Speculations in the air are pointing out towards the direction that the president needs to take care of Health care and Immigration reform in a brilliant way (as demanded by the majority) otherwise things are likely to go against him, during his ongoing tenure.

Strategists feel that Obama needs to come out with a more targeted agenda as soon as possible. According to Wade Henderson, president of LCCR, Immigration Reform is a critical preeminent civil and human rights issue of our time. He further added that the Immigration system of the country is broken, with billions of undocumented immigrants residing in the US.

Also, Congress failed to pass Immigration Reform under the reign of President George W. Bush, which serves as a major cause of worry for the current government too! But director of the US Immigration Policy Program at MPI, Doris Meissner, feels that this is the perfect time to fix all the issues.

Obama cleared that he could not attend on the issue until 2010, due to delays in Health Care Reform. Now the focus is entirely on Obama, as every one is watching him closely and waiting for him to make final decision on the Health and Immigration reform.

Let us first talk about the K-1 Visa. It is meant for all those international citizens who intend to marry Americans within the US and then stay in the premises on a permanent basis. Requirements for the same:

• It is essential that you meet your national international fiancée personally, at least two years before filing for the K-I Visa.
• Both the applicant as well as spouse must show an evidence of the termination of before marriages, if applicable.
• Both should be eligible for marriage.
• It is mandatory for the fiancée to marry within the 90 day- K-I Single entry visa; otherwise the non-immigrant must leave within the US, if the marriage does not take place.
• The fiancée is not applicable to apply for Extension of Stay within the 90 days of K-1 Single-Entry visa period.
• It is essential to file a K-I fiancée visa petition and submit the necessary documentation relevant with the application process. To know more, consult an Immigration veteran now.

Now let us talk something about the K-3 Visa. It allows spouses of the US Citizens, who are waiting abroad for their visas, to come and stay with their loved ones in the US and then apply for visa. Here are the requirements for the same:

• The foreign national should be married to the US Citizen.
• The applicant should intend to enter in the US.
• Filed Firm I-130.
• K-3 Visa allows the spouse stay in the US for a period of two years within which the spouse can apply for a PR Status.

The list of details and mandates required for K-1 and K-3 Visas is huge. Just hire the services of a proficient Immigration and Visa guide and know further.

These dependents can now also contribute to the earnings of the family along with their parents as they are permitted to work in Canada and that too without the need of having a job offer beforehand. Dependent children who are sure to qualify through the selection criteria can apply for open work permit under the two distinct pilot projects that the province of Ontario and Alberta have on offer.

Eligibility of dependent children to apply for thee open work permits is decided on the basis of given conditions:

The temporary foreign skilled worker or the primary applicant must be:

• Eligible for or already a holder of employer-specific work permit
• Must have the intention to work in Ontario or Alberta
• Work in an “A”, “O”, or “B” skill levels of occupation, according to National Occupation Classification given by HRSDC.

Also, the dependent must qualify the legal age factor of the individual provinces, in which they intend to work. While in Alberta, this age bar is a minimum of 18 years, in Ontario, it is 14-18 years, according to the occupation. However, for Canadian immigration, dependent status of children is accepted only if they are below 22 years and if they are unmarried or is not involved in any common-law relationship. Those above 22 years are also accepted as dependents as long as they are full time students while their age is 22 years and continue to be full time students and dependents on their parents.

The period for which pilot projects are operational, extends from July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010. So, eligible dependents of temporary foreign workers, who are currently working in or are headed to Alberta or Ontario, can apply for open work permits during this time. It is important to not that there is no automatic issuance provided for these permits and one must apply for them. However, these children have the choice if they wish to apply after they are in Canada or along with their primary applicants.

These open work permits are usually valid for an equivalent stretch of time as the work permit of the primary applicant. In case of extension of the work permit of the primary applicant, open work permit of dependent children may also be extended.

Previously, apart from a prior job offer from a Canadian employer or a Labour Market Opinion (LMO) from HRSDC, the Canadian employer also has to undergo several formalities, before they issue a work permit to a foreign worker. Open work permits are however an easy escape from this cumbersome process that will encourage more people to come and settle in Ontario and Alberta happily, with their families.

NRI Income in India

All income earned by NRIs in India is taxable. In addition, the NRIs are required to file the returns on an annual basis. Also, salary earned in India is chargeable to tax (under Section 9 (I) (ii) of the IT Act.) You are liable to pay tax if you have earned the income in India (directly or indirectly) and/or the same is amassed in India.

In the following cases you must pay the income tax:

• If you have a business income, property income or/and income from another source.
• Dividend paid by an Indian company to an NRI living abroad.
• If you are receiving an interest paid by government, bank, company or any other source.
• Fees paid for technical services provided by an NRI.
• Salary earned in India or salary paid by the Indian government to any citizen of India for services provided abroad.

NRI Income Abroad

Non-resident Indians are exempt from paying taxes on their foreign income and they are not required to pay the tax if the income is earned elsewhere.

Apart from these rules, it is mandatory for the applicants to file their returns on time to avoid any hassles or penalties in future. If possible, try to learn more about the tax saving schemes available to you and ensure that you have the required documentation. These may include the proof of your paid tax in your original country to avoid any issue of Double Taxation.

These matters require a high level of scrutiny! Take every step with utmost care…

In order to immigrate to a new country, you would need to exchange your money with the relevant currency of the country. For this, the RBI offers guidelines that regulate Foreign Exchange transaction from and into India.

For successful immigrant visa holders, RBI permits maximum foreign exchange per person is US $100,000.00 per calendar year. The supporting documentation should include the application form, Form A2 along with a Self – Declaration. This holds same for a Skilled Migrant Visa and a Student Visa. Thus a typical family of four can carry as much as USD 400,000 against their immigrant visas.

However, incase of a Visit Visa, an applicant can take forex up to beyond US $10,000 per financial year. For Business travel, this amount varies with the limit being US $25,000 per Trip per person. Here the relevant supporting documentation includes the following:

• Application form
• Letter of Authorization from the Company
• A statement from the company certifying that the employee is sent on a business purpose along with the details of boarding and lodging.

Source: http://www.hdfcbank.com/personal/forex/forex_limits.htm

To know more, it is best advised to contact an immigration specialist to would be in a better position to guide you further.

In order to migrate to Australia, one must comply with the necessary requirements that have been laid down by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Australia. These include application fee which is a critical component while an application is being reviewed. This is called the Visa Application Charge (VAC). This charge has to be paid in Australian dollars only and is not refundable, even if the application is rejected.

This application fee is reviewed on the 1st July of every year. So, it is best to decide and apply before this particular date. This would save you in case the amount per application is increased.

If you are applying from outside Australia, this amount along with the application has to be paid at the Australian High Commission or the Embassy or the Consulate. In such a case, an exception is made with an equivalent being paid in the local currency. The exchange rates are renewed every year on the 1st January and on the 1st July. It has to be remembered that the foreign currency rates are fixed only for six months after which it is evaluated again. An alternative option to avoid such a confusion is to ask one of your friends in Australia (if any) to deposit the money at the local office.

Changes in VAC – The Aftermath

As mentioned above, the cost of the VAC is completely based on the date of the application submission and when it is received by the department. You might end up paying more in the following instances:

• If you submit your application after 1st January or 1st July.
• If your application is received after the above mentioned dates inspite of you submitting well in advance.
• You pay for the VAC in an overseas office before the due dates but submit the application in a local Australian office only after the specific days.

However, in all the cases it has to be remembered that an application would only be considered if the right amount has been paid. In some cases, it might even be returned back with a request to submit again with the processing fee.

For more, it is best to contact a registered Visa and Immigration expert who is abreast with all the latest rules and guidelines to be followed.

Here comes the news – The Student Visa applications by the Indian students for the month of June has rather increased by a fair margin of 8 percent as compared to May, confirmed Chris Evans, Australian Minister for Immigration and Citizenship.

According to “The Hindu,” which is one of the leading dailies, the Australian government is troubled by the damage that has been done to the overall reputation of the country. Knowing the fact that India is one of the leading source providers for the migration of skilled labor, their concerns are extremely valid.

“The reporting in India has been very damaging to Australia.” Mr. Evans further said that the attacks were not at all racists, rather a common demonstration (he used the word manifestation) of various social issues that these students face in their day-to-day lives. For instance, there are certain aspects related with housing, transport, and loans etc. because of which the students are not able to concentrate on their educational aspect.

He further said that there are certain shortcomings in the Australian Immigration System. This void allows the agents to market courses like cooking and hair-dressing as a short-cut to Permanent Residency. Contrary to their short durations, these courses have very high points. This results in students opting for short-term courses (like the ones mentioned above) in order to get the PR Status quickly!

Mr. Evans further elaborated that the government would introduce a job readiness test from the next year. This would be done to mend the loopholes in the Immigration Policy and verify the skills of the applicants at the same time.

On an optimistic note, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the employment rate increased to 10.794 million from 32,200. This clearly shows the rise in the economy with an addition of 32,200 more employees in July 2009. When compared to other countries, the country’s employment rate has been constant at 5.8%. In addition, the part – time employment has increased to 3.203 million from 48,200. This clearly shows the employers deriving less hours of work instead of removing employees.

The skilled migrants mainly come from developing countries like India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka and so on. They are on the look out for better opportunities and facilities and a secure future. Such people have nothing to lose and hence, would give their best if employed with a decent remuneration. In addition, they are also highly skilled and qualified and extremely hardworking. This is an added advantage for the employers recruiting such people.

Since issues like racism have hit the Australian economy along with other aspects, it is up to the Australian government as well as the employers recruiting skilled migrants to ensure safety. This could possibly be done by being fair and completely unbiased. As a start, the right candidates should be selected by the employers. It should be followed by ensuring safety and other basic facilities to the immigrants.

On the other hand, the prospective immigrants can look into the following aspects to increase their chances:

• Language Skills – Australia being an English speaking continent, the candidate must ensure that his English language skills are up to the mark. It is highly mandatory that the applicant is good and fluent in English in order to get a decent job. In addition, it is important for them to communicate with the local people. However, the level of fluency in the language varies with the job stream that one is applying for.
• Qualifications and Work Experience – The qualifications and work experience might be the best available in the home country. But it does not necessarily mean that it would have the due weightage to an Australian employer. Hence, it is best to present the profile in such a manner that would distinctly project the job duties and responsibilities. This would give the candidate an edge in the eyes of the employer.
• Location – It is important to get to know about the city/state where one intends to reside. See to it that the city is safe to live and work. Also, it is possible to more suitable jobs in one city than in the other. Thus, it is recommended to do a thorough research before applying for a particular job.
• Confidence, Competence and Flexibility – An immigrant has to remember that he is going to an alien land. Hence, he has to deal with certain unexpected changes socially, culturally and so on. The migrant’s attitude and his reaction to change counts highly. He should be able to adapt to change and new policies and be sportive enough to try out new things. Hence, he should have a positive approach to everything he does in the new country.

In order to find a job in Australia, one can refer to the various job banks and online job search portals. Along with these, services of a registered immigration and visa consultant would be highly useful. Consult one today!

• http://www.cic.gc.ca/ - Citizenship and Immigration Canada is the official Canadian government offering all the relevant and important details regarding visa and immigration to Canada. The website caters to all the visa and immigration programs offered by the Canadian High Commission. This website is the foremost to be visited for any program to apply for in Canada.
• http://www.albertacanada.com/ - If you have decided upon Alberta as your destination to immigrate, AlbertaCanada is the site to be visited. The website gives an overview about Alberta – right from immigration to its economy and other relevant aspects.
• http://www.canada.gc.ca/ - If you want to know more about Canada before deciding upon a particular destination to relocate, we suggest you go through this site. It gives an overview about the country.
• http://www5.hrsdc.gc.ca/NOC/ - Canadian High Commission has brought out a list of occupations in demand known as the National Occupation Classification. This link would give you a clear picture on whether or not your occupation is mentioned in the NOC. This would help you in taking a better decision.
• http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/workplaceskills/foreign_workers/fwp_application.shtml - If you are immigrating to Canada as a skilled migrant, your application must be approved by the Labor Market Opinion (LMO). It must be proved to the LMO that there is no suitable candidate in the local Canadian population and thus, you have been hired for the job. The link above is the application form to be filled and filed in order to complete the application procedure. The guide to fill this form could be found on the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/pub/TFWguide-e.pdf).
• http://www.workopolis.com/work.aspx?action=Transfer&View=Content/Common/WorkLoginView&lang=EN – Workopolis is the most common job portal for the Canadians on the job hunt. This site can be important tool for those on the search for jobs in Canada.

These are the six most important sites to be visited and give due importance to the information given. However, these are not the only ones. There are many other sites which are of equal importance. So, do not stop your search here itself!

Apart from clicking on the internet, it is best to contact a visa and immigration specialist to assist you further.

According to the Australian Visa agents, there has been a delay in around 457 applications filed for the visa. Also, the demand for Temporary Work visas has increased by 40% in 2005 – 06. The reason given by the Migration Institute of Australia is the issues regarding staffing and resources. The Department of Immigration and Citizenship would hence work on a strategy leading to a delay of three months in the processing timelines.

The delay clearly depicts the fact that applicants who are planning to settle down in Australia are increasing day by day. This is due to the lack of enough resources to cope with so many applications in one go. Thus, inspite of negative influences, the country has been a trailblazer when it comes to immigration. The main reason for this is the better standards of living, more income incentives and other aspects.

On the other hand, another facet to be looked into is that Australia as an immigration destination has been promoted very wisely; the results for which can be seen in the rush of applications. However, the Department of Immigration failed to foresee the impact that it is going to have on itself.

But these aspects should not discourage a prospective applicant. Since the issue is temporary, it would be sorted out soon enough. However, to be on the safer side, it is recommended that you apply well in advance before you plan to fly.

We suggest that it is best to consult an immigration specialist to guide you in such times. Also, application fee for some of the Australian programs have been hiked. This clearly shows that Australia is still in demand!