Immigration Advice Work Permits

August 7, 2009

Moving to the United States of America

Filed under: Immigration Requirements,US Visas,Work Permit — New Thirteen @ 11:13 am

When you’ve made the decision to settle in the USA you may want to know more about what it will be like to live across the Atlantic Ocean. Perhaps you’ve been to the country often and are familiar with the lifestyle, or have only visited on occasion and are more familiar with the way America is portrayed in film and on TV.

Even if you consider yourself an experienced traveller of the United States, actually living there permanently will still come as something of a shock for most. As close as the UK and USA are to each other (culturally rather than geographically) the fact remains that the USA is a different country and you are likely to find that a different way of life applies.

So how can you make sure that you’re as prepared as possible? First, it’ll be a good idea to read up on the USA as much as possible. This should go further than travel guides – read about the country’s history, its geography, its political figures. Find out what makes each State different and unique, and how the States came to be unified. It might be worthwhile going to the library and digging out as much fiction and non-fiction as you can about the American way of life.

Of course applying for your Visa as soon as possible, getting your vaccinations, and researching where and how you will live when you get to the USA are all important. Preparing yourself as much as possible for the adventure of US immigration will mean you can enjoy it even more when you do arrive – and will mean that you settle into your new life more easily.

August 6, 2009

Canadian Visa application

Filed under: Canadian Immigration,Visa Immigration,Work Permit — New Thirteen @ 3:04 pm

Thousands of people immigrate to Canada every year, from all over the world. If you’ve decided that Canada is the place for you, there are a few things you’ll want to consider.

The Canadian Citizenship and Immigration service delineates the main groups of people who move to Canada, so take a look through the list and see where you fit in:

  • Skilled workers and professionals who want to settle and work in Canada
  • People selected by the Quebec government to settle and work in Canada
  • People who have recent experience of working in Canada and wish to remain living and working there
  • Investors, entrepreneurs and self-employed people who want to start a business in Canada
  • People who have been nominated by a Canadian province or territory to settle and work there
  • People who currently live in Canada who have a family member wishing to join them.

When you know which group you fit in you’ll have to find out the specific requirements for applying for the corresponding Visa. For example if you are a skilled worker and want to move to Canada, this will generally be because you have relevant work experience, education, and a good knowledge of English and French. These will all help you to settle and succeed in Canada.

As part of your Canadian Visa application you’ll have to fill out a number of forms providing information on your background, skills, and family, plus undergo medical, criminal, and other background checks. These will all help the Canadian Immigration Services to establish your suitability for living and working in their country.

August 4, 2009

Types of Australian visas

Filed under: Australia Work Visa,Immigration Requirements,Visa Immigration — New Thirteen @ 2:39 pm

Skilled workers can work and live in Australia by having a skilled immigration visa. Under the Australian General Skilled Migration programme, workers and migrants that are highly skilled can apply using their work experience, language ability, and other qualifications to pass the requirements for Australian immigration and obtain a permanent visa.

The programme, called General Skilled Migration, is for people without a sponsor, but who have the skills for various occupations that are needed to fill the labour shortages in Australia. Individuals who want to apply must be 18 to 45 years of age and speak English. Recent experience in their skilled work is also required, as well as an Australian eligibility requirements, and qualifications for one of the jobs in the Skilled Occupation List.

Recently, changes have been made in the General Skilled Migration programme involving the additional points that are awarded to migrants who show excellent English skills. The changes also include the reduction of 15 visa subclasses to only nine subclasses. These subclasses of visas are organised into offshore and onshore categories, and divided into independent and sponsored sub-categories. Onshore visas are applicable for individuals who are already in Australia who have an eligible visa to pass the requirements for the program. Offshore visas are available for people to obtain a permanent visa from abroad to work as a skilled migrant in the country.

The sponsored sub-categories of visas are for individuals sponsored by a relative who are already living in Australia. This type of visa has additional requirements, and in some cases a payment for a bond must be made.

The immigration process in Australia follows regulations that are quite similar to other countries. There are certain rules that should be followed to ensure that only skilled workers and eligible persons will enter the country.

July 31, 2009

Requirements for obtaining an Australia visa

Filed under: Australia Work Visa,Immigration Requirements,Visa Immigration — New Thirteen @ 11:42 am

Certain requirements must be met in order to obtain an Australian visa. Depending on the type of visa, such requirements vary, as with other visas.

For those applying for skilled immigration visa, applicants should not be older than 45 years. In cases where age is an issue, a waiver is not applicable. Applicants are also expected to possess proficiency in the English language, as Australia is an English-speaking country. An English assessment test must be taken by those applicants whose primary language is not English. Applicants must also include the occupation that they are applying for, in the Skilled Occupation list that the government of Australia has issued. In order to validate the applicant’s qualification for his/her desired occupation, authorities for that specific occupation conduct an exam that applicants must undergo. Aside from that, a history of related work experience with documented proof must be provided by these applicants.

Applicants who are sponsored by certain companies must certify first the legality of the sponsor’s business, and if the business abides by documented sponsoring obligations, such as meeting the applicant’s costs, salaries, and tax deductions from the employee’s salary. For most occupations, the sponsor must agree to pay the applicant $39,100, and for information technology work the employee must be paid $50,775.

For visiting purposes, certain criteria must also be met. Those applicants who reside in a high-risk country must provide proof of commitment to their home country. For tourist visas, funds amounting to $1,000 per month, and return airfare, must be shown as proof of their capacity to travel.

Although there are a lot of requirements in order to get an Australian visa, obtaining one is usually well worth it.

July 30, 2009

South African Citizenship

Filed under: Citizenship,South Africa Visas — New Thirteen @ 3:58 pm

With the resettlement of immigrants to South Africa, the traditions that they had been used to in their country of origin might change and effect their application for South African citizenship.

Citizenship in South Africa has three main types that include citizen by birth, naturalisation, or descent. By birth, a child can be regarded as a South African citizen if his parents are South African citizens or permanent residents of the country during the time that the child is born.

A person is required to submit the BI-529 form, Determination of Citizenship Status, to determine an individual’s claim to South African citizenship. Any child who is born in South Africa and is adopted by the citizen of South Africa in terms of the Child Care Act of 1983 and is registered in the country is also a citizen of South Africa by birth. A foreign child who is born in the country and has no claim to any other citizenship can also obtain citizenship in South Africa by birth. By descent, a child who is born outside the country can also claim his citizenship as a South African, provided that at least one of his parents is a citizen of South Africa at the time that he is born. The birth of the child must have been registered in South Africa for him to acquire South African citizenship. Aside from birth and descent, foreign individuals can also acquire South African citizenship by naturalisation, as long as the requirements for such have been met.

Migrating to South Africa is not just transferring to that country; it also involves an individual deciding whether to take on South African citizenship and its responsibilities.

July 28, 2009

What is the H-1B visa?

Filed under: H-1B Visas,Immigration Requirements,US Visas — New Thirteen @ 2:23 pm

Created under the Immigration and Nationality Act, the H1b is a visa for non-immigrants in the USA. The H1b visa can allow employers in the country to temporarily employ workers from other countries for speciality occupations. For foreign workers who want to apply for a speciality job, there are several steps to acquiring the visa.

The first thing to do is to find a reliable company who will serve as sponsor for your H1b. You can find companies online using the Web search engines, but make sure that the company you choose is not on the blacklist of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. For information about the laws in filing an H1b visa, you can register at www.USCIS.gov and have daily updates. You can also register on several immigration bulletins for more information about the H1b visa.

A schedule for your application can be set to complete all necessary requirements in time. First on the schedule is that you must have a sponsor with whom you will file your H1b visa request by January 15. You must get the checklist for H1b visa filing and prepare your requirements. By February 15, you must submit your documents to the company to give them time to pass them on to a lawyer. Your visa application along with your documents must be ready by March 15, and your application must reach the USCIS by April 1st. If your application is selected, you employer will receive a Notice of Action with an EAC number.

The H1b visa gives foreign workers three years in the USA, and can be extended to six years. It can further be extended for another year if the application for labour certification is pending for 365 days.

July 24, 2009

Requirements for obtaining an Australian Visa

Filed under: Australia Work Visa,Immigration Requirements,Visa Immigration — New Thirteen @ 10:56 am

With Australia’s warm climate, growing economy and natural beauty, many people have been encouraged to work and live there. To move to this country, one needs to obtain an Australian visa.

Applicants must apply via the internet for the ETA visa or Electronic Travel Authority visa if they wish to visit the country. Those interested in working and travelling there should secure an Australian Working Holiday Visa. If a person wants permanent residence in the country, they need to get the required visa through the Australian General Skilled Migration Programme, which aims to help the skills deficits in the country by encouraging potential migrants who have the ability to contribute to Australia’s economy.

An Online Eligibility Assessment is based on an immigration points system defined by the DIAC or Department of Immigration and Citizenship. Applicants must gain the required points in order to be eligible immigrants to Australia.

To start an online visa assessment, an applicant needs to choose from among the Australian visa categories: Skilled Visa, Working Holiday Visa, Travel Visa, Family Visa and Fiancé/Spouse Visa. The Skilled Visa is for those skilled workers interested in migrating to the country. A Working Holiday Visa can be obtained by an individual aged under 30 years who desires to work in the country for a maximum of 2 years. A Travel Visa is secured by a person taking a short business or holiday trip. A Business Visa is for a business executive or entrepreneur who wants to move to Australia. A Family Visa is for a person with a relative in Australia who can sponsor his/her immigration to the country. A Fiancé/Spouse Visa is obtained by someone engaged or married to an Australian citizen.

July 21, 2009

South African Visas – a lowdown

Filed under: South Africa Visas,Tourist Visas,Visa Immigration — New Thirteen @ 3:02 pm

If you are planning to go to South Africa, one of the documents you need to have is a South African visa.

Your South African visa will not guarantee you to automatically enter South Africa, but only authorises you to go to a South African land border crossing or airport, where an officer will examine your visa to determine if you comply with the country’s entry requirements. The visa also serves the purpose of ensuring the correct selection of applicants, so that unfavourable persons will not be admitted to the country.

Specifically, student visas are valid for the entire duration of study. Visitors’ visas, which are intended for international travellers or residents of other countries who wish to visit South Africa, are issued for a length of 90 days or less, usually for business or tourism purposes. If you wish to stay in South Africa for more than 90 days for employment purposes, you need to secure a work visa instead of a visitor’s visa.

Visitor’s visa requirements include: travel documents or passport valid for a minimum of 30 days after the expiration of the planned visit; payment fee if applicable; vaccination certificate if required; statement and/or documentation stating the duration and purpose of the visit; two identity photos; and proof of financial means, such as salary advances, bank statements, and others. Your passport should also have at least two blank pages for entry/departure endorsements.

The validity period of the visa will be calculated starting from the date of entry to South Africa.

July 18, 2009

Effects of Immigration to the United States

Filed under: Immigration Requirements,US Visas — New Thirteen @ 3:23 pm

Immigration to the United States has been a source of cultural change and major population growth throughout America’s history. The social, political, and economic aspects of immigration have also led to many controversies about religion, ethnicity, economic benefits, settlement patterns, job growth, nationalities, crime levels, work habits, and moral values. As of 2006, the United States has accepted more immigrants than any other country in the world. The U.S. population has a total of approximately 37.5 million immigrants.

The results of immigration presented many new challenges for the United States government. In 1998, during his commencement address held at Portland State University, former president Bill Clinton declared his support for the immigrants, particularly the ones from Latin America and Asia. Clinton stated that America has incessantly drawn spirit and strength from wave after wave of the immigrants. He added that the immigrants have been proved to be the most adventurous, the most industrious, the most restless, and the most innovative people.

Since the 1960s, immigration to the U.S. has been dangerous and expensive for those who have illegally crossed the border from Mexico. However, recent legislation has attempted to halt illegal immigration. As a result, a barrier was built along the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border.

On the other hand, many cities like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., San Diego, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Dallas, Phoenix, Detroit, Houston, Minneapolis, Jersey, Seattle, Baltimore, Denver, Portland, Maine and Portland, Oregon, and Miami have adopted ordinances that ban law enforcement officers from asking people about their immigration status.

July 15, 2009

Ways of Immigrating to Canada

Filed under: Canadian Immigration,Immigration Requirements,Work Permit — New Thirteen @ 3:42 pm

Immigrating to Canada is a wonderful experience for any person irrespective of religion and race. The country is a multicultural society and a fabulous place to live. It offers opportunities to different immigrants, which are primarily comprised of Filipinos, Pakistanis, Indians, Chinese and Americans.

The government is pleased to welcome immigrants from different countries. In 2008, the government recorded over 245,000 skilled workers who immigrated to the country.

The Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is a government body that assists people who want to immigrate to the country. It has defined some procedures and policies for those who want to live in Canada. One of the categories defined by this body is Skilled Worker. In this category, the individual should have at least 67 points to qualify. The points are based on adaptability, language skills, qualification, experience and age. In addition, the individual should have at least one year’s experience in any of the professions defined by the CIC.

You can immigrate to Canada through other methods, which include:

• Family Sponsorship. If you have a blood relative living in the country, this is the easiest way to become an immigrant.

• Work Permit. If a Canadian employer offers you a job, you can acquire a work permit and can become a permanent resident after two years.

• Study Permit. If you study in any college or university in Canada, the Canadian High Commission will issue a study permit to you. After finishing your study, the government will grant you immigrant status.

• Business Class. You can become an immigrant by investing heavy capital amounting to $250,000 CAD in the country.

• Refugee and Protection: The government can grant you immigrant status if you are under threat in your home country.

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