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 implanted into an insurgent’s body or be embedded in clothes fibers.

Officials say that bomb makers from an Al-Qaeda affiliate group in Yemen are collaborating with the Syrian al-Nusra Front to develop a device that foils security.

Airlines that do not step up their security measures could face bans on their flights entering the United States. 

Heightened security measures have already been implemented in UK airports with fears they may cause significant delays during the holiday season.

The tough new security policy subjects passengers to “vigorous” body searches and requires them to switch on their laptops, mobile phones and other electronic devices when they pass through security. Airport staff are also swabbing travelers’ shoes and clothes to check for traces of explosives.

Travelers at London’s Heathrow airport told UK media that the new measures had slowed the pace at departure gates. US student Eryk Salvaggi, who was heading to Boston, told The Daily Mail that it seemed to take “twice as long for his bags to go through.”

Members of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) check a passenger's bags with N.J. Transit Police to secure mass transit for the Super Bowl XLVIII, in Secaucus, New Jersey January 31, 2014. (Reuters/Eduardo Munoz)Members of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) check a passenger's bags with N.J. Transit Police to secure mass transit for the Super Bowl XLVIII, in Secaucus, New Jersey January 31, 2014. (Reuters/Eduardo Munoz)

“There were a lot of bags being taken aside too, when they came out the other side, for extra searches,” he said. “There seemed to be a lot of frisking going on too.”

However, the two largest UK airports said they were operating as normal Thursday evening. A senior official from the US Department of Homeland Security told the BBC that there would be no delays in the coming days, but he also said the security measures had not yet been fully implemented.

The UK government has said that the security measures may be permanent at UK airports in response to an evolving terrorist threat. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg warned of the threat posed by the "medieval, violent, revolting ideology" behind the alleged bomb plots.

"We have to make sure the checks are there to meet the nature of the new kinds of threats. Whether it is forever – I can't make any predictions. But I don't want people to think that this is just a sort of a blip for a week. This is part of an evolving and constant review about whether the checks keep up with the nature of the threats we face,” Clegg said in an LBC radio interview Thursday.

Prime Minister David Cameron emphasized the importance of putting safety first, and said the new measures had been implemented after consultation with the US government.

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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 Category	General	Mainland China	India	Mexico	Philippines
EB-1	None	None	None	None	None
EB-2	None	1 Jul 09	1 Sept 08	None	None
EB-3	1 Apr 11	1 Oct 06	1 Nov 03	1 Apr 11	1 Jan 09
EB-3 (others)	1 Apr 11	1 Jan 03	1 Nov 03	1 Apr 11	1 Jan 09
EB-4	None	None	None	None	None
EB-5	None	None	None	None	None

Only applicants who filed their petitions (applied) for a green card before the 'priority cut-off date' can currently apply for their permanent residence visa (or 'green card' as it is known).

Adjustment of status

If they made their initial application before the priority cut-off date, and they are already in the US, for example with an H-1B 'specialty occupation' visa, then providing their petition has been successful, they can apply to US Citizenship and Immigration for 'Adjustment of Status' for a green card.

If they made their initial application before the cut-off date and are living outside the US, they can go to the US consulate or embassy in their country of residence and apply for their green card.

So, for example, if an applicant A from the UK filed his/her EB-3 visa petition on 3rd March 2011 then his/her priority date is 3rd March 2011. The priority cut-off date for EB-3 applicants from most countries is now 1 April 2011. Therefore, A's petition was filed before the cut-off date. He/she can, therefore, apply for Adjustment of Status/ a visa.

Chinese applicants wait longer

However, if an applicant B, from China, had filed his/her EB-3 application on the same day as A, 3rd March 2011, he/she would not be able to apply for Adjustment of Status/a visa because the cut-off date for Chinese applicants is 1st October 2006. Chinese applicants can only apply for Adjustment of Status or a green card if they applied before 1st October 2006.

This confusing system has arisen because of the complexity of the US visa system and because demand for US green cards greatly exceeds supply. Only about 140,000 employment-based visas are available each year and these are split between 5 employment-based (EB) visa categories.

They are divided as follows

Visa Category	Visas available
EB-1 - Priority workers of extraordinary ability	28% - 40,000
EB-2 Members of 'the professions' with advanced degrees, 'exceptional ability' or 'national interest'	28% - 40,000
EB-3 Skilled workers and professionals	28% - 40,000
EB-3 Other workers	Maximum of 10,000 of the EB-3 quota
EB-4 'Special immigrants' including religious workers	7.1% - 9,940
EB-5 Investors	7.1% - 9,940

N.B. Some unused family visas from the previous year may be available for the EB categories each year. If so, the actual number of EB visas will be distributed according to the proportions set out in the table above.

Country caps

Because the US receives many more than 40,000 EB-3 visa applications each year, applicants will not receive EB-3 visas in the year that they apply. Over the years, lengthy waiting lists have accumulated and now, many applicants have to wait for years after making their visa application before there is a visa available for them.

This problem is particularly acute for applicants from some countries with high demand for US visas. This is because only 7% of the total number of visas in any category can go to applicants from one country. (So, for example, only 2.908 EB-2 visas can go, each year, to any one country).

Because many more than 7% of the applicants each year come from several countries with high demand (such as China, India, Mexico and the Philippines), applicants from those countries have to wait longer than other applicants before a visa becomes available.

Indian cut-off date November 2003

Thus, the priority cut-off date for Indian applicants for EB-3 skilled worker visas now stands at 1st November 2003. This cut-off date has actually moved backwards in the last year as have several others for countries with high numbers of visa applicants.

However, the main cut off priority date for most countries has moved forward by four years in the last year, from 2007 to 1st April 2011.

Sanwar Ali of workpermit.com said 'At workpermit.com, we have in-house US immigration attorneys who can help you with all your visa concerns. Please give us a call. We have many years of experience and have helped thousands of people with US visa petitions.

Most EB-3 applicants waiting three years

'There are currently no waiting times for applicants from most countries for EB-1, EB-2, EB-4 and EB-5 applicants though most EB-3 applicants will have to wait for at least three years.

'We would be happy to help with your petition'.

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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 streamline and simplify them”.

Under the new regulations the word ‘visa’ replaces the word ‘permit’, except for the permanent residence ‘permit’. No business visa may be issued or renewed to a foreigner who intends to establish or invest in a business that is listed as an “undesirable business undertaking”.

Asked about comments in the South African media that the new measures could deter foreign investors wanting to move to the country, Gigaba said the new regulations were not “set in stone”. He said he was aware of the need for firms such as the freight logistics company Transnet and national power utility Eskom “to be able to bring in skills from overseas for a period of time in relation to the infrastructure roll out programme”.

Gigaba said if the new regulations prove to be “too onerous and impede the growth and development of the economy, then we will take the necessary decisions in that regard whilst not compromising the need for security... but I think that is addressed in us saying that we will publish the list of critical skills, we will give people a temporary work visa that will last for four years or for the duration of the project”.

Visas issued in relation to work in the infrastructure sector, which Gigaba described as “critical”, will be renewable. There will be “ongoing discussions”, but he said: “What we cannot do, is, ahead of time, presumptuously, come to the conclusion that the needs of the economy supersede those of security, because without security we might not have the economy.”

On critical skills, Gigaba said “we are talking about artisans that are required by Eskom to build power stations, Transnet around rail and the pipelines; Sanral in relation to the construction of roads”. The minister said talks would be held with South Africa’s trade and industry minister to “identify those critical skills”.

A report published last January by South African workforce management company Adcorp said the national economy’s demand for high-skilled workers had “remained relatively stable over the past decade”. The report said there was “a consistent shortage of high-skilled workers amounting to around 829,000 unfilled vacancies, positions that could be easily or immediately filled if only the requisite skills were available”.

According to Adcorp labour market economist Loane Sharp: “South Africa’s skills shortage is substantial and is not being met by the local supply of high-skilled workers. Therefore the restrictions on foreigners living and working in South Africa should be relaxed, since this would supplement the dwindling local supply of skills.”

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

Myanmar(Burma) to Launch Online Visa System for Tourists

Burma plans to launch an online application system for tourist visas later this year, according to the Ministry of Immigration and Population, which announced on Friday that it was opening a tender for the project.

As tourist arrivals in Burma continue to grow, the ministry has received complaints about the difficulties and delays in applying for visas at embassies, according to Maung Maung Than, director-general of the Department of Immigration and National Registration.

“We’re considering the process of online visa applications, and we’re confident we can get it operating by September,” Maung Maung Than told The Irrawaddy, adding that non-tourist visas would not be available through the new system.

Visa fees will be paid online, he said, adding that the fees would be determined later by the operating company and the government.

According to a statement in state-run media, information and technology companies can submit proposals for the project until July 16.

Currently, tourists must apply for visas at embassies in their home countries. More processing time is required if an applicant lives in a country without a Burmese embassy. Long wait times are also common at the embassies in Thailand and China, which neighbor Burma and see a high number of applicants.

Tourists can stay in Burma for 28 days on a single visa. According to figures from the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, more than 2 million tourists came to the country in 2013. The ministry expects more than 3 million tourists this year.

Burma’s tourism sector saw the highest relative growth in Southeast Asia last year, with the number of foreign arrivals spiking 52 percent, according to a report by the UN World Tourism Organization. Despite the surging growth, Burma remains one of the region’s least-visited countries after decades of military rule and poor development.

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Posted in: burma visa , Immigration News , myanmar visa , travel news