The Norwegian-Russian agreement on visa-free travel for people living in the border area will be signed when Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visits Oslo on November 2nd. Speaking at the joint press-conferance with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev in Murmansk today, Norway’s Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg confirmed that the deal will be…
Articles Posted in Top Immigration Stories
Britain doles out most passports in EU
Britain is handing out passports to more foreign nationals than any other EU country. In one year, the number of citizenship applications rubber-stamped by the last government was almost a quarter of those issued across all 27 EU member states. From 2002 to 2008, the latest period for which full…
UAE to open embassy in Azerbaijan
The UAE plans to open an embassy in Azerbaijan this year. The UAE is the first country that recognized Azerbaijan’s independence in 1991. Diplomatic ties between the two countries were established in 1992. Azerbaijan opened an embassy in Abu Dhabi in 2001 and a consulate in Dubai in 2006.
Ghana Ministry To Open More Passport Application Centres
Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni, Minister of Foreign Affairs, answering questions during his turn at the meet-the-press series at the Ministry of Information in Accra. Three new Passport Application Centres (PACs) are to be inaugurated by the close of this month to help ease the congestion and rush at the PAC and…
Immigration New Zealand’s Response to the Canterbury Earthquake
As part of its response to the Canterbury earthquake, Immigration New Zealand is working closely with other Government agencies to identify occupations where skill shortages may occur, for example, in the infrastructure or construction sectors to ensure that where an immigration response is required we are able to respond in…
US Imposed New Tourist Tax On Travelers From Visa-Waiver Countries
From Sept. 8, travelers flying to the US which do not requires visas will be required to pay a $14 “operational and travel promotion.” According to US Customs and Border Protection website, people from Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries must pay when applying for an Electronic System for Travel Authorization…
Canadian Immigrant Investor scheme suspended – Investment requirements to double
Canadian immigration also intends to significantly increase the investment requirements for the immigrant investor program: – A personal net worth of $1.6M instead of $800,000 – An investment requirement of $800,000 instead of $400,000 Canadian immigration feels that that the investment requirements are too low. The investment requirements have not…
Number of illegal immigrants in US now declining
The number of illegal immigrants in the U.S. has dropped for the first time in 20 years as substantially fewer undocumented workers from Mexico, Latin America and elsewhere are crossing the border in search of jobs, an independent research group says. The analysis by the Pew Hispanic Center suggests the…
Immigration Officials moving to dismiss some deportation cases
The Department of Homeland Security is systematically reviewing thousands of pending immigration cases and moving to dismiss those filed against suspected illegal immigrants who have no serious criminal records, according to several sources familiar with the efforts. Culling the immigration court system dockets of noncriminals started in earnest in Houston…
IT Firms in a bind As H1B Visa Fees go up and up….
New U.S. legislation that sharply boosts visa fees to pay for tighter border security may play well in some parts of the country, but the applause is faint in Silicon Valley. The measure, signed into law by President Barack Obama on Friday, is expected to raise operating costs for outsourcing…