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The Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers has approved a draft agreement with Switzerland on visa facilitation.

“The government has approved a draft agreement between the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the Swiss Federal Council on the facilitation of the issuance of visas. A relevant resolution was passed at its meeting on December15,” the Department of Information and Communications of the Cabinet Secretariat said.

The implementation of this agreement will help relax the rules for trips to Switzerland, in particular expanding the categories of Ukrainian citizens who to whom the simplified procedure for gaining Swiss visas applies. In addition, the agreement proposes cutting the time for processing visa applications, increasing the term of validity of multiple-entry visas and simplifying the procedure for their issuing.

The draft agreement also suggests the abolition of visa fees for certain categories of Ukrainians. As reported, Ukraine intends to agree on the relaxation of visa requirements with 14 countries, in including Switzerland, in 2011.

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An interim cap introduced last summer has been deemed unlawful by the UK High Court; High Court Judges have ruled that ministers needed parliamentary approval before going ahead with the temporary immigration.

As a result, the temporary immigration cap is no longer in force. If you wish to apply for a tier 1 visa or tier 2 visa you should apply as soon as possible. Ministers can introduce a new cap when Parliament returns in January. MPs and Peers would then have an opportunity to oppose the immigration cap within 40 days.Ministers introduced the temporary cap — set at 24,100 a year — last summer as an attempt to reduce net immigration into the UK. The cap was challenged by the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) and the English Community Care Association.

Lord Justice Sullivan and Mr. Justice Burton found that the home secretary had not gone through proper channels when implementing the cap; The proposals should have been put to a vote in Parliament.

“There can be no doubt that [Theresa May] was attempting to side-step provisions for Parliamentary scrutiny set up under provisions of the 1971 Immigration Act and her attempt was for that reason unlawful,” they stated.

Because of this, the High Court ruled that no limits were to be in place for Tiers 1 and 2 of the points based immigration system.

The English Community Care Association said the cap was implemented without regard for how it would affect care providers. Vacancies could not be filled by British staff. There is insufficient demand for these jobs among the UK Citizens and residents.

The immigration cap has been highly controversial, even within the UK Government. The Lib Dems the junior Coalition partner has called for the cap to be more flexible so that UK companies can hire the highly skilled staff they need from abroad.

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A worker with an expired contract in the UAE can now obtain a new work permit and shift to another employer without a consent of his sponsor, a move that will also benefit the Indian workers in the country.

According to a new resolution issued by the UAE Labour Minister Saqr Gobash, the new regulations on conditions and criteria of issuing new work permit for a worker after the expiry of his service contract and transfer of sponsorship will take effect as of first of January 2011 in implementation of a cabinet resolution regarding internal work permit at the ministry.

The resolution says that the new employment permit will only be granted to the worker after the end of his work relationship with his employer without consideration of the legitimate six month period which is usually calculated after the cancellation of the worker”s labor card, but stipulates two must-do conditions.

The UAE has 1.75 million Indian population, which is the largest expatriate community in this country. Once operational, the new regulations will replace the current formalities of transfer of sponsorship for expatriate workers.

Gobash said the new measures aim to infuse broader flexibility in the labour market and strike a balance in the contractual relationship between the employer and worker.The conditions mean that the two contracting parties should end their work relationship cordially and the worker should have worked with his employer for at least two years.

The resolution defines two cases where the worker can obtain the new work permit after the end of the contractual relationship without the agreement of the two contracting parties. The resolution also defines three cases where the worker shall have the right to get a work permit without fulfilling the condition of working two years at least with the employer.

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The Ghanaian High Commission in the UK is in the process of introducing automated visa and passport application procedures.

In a press release copied to ghanabusinessnews.com, the High Commission says the news system when completed will facilitate online visa and passport applications. The new system the Mission said will come into effect on January 17, 2011 and applicants can complete their applications on the Mission’s website at www.ghanahighcommissionuk.com.

It will also use text messaging and email services to notify applicants when the Mission receives applicant’s documents, and when approved applications are ready for collection or dispatch

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The Consular Section of the US embassy in Bangkok will be in Phuket tomorrow (December 17) to provide consular outreach services.

The “consular clinic” will be at the Metropole Hotel on Montri Road in Phuket Town from 8am to midday. Consular staff will be available to provide services on:
• Passport renewal applications ($110 or 3,300 baht for adult passports, and US$105 or 3,150 baht for a child’s passport).

• Notarial services and certified copies ($50 or 1,500 baht). This includes income affidavits for retirees in Thailand.

• Extra visa pages (US$82 or 2,460 baht). However, the embassy notes, “We can accept applications, but the passports will have to be brought back to the embassy for final processing the next working day.

“As of this writing, Thailand Post has approved our request to use prepaid envelopes to return passports. We will bring prepaid envelopes on outreaches that you can buy from us (at cost) if you wish us have us mail your passport back to you. “Alternatively, one can pick up their passport at the embassy. One can also have a friend pick up your passport by giving them written authorization to present to us,” said the consular release.

Consular Reports of Birth cannot be processed during consular outreach trips.

The next two outreaches planned for Phuket will be on March 16 and June 16, 2011.

For more information on US consular outreach services, email acsbkk@state.gov or call the American Citizen Services Unit at 02-205 4049.

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UK Border Agency have today published new versions of our application forms and policy guidance under the following categories of the points-based system:
* Tier 1 (General)
* Tier 1 (Entrepreneur)
* Tier 1 (Investor)
* Tier 1 (Post-study work)
* Tier 2 – all categories (application form only – no change to policy guidance)
* Tier 5 (Temporary worker) – all sub-categories
* PBS Dependant
These new versions reflect the new requirement for Tier 1 and Tier 5 applicants to obtain biometric residence permits, and other minor changes. One should use the new forms with immediate effect. However, and in line with paragraph 34 (I) of the Immigration Rules, we will continue to accept applications made on the previous version of the application forms until (and including) 4 January 2011. We will consider all applications under the current Immigration Rules, regardless of which version of the application form you send. For details visit http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/applicationforms/pbs/tables-changes-1210.pdf

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Three years ago, the U.S. Armed Forces struggled with a serious recruiting crisis, a crisis that evaporated temporarily only when the economy slumped. As it recovers and our population continues to age, the Armed Forces will face yet another challenge in recruiting the high-quality people needed for the modern military.

For that reason, the Department of Defense identified the DREAM Act as a smart way to expand the pool of eligible candidates for enlistment.

The Development, Relief and Education of Alien Minors (DREAM) Act is a bipartisan bill that would provide a path to legal residence for undocumented young people who were brought to the United States as children. The conditions: They must graduate from high school, demonstrate good moral character, and — to keep their legal status — complete at least two years of higher education or at least two years service in the U.S. military.

Without the relief of the DREAM Act, the future of these American-educated young people is bleak.

About 65,000 such eligible students graduate from U.S. high schools each year, but upon graduation, these young people, who include honor roll students, star athletes and junior ROTC members, hit a wall.

Read the story…

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U.S. consular officials are arranging to meet with a San Diego-born 14-year-old accused of carrying out killings and decapitations for a major drug cartel in central Mexico.

Mexican officials approved the meeting after a formal petition from the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, the juvenile court judge handling the teen’s case said Monday.

Mexican troops arrested Edgar Jimenez Lugo, known as “El Ponchis,” and his two sisters on Thursday on the outskirts of the central Mexican city of Cuernavaca, a tourism destination 40 miles south of Mexico City and the capital of the state of Morelos.

All three have ties to San Diego, according to county birth records. The night of the arrests, the boy was carrying a San Diego County document registering his birthplace as San Diego, but the Mexican government was still waiting Monday for U.S. officials to authenticate his citizenship.

Army officials had made it known a month ago they were searching for “El Ponchis,” after graphic online videos prompted talk of a boy assassin.

An unnamed Mexican Army lieutenant said in written testimony that an anonymous tip led authorities to the airport where the arrests occurred.

Read more…

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Belarus will soon open an embassy in Brazil, Foreign Minister of Belarus Sergei Martynov said in an interview to Belarus-TV Channel. “Actually we are opening the embassy there. The first employees have already been deployed. Previously we had a consulate general in Brazil, and now we are opening a full-fledged embassy,” Sergei Martynov said.

The minister explained the importance of cooperation with Brazil, which is the eighth economy in the world. For Belarus this is one of the major trading partners in Latin America. “The downside is that Belarus has been primarily exporting fertilizer there. And we want our trade with Brazil to be diversified with other goods including machinery and chemicals, and also the manufacture of our products in Brazil,” Sergei Martynov said.

“Our approach to foreign economic relations is that we need to proceed from simple forms of trade (exports/imports) to more sophisticated forms. We seek to create joint ventures and through them increase our presence in the market,” the minister stressed.

He also noted that in the near future Belarus will open its embassy in Nigeria. “This is a reflection of the policy that we must advance onto new markets – the countries new to us,” the minister said.

Over the past two years we have discovered, figuratively speaking, 34 new countries. Naturally, that our diplomatic presence moves along with our economic interests,” Sergei Martynov added.

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Effective immediately, travellers with ordinary Taiwan passports issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taiwan no longer require a Temporary Resident Visa to visit Canada, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced today.

“Canada regularly reviews its visa requirements and has determined that Taiwan meets the criteria for a visa exemption,” said Minister Kenney. “This decision will help boost Canada’s significant trade, investment, cultural and people-to-people links to Taiwan.”
In 2009, more than 51,000 Taiwan travellers visited Canada. More than 150,000 Canadians are of Taiwanese descent.

“The decision to lift the visa requirement means that Canada will benefit from stronger ties between Taiwan and the Canadian-Taiwanese community,” said Minister Kenney.

Canada’s visa policy is based on an assessment of a number of established criteria, including immigration violation rates, asylum claims, the integrity of travel documents and the cooperation on removals by the country or territory in question.

In Taiwan’s case, Canada’s review found, among other things, a very high visitor visa approval rate for travellers from Taiwan. It also found a very low number of asylum claims from Taiwan nationals: 23 claims between 2007 and 2009. The review also found low numbers of immigration violations and removals from Canada to Taiwan. This means that a large number of people were meeting Canada’s eligibility criteria to come and visit.

The visa exemption only applies to holders of ordinary Taiwan passports issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taiwan that contain the personal identification number of the individual. During a technical visit, Canadian officials observed good passport management practices for ordinary Taiwan passports.