweep you off your feet. And beaches are the USP of every New Zealand destination. So every beach lover must visit New Zealand at least once. There is a gamut of places that are a must see in New Zealand. Consult a Travel Visa expert today!

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Immigrants in Canada who are not of English origin have always faced difficulty in landing with good job offers. These have also been proved by many Canadian research studies.

Today, discrimination by many biased Canadian employers is a matter of concern for the country. Many research studies have shown that non – Canadians with English names are more likely to get appointed for a job when compared to those of Indian, Chinese or of Pakistani names.

Metropolis – an Immigration and Diversity Research Group conducted a study by sending more than 6000 fake resumes as a response to different job advertisements in the Toronto region. The study showed applications with familiar English names had 16% more chances when compared only 11% chances for names of other nationalities. All these groups belonged to same level of education and work experience.

It was also found out that those non – English names with Canadian work experience but foreign education were even less preferred with only 8% rate of response. However, people with no Canadian work experience and foreign education had only 5% chances of getting a response from an employer.

With this, the fake resumes with additional skills, voluntary work experience and other extracurricular merits had better chances but still not to an extent where it could help much to an applicant.

This study is a clear example of why unemployment rate amongst the immigrants is higher (11.5%) when compared to the local unemployment rate (4.9%).

Thus, if you are an immigrant in Canada, it is highly recommended that you consider and apply the following tips:

• Since Canadian employers prefer Canadian references, it is best suggested that you get some Canadian references. This could be done by interacting with the locals such as your neighbors etc.
• Chalking out an appropriate Canadian resume is a must. Get to know about what Canadian companies expect from a prospective employee. Get some tips on how to write a good Canadian resume.
• Above all, most of the employers in Canada find it difficult to pronounce non – English names. Hence, it is advised to have a pseudo name or a nick name which is easy for a Canadian employer to understand and pronounce. You can mention it clearly on your Canadian resume.

All in all, the high unemployment rate amongst the immigrants and the biased response is due to the lack of trust and credibility for the immigrants. This could only be resolved by providing for what is required by the Canadian companies.

However, efforts should be made by both parties to balance the situation. Incase, you plan to immigrate to Canada as a skilled migrant, it is highly recommended that you contact a seasoned Immigration and Visa specialist who is updated with all the current aspects in Canada.

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What is the Hong Kong Migration Talent Scheme?

This program is meant for those people who intend to live and work in Hong Kong. This scheme is completely based on the number of allotments that the High Commission has for foreign immigrants. It is for those who are highly skilled and could contribute to the economy of Hong Kong.

It is basically meant for those who are well qualified and experienced but would otherwise be not permitted to work in Hong Kong.

Is it necessary for an applicant to get an employment offer prior to immigration?

No. It is not at all necessary to get a job in prior. However, you must satisfy all the eligibility criteria that have been asked for.

How is the assessment done to check my eligibility?

You would be assessed on the Points Based Tests. There are two categories under this which are applied based on the candidate’s profile.

• The General Points Test
• Achievement – Based Points Test

Am I allowed to bring my spouse if I qualify?

Yes. You are allowed to bring your spouse and dependent children (unmarried and if they are below the age of 18 years). However, you should be able to prove that you can support self and dependents financially.

Is this scheme applicable to all nationalities?

The scheme does not consider the nationals from Albania, Cuba, Laos, Afghanistan, Korea, Nepal and Vietnam. Citizens of all other countries can apply.

What are the eligibility criteria for this program?

The various factors considered include the following:

• Age
• Qualifications
• Language Skills
• Family Background
• Financial Requirements
• Character Requirements

Which is the best age – group to apply for the scheme?

All applicants should be in the age group of 18 – 50 years while filing an application.

Is there any specific language that I am supposed to be proficient in?

All applicants are expected to be proficient in written and spoken Chinese (Putonghua or Cantonese) or English.

Am I supposed to be academically qualified to be eligible for the program?

Yes. You are expected to have a good academic background with a degree from a recognized university or any other tertiary educational institution. In some cases, good technical qualifications along with professional experience proving your skills. In addition, achievements proved via evidence can add to your profile.

However, if the supporting documentation is not provided, the application is deemed to be cancelled.

Am I supposed to prove myself financially viable for self and dependents?

Yes. You must be capable of supporting yourself and your dependents in Hong Kong. You would not be expected to be dependent on the public service authorities.

What character requirements must I provide for?

You must not have any criminal record or any form of adverse record on immigration in Hong Kong or any other country. In other words, you must prove yourself to be of good character in the form of documentary evidence from a relevant authority.

When do I appear for the Points Based Test?

You can appear for the Points Based Test if you clear the pre – requisites for the eligibility. However, you have the option to select the particular test which you would want to take.

What are different kinds of Points Based Test?

There are two types of Points Based test – General Points Based Test and the Achievement Points Based Test. The General test looks into 5 different aspects where as in the Achievement test, there is only 1 point scoring factor.

Is there a minimum pass mark to qualify under the Points Based Test?

The minimum pass mark is only valid in the General Points Test which is 80 points. The minimum pass marks is subject to change without notice.

Does Approval – in Principle mean that I have qualified for the visa?

No. An Approval – in – Principle letter simply means that the applicant has cleared all the previous stages of the procedure. With this letter, you are required to go to Hong Kong to attend an interview and submit all the documents in original.

Do I have to pay any application fee?

No fee is charged while submitting the application. However, you have to pay an amount of HK$ 160 during the issuance of the visa.

Can I extend my stay in Hong Kong?

Yes. You would be permitted. However, you have to submit your application one month in prior to your visa expiration. Also, you must satisfy certain terms and conditions.

What are the requirements for an approval of an extended stay in Hong Kong?

You must prove that you have settled in Hong Kong and have contributed to its economy by employing many local citizens from various fields.

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