According to news by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, thousands of undocumented Punjabis are making Europe as their homes in an illegal manner. According to the report, they are entering the premises in huge numbers every year. The stats say that almost 20,000 enter the European countries on an annual basis, without proper visas or documentations.
Some of them end up being in jails, some lose their money in lakhs, while some commit suicide as they fail to get the required jobs and settlement, courtesy their illegal status. The report clearly points out towards the direction that illegal migration not only creates havoc in the life of the applicant but destroys the surroundings of the prospective country to which they are migrating.
KC Saha, former consultant of UNODC brought out these facts in front of the media. The report says that it is easy to conduct illegal immigration from big cities as the people behind it can remain anonymous and carry on with their illegal activities.
The aspect of Illegal immigration is harmful for the government of all the countries as it enhances the instances of terrorist activities to a major extent.
Other countries like Austria, Germany, France, Spain, to name a few, face similar incidents of illegal immigration every year. Therefore, it becomes mandatory that government should come out with stringent security checks to stop this continued process.
The sad part is that many of them spend millions of Rupees for illegal immigration when they can take legal immigration by spending the around five million Indian rupees under the Canada Immigrant Investor Program
Recently, the New Zealand government has rolled out two new retirement visas. Here is a little detail of the visas:
Parent Retirement Visa: This visa category enables the New Zealand Immigration to prioritize high net worth people, who are already contemplating to migrate to the country under the Family Category. As per the this category, the visa holders must invest at least an amount of $1 million after migrating to New Zealand over four years.
Temporary Retirement Visa: This visa category is for those retired people who intend to spend some time in New Zealand. However, this too requires them to meet the condition that they invest there, as well as repay the government for the health and welfare costs. A temporary retiree will be required to invest $750,000 over two years. Retirees under this category can be able to renew their permits up to the time when they could meet different criteria, including the investment funds and health insurance.
According to the spokesperson for Labor’s Immigration, Pete Hodgson, the idea of a retirement visa plan was in fact considered a decade ago, but dismissed considering the scheme would not work and fearing high costs involved in it. But, the country’s current Immigration Minister had decided to give the scheme a green signal.
Now, if some people out there are contemplating a plan to immigrate to New Zealand after retirement, here are two more options! However, these visa categories are meant for rich retirees, and this is what for which the plan already drawing criticism from all around! Let’s see New Zealand immigration’s new retirement visa plan brings what changes to the country’s immigration scenario.
UK is planning to make study visa rules stringent for Ugandans, confirmed the British High Commission.
According to UK Entry Clearance Manager Susanah Richmond, certain amendments in the UK immigration rules are likely to happen very soon. For instance, students making their minds to enroll themselves in a study course less than a degree level would only be allowed to work for 10 hours a week. Earlier the prescribed hours were twenty!
Also, applicants planning to study a course for less than six months won’t have the permission to bring their dependants with them.
For those students who already have their dependants living with them, the later would not be allowed to work, provided the student applicant enrolls in a course lower than a degree level.
In addition, it is mandatory to have good proficiency in the English language. UK has tightened visa rules in the past also. Under the previously listed regulations, it is mandatory for students to prove that they enrolled themselves in an institution licensed by UK Border Agency. Additionally, it is a requisite to prove that the students can financially support themselves in the UK.
Richmond went on to say that the number of Ugandans applying for UK have slowed down by a huge margin. She also defended the hike in the visa fees, saying that the money is used in the processing of the application.
Stringent rules would further ensure genuine entry for legal applicants!
This surely raises the question, what happens when a foreign child is adopted by Canadian parents! It becomes a matter of concern when a case of hearing reported for a teenage; accused for committing an assault and robbery that is facing the threat of deportation to his birth land. The teenager had committed the crime four years back in 2005 and has been released from a juvenile detention center recently.
The accused who was a minor at the time of the crime had been adopted by a Canadian family. This means he is not a Canadian citizen. Now that question arises what really happens to such an adopted child? So, here is the answer…
A child born after 1947 in Canada is regarded as a citizen of that country. Besides, if a child is born outside Canada after 1977, but if he/she has a Canadian parent is also regarded as a citizen of Canada. This criterion was applicable to a number of generations of people who were born to original Canadians until 2008. But, a law that had been passed in 2009 restricted this to only one generation.
Until 2006, an adopted child from a foreign country was required to be sponsored as a permanent resident first before he/she could be regarded as a Canadian citizen, which is popularly know as naturalization. Towards the end of the year 2007, this law was altered which stated that an adopted foreign child would be granted with Canadian citizenship without first going through the process of immigration. The same law was extended to Canadians who live outside the country.
Now foreign nationals who are adopted by Canadian citizens can obtain Canadian citizenship directly, without having to go through the process of naturalization! To know more about this, contact an Immigration and Visa consultant!
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.
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!
Visa frauds are getting common these days. Recently a man from California has been accused for operating a racket of undocumented and fake test takers who assisted many overseas applicants in attaining US Student Visas, confirmed Federal Authorities.
The gang used to assist the applicants in passing English Proficiency Examinations and in obtaining Student Visas at the later stages.
Eamonn Daniel Higgins, 46, the brain behind the ring appeared in the US District Court. In addition, 16 of clients (under doubts) are arrested for committing visa frauds. Amongst these suspects, a lady working for Higgins was illegally granted to take exam by using illegal documents and fake identity proofs.
Nothing has been confirmed as far as the backgrounds of these clients are concerned, nor has anything being said about their linkage with any sort of criminal or terrorist activities.
Debra Parker from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed that the investigations have astonished the US immigration authorities. She went on to say that illegal Visas are surely one of the biggest concerns for the country and the motives of visa frauds would be further scrutinized in the upcoming weeks.
Another official from ICE confirmed that six of the arrested clients would face criminal charges while the rest of them would be deported. Remaining suspects would face further investigations.
It has been reported that the culprit has managed to grab a heavy amount of more than tens of thousands of dollars from the overseas applicants and helped them get Student Visas.
Two Florida women have been arrested last Wednesday who are alleged with running a student visa fraud ring. The defendants are charge with misleading the US government while granting student visas to over 200 overseas nationals, who were actually not students. The U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida and special agent in charge for ICE Office of Investigations, Miami Field Office reported the case on Thursday.
According to the panel formed for the case, the foreign nationals who had been issued the U.S. student visas were falsely enrolled in the Florida Language Institute, 947 SW 87th Avenue. Post 9/11 attacks, it is a major issue for the nation, since many terrorists involved in the terror attack were holding students visas, but they all misused the visas. It was also reported that some attackers, including the pilot Hani Hanjour entered the U.S. as a student for language courses, but he never attended any class.
The 9/11 attacks had spread terror to such an extent that immigration officials have become very cautious and started monitoring schools that enroll overseas students as to whether they are attending their courses or not. However, the Miami case does not necessarily have to do with terror activity, but of illegal immigration.
The accused Lydia Menocal and Ofelia Macia, the school’s employees, however, defended themselves that the petitions that were signed by them were actual visa requests for the students. The investigators are trying their best to find what the foreign nationals with student visas were actually doing in the U.S.!
