In a recent news, a US immigration and customs agent has been awarded a heavy reward of $2.2 million in damage, courtesy an incident in which the agent was abused by police officials in San Diego.

The award has been granted by a jury in the US confirmed that used extreme force against Mr. Lopez while he was involved in his surveillance operation in October 2006.

The US immigration confirmed that the crime was brutal. The police officials stuck a gun to the chest of the victim, bending his arm and applying excessive force while pressing his skull against the floor.

On the contrary, the officials of Chula Vista (Chula Vista law enforcement) are expressing their disappointment on the charges incurred upon them. The counter claim which they have made against Mr. Lopez elaborates that the later was uncooperative and verbally aggressive.

A spokesman said that the officers acted in an appropriate manner. They have not done anything wrong with the victim, courtesy which he has been awarded $2.2 million in damage! He further said that the officials acted in an apt manner within the regulations of the department under apprehensive and alarming circumstances.

The verdict has provided relief to Mr. Lopez but has surely created restlessness amongst the officials of Chula Vista law enforcement, who believe that their behavior was apt enough in the suspicious circumstances.

The Chairman of Fredericton’s committee has praised police to work with Canadian migrants and build a better understanding with them. An initiative taken by the police has been encouraged by the Canadian Immigration, which has praised the former for snuggling cultural diversity amongst the immigrants and counseling them to Canada.

Councilor Eric Megarity confirmed that within the next two decades, the country will enhance by 14.5 million new migrants. Keeping this facet in mind, the biggest challenge would be to retain the new immigrants in Canada.

It is a great news for prospective immigrants who are residing in Canada as well as those who are planning to make their moves towards the country. The initiative will also work towards assisting new immigrants to the city in the future.

Police official Leanne Fitch confirmed that police force decided to come out with an action/plan that would court prospective immigrants as police officials in future. It will ensure a better understanding and accord between the immigrants and future officials.

This step would further clear the speculations that people have their minds regarding the unfriendly and cruel behavior of police force! In addition, the city of Fredericton is decked with certain strategies which allow prospective police officials to mentor with police force!

Hence, a perfect opportunity for applicants intending to court into police force to gain some healthy experience in advance!

January 12th marked the occurrence of one of the most devastating earthquakes in the global history. The US government later came out with special Immigration offers for the undocumented Haitians living in the United States.

The offers include providing temporary protected status to the Haitians, along with allowing them to work in a legal manner in the US. The officials believed that the offer would serve as a huge relief for the illegal Haitians living in the country, but contrary to their belief, the offer has not been able to grab many applicants so far.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, only 34,427 of the 100,000 to 200,000 illegal Haitians residing in the US have enrolled so far. Charities believe that the onus of lesser number of applicants goes to the high application fees and therefore, it should become mandatory to have the fee abandoned! Also, the accountability for lower applicants may be due to the fact that undocumented status may not aid in getting fair wages. Therefore, many Haitian applicants may hesitate to apply for the special Immigration offers.

Speculations are going on that government may listen to the proposal of waiving fee or at least make the process simpler for the undocumented Haitian crowd.

At the end of the day, we must understand that the special “US immigration offers” were actually crafted to ease out the worries of Haitians living in US, therefore, the process should work out in their favor!

While the whole Canada makes a favorable immigration destination, people often get confused deciding where to live or which city would suit them best! Of course, choosing the right place to live makes one of the most important facets of the immigration process. It comes across as the most important factor when you plan to take your family along with you.

Many of you might have already chosen the Canadian city where you will work and live. Though, here is a little description about Vancouver. Even though this city does not need any introduction, here is what makes this city special and one of the most popular Canadian immigration destinations. There are a number of reasons for which overseas people intend to immigrate to Vancouver.

• Vancouver in British Columbia is a very multi-cultural city like most of the Canadian cities, where you would get to see a wide range of cultures and languages spoken. Thousands of immigrants, including students, investors, entrepreneurs from all over the world come to this city and do not want to leave!
• Vancouver’s economy is evolving and it holds endless job opportunities for local, as well as overseas workers. Some of the prominent sectors that are generating these opportunities include education, technology, film production, and financial services. The city is North America’s third largest film production location.

Apart from these, Vancouver’s temperate climate is one of the reasons as to why people prefer it as an immigration destination. Not to forget its natural beauty, that comprises mountain rages, forests and coastlines, which offers a multitude of opportunities for outdoor activities like skiing, snowboarding, biking, hiking and walking!

Toronto, the largest city in Canada happens to be one of those top cities in the world that has the maximum percentage of foreign-born population. Why not? The city has an array of things to offer to its people inside and outside. Toronto appears to be an appealing city to generations of immigrants across the world for a variety of reasons. The capital city of Ontario is chosen over the many cities in Canada when it comes to immigration. Let’s look at some of the reasons as to why Toronto is favored as a top immigration destination:

To start off, Toronto is one of the most multi-cultural cities across the globe. Being part of Canada, we should not have any doubt in this regard! The city welcomes large flocks of immigrants every year. People enters Toronto and live quality lives, work and raise families. Multi cultural environment perhaps makes this city strong and helps rise up in the ladder of success. It is hard to believe, but here more than 150 languages are spoken and near about fifty percent of its residents are from outside of Canada! This is one of the many factors that attracts people from all over the world to this city.

Secondly, Toronto is a prominent and blooming center for businesses. It offers multitude of job opportunities for entrepreneurs and skilled migration category immigrants. Being the financial capital of Canada, Toronto houses several financial firms, banks and brokerage firms. Besides, this is the hub of Canada’s entertainment, technological, and educational interests. Not to forget, it is the hot spot for Hollywood film production as well. It is noteworthy to mention that the city is home to some of the big names in the world, viz. Manulife Financial, Thomson Corporation, Rogers Communications and Hudson’s Bay Company.

Toronto makes one of the best cities in the world to live in, especially when you are looking forward to have all the things according to your desire, while getting the true feeling of a cosmopolitan city. As compared to other cosmopolitan cities, the house prices in the Ontario capital are quite affordable. Those who plan to immigrate with families definitely prefer this city for its education institutions. It has diverse range of educational institutions with topnotch facilities, thus immigrants never give their immigration plan to Toronto a second thought.

One of the most important reasons as to why overseas people prefer to immigrate to Toronto is its political stability, almost non-existent corruption and lower rate of crime. It is considered as one of the safest and secure cities in the globe to live in.

When you think of immigrating to Toronto, you can definitely expect to lead a peaceful and better life. The city has been a hot favorite for generations of immigrants and it will continue, if Toronto keeps retaining the things for which it has been appreciated!

Anyone who is planning to immigrate to Australia under the General Skilled Migration Visa category should be aware of the fact that they should have fluency in English language; otherwise they might be refused to grant an Australian visa. No matter how equipped you are with other details to meet the requirements of a job, you could be denied to be issued with a visa, thereby restricting you from immigrating to Australia and work there. The Immigration and Citizenship Department of Australia has set the English language norms, apart from other prerequisites required for immigrating under this category, so that they can find a good employment in the Australian economy.

Importance of IELTS score

Every prospective immigrant intending to migrate to Australia under the General Skilled Migration Visa category is required to take an IELTS test. The test consists of four components, viz. speaking, reading, writing and listening. In order to be able to apply for any of the permanent categories under GSM, the principal applicant is required to have ‘component’ English or ‘vocational’ English, if they nominate for a skilled trade occupation.

The Australian immigration categorizes seven English skill levels under the GSM visa category. They are:

• Proficient English: A minimum score of seven points in every module of the IELTS test is required to be obtained by an applicant to be able to fall into this skill level. They then earn twenty-five points in the General Skilled Migration points test.
• Competent English: This skill level requires the applicant to gain at least six points in each module of the test. They are further allocated with fifteen points in the GSM points test.
• Concessional Competent English: Individuals with an average score of 5.5 in the English proficiency test come under this skill level. Applicants with this skill level are further allocated with fifteen points in the GSM points test, given they have considered to immigrate under the Subclass 487 visa category, as well as committed to attend English language tuition in one of the participating Territory or State and paid for that already.
• Vocational English: Those who earn at least five points in each of the IELTS’ components belong to Vocational skill level. Individuals with this IELTS skill level are granted with fifteen points in the visa category points test, given they select a listed skilled occupation.

Vocational skill level is the marginal English requirement for Skilled Sponsored applicants under the employment nomination program. Apart from the above-mentioned categories, below are the three more English skill levels:

• Functional English: Individuals with IELTS score of 4.5 points come under this level. In the GSM points test, they are not allocated with any point.
• Limited English: The Limited English skill level includes those IELTS appearing applicants who score four points in every module of the English language proficiency test. Again, no points are awarded to these candidates in the GSM points test.
• No English: Applicants with a little know-how of the English language belong to this skill level. They do not get any point in the GSM points test as well.

An applicant’s IELTS report is valid for maximum two years. If an applicant’s report expires this period, he/she is likely to be required to appear for the test once again. There are certain occupations, like Engineers and Teachers in Australia that require specific (prescribed) IELTS scores. Thus, in order to be eligible to apply for any of these occupations, an applicant must obtain the prescribed scores. For example, Engineers must score minimum six points in each of the IELTS testing modules in General Training Test, while Teachers must earn at least seven points in all of the IELTS testing modules in Academic Training Test.

For more information about the Australian Immigration Department’s English language proficiency requirements, contact an Immigration and visa consultant!

Those who are planning to immigrate to the United Kingdom in the near future, this piece of information is much needed for them! The UK Border Agency is soon going to introduce new immigration fees for various visa categories, since the Parliament has given its nod to the changes.

As part of the regular revisions done by the UK government, the new immigration fees were announced on January 20 and February 10, 2010. Now that the reviewed fees have been accepted by the Parliament, they are going to be on effect from April 6, 2010. The fees will be applicable for those who are intending to work, study, visit and stay in the United Kingdom. In other words, they are applied to Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3, Tier 4 and Tier 5 visas.

Most the revised fees are higher than the earlier ones. The fees include payments to the Migration Impacts Fund, a fund incepted by Hazel Blears and Jacqui Smith last year. The fees paid by the migrants towards the Fund go to the welfare of the local UK communities that comprise migrant populations. Check out the new immigration fees at http://ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/news/new-immigration-fees

Thus, it is clear that people who are going to submit visa application on or after April 6, 2010, they will need to pay higher charges when they get their UK visas. Along with the new immigration fees, the UK Border Agency will also revise a few application forms. The changes in fees and application forms may seem to be very confusing for you at times. Thus, it is advised that you hire the service of an Immigration and Visa Consultant in order to sail through the process of immigration smoothly.

Analysis by “Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse” reveals that a huge accumulation of pending cases is awaiting their fate in US Immigration Courts, a quantity which has reached its all time high.
Stats in the year 2010 say that almost 228,421 cases awaited their fate as the backlog marked an all time high, going 23% up as compared to the year 2008. If we compare the pending cases, a rise of 82% is witnessed since last 10 years.

Worst part comes, when the applicants have to wait for years and years for the hearings of their cases. The average wait for hearing is 439 days. The report also states that wait lasts for 713 days in Los Angeles.

Whereas on one hand, this backlog has occurred as a result of increase in immigration cases nationwide, on the other hand, the capacity to fill the empty vacancies in the immigration courts has resulted in this excessive backlog. In addition, there are plenty of facets including illegal immigration, are responsible for this massive increase in the pending cases. Undocumented applicants cross the borders in plenty, and further cause havocs for the government and Immigration courts.

Although Congress has made various attempts in fulfilling the additional judge positions, but somehow the attempts have not been converted into success. The reports say that there are still 48 vacancies available on the court, which means that the list of pending cases would enhance further in future.

TRAC Co-Director David Burnham confirmed that people face a never ending wait as judges have no time to listen to their hearings.

When will people understand that illegal immigration costs them far more than migrating to a country through legal procedures! Further, there is risk for being jailed or spoiling the future, courtesy undocumented procedures.

In another illegal immigration scandal, ‘Canadian Immigration’ recently got hold of a website guaranteeing applicants with visas in illegal manner. The website was flaunting false declarations and was charging high amounts for providing fake consultations to prospective immigrants to Canada. The path was to provide Tourist Visas to the applicants and then file refugee claims on their behalf.

The website also flaunted fake promises that their consultants would offer a list of diverse motives to choose from – the motives are further extremely easy to explain to the Immigration officers. The website confirmed that these motives would serve the individual preferences of every individual.

The mocking aspect is that the website affirmed that the client won’t return back to their country of origin! The website was openly claiming that it was run and owned by a reliable source, Claude Lamoureux, who is a lawyer with Canadian Immigration. Investigations further cleared the facet that it was actually owned by an Egypt resident, Giovanni Germinario.

It has become a regular sight in news that people illegally immigrate to other countries and end up being caught by the immigration officials at some point or the other. Keeping in mind that scandals of these types are happening on a regular basis, people are advised to take consultancy from renowned and trusted sources for a hassle free future.

President Barack Obama recently affirmed that he holds his undertaking towards the Immigration laws and went on to say that his commitment towards the betterment of the Immigration system is dedicated and unchanged.

This Immigration reform will benefit the undocumented immigrants who are residing in U.S. along with those Indians who are suffering because of their undocumented connection. Obama confirmed that he will continue to provide support to the Senators (Senator Charles Schumer and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham) on the issue of Immigration reform. The Senators provided him with updates on bipartisan agreement to overhaul the immigration reform.

Although details of the update are not confirmed yet, Graham confirmed that the draft includes stringent border security, an attempt to prevent illegal immigrants from getting employment in the U.S.

The blueprint is also decked with a rational plan to deal with undocumented workers residing in the U.S., confirmed Graham. He said that Immigration reform does not mean quantity deportation of illegal people or putting them into jail, but a genuine system that would confirm equal rights for everyone.

Graham expressed his views that their effort towards Immigration reform would collapse if healthcare reconciliation takes place. He said that reconciliation would make it hard for Congress to collaborate for a critical topic like Immigration.

Obama also said that he is looking forward to the promising works by the two Senators, a work that holds the capacity to resolve the status of millions of undocumented applicants residing in the U.S