Advice and Information for the World Traveller on Many Destinations

Archive for the ‘Immigration’ Category

There are several kinds of Visa UK, which can make an applying foreign national confused. So, here’s a quick guide to the different types of visa available.

The Tier 1 visa (General) is designed to allow non-EU foreigners who will contribute to the economy to immigrate to the UK. The granting of this visa is based on the applicant’s success in achieving a point threshold of 75. Sponsors are not needed when applying for a Tier 1 visa.

British companies wishing to sponsor an overseas employee to come to the UK should apply for a Tier 2 Work Permit.

The Entrepreneur visa permits experienced business clients to live and work in the country, as well as invest capital and start a business in the UK.

The Tier 1 Investor Visa, allows business clients to go to the UK to invest in the British economy or to relocate to the country armed with pioneering ideas under the UK innovator visa.

These visas allow for permanent residency or indefinite leave to remain in the UK to be applied for.

To obtain a study permit in the country, a foreign individual must apply for a Tier 4 Student Visa, which allows foreign students to attend college or university in the UK.

If a foreign student wishes to stay in the UK for a little longer, in order to work, they can apply for a Post Study Work visa.

A UK Marriage Visa enables a husband, wife or a civil partner of a person who is already present and settled in the UK to enter the country.

The UK Fiancé Visa permits a person who is already settled and a permanent resident in the UK to bring his fiancé into the country.

Businessmen who have a proven track record can immigrate to Australia by applying for an investor visa. This type of Australia visa offers an initial four-year residency, which can lead to immigrant status. You should be aware that this Australia visa often takes from 9 to12 months to be approved.

As with other types of Australia visa, the investor visa imposes the following minimum requirements on applicants:

•    They must be no more than 45 years of age at the time of application for the Australia visa.
•    Have at least AUS$2,250,000 in net assets, personal and business, which can be transferred overseas in two years.
•    A minimum of three years experience in directly managing at least 10% of the total assets of a business gained within the last five years from the date of visa application. Alternatively they have maintained direct participation in overseeing investments worth $1,500,000 or more.
•    Own a designated investment, such as a bond issued by state and local governments of Australia, worth AUS$1,500,000 or more.
•    Have managed one or more qualifying businesses or investments for at least three years.
•    Must be able to financially support themselves on moving to Australia.
•    Have taken and passed a chest x-ray and other medical tests conducted by doctors appointed by the Australian government.
•    Not have a criminal record in all countries of residence for the past 10 years, counting from the date of visa application.
•    Must have informed the Australian government of their business plans.

Making the decision to immigrate to USA will mean your life is never the same again. If you are planning to live there permanently you’ll find that your way of life, values, and pastimes may start to be completely different to when you lived in the UK.

Fortunately the US Visa policy is relatively straightforward and offers even more convenience and ease of use now that you can apply for your Visa online. However, it’s worth noting that Visa processing times have increased recently to an average of around 90 days, so you’re advised to apply early.

Generally if you want to apply for an immigrant USA Visa, you must be sponsored either by a US citizen relative, lawful permanent resident, or by a prospective employer. If you’re sponsored by an employer you will need to apply for an Employment-Based Visa. For this you may require labour certification from the US Department of Labour.

Anyone who enters the USA with a Visa is also required to have certain vaccinations carried out, so you’ll need to have a jab for one or more of Influenza, Measles, Mumps, Polio, and Varicella among others.

Another important thing to remember is the various fees that will apply when you begin the process of getting a USA Visa. The application fee in itself is currently $355, which is non-refundable – so you’ll want to be certain of your decision before you commit yourself. There may also be a surcharge of $45 or so – these are all things you should bear in mind when considering your move to the USA.

Europe is home to some 700 million inhabitants, the majority of whom are also part of the European Union (EU). Rooted in a millennium-long history of Christianity across the continent, Europe still maintains a dominance of Christian religions – including Roman Catholicism and Protestantism – while at the same time breeding a growing trans-continent population of Muslims. In the times of the early Middle Ages, Europe experienced Christianisation, yet this was to begin to crumble following the Age of Enlightenment in the 18th century. Meanwhile, largely due to migration, the Islamic populations of Europe have been on the rise, leading to a popular reference for the changing face of Europe: Eurabia.

Currently, the countries with a significant Roman Catholic population include Portugal, Spain, France, and Belgium. Those with a significant Protestant population include Finland, Denmark, Sweden, and Switzerland. Meanwhile, countries with a significant Muslim population include Albania, Bosnia, and Turkey. European countries with official religions include Malta, Vatican City, and Greece.

According to recent demographic studies, Europe’s religious orientation is changing from theism (a belief in god) to atheism, and from religious doctrine to secularism or liberal pluralism. In recent years, Europe has seen large numbers of Muslim migration, with the largest Islamic populations in Western Europe located in France, the Netherlands, and Denmark. As for the 500 million-strong EU, this is largely a secular body, which aims to maintain a separation between church and state, and which has no formal connection to any particular religion.

If you’ve decided to leave the UK and immigrate to Australia, then you’re certainly not alone. UK immigrants in fact make up the largest percentage of immigrants in Australia, with an astounding 1.2 million UK-born people now living in Australia (as of July 2009).

With Australia being such a popular home for those born in the UK, you should find that your relocation to ‘down-under’ will run smoothly with the help of immigration services and other UK locals on hand for advice. However it’s still worthwhile keeping abreast of all the latest Australian immigration news, so that you know you are up-to-date with all the most relevant changes and amendments to the Australian immigration system.

For example the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship recently announced changes to the Long Stay Visa program. Essentially this means that if you are planning to get an Employer-sponsored Visa there are now new minimum salary levels and language requirements, so you should re-check your eligibility should that be the path you wish to go down.

Similarly those who lodged applications to become chefs in Australia before April 2009 were informed in June 2009 that they no longer need to meet an English proficiency requirement – meaning that all those waiting on Visa applications of this nature should now see their processing times reduced somewhat.

News announcements such as these are worth knowing about – because you never know, a new regulation or amendment to the Australian Immigration policies could be very relevant to your application.

South Africa allows British nationals to enter the country for a period of 90 days on their UK passports without a visa. After the 90 day period is up, you can apply for a variety of visas, depending on the purpose and length of your stay in South Africa.

If you wish to extend your stay for only a short period, you can apply for a visitor’s permit. However, if you plan on staying for a long time, or even contemplate relocating, you can apply for a student, business, or worker’s permit, depending on the nature of your stay. There are different requirements for each type of visa, but those that are common to all include a properly filled out BI-1738 application form, a passport, a copy of your birth certificate, a medical certificate, and passport sized photos. Students must bring a transcript from the educational institution supporting them, while workers must bring proof of the contract with their sponsoring employer. While a visitor’s permit expires after three months, South African student visas are valid for the duration of the applicant’s educational programme and a worker’s visa expires together with the expiration of the job contract with the employer that has hired them.

The normal processing time for visa applications is 10 business days. Applications can be made either in person or by mail. All information included in the application form as well as other paperwork must be accurate, in order to prevent problems in processing.

Public speaker and author Dinesh D’Souza tries to counter the criticism about the issues of immigration to America. Being a native of India, Dinesh started to give a brief history of his early life in America. After finishing college, he had his first job at ‘The Washington Post,’ and then became a domestic policy analyst for former President Reagan.

Dinesh says that immigration to the country is based not only on the material wealth and better life, but also on a person’s dreams to create his destiny without cultural or paternal predestination. Dinesh explains that these reasons for immigration are the result of the difficult lifestyle experienced by the people from third-world countries. The difficulties include pollution, overcrowded streets, over-population, corrupt government, a lack of safe drinking water, and a lack of formal education for the children. Unlike in third-world countries, Americans do not fear starvation.

Furthermore, Dinesh stated that the media present America as a place of dreams, where the citizens have expensive houses, vehicles and televisions. Even the low-profile families are well-off, and the normal labourers can afford to go on expensive vacations. Although there are many things that a person can gain from immigration, he still needs to be more aware in advance of the life that awaits him.

Dinesh also tries to explain other benefits of immigrating to America. He says that when he came to America, new opportunities awaited him. He learned new skills, and gained new ideas and knowledge that he never had while he was living in his native land.

Immigration to America doesn’t only mean having a good life; rather, it is based on how a man shapes his life to have a better future.