Visa Rules on Foreign Students Tightens by Immigration Bureau

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has tightened its rules on the screening of applications for foreign student visas and permits following reports of “fake” foreign students in the country. In a statement, Immigration Commissioner Ricardo David Jr. on Wednesday said he has issued new guidelines on the issuance of student visas and special study permits (SSP) to foreigners enrolled in various schools of the country. Under a new memorandum, the school’s designated liaison officer or representative, who must be an employee of the school, should represent or assist the foreign student in applying for a Philippine Visa. The commissioner said the new rule was imposed after reports reached him that unscrupulous travel agents have been conniving with...

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Posted in: Philippine Embassy , philippine immigration , philippine travel , philippine visa , student Visa

Gail Kerr: US Immigration Needs to Open Doors to Foreign Tech Workers

A pro-business group that landed in Nashville this week is spreading a unique message: “Immigrant” is not a dirty word. At a time when there are 1,000 technology jobs open and waiting for good candidates in Nashville-area businesses, this group is realizing America has thrown up barriers that stop some of the brightest minds in foreign companies from even attempting to relocate here.The Partnership for a New American Economy, led by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and backed by Nashville Mayor Karl Dean and the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, came to town this week to persuade other Nashville leaders to get on board. It’s not a new message at all: It used to be that coming to America was a dream come true, particularly for the...

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Posted in: Foreign Tech Workers , Immigration News , immigration tips , travel news , Travel Tips , US Embassy , us immigration

Family Super Visa Introduced by Canada

Canada Immigration officials on Friday announced a new two-year, multi-entry "super visa" for parents and grandparents of immigrants settled in Canada.The move came after wait times for sponsorship of "family class" applications had grown to an unwieldy seven years or longer."Without taking action, those times will continue to grow, and that is unacceptable," said Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney in announcing the move."Action must be taken to cut the backlog, reduce the wait times, and ensure that the parents and grandparents program is sustainable over the long run," Kenney said.The multiple-entry "Parent and Grandparent Super Visa" will be valid for up to 10 years, officials said, and allow applicants...

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Posted in: canada immigration , Canada Visa , Immigration News , immigration tips , super visa canada , travel news , Travel Tips , visa tips

Philippine Workers Banned from 41 Countries

The Philippines said Wednesday it had banned Filipinos from traveling to work in 41 countries and territories that had allegedly failed to provide enough safeguards to protect them from abuse. The Department of Labour and Employment in a board resolution posted on its website said the blacklisted countries failed to sign international conventions protecting foreign workers. Neither have these countries signed agreements with the Philippines "on the protection of the rights of overseas Filipino workers," the resolution said.They also do not have their own laws protecting foreign workers, it added. Included in the list were strife-torn countries such as Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq, Sudan, Chad and Pakistan. Carlos Cao, head of the government's...

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Posted in: Immigration News , travel news