Australian Immigration Minister Chris Evans announced recently a new agreement between Australia and New Zealand to improve identity checks and border security. Australia and New Zealand recently signed a memorandum of understanding [MoU] to share biometric data, an agreement that will further strengthen our nations’ border security. Biometrics is widely…
Canadian Immigration Minister Kenney said that Canadian citizenship is more than a legal status, more than a passport. We expect citizens to have an ongoing commitment, connection and loyalty to Canada while introducing a new changes in Canadian Immigrant norms. The main motive behind these changes to prevent citizenship fraud.…
Today is the first day that employers may file H1B petitions for FY 2011. We certainly released our cases on time yesterday, and are still open to new cases as long as the H1B cap will remain open. Under current law, an alien can be in H-1B status for a…
When faced with trying to have a U.S. citizen, legal permanent resident, or nonimmigrant visa holder perform services in Mexico, it is critical to analyze the following issues first: · Does the company have any operating entities in Mexico? If so, some Mexican consulates will indicate that FM-3 visa applications…
The Government of India has stated that educational cooperation is an “important facet” of Indo-UK ties. They will be in contact with the British High Commission to “better understand the reasons” for the temporary freeze on UK student visa applications by those based in Northern India. The Indian Government is…
Australian immigration will soon start implementation of biometric checks for Australian visa applications in ten Countries. $69 million Australian dollars will be invested over four years. The Australian Government had the following to say about the new Australian visa biometric requirements. * If you apply for an Australian visa in…
Mexico’s National Migration Institute published its Manual of Criteria and Migration Procedures. The Manual will be enforced as of 5/1/10 throughout the 32 delegations of the National Migration Institute in Mexico. Courtesy of AILA member Enrique Arellano. The intention of the National Migration Institute is to clarify, streamline and simplify…
As security at International airports tightens, we remind our readers about ESTA. On the one-year anniversary of implementing the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Customs and Border Protection reminds U.S.-bound travelers from Visa Waiver Program countries of the ESTA requirement. Beginning January 20, CBP…
DOS published a notice of the determination that the Abu Nidal Organization Movement (ANO) and Palestinian Liberation Front–Abu Abbas Faction (PLF) and all designated aliases will maintain designations as foreign terrorist organizations. Abu Nidal is a terrorist organization widely known for deadly attacks in the 1980s on Western, Palestinian, and…
The H-2B visa program is vital to America’s small businesses and thus to America’s economic recovery. The H-2B program is capped at 66,000 visas per year. This is the same arbitrary number set by Congress in 1990. The visa allotment is split equally between the winter and summer seasons. Small…