A detainee who has been in Australia for the past twenty-seven years is going to be deported to his native land Cambodia. When the Australian authorities were trying to deport him for almost four years, finally the man in question has voluntarily agreed to go back to Cambodia.
The case came to light at the federal Parliament last Wednesday, when the Commonwealth and Immigration Ombudsman reported the same. Accused with a number of crimes, such as robbery and supplying drugs, thereby developing a strong criminal background, the man has been in immigration detention at Villawood, Sydney. While authorities tried to send him back to Cambodia, he then refused to return. But, now the unidentified man is willing to go back to this country.
The man was raised and educated in the Oz land. He arrived the land when he was only nine-year old. After living almost twenty-seven years in Australia, he has become a part of the Australian community. However, the immigration authorities termed him as a non-citizen in Australia.
The removal of the man from Australia is on the priority list for the immigration department, confirmed the Immigration and Citizenship Minister Chris Evans. The minister also confirmed that as per an individual’s deportation procedure, the man will be provided with a post-removal package to support and assist him.
This is one of the many cases included in the Commonwealth and Immigration Ombudsman’s report. Most of these accused have been in detention for several years, where many of them are detained at Villawood.
Every immigration program follows distinctive procedure. Thus, when one is looking forward to immigrate to a new country, it is very important for that person to have the proper understanding of the application process for the particular program that he/she has opted for. It fact, the secret of successful immigration lies in the proper understanding of the application process and little homework beforehand.
Let’s have a look at the application procedure for Canadian Federal Skilled Worker program:
Before an applicant is set to work on the application process, he/she must confirm that the Federal Skilled Worker category is appropriate for him. It follows choosing the right application form.
The applicant is required to get his/her qualifications, occupation, experience, and other required documents assessed by the authorized body.
When filling up the form(s), the applicant must make sure that he/she has put in all the details carefully and it is complete. Incomplete forms are most likely to be rejected.
The fee for the processing of the application for the applicant as well as dependants should be submitted along with the forms.
Once the applicant is done with these steps, the application will go to the Centralized Intake Office (CIO) in Nova Scotia, Canada. Here, things undergo scrutiny and the CIO will decide whether the application meets the prerequisites for the Federal Skilled Worker program. If they find the application fulfills the criteria, they would forward it to the designated country visa office, otherwise if they end up with a negative decision, the application is most likely to be returned back.
This follows the submission of the application along with all the essential documents at the local visa office.
The applicant must provide the IELTS test score report earned for the language proficiency at the visa office.
The applicant must bear his/her expenses related to medical and security clearances.
Once the applicant is approved to immigrate to Canada, he/she must pay for the Right to Permanent Resident fee. However, the fee, which covers both the applicant and his/her spouse or law partner, should be paid before the applicant is issued with the PR visa. Afterwards, if the applicant decides not to use this visa, the fee would be refunded.
Last but not the least, the applicant must submit his/her passport to be stamped on the visa.
The process of making application is one of the most important parts of the whole immigration process. This is the phase where you should be presented yourself watchfully in order to make your immigration successful. While, you may find it critical at times, hiring an Immigration and Visa consultant would be the smartest move you could make!
Reports say that the Indian government is planning to make amendments in the guidelines on Conference and Tourist Visa. Union Home Secretary G K Pillai has confirmed that the Home Ministry has received a lot of complaints against the present regulations. Therefore, the Centre is working on easing out the guidelines to make it easier for the overseas academicians to visit the country.
The criticism is against all those guidelines that specify that overseas participants from 8 countries need to go through the security clearance from the Ministry in order to get the Visa.
Pillai confirmed that the Ministry, in consultation with other agencies, is reworking on these guidelines and making it simpler for the foreign nations to come and visit the country. In addition, he committed that Government do make rules which may be not correct and it is a democratic society and we have the right to correct our mistakes too.
He went on to say that the ministry is deeply concerned for overseas nationals who come for a conference in the country. Therefore, it is mandatory to know their backgrounds and other essential details. The essence behind the regulations is to ensure the country’s security.
Pillai also mentioned that scholars having genuine backgrounds would no difficulties, especially if they are qualified from registered Universities.
Former foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal confirmed that it is essential to check the credentials of overseas applicants.
Reports say that the new comprehensive immigration bill would have regulations that would prevent the entry of undocumented workers in the country. One such implementation would be the introduction of ID Cards for overseas workers to prevent employers from recruiting undocumented and fake workers.
To be more specific, it would be mandatory to have a “NATIONAL BIOMETRIC IDENTIFICATION CARD” for all the overseas workers working for their US employers.
The proposal is in its initial stage. In addition, talks are that all the legal workers, be it the nationals or the overseas workers, would be given the ID card, provided they succeed to qualify for the necessary requirements and prove their eligibilities towards the same.
The ID card would be decked with embedded information to ensure 100% safeguard from illegal immigration. But the issue is draped with plenty of criticism too. The multinational companies, who make big profits through the aids from illegal overseas immigrants, would surely have their opposition towards this proposal, some day or the other. Do you think that these parties would let this bill pass so easily?
Some people also believe that the implementation would breach people’s privacy. The ID cards may serve as their national ID Cards too; therefore every moment could be easily tracked by the government. In addition, the government would track their working history, which in some cases, may not prove right for the general masses.
The core problem lies within the employers who hire these undocumented workers. Rather than enforcing harsh regulations on the employees, it becomes mandatory to impose stringent rules on the employers who hire illegal workers!
The government of UK has made some changes in the Immigration regulations, to further aid the entry of genuine students in the country. Below are the new amendments implemented under Tier 4 Student Visa. Have a look at them:
If the student applicant is applying under Tier 4 Student Visa in General category to study a course which is not up to a Degree level course, then you will only work for 10 hrs/week.
The minimum level of English course that Tier 4 Student Visa holders can enroll into is level B2 of CEFR.
Applicants who are aged 16 or 17 and are applying under Tier 4 (Child) category, they are entitled to work only for 10hrs/week till the time their term is finished.
Applicants applying for course for six month or less are not allowed to bring their relatives or family members.
For those applying for a course lower than a Degree course won’t have the freedom to allow their dependants to work unless they fulfill the requirements set under Tier 1 or Tier 2 of the PBS.
Further changes would be introduced from April 2010. Students would surely be affected from the recent amendments, but this would ensure the entry of genuine applicants into the country. In addition, the rules would make sure that genuine students get the right time to work part time, in addition to their regular study hours.
The Denmark Green Card program is based on the Point Based System. This immigration program is meant for senior executives and professionals. The program offers a permit for residence for a period of three years to the applicant and his dependent family members. The eligibility criteria that an applicant is judged is based on the points based system which includes academic qualifications, age, total work experience, academic qualifications obtained in Europe and so on. The Government of Denmark has brought out an occupation list which is the ground for applicants to apply.
However, while applying for the program, it is but obvious that the applicant has to be extremely careful and should take all the necessary precautions. Some such aspects to be considered include:
Details regarding the points based system should be looked into very carefully prior to applying. The applicant should only apply if he scores the minimum pass mark. In order to score the bare minimum, the applicant must carefully look into all the aspects of the points based system.
The applicant has to be sure whether or not his profession features in the Positive List of Occupations. This list is based on the assessment conducted by the government. This list consists of those professions where in there is a shortage of skills in the country. These are the jobs that could likely be taken over by immigrants.
The applicant should get a complete overview of the educational qualifications that are mandatory for him to qualify for the visa. It is best that the applicant consults a specialist for the same who can advise him on the same.
Just by having the relevant qualifications will not make an applicant automatically eligible for the program. The applicant has to provide with the relevant reference letters from his employers which enlist his job responsibilities.
Right amount of fee has to be deposited along with the application form. The form should contain the right information with the relevant supporting documents.
To prove his English proficiency, he must submit his English test reports or a statement in English language.
All the documents which are not in English language should be translated in English.
The application procedure involves certifications for various documents from the various Indian authorities. So, the applicant must know of all the authorities that need to be contacted for the same.
The most important of the eligibility criteria is to have the relevant amount of money to cater to the settlement expenditure in Denmark. This has to be for the first year after obtaining a permit. Thus, proof of funds should be attached with the application form. For this, it is important to seek advice of an expert regarding the various forms of savings and so on.
All in all, the applicant must know that the application must be submitted at the nearest Danish Embassy in the applicant’s country of origin. In order to go through a hassle free immigration process, it is best recommended to contact an Immigration and Visa Specialist.
Last year the Canadian Immigration minister Jason Kenney stated that there would be certain changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. But, the discontinuation of Parliament session left no scope for the proposed changes to come forth as regulations. However, as the Parliament session is starting for this year, we can expect to get some updates on those changes.
However, if the proposed changes are to be enacted, that will have deep impact not only the foreign workers in Canada, but their families in their home countries and employers altogether. At present, the country has about 300,000 overseas workers, who have been an integral part of the Canadian economy. Reportedly, an estimated number of 10,000 foreign workers have contributed to the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Game to make it a success.
Below are a few changes that have been proposed in context of the Canadian Work Permit Holders:
According to the proposal, workers who have been working and living in Canada for the four years would not be allowed to work there for further six years.
Workers, who intend to stay in Canada for over four years, would require following the same procedure that one is required to follow to obtain permanent residence in the country.
These are only a few highlights of the proposed changes that could make the situation miserable for foreign workers, as well as their employers and families in the native countries. If these changes are to come into force, foreign workers on Canadian work permits, who have been a part of the reason as to why the Canadian economy is doing well at this time of economic uncertainty, will suffer a lot and many would lose their jobs!
Recently, the Australian Immigration Minister, Chris Evans stated and made it public that the employers would use the temporary skilled visa program, that is 457 Subclass only if they do not able to find skilled workers within Australia.
The government made it clear that Australian employers are now required to look for the local workers to fill the vacancies first. Further they will be able to use the 457 Subclass visa scheme and recruit overseas skilled workers only when they do not find Australians who could fit the bill. With this, the Oz government wants to deliver that the local skilled workers should be given the priority and provided with the job opportunities created in the country.
The government is trying to make sure that the hiring of overseas employees does not affect the local skills. It is true that Australia needs skilled overseas workers, but at the same time it is also important to ensure that the temporary skilled visa holders do not replace the local workers. As a matter of fact, Australian workers have always been concerned about the possibility of bringing in foreign skilled workers at cheaper rates, thereby making local skills out of work.
However, the Worker Protection Laws are there to protect the rights of the Australian workers. According to February statistics, the average salary of a temporary visa holder in Australia is near about $100,000, up $10,000 from a year ago. The stats clearly show that the 457 Subclass visa holders are highly skilled workers and working for the same pay rates as local residents, which further indicates that the worker protection policies have been effective so far and are working!
As per the recommendation of the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), United Kingdom Immigration department may bring changes to the Tier 1 visa scheme in the near future. To be very precise, people with a Masters Degree, along with meeting the requirements of the particular visa category would find it easier to obtain a Tier 1!
Last year in December, the MAC put forward its recommendation to make changes to the requirements for the UK Tier 1 Visa, for instance, allowing people with a Bachelor’s Degree, not just Masters Degree or equivalent degree to immigrate under the said visa scheme. Of course, such an implementation would help many people to immigrate to the UK. If the changes recommended by the MAC are going to be amended, there would also be a provision under which prospective immigrants would gain points for previous annual earnings.
Undoubtedly, the recommended changes will prove to be a better chance for future immigrant to migrate to the UK. But, there would be some people as well who may not meet the requirements for previous annual earnings. Let’s see if the UK Immigration will put these recommendations into force or not. Let us hope for the best!
The UK Tier 1 visa scheme is designed to attract overseas talent from outside the European Union in order to let them contribute to the UK economy. This scheme is part of the Points-based system for employment-based immigration. Under this program, highly skilled professionals, investors, entrepreneurs, as well as foreign graduates of UK educational institutions are issued with visa to work in the UK!
There are many phases that an immigrant must clear in order to settle down in Canada. For this purpose, a new resource has been developed to aid the new immigrants in Canada. This online tool would help them find the relevant services provided by the government. This is apart from the community services for settlement purposes. The news was announced by Jason Kenney, the Minister for Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism. The link for the online tool could be found below.
This tool has been developed so that it is easier to search for both the private and government services which are highly essential. For instance, it would help in locating a new house for purpose in Canada just by clicking online. This in turn would save time and benefit in the integration of these immigrants in their communities of residence. Such integration is of utmost importance in the multicultural society of Canada.
Other additional services that are offered by this resource include those of federal, provincial and territorial services of the government. Now, all that would be required is to mail all the results to self and family member or friends who are new in Canada. Post this; the next step of settling down could be started. It would also help in keeping a track on all the search results that have come about till date. This online tool would be constantly subjected to updating with the latest. With this, it would slowly be expanded with time with fresh information which is likely to help the new comers.
It has to be realized that these services meant for settlement are an important part of the immigration program offered by the government of Canada. Most of these services such as language training, guidance with reference to employment, community services, and integration services for the new comers to settle down and so on are all funded by the CIC.
All these services are put in effect with the help of the agencies at the provincial, territorial and community level. Post 2006, the government of Canada made increased its funding for these settlement purposes by almost three times.
