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The UAE extended the visa period of property owners to three years from six months in a move to re-ignite investor confidence the real estate sector.

The decision, part of a raft of measures taken by the government to underpin economic growth as per the strategic plan 2011-2013, was taken at a cabinet meeting in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday chaired by Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice-president and prime minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai. Under the existing law, foreign owners of property worth more than Dh1 million are eligible to get only a six-month visa, which has to be reviewed every six months for Dh2,120 at a time. The applicant for the property investor residence visa also needs to open a bank account locally or aboard and is required to provide proof of a minimum monthly income of Dh10,000. The investor shall also get a medical insurance renewable every six months, apart from a valid medical fitness test every two years.

The requirements and conditions under the new law will be announced soon. “The UAE Federal Cabinet decision to extend residence visa for real estate investors to three years will significantly enhance investor confidence and drive the growth of the country’s property sector, said Mohamed Alabbar, chairman, Emaar Properties PJSC, while welcoming the decision.

“The property sector is a key contributor to the non-oil GDP of the country, and is one of the largest employment providers apart from supporting several associated industries,” Alabbar added.

The sector also plays in driving foreign direct investment to the country, and the Cabinet decision will enhance the appeal of the UAE as a preferred destination for safe investments in property. The Cabinet decision underlines the vision of Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE President and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President & Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai to further boost the competitiveness of the UAE” Alabbar concluded.

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The Short-stay Visa Waiver Program was announced by the Government as part of its Jobs Initiative with a view to promoting tourism from emerging markets. It is due to commence on 1 July 2011. The program will run as a pilot up to end October 2012 but may be amended or expanded at any point depending on experience of the pilot.

The main points of the programme are:
– Holders of UK “general visas” will be able to travel to Ireland within the period of validity of that visa without the requirement to obtain a separate Irish visa. The period of validity of such a visa is 180 days but the maximum stay in Ireland will be 90 days or to the end of the period of validity of the visa, whichever is the shorter. It should be stressed that the need for a visa to visit Ireland is not eliminated by this programme. Visitors from visa-required countries will still require an Irish visa (for direct travel to Ireland) or a UK visa (for travel to Ireland via the UK). What is eliminated by this programme is the need to have both an Irish and UK visa when visiting Ireland via the UK.

– The person travelling will be required to land in and have gained lawful entry to the UK, on foot of the current visa, prior to travel to Ireland. Lawful entry will be attested by the appropriate entry stamp of the UK Border Agency. Therefore, transit passengers through the UK to Ireland, who do not pass through immigration in the UK, will still require an Irish visa. There is no minimum length of stay in the UK required before travel to Ireland.

– The persons travelling to Ireland under the programme will be treated at their Irish port of entry just as they would have been previously if arriving with an Irish visa i.e. their passport will be further stamped by immigration officers at the Irish port of entry with an entry stamp and a date until which the visitor is allowed to stay. Visitors will have to satisfy immigration officers as to the purpose of their visit in the normal way.

– A person may return to Ireland within the period of validity of the UK visa but will not be able to stay in Ireland for more than 90 days in any one visit. As above, the immigration officer at port of entry has the ultimate decision on the length of stay.

In relation to persons travelling between Ireland and Northern Ireland, the following scenarios will apply:
– If arriving in Ireland and then travelling to Northern Ireland, both an Irish and UK visa will be required, as is the case at present
– If arriving in Northern Ireland and travelling to Ireland, the visa waiver programme will apply and only a UK visa will be required
– If arriving in Ireland, travelling to Northern Ireland and then returning to Ireland, both an Irish and UK visa will be required but the UK visa will be accepted under the programme for the return visit
– If arriving in Northern Ireland, travelling to Ireland and then returning to Northern Ireland, the visa waiver programme will apply to the visit to Ireland but the appropriate UK visa will be required to allow a second entry into Northern Ireland. The person may travel out of the Common Travel Area from either Ireland or the UK but this must happen before the expiry of the stamp issued by the immigration officer on arrival in Ireland (if leaving from Ireland) or the expiration of the UK visa (if leaving from the UK).

“General visas” cover short-term tourist and business visitors. Other types of visa, for example transit visas, long-term student visas, join spouse or family reunification visas, are not encompassed.

Nationals of the following countries are proposed for inclusion in the programme:
– Eastern Europe: Belarus, Montenegro, Russian Federation, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine
– Middle East: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates
– Other Asian: India, Kazakhstan, Peoples Republic of China , Uzbekistan
Only passport holders of those countries are included in the scheme. Long-term residents in those countries, who are not nationals of that country, are not covered. Arrangements are being made for holders of diplomatic and special passports from Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, who are visa exempt for the UK, to be included in the program. Nationals of the countries above, who are long-term legal residents in the UK, will still require an Irish visa but will have the visa fee waived as part of the programme.

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Immigration New Zealand advises foreign nationals unable to leave New Zealand because of the Chilean ash cloud and whose visas expire in the meantime that, even though they may become unlawfully in New Zealand, no action will be taken against them while the disruption continues. However, there is a clear expectation that people will take steps to leave New Zealand as soon as flights resume.

When natural disasters occur or in similar circumstances that are beyond the control of the visa holder, we apply common sense and empathy in considering any visa issues.

We don’t disadvantage people for being stuck at an airport because of climatic conditions, just as we didn’t disadvantage foreign nationals whose immigration status was affected by the Christchurch earthquake.

To ensure we are aware of the reason a person has become unlawfully in New Zealand, anyone whose visa has expired pending resumption of flights should contact their nearest Immigration New Zealand branch or call the Immigration Contact Centre at 0508 55 88 55.

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Legislation cracking down on crooked immigration consultants will come into force on June 30, 2011, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced today.

At the same time, oversight of the consultant community is being turned over to the newly created Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC). “The Government of Canada has promised to crack down on crooked immigration consultants and their shady practices, and with Bill C-35, we now have the tools,” said the Minister.

Bill C-35 strengthens the rules governing those who charge their clients for immigration advice or representation, making it an offence for anyone other than an accredited immigration representative to conduct business, for a fee or other consideration, at any stage of an application or proceeding. It also increases penalties and fines for unauthorized representation and allows for more government oversight in order to improve the way in which immigration consultants are regulated.

With the designation of the ICCRC as the regulator of immigration consultants, consultants who are currently members in good standing of the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants (CSIC) can begin to register with the ICCRC on June 30, 2011.

Immigration representatives must be either members in good standing of a provincial or territorial law society, including paralegals; members of the Chambre des notaires du Québec; or members of the governing body for immigration consultants.

A 120-day transitional period will be put in place to ensure a smooth transition and continuity of service for both CSIC members currently in good standing and their clients during the transition to the ICCRC. The transition period will end on October 28, 2011.

After a notice was published on March 19, 2011, in the Canada Gazette, Part I, proposing the ICCRC be designated the regulator of immigration consultants, over 70 percent of the public comments received during the 30-day consultation period supported the proposal to establish a new regulator of immigration consultants.

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UK Border Agency has produced a document clarifying aspects of the current review of the student immigration stsyem.

The document (http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/news/t4-review-clarification.pdf) answers some frequently asked questions raised by sponsors in the following areas:
– Educational oversight and accreditation
– Highly Trusted Sponsor status
– The interim limit
– Contact details for enquiries about the sponsorship management system
– Post-study work
– Immigration officers’ discretion to refuse
– Dependents
– Maintenance and low-risk countries
– Academic progression

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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Tuesday that from Aug. 11, Taiwanese tourists can stay in Israel for up to 90 days visa-free.

The visa-waiver agreement was signed by Simona Halperni, director of the Israel Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei on June 17, and countersigned on June 27 by Taiwan’s representative to Israel, Chang Liang-jen. This agreement makes Israel the 114th country to grant visa free privileges to Taiwanese citizens.

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India took a lead in resolving the vexed visa issue by liberalising its rules for the Russian citizens visiting India on business and tourism.

“We are now issuing multi-entry business visas valid for one year against six months single or double entry in the past and tourist visas valid for six months with multiple entries,” India’s Ambassador to Russia Ajai Malhotra has said.The Embassy of India in Moscow has streamlined and liberalised its issuance of business and tourist visas with a view to further encourage business contacts and promote tourism between India and Russia.

India and the Russian Federation already have in place a visa-free regime for diplomatic and official passport holders of both countries, that facilitates regular official contact. Both business and tourist visas would normally be issued in three working days following the date of application against minimum ten working days previously.

The new pattern is also being followed by the Indian Consulates General in St Petersburg and Vladivostok. The Russian citizens normally have to apply for the Indian visa by a Russian company appointed by the Indian mission to allow them to submit their applications even on weekends and holidays, when the Embassy is closed.

Ambassador Malhotra said these measures to facilitate the travel by Russian businessmen and tourists to India were actually implemented from June 12, Russia’s national day. According to him, the Indian Embassy in Moscow and the Consulates in St Petersburg and Vladivostok had issued about 110,000 visas to Russian citizens during 2010.

“I expect this number to increase by about 25 per cent this year”, Malhotra said.

Tourist flows from Russia to India have picked up in recent years, with Goa, New Delhi- Agra- Jaipur Golden Triangle, Mumbai and Kulu-Manali emerging as major attractions. According to a recent report issued by the State Statistics Committee last year 12 million Russians visited foreign countries.

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US Dept. of State has issued following notification:
We regret to inform you that, due to a computer programming problem, the results of the 2012 Diversity Lottery that were previously posted on this website have been voided. They were not valid and were posted in error. The results were not valid because they did not represent a fair, random selection of entrants, as required by U.S. law.

If you checked this website during the first week in May and found a notice that you had been selected for further processing or a notice that you had not been selected, that notice has been rescinded and is no longer valid.

A new selection process will be conducted based on the original entries for the 2012 program.

If you submitted a qualified entry from October 5, 2010 to November 3, 2010, your entry remains with us. It will be included in the new selection lottery. Your confirmation number to check results on this website is still valid.

We expect the results of the new selection process to be available on this website on or about July 15, 2011. We regret any inconvenience this might have caused.

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The number of visitors to Russia from European countries fell by up to 24 percent in the first quarter as tour operators blamed visa costs and red tape, an industry union said. It has fallen noticeably.

The number of tourists from neighboring Finland – recently linked to Saint Petersburg by high-speed train – fell by 24 percent in the first quarter, year on year, the union said, citing official statistics.

The numbers of German visitors fell by 10 percent in the same period and French and Spanish by 14 percent.

However the total number of tourists to Russia, which includes large groups such as the Chinese, rose by five percent.

The tour operators’ union said almost all the international tour operators it questioned blamed falling European visitor numbers on “the high cost of tourist visas and the complexity of the visa process for foreigners.”
In Spain, the introduction of visa centers to process applications has seen the cost of a tourist visa rise by 30 percent and the time taken from a maximum of 10 days to 21 days, it said.

People wishing to travel to Russia have to acquire an invitation from a hotel, an organization or a personal friend. Once in Russia, they are required to register with local police.

Russia has insistently called on the European Union to lift visa restrictions on its citizens and President Dmitry Medvedev recently hailed preliminary concessions at a Russia-EU summit.

While Russians can obtain long-term multi-entry tourist visas to Europe, Russia offers only single or double entry tourist visas that cannot stretch beyond booked travel dates.

Citing statistics that any simplification of visa rules increases tourism by up to 30 percent, the tourism union deputy president Yury Barzykin called for the Russian government to ensure its strategy was a “two-way street.”

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The Government of Rwanda has introduced a New Immigration Law No O4/2011 of 21/03/2011 and its implementing ministerial orders on regulation and fees published on Official Gazette No 24 of 13 June 2011. The New Law comes to implement the National Migration Policy aimed at attracting skilled workers, promoting investment, tourism and enhance national security.

The Law has also been harmonized with EAC Protocol on Free movement of people, labor and services as a requirement of the EAC partner states. The law provides that Citizens of East African Community partner states shall have the right to visit Rwanda for a period of up to six months without visa. They will be issued with a specific visitors pass by simple endorsement in their valid travel document.

In order to facilitate movements of Rwandans, new travel documents have been introduced in addition to the existing ones such as a collective Laissez-Passer issued to people traveling as a group mainly for social activities.

This collective Laissez-Passer will facilitate Rwandans traveling as a group and shall cost 10.000frw for ten people instead of 3000frw for individual application.

The law also has introduced a travel document for Border communities known as border pass. This travel document shall be issued free of charge and will facilitate cross border activities. Likewise, Rwandans intending to travel in emergency situations may also be issued with an emergency travel document which shall be issued free of charge.

A new CEPGL travel document has been re-introduced for Rwandans and foreigners residing in Rwanda while traveling within CEPGL member states. The issuance of CEPGL documents comes after being harmonization with CEPGL member states.

Furthermore the law gives the right for an individual to hold more than one passport after presenting clear justification. This is in case a person intending to travel while his/her passport is still in visa processes may apply for an additional passport.

The New law has introduced different classes of Visas and residence Permits to cater for different purposes of visiting, working, or residing in Rwanda. Each category of visa or permit shall have a corresponding fee. The repealed Immigration law had only five categories of visas which made it difficult to manage entry and stay of foreigners.

In this new immigration regulation, the duration of an entry visa has been extended from 15 up to 30 days with multiple entries. This will facilitate visitors of Rwanda to visit other countries within the region contrary using the Single entry visa.

A specific visitor’s pass was also introduced for EAC nationals for a period of up to 6 months. Tourist visa is defined in accordance with the Rwanda tourism policy where all visitors who enter the country and stay for less than a year are considered as tourists.

It is in this regard, that there are 11 classes of tourist visas among them being group tourist visa for tourists coming as a group, conference visa for facilitating visitors coming for conferences, job search visa for skilled people seeking employment in Rwanda, business visa for business persons searching for business opportunities, Itinerant business person visa for business persons with established business in Rwanda but do not reside, medical treatment visa for foreigners seeking medical treatment and Bridging visa which intends to help people.

Generally, the duration of tourist visas shall range from 3 months up to 2 years.

In promotion of e-governance, many visas shall be applied online at www.migration.gov.rw, but also Rwanda diplomatic mission or at the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration.

In an effort to facilitate foreigners wishing to work or reside in Rwanda, a work and resident permits have been combined. A person who will have acquired a resident permit will subsequently have a right to reside and work. Permits are divided into temporary resident permits and permanent resident permits. Temporary resident permits allow holders to reside in Rwanda for a specified period while permanent resident permit allows holders to reside for unspecified period.

Investors who invest in sectors such as agriculture and animal husbandry, ICT, hospitality industry, mining, manufacturing and other sectors shall be issued with 3 years temporary resident permit as an incentive.

This also applies for entrepreneurs investing in rural developments. Other Entrepreneurs shall be issued with 2 years temporary resident permit instead of 1 year as it was provided by the old law. All this was done as a way ofeasing doing business in Rwanda.

In aneffort to attract skilled workers as stated in the national migration policy, professionals whose qualification are listed on Occupation in Demand List (ODL) shall be eligible to a 3 years temporary resident permit.

Other employees shall get two years permit instead of one year as it used to be. The law has also catered for non-skilled workers permit. In order to facilitate cross border activities, Foreigners residing in Rwanda within the border area but working or doing business in the neighboring countries shall be issued Frontier pass. The same pass shall be issued to Foreigners residing within border area in one of the neighboring country who works or does business in Rwanda.

Students’ permit has been introduced to cater for foreigner students in Rwanda for study purposes and its fee has been reduced to 10,000 Frw. Similarly, a holiday’s workers permit has also been introduced to facilitate students and other people wishing to work during their holidays. A permit for a retired person with assured income has also been introduced to facilitate people who wish to have their retirements in Rwanda.

A temporary resident permit holder who has lawfully stayed in Rwanda for a period of 5 years shall be eligible to a permanent resident permit. Dependants and Spouses of a temporary resident permit holder shall be allowed to work and their permits shall cost a half fee of the principal applicant contrary to the existing practice. Foreigner ID card has also been catered for and shall be used as a resident card. In this regard, the card shall facilitate a foreigner who resides in Rwanda to acquire a Rwanda driving license.

Furthermore, People of Rwandan origin leaving in Diaspora but have lost their Rwandan citizenship due to acquisition of other nationalities but can not get dual citizenship may be eligible to permanent residence as a way of facilitating them to establish themselves in Rwanda.

In order to achieve its objectives the DG I&E officers have been given by the law the powers to investigate crimes related to Immigration and shall take the lead in the management of Rwandan borders.

The law has set penalties to those who shall not follow the existing immigration procedures. For effective management of immigrants, the law has established the obligations for foreigners and stakeholders such as employers, institutions of learning, hotels, and travel/transport agencies.

Generally, travel documents fees have not been changed, however new travel documents have been introduced to facilitate movement of Rwandans such as a Border pass which shall be issued free of charge, a collective laisser passer for Rwandans traveling as a group of ten people at reasonable fee of 10.000Frw and an emergency travel documents shall be issued free of charge to Rwandans.

Though the fee for the current laisser passer remains the same, there is an ongoing project for a new secure machine readable laisser passer which shall be in a booklet form and shall have a different fee.

A Diplomatic passport shall also be issued for the fee of 50,000 Frwas ordinary passport; however there will be a penalty for lost passport. The entry visa fee has been reduced from 60USD to 30 USD as a way of promoting tourist as early indicated there is a provision for multiple entry visa which shall be issued at a fee of 60 USD.