Will the US Foreign Student Enrolment Increase?...

The United States allows foreign nationals to enrol in US colleges and universities through a student visa. Over the years, there has not been a significant increase in the number of international students studying in the country. Since the academic year 2002 to 2003, the number of foreign students enrolling in the US has declined due to the tougher requirements. It was only in the academic year 2006 to 2007 that an increase was noted in the number of foreign student enrolment.

For the first time after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the number of foreign students enrolment increased in 2006 according to the Institute of International Education or IIE. There was a 3.2 percent increase from the previous year which gives a total of 582,984 students for the academic year of 2006 to 2007.

The leading nationalities of foreign students include Japan, South Korea, and China. But the top country of origin for international students was India. There were around 83,833 students from India. Chinese nationals followed with 67,723 students, South Korea was third with 62,392 students, and Japan was fourth with 35,282 students enrolled in the US for the year 2006 to 2007.

As for the course of study, Business Management was the top field for the international students. There were about 103,641 international students enrolled on this course. About 89,137 foreign students were enrolled in Engineering courses, the second most common field. The Physical and Life Scientists courses were third with 51,863 enrolling, while Social Sciences account for 48,978 others.

New IDs for Moscow’s Migrant Workers...

Moscow’s migrant workers are now required to get the new IDs as announced by Moscow authorities. The new IDs will also serve as a work permit according to officials. The new IDs are magnetic plastic cards that will also contain certain information such as passport details and medical information. Thus, this important ID will be the migrant’s primary document while in the capital of Russia.

It was the head of the labour exchange of the Moscow Committee on Interregional Ties and Ethnic Policy, Yevgeny Chernetsov, who announced the implementation of these new IDs. However, in 2007, it was first announced by the Mayor of Moscow, Yury Luzhkov. Being able to save passport and medical information means the plastic ID will have a special microchip that contains such data. The foreign worker or migrant’s information will be stored there for three months upon arrival in Moscow. When the migrant receives an employment offer during that period, then the card’s validation will be extended for up to a year. This means that the card can be issued even if the migrant does not have an offer of employment yet.

The ID card may be requested at any of the 126 territorial branches of the Russian Migration Service according the Yevgeny Chernetsov. Those who are already living and working in the area can get their card from those centres. At the same time, upon application for the card, the migrant will be required to pay a deposit of $500. This bill is currently being reviewed by the Russian government. The ID card is in lieu of addressing the illegal immigration problem in the country.

New Immigration Policy for Family Members in New Z...

The government of New Zealand has announced a new immigration policy for the family members of its citizens. According to the New Zealand Immigration Minister David Cunliffe, the said immigration policies will lighten the burden of bringing the family members of New Zealand citizens to the country for visits. David Cunliffe has announced that these revisions in the immigration policy value the importance of family support and thus makes the immigration system more transparent.

Not only parents but grandparents of the migrants will be able to easily obtain visit visas, Cunliffe stated that the immigration agency recognizes how important this is. In November 2007, parents and grandparents visiting their families in the country will be approved multiple visit visas over a period of three years. They will no longer need to reapply for a new visa each time they enter the country. They may conveniently travel back and forth to the country with the said visa.

Aside from the visit visas, the immigration of New Zealand also announced certain revisions in the sponsorship of parents, adult children, and siblings of migrants. These changes include a quota for sponsorship of the above mentioned family members to become permanent residents. Aside from that, New Zealand will introduce more rigorous character criteria for those who wish to sponsor their partners to come and follow them to New Zealand. There will also be a minimum income requirement of NZD $29,897.92 or approximately USD $23,000 when sponsoring parents. The timeframe to guarantee support for the parents is extended from two to five years.

No Visa Requirement for Latvia and Czech Republic ...

Nations like Czech Republic and Latvia, are among the members of the European Union. Recently, the European Commission has appealed to the European Council requesting visa restrictions for the EU member states to be lifted. Thus, in a move to achieve this goal, Canada has announced lifting the visa requirements for citizens of the Latvia and Czech Republic.

The Immigration Minister of Canada, Ms. Diane Finley has recently announced that effective immediately, citizens of the nations of Czech Republic and Latvia will no longer require visas to visit the country of Canada. Thus, these citizens will enjoy visa-free travels to the country anytime they want. According to Finley, they have decided to approve this after much deliberation and analysis. Since Canada has always enjoyed strong ties with these two countries, the act of removing the need for visas will only aid both parties to fashion a much better relationship. Not only will the Canadians benefit from this new policy, but also the Czech Republic and Republic of Latvia citizens.

The CIC or Citizenship and Immigration Canada has constantly been reviewing and analyzing visa requirements, especially for the new member states of the EU or European Union between year 2004 and 2007. Prior to Latvia and Czech Republic, other countries that have recently been added to the list of EU countries that can enjoy visa-free travel, are the countries of Cyprus, Estonia, Malta, and Slovenia. Canada continues to review visa free eligibility for the remaining members of the EU such as Bulgaria, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia.

This article is sponsored by TravelDirectory.org.uk.

Is it Easy to Get an Indian Visa?...

Indian visas are not that hard to obtain. The best place to apply for an Indian visa is through the Indian Missions in the country you are in. There are various types of Indian visas you may apply for. There is a business visa, a student visa, employment visa, transit visa, or simply an entry visa to India. All these types of visa can be easily obtained through the Indian Missions. You may also seek help from the Indian Embassy in your country. There is also the High Commission of India and Consulate Generals of India to help you acquire one.

In order to get an Indian visa, you will need a number of documents, then, it should only take you a day to obtain one. If you choose to apply for an Indian visa by mail, it may take up to a maximum of 10 days. Firstly, you will need to prepare your passport. The passport you present during application must not be expiring in the next 6 months from the date of application. The passport must have at the least two blank pages available. Prepare two recent passport ID photographs, ensure that your photo has a white or at the least, light background. Application fees usually cost around $60 or more if you request for a longer stay.

To get an Indian visa in person, go to the nearest Indian Embassy or Consulate General. Applications are accepted from 9 in the morning to 12.30 noon. It will be processed immediately and you will get your visa sometime between 3 and 5 in the afternoon. It is that easy! If you cannot visit the embassy or consulate, you may apply through a travel agency or via mail. It will take about 10 business days to receive your visa.

Immigration Changes Proposed for Irish IT sector...

The IT sector of Ireland has been complaining about the current immigration policies of the country. It was said that the current policies have made it difficult for them, the companies and employers, to hire skilled professionals from outside the country and outside the European Union. Some occupations are hard to fill simply because they cannot find a perfect candidate from Ireland or its neighbouring countries.

To address that problem, the IT companies in the country are requesting and appealing to the Immigration department of Ireland to make necessary changes. The complaints have not fallen on deaf ears. The Immigration department and the government of Ireland both have approved several programs to allow foreign professionals to work in the country. Some of the programs that deal with these kinds of situations include the Irish Green Card Scheme, the Work Permit Scheme, as well as the Intra-Company Transfer Scheme. These programs have focused on providing migration for the highly skilled employees and at the same time fill up the shortages in skills needed in the country.

However, though the country and Ireland’s immigration have continuously addressed such complaints and issues, the IT sector still is not satisfied with how the programs work. The IT companies still feel they are deprived of hiring highly skilled individuals from outside the European Union. Most of the programs require that the individual come to Europe first before they are allowed to apply for visas. However, it seems hard for non-EU workers to enter the country as many have been refused visas.

1.8 Million Work Permits to Be Issued for Russia...

Good news for those seeking work permits in Russia. The Russian Government has announced that they will be issuing about 1.8 million work permits to foreign nationals for the year 2008. Back in 2007, a total of 1.7 million work permits were issued by the government. The Federal Migration Service announced that this figure doubled from the previous year, 2006.

Russia is among the hottest countries that skilled or unskilled workers turn to for employment. Their statistics show that each year, there are more than 20 million people who come to the country to work or look for work. However, the downfall is that most of these people come to the country illegally. Thus, they have substantially increased the work permits issued over the past few years. In 2007 however, there were only 5 million foreign nationals who applied for work permits. This is only 25 percent of the total foreign nationals coming to the country to work.

Most of the migrant workers are nationals of the old Soviet nations like the country of Uzbekistan. In order to address the rising figures of illegal immigration in Russia, the country has discussed agreements with the other former Soviet Republic nations or members. The increase of work permit quotas will also provide great relief to this problem.

Aside from the work permit quota being increased, Russia is also changing some multiple-entry visa rules. The multiple-entry business visas can only be valid for 180 days in a year and valid for only 90 days for each entry.

What is a US Tourist Visa?...

A US tourist visa entitles the holder to travel to the United States of America for a limited amount of time; this can be as a tourist or to visit friends and relatives. The main type of tourist/visitor visa the US use is the B2 visa.

The B2 visa is not a route to gain permanent residence in the US and is only intended for use with tourism, visiting friends and relatives, for health reasons and short study courses. For people seeking permanent residence a US Green Card or Permanent Resident Card must be applied for.

A B2 visa is usually approved for a period of between 1 and 10 years, and during this period the visa holder is entitled to enter the US multiple times, as long as it is used in accordance with the B2 visas regulations.

Each of the B2 visa holders visits to the US will be limited to no more than six months; this can be extended by an extra six months, but the visa holder must show that their visit is a temporary one and that they intend to return to their country. A B2 visa holder is not allowed to work in the US or entitled to any employment rights.

What is An Australian Working Holiday Visa?...

The Australian working holiday visa was designed to assist the tourism of the country. Not only will it assist the tourism but the construction industries of the country will also be greatly aided with this kind of visa. The working holiday visas work by enabling young people on extended holidays in the country to get temporary jobs in some of the sectors.

Those people who are working in the construction industry and are on an Australian working holiday visa also get an added bonus. If they have been working for the construction industry in the regional areas for at least three months, they will be given the choice to extend their stay in the country for up to a year. This rule also applies to those on a working holiday visa working in the country’s primary industries like forestry, fishing, agriculture, and mining industries.

Australia can afford to provide a holiday working visa because its primary industry sectors, as well as its tourism greatly benefits from this program. According to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, the number of young people coming to the country on a working holiday visa continues to grow.

Visa-free travel to Canada...

Canada enjoys strong ties with a number of nations worldwide. Thus, it provides various visa exemptions to its ally countries. However, there are also other ways to enjoy a visa-free travel to Canada. Below are various ways to obtain visa-free travel to the country.

There are a lot of people who no longer need a visa to visit Canada. Citizens of the following countries are exempted from presenting a visa upon entry to Canada: Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Botswana, Brunei, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Iceland, Ireland, national passport holders of Israel, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Republic of Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Portugal, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Swaziland, Sweden, Slovenia, Switzerland, United States, and Western Samoa.

At the same time, if you are a lawful permanent resident of the United States, meaning you have at the least, a green card or an alien registration card, then, you can enter Canada without a visa. You must present your green card and passport when entering Canada. If you have any other evidence of permanent residence, then you may enter the country.

Canada also exempts British citizens and British Overseas Citizens who are re-admissible into the United Kingdom. At the same time, citizens of the British dependent territories such as Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn, St. Helena or the Turks and Caicos Islands, who have derived their citizenship through descent, birth, registration, or naturalization, are exempt from visa requirements.

Other visitors exempted from the visa requirements are those holding a British National (Overseas) Passport issued by the UK and born, registered, or naturalized in Hong Kong, those with Special Administrative Region passport from Hong Kong SAR, and those with passports or travel documents provided by the Holy See.