New Australian Visa Program to Lure Wealthy Chinese

country. The visa helps its holder to invest money abroad. A typical applicant is a millionaire and invests around $4.73 million to qualify for Australian residency. The visa also helps to sidestep restrictions imposed by the Chinese government on converting the currency and sending it to foreign shores. The visa has literally opened a money train into Australia. According to Baker & McKenzie LLP, a law firm, investments through this channel could be in the tune of $9.45 billion per year. Approximately $1,000 individuals have sent in their applications. Many more applications are to be expected after a similar program was canceled by Canada in February. The sheer numbers have compelled the Australian government to hasten the review...

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Posted in: Australian immigration , Australian visa , Immigration News , travel news

Very Bad Week: Airline Disasters Come In A Cluster

Nearly 300 passengers are killed when their plane is shot out of the sky over eastern Ukraine. Airlines suspend flights to Israel's largest airport after rocket attacks. An airliner crashes during a storm in Taiwan, and yet another disappears in West Africa. Aviation has suffered one of its worst weeks in memory. Industry analysts and safety experts say they can find no common themes. Nor do they think the events indicate that flying is suddenly becoming less safe. Less than one in 2 million flights last year ended in an accident in which the plane was damaged beyond repair, according to the International Air Transport Association. That includes accidents involving cargo and charter airlines as well as scheduled passenger flights. "One...

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Posted in: Immigration News , travel news

How To Be a Better Traveler

We all like to think we’re pretty good tourists, expanding our horizons and learning about foreign cultures, but sometimes even the most experienced traveler can be guilty of some common travel slip ups. To guide you along a more enlightened path, here’s how to be a better traveler. Contribute: Contributing to the local economy is one of the best things you can do when travelling. By buying locally made products or staying in homegrown hotels (not big international chains), your tourist dollars go direct to the people who need them. If you’re visiting an orphanage or school in a developing country, find out beforehand whether it’s worth bringing items such as pencils or schoolbooks for the local children. Research: Heading somewhere new?...

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Posted in: immigration tips , Travel Tips

After 17 Years, Naia-3 To Be Fully Operational

The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 will finally be fully operational by the end of July, the Transportation department said, noting that it has been 17 years since the contract for the project has been awarded. Five international carriers will transfer to NAIA-3 from NAIA-1 starting next week. Delta Airlines will fly out of the newest terminal by August 1. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Emirates, and Cathay Pacific will soon follow suit. “We are extremely pleased to confirm that full airline operations will begin at NAIA Terminal 3 next week. Our gateway airport will now be able to welcome 3.5 million more passengers with modern facilities every year, “ Transport chief Emilio Abaya said. The contract,...

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Posted in: philippine immigration , philippine travel , philippine travel news

Few Biting So Far on Japan Special Visa for Workers

Desperate to reinvigorate the long-stalled economy, the government has spent the past two years cozying up to highly skilled foreign workers through a batch of visa perks. There’s just one problem: few have been wooed. Hoping to change that, the government passed a bill through the Diet in June to revise the Immigration Law, giving skilled foreigners a new visa status that allows them to stay indefinitely and with a broadened roster of privileges. “Launching a new visa specifically designed for them means a lot, because that shows the world Japan is becoming more serious than ever about accepting those skilled foreigners,” said Immigration Bureau official Nobuko Fukuhara. Questions remain, however, over whether creating the new visa...

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Posted in: Immigration News , Japan Immigration , Japan Special Visa for Workers , travel news

Top 10 Airlines around the Globe for Flying Economy

Flying is often simply something we have to do to get our holiday started but these airlines are doing their best to make sure it is enjoyable. This list of the best airline economy offerings has been compiled by Business Insider Australia and is ranked on two factors; experience on the plane and timely departure and arrival. The data is collected from reviews on Skytrax and on-time performance from Flightstats.com. You can see the full calculations at Business Insider. 10. Thai Airways Economy seats on the Thai national carrier are of a high quality with reviewers praising the friendly staff and good food options. A lack of in-seat entertainment on some of the older planes is something holding the airline back. In-flight experience: 78...

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Posted in: Immigration News , top 10 airlines , travel news

Know The Most Visited Cities in the World

We weren't surprised that London is the most popular international travel destination. But the other cities rounding out the index may surprise you. Bangkok, Singapore, and Dubai all saw a surge in international visitors this year that is expected to continue growing with advances in technology and a rising middle class in emerging markets. It has been a tight race between London and Bangkok for the No. 1 position in the last few years. Bangkok first overtook London in 2013 to become the top-ranked destination city in the world, but London regained the top rank this year with an 8 percent growth in visitors versus an 11 percent decline in Bangkok’s visitors due to political unrest in Thailand. Half of the top destination cities in the...

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Posted in: Immigration News , Most Visited Cities in the World , travel news , Travel Tips

Immigration Bureau Uses High-tech Visas to Track Tourists

The Bureau of Immigration has started using new high-tech security visa stickers to thwart counterfeiting and other so-called "illegal transactions." In a statement, the BI said the intricately designed security visa stickers for temporary visitor’s visa (TVVs) have features that are supposedly impossible to duplicate. BI Commissioner Siegfred Mison said the security visa sticker for TVV is available at the BI head office in Intramuros, Manila; Makati, Baguio, Cebu and Davao offices. (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script',...

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Posted in: Bureau of Immigration , Immigration News , Philippine Embassy , philippine immigration , philippine travel , travel news

Thousands of jobs at risk after Senate disallows visa changes for foreign offshore rig workers

The Federal Government says foreigners working on offshore oil and gas projects are being forced to stop work after the Senate killed off a new visa regime. Last night Labor, the Greens and the Palmer United Party teamed up in the Senate to stop foreign workers being employed on maritime crew visas. Assistant Minister for Immigration Michaelia Cash says the foreign workers will now have to down tools, and that could have flow-on effects for other workers. "Labor senators knowingly placed thousands of Australian jobs at risk," she said. Labor and the Greens had the support of Democratic Labour Party senator John Madigan, Australian Motoring Enthusiast senator Ricky Muir and the three Palmer United Party senators - including Jacqui...

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Posted in: Australian immigration , Immigration News , travel news

Immigration Hunts Fake-Passport Holders

The Immigration Office in Batam has increased its efforts to detect illegal migrant workers from Indonesia using fake passports with fake visa stamps. Last week, immigration officials at Batam Center Port confiscated 40 counterfeit documents from workers. Batam Immigration Office head Yudi Kurniadi said his office had blacklisted and slapped travel bans on 200 illegal migrant workers since June. “Ahead of Idul Fitri, we usually see a high influx of migrant workers who return home from Malaysia, so our officials have to be more alert,” he told The Jakarta Post. He said fake visa stamps were generally different in format and color. His office also found fake visas from other Southeast Asian nations. Yudi said the perpetrators could...

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Posted in: Immigration News , Indonesian Immigration , travel news

Thailand Immigration Gets Tough

Foreigners who exit Thailand to extend their visa-free stay will not be allowed to re-enter the country at airports and land checkpoints, effective 12 August. A ban on the out/in trips has already been effective since last month at land checkpoints, but on 12 August it will extend to all modes of transport; air, land and sea. The out/in trips allow foreigners to extend their visa-free stay in Thailand by simply stamping their passport at a border checkpoint. Many do it to avoid having to apply for a 60-day tourist visa or the 90-day non-immigrant visa, the basic visa that allows them to apply for a work permit. Thailand’s Immigration Bureau confirmed it would strictly apply  the law, effective 12 August, which will end the practice...

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Posted in: Immigration News , Thailand Immigration , travel news

35 Genius Travel Tips that Can Make your Vacation Easy

Travel is full of pitfalls. One wrong step and your vacation could be ruined by a seedy hotel room, an overpriced restaurant, a wasted afternoon at a tourist-trap attraction or an overnight flight crammed in the middle seat. So, guarantee a smooth trip by planning thoroughly. See all the tips here… 35 Genius Travel Tips That Will Change Your Life Forev...

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Posted in: Travel Tips

South Africa's New Visa Rules Spark Outcry

Strict new South African immigration laws have sparked confusion and panic among foreign residents in this "Gateway to Africa" and forced 250,000 Zimbabweans to decide whether to return home. Walk down most streets in Johannesburg and you will hear accents and languages from across this vast African continent. Builders by the roadside waiting for work chatter away in the sweet sing-song rhythm of African Portuguese, waiters stand and gossip between orders employing the rolling Rs. and whistles that mark out Shona, a language of Zimbabwe and southern Zambia. Congolese, Somalis, Nigerians, Mozambicans and above all Zimbabweans, flock to the "City of Gold" in search of their own little slice of the riches of the Highveld, as the surrounding...

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Posted in: South Africa travel , south african immigration

New Technology Helping to Fight Immigration and Visa Fraud in Australia

The lengths visa and citizenship fraud criminals will go to and how new technology is combating immigration crime has been revealed by Australian officials. The National Investigations Section of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection has highlighted some recent cases in its annual report. These include a couple from Queensland alleged to be involved in arranging 500 false marriages for migration purposes. They also owned nine properties and had $2.1 million in assets. Also, multiple search warrants were issued on a West Australian business alleged to be falsifying employment records for skilled migration and providing unregistered migration assistance to applicants for permanent skilled migration. An individual who...

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Posted in: Australian immigration , Australian visa , Immigration News , travel news

US-Bound Airlines to Screen Smartphones, Laptops Because of New Al-Qaeda Terror Threat

Airlines that fly direct to the US will be forced to step up checks on mobile phones and shoes in light of threats of an Al-Qaeda bomb attack. US officials say terrorists have found a way to conceal incendiary devices inside phones to avoid detection. Passengers on flights from Europe, the Middle East and Africa bound for the US will be subjected to extra security checks, US officials have told Reuters. The US government warned earlier this week of an Al-Qaeda effort to create an undetectable bomb that could be smuggled through airport security. According to US intelligence sources, the undetectable devices are most likely to be hidden in smartphones, including Apple iPhones and Samsung Galaxy phones. The bombs could also be surgically...

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Posted in: Immigration News , travel news , US Embassy , us immigration

TigerAir Philippines Advisory on Flight Cancellation

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has announced the suspension of operations in the Tacloban Airport today, July 9, 2014 to make way for runway repairs. The following Tigerair flights to and from Tacloban have been cancelled for tomorrow: DG 042/7044 Manila-Tacloban, and DG 7043/7045 Tacloban-Manila. Tigerair Philippines is arranging the re-accommodation of passengers to the soonest available flights.  Passengers in these cancelled flights may avail of any of the following options for free Rebooking within 30 days from original departure date; refund or travel fund.  Please call CEB’s reservation hotlines for more details: +6327020888 (Manila) to +6332230888 (Cebu...

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Posted in: philippine travel , philippine travel news

US Immigration Latest Green Card Priority Dates

The United States Department of State (DOS) has released its July 2014 Visa Bulletin. EB-3 applicants from China and India are currently waiting for eight to ten years for a permanent residence visa (or 'green card' as they are popularly known). The full figures are laid out in a table below. Priority cut-off dates for Employment based visas Visa CategoryGeneralMainland ChinaIndiaMexicoPhilippines EB-1NoneNoneNoneNoneNone EB-2None1 Jul 091 Sept 08NoneNone EB-31 Apr 111 Oct 061 Nov 031 Apr 111 Jan 09 EB-3 (others)1 Apr 111 Jan 031 Nov 031 Apr 111 Jan 09 EB-4NoneNoneNoneNoneNone EB-5NoneNoneNoneNoneNone Only applicants who filed their petitions (applied) for a green card before the 'priority cut-off date' can currently apply for...

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Posted in: green card , Immigration News , travel news , US Visa

South Africa preparing ‘critical skills’ list for work visas under new immigration rules

A ‘critical skills work visa’ has also been introduced as part of the ‘Immigration Regulations of 2014’, which came into effect on 26 May. The home affairs department said a list of what are regarded as ‘critical skills’ is yet to be published. Quota work permit and exceptional skills work permits have been repealed under amendments to regulations. Those issued with business visas must now employ or prove that at least 60% of their total staff are South African citizens or permanent residents. Gigaba said the number required before the changes was just five employees. Gigaba told a press conference on 29 May that immigration regulations had been “abused” in the past and it was important to “clarify those [regulations] and ensure that we...

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Posted in: Immigration News , South Africa travel , south african immigration , travel news