Tag: VISA

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PAKISTAN UK News

UK rejects Sharif’s visa extension plea

Since November 2019, Nawaz has been living in London after he was allowed to leave the country for medical treatment…reports Asian Lite News.

Former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s request for an extension in his visit visa has been rejected by the UK government, Geo News reported on Thursday.

According to the publication, Nawaz’s six-month visit visa had expired, after which he had put in a request with the UK Home Office to grant him an extension on health grounds. The immigration department, however, denied the request.

In 2018, accountability court Judge Mohammad Arshad Malik had convicted Nawaz in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills Company (ASCL) and Hill Metal Establishment (HME) reference and awarded him seven years imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 1.5 billion and USD 25 million.

In 2019, after Nawaz was said by his doctors to be suffering from complicated cardiac disease and an immune system disorder that resulted in a dangerously low platelet count, his sentence in the Al Azizia reference was suspended by a two-member bench of the IHC comprising Justice Amir Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, for eight weeks on medical grounds, reported Geo News.

Since November 2019, Nawaz has been living in London after he was allowed to leave the country for medical treatment.

Meanwhile, Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed said that Nawaz’s passport — a diplomat passport owing to him being a former prime minister — had expired on February 16 and that he is “no longer a citizen of Pakistan”, Geo News reported.

The interior minister said that Nawaz cannot travel anywhere with his expired Pakistani passport. “If Nawaz Sharif wishes to come to Pakistan, he can obtain a passport within 24 hours,” he added.

Rasheed said the embassy can only issue a passport for his return to Pakistan. He further stated that Pakistan has been trying to bring Nawaz back for a while but is unable to do so.

However, PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb has said that the UK home department stated in their response that Nawaz can appeal the decision with an immigration tribunal, reported Geo News.

She said Nawaz’s lawyers had therefore filed an appeal with the tribunal, which include his medical records. Marriyum stated that until the tribunal makes a decision, the home department’s orders will remain ineffective. (ANI)

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-Top News India News USA

Thousands of Indian youth in big trouble in US

While the parents stay here on their H1-B or H4 visas and wait for green cards, their children will not be eligible to continue on their H-4 visas as soon as they turn 21 and can be deported….reports Arul Louis

US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have pledged to work with the Asian community on immigration reforms, according to the White House.

On Thursday, the two leaders told representatives of the Asian, Hawaiian and Pacific Islander community that they supported providing a path to citizenship for essential workers, farm labour, people from nations like Nepal and Myanmar who are given temporary protection status against deportation because of unsettled conditions in their home countries, and those who were brought to the US illegally when they were children.

Biden and Harris said they backed achieving this by using the budget process known to get the necessary legislation for it through the Senate, where the Democrats do not have the 60 votes needed for passing a separate law for it.

But their plan for urgent action through the budget process does not seem to cover the several thousands of Indian children who came to the country legally and followed the immigration rules and are threatened with deportation as soon as they turn 21 even while their parents are still legally waiting for their green cards or permanent immigrant status.

US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris (Photo:instagram)

Asked at her briefing about the protection for these children, Biden’s spokesperson Jen Psaki said that helping them was not in the current legislative effort through the budget legislation.

“It’s not in the current, I think it’s not in the current discussions, but it is something the President would like to address.”

Psaki added that it is something that Biden “has proposed addressing in a comprehensive immigration bill”, and supports giving these children protection.

While the parents stay here on their H1-B or H4 visas and wait for green cards, their children will not be eligible to continue on their H-4 visas as soon as they turn 21 and can be deported.

This affects Indians because the wait for green cards is more than decade, a period long enough for many children to turn 21.

Ironically, if they had come in illegally or failed to follow the immigration laws, they would have received special consideration from the Democrats who give priority to illegal immigrants.

Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal has reported quoting a State Department official that 100,000 green cards meant for those eligible because of their work status will go to waste if they are not distributed by the end of September.

Most of those affected will be Indians working in the tech sector “who have been waiting to become permanent residents in the US and are watching a prime opportunity to win a green card slip away”, the newspaper said.

The Journal said that this was because the government was not able to handle the green card applications because of backlogs caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the green cards not handed out by the end of next month will expire.

The newspaper pointed out that the the Democrats are trying to make six million people illegally in the country eligible for green cards through their $3.5-million budget package they are trying to get Congress to pass.

The loss of the 100,000 green cards would affect those who came to the country legally and have abided by the immigration laws.

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-Top News USA

US govt considers visas for vulnerable Afghan women

Human rights groups are calling for up to 2,000 visas specifically for vulnerable women and women’s advocates, reports Asian Lite News

The Biden administration is considering an expedited visa path for vulnerable Afghan women who may become targets of the Taliban. That’s according to US officials.

Women politicians, journalists and activists continue to face intimidation, discrimination and violence.

Human rights groups are calling for up to 2,000 visas specifically for vulnerable women and women’s advocates. After the US military pull out of Afghanistan this month – advocacy groups have urged the White House to develop a plan to evacuate thousands which include those who have worked with foreign forces and translators.

One of the officials also said men and minorities working in high-risk professions are also being considered.

The White House declined to comment, but President Biden said he will speak on Afghanistan on Thursday.

Women police officers, media workers, judges and medical workers have been assassinated in Afghanistan as foreign military have left the country.

Women who appear on TV and radio faced particular threats, Human Rights Watch wrote in April.

Under the Taliban, women were barred from education or work, required to fully cover their bodies, and could not leave home without a male relative.

Taliban enters Afghan provincial capital

Meanwhile, Taliban militants entered Qala-e-Naw city, the capital of Afghanistan’s western Badghis province on Wednesday as fighting continued, a top official said.

According to the official, Taliban fighters entered the city after capturing police headquarters on Wednesday morning and fighting was going on for the control of Qala-e-Naw city.

Another official also confirmed the development, saying the Taliban militants “after capturing all the districts in the restive Badghis province” entered Qala-e-Naw city.

ALSO READ: Will Taliban Keep Promise to Preserve Afghanistan’s Cultural Legacy?

He also asserted that the prisoners availing opportunity had also escaped the jail from provincial capital Qala-e-Naw.

Badghis governor Hasamudin Shams said that “enemies entered Qala-e-Naw” and fighting erupted.

If captured, Qala-e-Naw would be the first provincial capital overrun by the Taliban militants to consolidate position in conflict-battered Afghanistan.

Taliban militants have reportedly captured more than 100 districts since the start of the US-led forces withdrawal from Afghanistan on May 1.

After troops exit, safety of US Embassy in Kabul top concern

US Embassy warns of rights violation

The US embassy in Kabul on Wednesday said the recent rise in violence by the Taliban violates the human rights of Afghans and is bringing hardship to the people of the country. US Deputy Ambassador, Ross Wilson, in his Twitter post wrote that the country is already going through a tough time struggling with poverty, coronavirus, and drought, and the surge in violence by the Taliban will double their problems. The tweet read that increase in these attacks is a violation of the human rights of Afghans, reported The Khaama Press.

Wilson also expressed concern over the system supposed to be imposed in Afghanistan and added that citizens of Afghanistan do not support a system in which their basic rights are violated. Earlier, President Ghani in a cabinet meeting directed the relevant ministries to provide aid to the people displaced because of the violence. He also said that the administration will provide necessary arrangements to the victims of drought.

Recently, the US intelligence assessments have suggested the country’s civilian government could fall to the terror group within months of US forces withdrawing completely. (ANI/IANS)

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-Top News UAE News

UAE starts issuing work permits for Golden Visa holders

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum

The step is an implementation of the Cabinet resolution, under which work permits for Golden Residency holders were created….reports Asian Lite News

The UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation has announced the start of issuing work permits for Golden Residency holders.

The step is an implementation of the Cabinet resolution, under which work permits for Golden Residency holders were created.

The ministry stated that such permits are required in three cases. First are those who were unemployed when they received their Golden Residency, and wish to start working for a certain employer; second are Golden Residency holders who plan to start working for a new employer, and third, is when a current employer wishes to renew the work permit and contract of a Golden Residency holder.

The ministry explained that the same rules and procedures related to the issuance of work permits and contracts apply to dependents registered on their parents’ residency, if they are applying for work and are Golden Visa holders.

visa

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Work permits and contracts concluded between employers and workers who receive the Golden Residency will remain valid, and subject to all applicable UAE legislations.

According to the ministry, fees prescribed and applicable fees for work permits for those outside the country, as well as fees for renewing and amending work permits and contracts, will also be applicable to Golden Residency holders.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) announced 1,675 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of recorded cases in the UAE to 634,582.

According to the Ministry, the infected individuals are from various nationalities, are in a stable condition, and receiving the necessary care.

MoHAP also announced 8 deaths due to COVID-19 complications, bringing the total number of deaths in the country to 1,819.

It called on all members of the society to cooperate with health authorities, adhere to the instructions and physical distance to ensure the health and safety of all.

MoHAP also noted that an additional 1,556 individuals had fully recovered from COVID-19, bringing the total number of recoveries to 612,998.

ALSO READ: UAE takes part in coalition meet against Daesh

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-Top News Education UK News

UK Opens New Immigration Route For Graduates

The international graduates must have completed an eligible course at a UK higher education provider, with a track record of compliance with the government’s immigration requirements, to apply to the Graduate route, reports Asian Lite Newsdesk 

The government has opened a new immigration route on Thursday allowing international graduates to kick start their careers in the UK after they have finished their studies at a UK university.

The Graduate route provides an opportunity for talented international graduates who have been awarded their degree from a UK university to stay in the UK and work, or look for work, at any skill level for at least two years.

The new route, part of the points-based immigration system, will help attract the best talent from around the world and ensures that businesses can recruit the most highly qualified from across the globe to complement the skills already in UK, the Home Office said.

It added that the new move will drive the economy forwards as Britain builds back better from the pandemic.

Home Secretary, Priti Patel said that it is vital “the UK continues to be a beacon for talented young people.”

“Our world leading universities welcome thousands of international students every year. As we build back better, it is vital that the UK continues to be a beacon for talented young people across the globe who want to make a difference,” Patel said.

@C – By Tim Green from Bradford, UK

“The new Graduate route does just that, giving the best and brightest graduates the opportunity to continue contributing to the UK’s prosperity and the freedom to kickstart their careers in the UK, she added.

The route will work for all corners of the UK, ensuring that communities in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can benefit from talented individuals who want to build their careers in the UK after their studies. 

“International students are a vital part of our society, and those who graduate from our world-leading universities should have the opportunity to stay and build meaningful careers here, in the UK,” Michelle Donelan, Universities Minister said.

“That is why we are introducing this new route for international graduates, enabling British businesses to attract and retain some of the brightest, most talented graduates across the globe, and helping this nation build back better from the pandemic, the minister added.

The Home Office clarified that international graduates must have completed an eligible course at a UK higher education provider, with a track record of compliance with the government’s immigration requirements, to apply to the Graduate route. 

The Graduate route is unsponsored, meaning applicants do not need a job offer to apply to the route. There is no minimum salary requirements nor caps on numbers. Graduates on the route can work flexibly, switch jobs and develop their career as required.  

A coronavirus concession on the date by which students must enter the UK, if they started courses in 2020 and are unable to travel due to the pandemic, has been extended to 27 September, recognising the continuing disruption many face due to international travel restrictions. 

Applicants who began their studies in autumn 2020, or in spring 2021 will need to be in the UK with permission as a student, by 27 September 2021.Students beginning their course this autumn or early next year will need to be in the UK by 6 April 2022.

Anne Marie Graham, Chief Executive of UK Council for International Student Affairs, said that employability is a priority for international students coming to study in the UK.

“We welcome the Graduate route as a unique opportunity for eligible international graduates to further enhance employability skills and gain experience of the UK labour market for a period after completing their studies,” she said.

“International students who are able to access this route will have the flexibility to apply for work in any sector or role that fits their skills profile, including self-employment, without the need for employer sponsorship,” she added.

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-Top News India News Travel

India to give free tourist visa to 5 lakh travellers

The scheme will be applicable till March 31, 2022 or till 5,00,000 visas are issued, whichever is earlier….reports Asian Lite News

As part of plan to provide relief to the tourism industry, among the worst affected sectors by the pandemic, and to encourage travel activities, the government on Monday said that it would offer tourist visa free of charge till March 31, 2022.

As part of the financial relief package for the travel industry, finance minister Sitharaman announced that once visa issuance is restarted, the first 5 lakh tourists’ visas will be issued free of charge.

She said that this has been one of the demands of the travel industry which the government has accepted. The financial implication of the move is expected in the range of Rs 100 crore.

The scheme will be applicable till March 31, 2022 or till 5,00,000 visas are issued, whichever is earlier. The benefit will also be available only once per tourist.

About 10.93 million foreign tourists visited India in 2019, spent $30.098 billion on leisure and business. Average daily stay for a foreign tourist in India is 21 days. Average daily spending of a tourist in India is around $34 (Rs 2,400).

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Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday welcomed the initiatives announced by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to provide relief to the tourism sector.

Goa is one of India’s busiest and most attractive tourist destinations.

“I have not got the details yet. Once I get it, I will brief the media. But I welcome the step,” Sawant said.

Earlier on Monday, Sitharaman unveiled a series of measures to boost the Covid-hit tourism sector by announcing five lakh free tourist visas for international travellers and a financial package for registered travel agencies and tourist guides, among other loan benefits, in order to resume business activity which has been crippled by the pandemic.

Goa is one of the most popular beach and nightlife tourism destinations in the country. Before the pandemic paralysed the industry, nearly eight million tourist arrivals were recorded in the state in 2019.

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-Top News India News Travel & Tourism

Jaishankar aims at citizen-friendly passport services

In February this year, the Ministry integrated the Passport Seva Programme with DigiLocker bringing about a major digital transformation in delivery of Passport services, the Minister stated…reports Asian Lite News.

Stating that the mandate of the Government is to ensure efficient governance and timely, effective, assured, transparent and accountable public service delivery, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday called for making the passport service more citizen-friendly.

“The mandate of our Government is to ensure efficient governance and timely, effective, assured, transparent and accountable public service delivery,” said Jaishankar in his keynote address on Passport Seva Divas 2021 on Thursday.

“As we move ahead on the path of progress, we should take stock of the steps in the realm of passports that would make it not only more citizen-centric but also citizen-friendly,” he added.

“Towards this end, our first approach was to bring in simplification of the passport rules and processes,” the Minister pointed out.

“However, as the process is dynamic, we should continue to look deeper and deliberate further on reducing the compliance burden on our citizens,” he noted.

“The Ministry also made concerted efforts, in close collaboration with the Department of Posts, to further strengthen the outreach of passport services to the citizens by establishing Post Office Passport Seva Kendra (POPSK) all across the country,” Jaishankar said.

“This endeavour has resulted in expanding network of Post Office Passport Seva Kendras across the length and breadth of this country,” he added.

The Ministry of External Affairs has leveraged the use of technology and digital systems into its’ functioning, including, especially, in delivering passport services, the Minister said.

“Our continuing consolidation and expansion of Passport services has ensured that there is a Passport Kendra in 489 Lok Sabha Constituencies in the country,” he said.

It is also noteworthy that two ‘All Women Passport Seva Kendra’ became operational at Delhi and Cochin, marking the International Women’s Day on 8 March 2021 and extending passport services exclusively to our sisters, daughters and mothers, the External Affairs Minister informed.

Continuing with its global outreach exercise, he said that the Ministry has integrated 174 Indian Embassies and Consulates abroad with the Passport Seva Programme enabling a centralized passport issuance system for our citizens in India and Diaspora abroad.

In February this year, the Ministry integrated the Passport Seva Programme with DigiLocker bringing about a major digital transformation in delivery of Passport services, the Minister stated.

This has enabled citizens to submit various documents for obtaining Passport services through DigiLocker in a paperless mode, he mentioned.

https://twitter.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1407951117833490436

Noting that the Passport Seva Programme (PSP) has successfully completed a decade in service of our citizens, Jaishankar informed that annually over 1 crore passports have been issued for three consecutive years till 2019.
“Despite the pandemic, we continued to deliver passports in a timely manner and hope to reach pre-pandemic levels as soon as possible,” he said.

Emphasizing on the word ‘Seva’ as contained in the ‘Passport Seva Project’, the Minister said, the attributes of being responsive, caring, considerate, and transparent are necessary for every ‘Sevak’.

He hailed all the personnel involved in rendering passport and related services for their collective dedication to the citizens of the country, despite the challenges and restrictions posed by the continuing pandemic nationally and globally. (INN)

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Arab News Asia News

Kuwait lifts bar on visas for Pak citizens

This decision was taken after a meeting between Pakistan Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid and Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah…reports Asian Lite News

After a ten-years of suspension, Kuwait on Sunday announced the resumption of visas, including in family and business categories for Pakistani citizens.

This decision was taken after a meeting between Pakistan Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid and Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah, reported The Express Tribune.

It further reported that Kuwait had banned work visas for Pakistan in 2011 and despite attempts by previous governments the restrictions could not be lifted.

In March 2017, the then government had also announced the lifting of the ban by Kuwait during the visit of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to the oil-rich country. However, the decision was never implemented.

The interior minister said that Pakistani families and the business community faced enormous problems with the ban on Kuwaiti visa, adding that Pakistani labour played a very important role in Kuwait’s early development, The Express Tribune reported.

He said that the restoration of work visa will create new employment opportunities for Pakistanis, adding that it would also boost trade between the two countries. (ANI)

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-Top News UK News World News

Priti unveils UK digital visa

It will be required of all non-British or Irish citizens without a visa or immigration status who come to the UK…reports Asian Lite News.

Home Secretary Priti Patel on Monday said new US-style electronic border permits will give ministers a clearer idea of who is in the country.

A planned Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) would allow officials to “count people in and count people out”, the home secretary said, according to BBC.

In an online speech, Patel said the electronic permits would create a “fully digital” and more secure UK border.

It will be required of all non-British or Irish citizens without a visa or immigration status who come to the UK.

The Labour Party has warned of “serious questions” over delivering the system.

“The home secretary talks about a broken asylum system but it’s the Conservatives who have been in power for 11 years and are responsible for that,” BBC quoted Labour’s shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds as saying.

He added that the idea of e-borders “has been around for a number of years,” whilst the loss of data from police databases in January meant there are “serious questions about the home secretary delivering this digital system.”

The government says the ETA scheme will be fully in place by the end of 2024, with up to 30 million applications expected to be processed each year.

At the event hosted by the Bright Blue and British Future think-tanks, Patel said the ETA would deliver “greater accuracy” on arrival and exit numbers.

“We will have a far clearer picture of who is here, and whether they should be – and we will act when they are not,” she was quoted as saying..

The new electronic permits, she added, would also “make it easier to identify potential new threats before they reach the border”.

Since Britain completed its exit from the European Union at the end of last year, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been keen to set out a new independent vision on immigration. 

“Our new fully digital border will provide the ability to count people in and out of the country, giving us control over who comes to the UK,” Patel was quoted as saying in the ‘Observer’.

Travellers in the arrivals hall at Hong Kong International Airport in Hong Kong, south China

“Our new approach will make it easier to identify potential threats before they reach the border. The British people will have confidence that the strongest controls are in place to keep them safe,” she said.

The Home Office hopes to make entry to Britain fully digital by the end of 2025.

Digitising the border will mean officials “can now count who is coming in and out of the country and whether they have permission to be here,” said her Home Office department.

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-Top News UK News USA

Patel to unveil US-style digital visas to count migrants

The Home Office hopes to make entry to Britain fully digital by the end of 2025, reports Asian Lite News

Britain’s Home Secretary Priti Patel is set to unveil a new US-style digital visa regime at the country’s borders in order to measure immigration levels in and out of the country.

The senior Indian-origin Cabinet minister is to confirm the so-called “sweeping changes” to the UK’s immigration policy to “streamline” the way in which people come into the country on Monday.

The post-Brexit changes will include the border being managed digitally, which the government says will be easier to navigate for businesses and allow for the first time to accurately count people in and out of the UK.

Digital identity checks will also be used to reduce the need to visit visa application centers. 

Since Britain completed its exit from the European Union at the end of last year, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been keen to set out a new independent vision on immigration. 

“Our new fully digital border will provide the ability to count people in and out of the country, giving us control over who comes to the UK,” Patel was quoted as saying in the ‘Observer’.

“Our new approach will make it easier to identify potential threats before they reach the border. The British people will have confidence that the strongest controls are in place to keep them safe,” she said.

The Home Office hopes to make entry to Britain fully digital by the end of 2025.

Digitising the border will mean officials “can now count who is coming in and out of the country and whether they have permission to be here,” said her Home Office department.

It means people wanting to come into Britain without a visa or immigration status will have to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), similar to the US system, with 30 million applications expected to be processed every year.

As well as launching her latest immigration plans, Patel will also focus on failings in the asylum system and the need to crack down on people smugglers. Earlier in the week, she was filmed accompanying police as they arrested suspected ringleaders of a people smuggling gang that used minicab and lorry drivers to move migrants in and out of Britain.

“What I’m unveiling and proposing is a new legal migration and border strategy…, which is based upon digitalisation of our borders, but also the simplification of our immigration laws,” Patel told Sky News yesterday.

“I am introducing the new borders bill, which will come to parliament next month, where we will specifically clamp down and tackle the problems around illegal migration,” she added.

The British government has said that in the past 10 days, more than 140 foreign criminals have been removed from the UK, totalling more than 700 so far this year.

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