On 10th March 2010, the government of Canada announced certain amends to be brought about in the criteria for excepted language skills. These changes would be applicable for all those applying under the Federal Skilled Worker and the Canadian Experience class. This was announced by Jason Kenney, the Minister for Immigration and Multiculturalism.

Clarifying the above, Kenney said that the language skills criterion has not changed as such. The only change is that from now on, the applicants have to submit the proof of their language skills while submitting their application itself. So, the applicant has to now submit his proficiency either in English or French since these are the two official languages for Canada. This amend has been brought about to ensure faster processing of the applications.

Earlier, the applicants were permitted to either submit a written statement or a test conducted by a third party that is independent from the Citizenship and Immigration Canada. The written statement was meant for those who had English or French as their first language. But this was not being limited to the above. Those not having the above as their first language were also due advantage of the same. These written statements did not prove the candidate’s proficiency in the practical use of the language. So, they had to provide with other forms of evidence which obviously lead to a processing delay.

With this, all the applicants would be given a single chance to prove their proficiency in the same. However, they are still free to submit a written statement.

On the other hand, submitting test results for the language skills would ensure quick and genuine processing of the application. With this, these tests would also let the applicants know of their standing in the same. After getting their test results, they would be in a better position to decide on whether to apply for immigration or not. Incase of written statements, the applicants would not know how much they have scored till their application has not been assessed by the relevant authority.

However, it is recommended to present with the test results straight away to avoid any forms of delay.

It has to be realized that for any immigrant, the language skills are the key indicators to his success rate in the job market. The better his language skills, the more likely are his chances of landing with a good job.

When it comes to the applicants of the Canadian Experience Class, it is mandatory for them to meet the requisites for the same. For the Federal Skilled Workers, a maximum of twenty four points are awarded for this criterion.

On Monday, president Obama held a meeting with the delegates of Domestic Policy Council to discuss the future of the comprehensive Immigration reform. The meeting with Domestic Policy Council discussed about a “blueprint: which could be further used for legislation.

Reports say that Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) may be employed for the purpose of making this blueprint. The rest of the decision would be further handled by Congress.

With so much said about this Immigration reform, reports say that the basis of this bill would be people living in the U.S. under the tag of illegal immigration. The issue was how to grant Citizenship to them, but the same would not be given too easily, confirmed the White House.

In order to get the citizenship, it is mandatory that the undocumented workers must register, pay taxes and any action to do so may lead to their deportation. Also, they will be penalized for not obeying the laws.  That’s why White House confirmed that the citizenship would not be granted too easily!

The meeting also drew focus on the Immigration rally that would be performed on March 21. It will further highlight the issues required to catalyze the concerned issue further. The rally would be performed in Washington.

Obama is arrayed with so much to perform in the upcoming session. A Health Care Reform, Immigration Reform and so much to do! The clock is ticking! And we all are wondering as to when this wait would end!

Immigration policies are the most confusing and they vary greatly for each and every country. This becomes even more confusing when it involves same sex couples. The main criterion that remains is that ability of one partner to sponsor the other. This is in a case where one of the partners is the citizen of a particular while the other is planning to immigrate and apply for a citizenship.

In most parts of the world, only heterosexual couples where in one of the partners is a foreigner are permitted to apply for residence. There are only nineteen countries in the world that permit homosexuals to sponsor their foreign partners. Due to this, most such couples are forced to live separately in their country of origin or become undocumented residents.

Similar to most countries, the United States does not recognize the couples of same sex as per their Defense of Marriage Act (1996). However, the Permanent Partners Immigration Act was brought about in 2000. This act has been re – introduced in 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2007. It was done under Uniting American Families Act. But these bills did not see any progress when it was referred to the House Judiciary Committee.

In a recent advent on the issue for similar and equal rights for immigration, the Uniting American Families Act was sponsored again in both the Houses by Representative Nadler and Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT). This bill was brought out again in February 2009 to set the same – sex couples in the same league as those of heterosexual couples.

Seventy – five percent out of the Green Cards given out to the one million residents were heterosexual spouses. This is as per the American Civil Liberties Union. According to the 2000 US census, off the 594,391 same sex couples who are not married, around six percent comprise of one partner not being a citizen of the United States.

All in all, action has to be taken which could help cut down immigration problems.

Just when Immigration Minister Jason Kenney was blamed for removing gay rights in the Citizenship guide, he came out with a statement in his defense, stating that he has taken “full responsibility” of the matter present in the Immigration guide!

The minister was blamed for omitting the content which referred to the rights of LGBT people and their chances to immigrate to Canada. The minister, however, defended that the guide shows the diversity present in the nation and hence he is proud of the content.

Earlier the opposition accused the minister for not including the gay-rights milestone in the final Citizenship guide. Reports say that the early draft was arrayed with such rights but it couldn’t find its way into the final Citizenship guide.

The whole issue created a whole lot of controversy, demanding the minister to present an apology for the same. Liberal MP Marlene Jennings emphasized on the “apology” facet while NDP MP Olivia Chow stated that new comers should know that gay bashing is illegal and that gay marriage needs to be celebrated!

Kenney replied to this statement, stating that new Canadians are not potential gay-bashers! He defended the Citizenship guide to his extensive limits and took full responsibility of everything present in the guide! However, he provided no explanation for the content of the Citizenship Guide.

The guide also includes hints against spousal abuse and gender-based violence, to name a few. The issue of gay rights is still one of the hottest topics of debate in the Parliament till now!

The reported comments by M.F. Husain that he loves India but the country rejected him is most unfair and shows his disrespect towards India (and its citizens). This is especially when India gave and made him everything that he is today. How can he say that India rejected him? If he says that 90 per cent of Indians loved him, then he should have trusted them and continued to stay in India.

How can he say that the Indian Government could not protect him? Most of the disputed paintings were painted by him in the 70s and 80s. He could not have lived in India for more than two decades without the support of secular minded people and its government. He was assured security by the Home Minister himself. And the security undertakings by the Indian Government are good enough for Governments across the world to send their teams to participate in the Hockey World Cup. But it seems that Chidambaram’s assurances are not good enough for M.F. Husain. If the Government of India can protect Dalai Lama from the might of the Chinese Government, then it sure is capable to protect M.F. Husain too.

India is a country where writers like Taslima from Bangladesh and freedom seekers like Dalai Lama are living in refuge. This is after they have been forced to leave their respective countries due to religious persecutions. Why did Husain not have faith in the country that gave him so much for the past 92 years of his life? Why should he leave the country just because of statements issued by some people who raised objections to his painting of nude Hindu goddesses? Democracy does not only give him freedom to paint but also others to comment on it. And what did they do? Did they physically harm him? They simply filed court cases against him. If he believed in what he did, then he should have stayed back till such time that he was honourably acquitted by the court. What did M.F. Husain run away from - against court cases that were filed for the wrongs that he had supposedly or allegedly committed?  The Supreme Court of India had already taken decision in his favour in some cases and few others are still pending. So, he should have trusted the judicial system to run its full stream.

He laments the fact that nobody from India called him when he was in exile. He is a private individual who went out of the country on his own and could have come back likewise. Who stopped him from coming back to India?

He calls for his freedom in the name of self-expression. And forget about M.F. Husain, but can anybody and everybody do all that they wish to do in the name of self-expression? Especially, when he comments that he did not wish to hurt anybody’s feelings and seeks refuge in the name of self-expression and modern art. Permission of this attitude can create dangerous precedents in a multi-cultural, multi-religion and a multi- faceted country like India. This could cause havoc to peace and amenity amongst various religions, communities and castes. He should have kept in mind that acts like these trigger extremist elements in India. When an individual moves higher in the social strata; his responsibilities towards the society increase.

Talking of self - expression again, it is not that he had any dearth of ideas for his paintings! Extremes of all kinds are wrong and that includes self-expression of M.F. Husain as well. How could a senior, seasoned artist like him assume that nude paintings of Indian Goddesses will not subject him to questions? And even if he did wish to exercise his self-expression, he could have gone ahead and kept the paintings in his private collection.

His latest comments are amazing and to quote him - “I enjoy complete freedom in Qatar. Now Qatar is my place. Here no one controls my freedom of expression. I am very happy here”. Well, I am not much aware of the amount of freedom of expression that the state of Qatar offers but for sure there will be no supreme court to protect him if he is to conduct similar acts while living in Qatar.

I am proud of being an Indian and how different cultures and religions co-exist with each other. But artists like M.F. Husain who owes everything of their being, entity and fame to India should be questioned on the extent to which self-expression can be taken in a multi-polar society like ours. We have still not evolved as a country where everything is not permitted and appreciated by the society. And thank goodness it is that way.

Stefan Nikolov, Chief Secretary of the State Agency for Bulgarians Abroad has been arrested for indulging in illegal immigration. Reports say that he was in his office and was taken into custody on March 2 for misusing his powers in the wrong manner.

Bulgarians Reports say that he was trying to provide citizenship to undocumented Ukrainians and Moldavians. He was misusing his power to provide certificates that prove that applicants are of Bulgarian descent. He was charged of providing these certificates to undocumented overseas immigrants who fail to fulfill the eligibility criteria.

In the process of attaining the citizenship, it is mandatory to enter the premises and submit the request in person. But the investigations pointed out towards the direction that more than 100 applicants planning to get Bulgarian citizenship never entered the country.

It is speculated that Stefan holds his association with an organized crime team that arranges fake Bulgarian passports for overseas undocumented applicants. The main source of the applicants is countries like Moldova and Ukraine. Stefan Hristov, another Immigration official, who was arrested in February, is speculated to be an integral part of this crime group.

We talk about stopping Illegal Immigration from its core. But when the Immigration officials themselves are stuck in such scandals, we are left with only one question in our mind: Will We Ever Be Able to Remove Illegal Immigration from the Immigration World?

The news of M.F. Husain accepting the citizenship of Qatar is highly debatable. M.F. Husain is one of India’s iconic artists who have brought recognition to the country through art. He demonstrated indomitable human spirit and at 95 years of age, he continues to paint as passionately as ever. In a career spanning over 70 years, he has grown from being a hoarding painter to be one of the most popular artists.

Who after all is responsible for this sad situation and why should he be forced to leave Indian citizenship and accept Qatar’s’?

For those following the story over the last couple of decades, some of Husain’s works became controversial because of paintings depicting sex and nudity. And organisations from various background objected to it which led to law suits being filed against him.

Being a democratic society, M.F. Husain and the opposing parties are taking cover of this aspect which offers support to their stands.

India is a democracy and each one of us has the right to express our views in a manner that we find correct. Those objecting to his paintings have a right to protest but they should do it lawfully. M.F. Husain has been hounded out of the country and that is not right. India’s strength is the spirit of tolerance that we have and had for different views and the co-existence of various religions and communities in harmony.

The question here is why should these paintings be displayed on a public platform, especially when there are sections of the society who object to it? Although, Husain is to be respected for his other works of art over last many decades and the fame that he brought to India, still his actions on this count leave a lot to be desired.

An alternative could have been that he should have kept these paintings in his private collection. This is because displaying such controversial items in a public arena can also be considered as a misuse of democracy by him as well.

The obvious question that one would like to ask him, now that he is Qatar; is that would he paint a prophet as well which would be even more controversial? But we all know the answer to that. He will not do so because Qatar is not a democracy. So, by putting paintings of nude Indian goddesses in public scrutiny and view, he did not favour the Indian democracy and feelings of a certain community. India is a country with many religions and communities. Sentiments of each should be respected by other communities. And M.F. Husain failed in that context.

The incident offers a lesson for the future. The artists have full freedom to express views in the way they wish. But if against religious sentiments and masses in general, they should either be restricted to a private collection or for a niche audience with a taste for art. For people who have objections to such artistic expressions, this incident is a lesson that art should be respected for individual expression that it stands for and show more tolerance.

Getting a permanent residence is one tedious process. If you have obtained one, it is an achievement in itself. The more important fact here is to maintain that status itself. So, the actual journey begins here on. The real action begins towards your steps to become a US citizen. Many immigrants fail to realize that this status would be compromised on if they do not reside in the United States.

Being a permanent resident in the United States, certain requisites come in without saying. Some of these include being loyal and respecting the country and the fact that you have agreed to make US your new home. Also, you now have new rights and responsibilities based on which you have to make a living. Above all, it has to be realized that being a permanent resident is a benefit bestowed on you. It should not be confused with a right.

Here are a few pointers that could be kept in mind to help maintain your US Permanent Resident Status. These points would be of help while applying for a citizenship at a later stage.

• Ensure that even if you leave the country, make your trip as short as possible. Do not migrate to another country in the meantime. In case you show any intent of moving out of the country, you would be considered to be giving up your resident status. Most immigrants have this misconception that living in the US for a month would do and they can easily spend the rest of the year in other countries. However, most of them fail to realize that this is more than enough for the US immigration officials to realize your lack of interest in living in the United States. Incase, there are instances where you are certain about living outside the US for six months or may be a year, then you must apply for a Re – entry permit. This should be done before you leave the country.
• See to it that all your taxes are paid on time. It is mandatory to pay all the taxes for a permanent resident. Thus, income tax returns should be filed timely. With this, your income should be reported at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). You must also report to your local, state or city tax departments if asked for. If at any point of time, you are not found to be filing your taxes or are filing under the non – immigrant category, the US government might cease your status.
• It is mandatory for all the immigrant males residing as permanent residents to register with the United States Selective Services. This is specific for all the males between 18 and 26 years of age. This means that you have agreed to serve the country in the armed forces. However, the US government does not have any form of a military draft indicating the same. Thus, the discretion is up to the permanent residents to join the armed forces or not.
• You must not fail to provide with your new address to the DHS or the Department of Homeland Security. This should be done each and every time you change your residential address. For this, the AR – 11 form has to be filed along with the Alien’s Change of Address Card within the first ten days post shifting to the new location. This could be done online as well.

Following the above points would be in the best interest while you reside in the United States as a Permanent Residency. Additionally, this would also prove to be an advantage while applying for your citizenship at a later stage.

According to Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship, the number of immigrants who hold permanent or temporary visas, and an intention to settle in Australia increased from 149,365 to 158,021 in the period 2008-2009. Immigrants accompanied by permanent or provisional temporary visas who intent to settle in the country are counted as permanent settlers.

Out of the total 158,021 permanent settlers, about 44 percent immigrants had entered Australia under the Work Visa Stream, while 27 percent was sponsored immigrants (under Family Visa Stream). Reportedly, most of the migrants were granted permission to settle in Australia under Skill Stream and Family Stream. New Zealand-and-United Kingdom-born people dominated a large portion of the permanent setters in 2008-2009. They accounted for about 30 percent of the total population of permanent settlers. This was, however, a decrease of 7.6 percent from the last year. Apart from New Zealand and UK, other prominent countries from where people migrated to Australia to settle there include South Africa with 40 percent; India with 11 percent; and China with 10 percent.

The report from the Immigration and Citizenship department also indicated that the permanent settlers in 2008-2209 are mostly concentrated in the states of New South Wales and Victoria, with 30 percent and 25 percent of respectively. As opposed to this, below 5 percent migrants chose to settle in states like Tasmania, Northern Territory and ACT.

If you are also intending to migrate to Australia and reside there, contact an Immigration and Visa consultant. You will be guided throughout the process of visa application until you arrive your destination!

Naturalization is a process which an alien (foreign applicants or international applicants) goes through in order to obtain citizenship or nationality of the US. It is essential to fulfill the mandatory requirements in order to acquire the citizenship.

Not every applicant is eligible enough to get a visa. Let us consider some of the generalized facets required to go through the process of Naturalization. Rest, the requirements depends from one case to another. Have a look:

• The applicant must be aged 18 or above in order to qualify the age requirement. If you are under the mentioned age, you must go for the regulations highlighted for Naturalized Citizen’s children.
• In order to get the US Citizenship, the applicant must hold a legal Permanent Residence Status. Without a Green Card, you cannot clear the eligibility to obtain citizenship.
• It is essential that the applicant must be physically present for a minimum of five years as a PR in the US. Out of the mentioned period, a presence of at least 30 months is mandatory, with no single absence of more than twelve months out of the five years.
• If the applicant has been away on a visit outside the US premises for more than 6 months, it is essential that he proves that he never intend to leave residency in the US.
• The applicant must have proficiency in the English language.
• Character: The applicant needs to prove that he has been a person of good character, with no criminal record or indulgence in any offensive activity. This includes your life, before you came to the US.
• You must agree that you will follow the US Constitution.

There are other requirements like clearance of Naturalization exam, taking the Oath of Allegiance, and more. Consult an Immigration guide for more info on this.