Articles Posted in Global Immigration

The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry proposes the closing of 7 diplomatic missions abroad, Minister Nikolay Mladenov announced. For the very first time, Mladenov mentioned the names of the countries, in which the Bulgarian embassies will be proposed for closing to the Bulgarian Council of Ministers. They are: Sudan, Angola, Zimbabwe, Cambodia, Thailand, Mexico and Tunisia.

In order for the closing process to go smoothly enough, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry considers temporarily sending additional diplomats in the neighboring countries of those mentioned. The choice is based on a scrutinizing financial analysis and on the necessity to optimize the system, according to the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry.

“The closings should not be read as a negative evaluation about the mutual relations between Bulgaria and those nations.”, Minister Mladenov affirmed. “Some 15 employees will return”, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Vesela Cherneva, clarified.

From 31 July 2009, migrants who applied for a Certificate of Approval between 2005 and 2009 have been able to apply for their fee to be repaid. They were required to show that paying the fee caused them real financial hardship at the time of payment. The advertised repayment scheme came to an end on 31 July 2010.

Since 31 July, the UK Border Agency has accepted some adhoc applications for a repayment of the COA fee. The Agency accepted such applications in the interests of ensuring that all those who may have suffered real financial hardship as a result of the COA fee had an adequate opportunity to apply for a repayment. From 1 December, however, the UK Border Agency will no longer accept such applications.

Those wishing to make an ad hoc application for repayment of the COA fee before the repayment scheme finally ends should use the Repayment of Certificate of Approval fee request form COAFR by visiting following link:http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100503160445/http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/partners-other-family/coa-refund-form

U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron said Monday his government would do everything possible to prevent a planned immigration cap from depriving U.K. companies of skilled workers from overseas. In a speech to the Confederation of British Industry on Monday, Mr. Cameron signaled the government was rethinking how the cap on non-European Union migrants might work. “As we control our borders and bring immigration to a manageable level, we will not impede you from attracting the best talent from around the world,” Mr. Cameron said.

However, a spokeswoman for the prime minister said the government had always said it wanted its new immigration cap to ensure businesses could attract skilled workers. Business Secretary Vince Cable, who has been critical of the immigration cap, said “there’s no change” in policy and that the government had always said it would create a flexible system. “There’s a common view that we have to have a cap on non-European Union immigration.

The government has said it will announce the new cap-and how it will operate-next spring. Businesses have been pressing for the system to be flexibly designed to ensure businesses don’t face obstacles in filling key posts. In a speech that focused on shifting the government’s message from austerity measures to growth and job creation, Mr. Cameron on Monday outlined initiatives to boost enterprise. These included a £200 million ($313.6 million) investment in technology and innovation hubs, and the government’s national infrastructure plan.

The Immigration Act 2009 comes into effect from 29 November 2010. Until then the Immigration Act 1987 applies. The key changes factsheet is a good place to start. It gives an overview of what’s happening, and gives an introduction to the other factsheets, which include:

* New terminology and concepts – outlines, for example, how we will no longer use the word ‘permit’ and instead use the word ‘visa’, and that the terms ‘residence permits’, ‘residence visas’ and ‘returning resident’s visas will be replaced by ‘resident visas’ and ‘permanent resident visas’ – but there is no change to existing categories for people wishing to settle in New Zealand.

* Residence – explains how people granted residence in New Zealand will be granted ‘resident visas’ with ‘travel conditions’, or ‘permanent resident visas’, and what these things mean.

Singaporeans who are successful in their application for a passport will have the option of collecting their passports from selected Singapore Post Limited (SingPost) outlets from October 15, 2010 onwards. Eligible passport applicants will be informed through the passport collection notification card or by email if they apply for a passport through APPLES, the online passport application system. Those who wish to enjoy the service offered by SingPost can select the preferred venue for collection via the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority’s (ICA) e-Appointment system which is available through the ICA website at www.ica.gov.sg.

The ICA has collaborated with SingPost to bring greater convenience to Singaporeans without compromising on security. In addition to the option of applying for passports at SingPost since 2008, Singaporeans may now also collect passports from selected SingPost outlets. SingPost was chosen to offer this service to Singaporeans after a rigorous tender process. ICA is also satisfied SingPost has put together a robust and stringent process to ensure the secure delivery, custody and collection of the Singapore passport at its outlets.

Singaporeans who are eligible for this service will be able to enjoy the convenience of collecting their passports from SingPost’s wide network of outlets strategically located across the island. There will be a service fee payable to SingPost for the successful collection of each ICA document at designated SingPost outlets. There are 20 designated SingPost outlets selected to offer this service to ICA customers. As an added advantage, some SingPost outlets have extended operating hours up till 8pm and are open on weekends and public holidays.

UK is getting lot more protests from various quarters. In a rare intervention, eight British Nobel Laureates, including Russian-born Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov who share this year’s Nobel Prize for Physics, have warned that the Government’s plans to put an annual cap on immigration from outside the European Union would deprive Britain of international scientific talent and “isolate” it from the “increasingly globalized world of research”.

Sir Harry Kroto, who got the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1996, cited the case of Prashant Jain, an Indian material scientist from the Florida State University, who was offered a fellowship by Cambridge University. But he was refused a visa because he was not able to secure enough points under the points-based immigration system to be eligible for a work permit. He is a researcher who is very clearly going places. It’s an amazing loss to the country. He will probably now stay here in the U.S. when he was quite keen to work in the U.K.. It is a very good example of the problems that immigration (policy) is causing in science. Dr. Jain (28) said he was very keen to work at Cambridge which he described as a “wonderful place” but said he now saw his future in America.

In a joint letter the Nobel Laureates said that Britain’s reputation as a global center of research excellence would be damaged if a rigid cap on immigration made it difficult for universities to recruit the best talent from abroad.

The UAE’s Ministry of Labor announced plans to use online filing system to speed up the application process for work permits across the country.

In the existing system, a representative from the company must go to the ministry’s physical location to apply for a work permit, a process that unnecessarily consumes time. The new system, on the other hand, will enable applicants to submit all documents electronically. Moreover, companies will be able to process the work permits through a software that they can buy, or use at selected service centers.

Humaid bin Deemas, the executive director for Labour Affairs at the ministry, said we want to make sure that procedures will not form obstacles for any future changes in the criteria for the work permit and this move will work towards that end. It will also enable the ministry to concentrate more on formulating policies rather than spending time on mere procedures.

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 used in the international community as an effective tool to manage visa and immigration processes, improve identity management and combat fraud.

At the Five Countries Conference (FCC) in London a memorandum of understanding was signed between Australia and New Zealand. The Conference enables Five data sharing Countries to exchange information and agree a way forward to improve border security. FCC data-sharing helps to establish the true identity of people whose identities or nationalities were previously unknown or uncertain, and has been used in Australia to check the identities of irregular maritime arrivals, other people in immigration detention and illegal foreign fishers. Since 2006, more than 100 000 fingerprint records have been exchanged, helping Australia and FCC partner countries to establish the true identities and immigration histories of people whose identities were unknown or uncertain. Collection and sharing of biometric data is a proven tool in the fight against identity fraud and can prevent unlawful entrants’ efforts to thwart Australia’s border and visa processes.

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. As promised in the Speech from the Throne, these amendments will streamline the process to take citizenship away from those who have acquired it by fraud, including by concealment of their war crimes. And it would take decision-making away from politicians and give it to the courts.

The proposals in the Strengthening the Value of Canadian Citizenship Act are as follows:

– There are likely to be tough new regulations covering citizenship consultants and tougher measures taken against those who gain Canadian Citizenship fraudulently. This follows on from proposed amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act relating to immigration consultants – The Cracking Down on Crooked Consultants Act.