The Embassy of Japan has revised the Visa Fee and VFS Service Charges effective 1 April 2013. Below mentioned is the new visa fee.

York St John University & the SPARK fund are pleased to announce a range of International scholarships for new postgraduate international students for the 2013/14 academic year

For the September 2013 intake, we are pleased to offer:

• One flagship ‘International SPARK Scholar’ award, offering both a full tuition fee scholarship for a Masters level student (MA, MBA, or MSc) AND a £4,000 contribution towards living costs.
• Two full tuition fee scholarships for Masters level students (MA, MBA, MSc).
• Two partial tuition fee scholarships for Masters level students (MA, MBA, MSc), equal to £4,000 each.......

For more details you may click here.

Please be informed that w.e.f. Thursday 14 March, 2013 the Visa Fee & the Legalization fee will be revised due to change in exchange rate

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Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships are being offered in 2013 for the following Master's courses. Full details of these courses and the application process must be obtained from the relevant institution.....

For more details you may click here.

01 March 2013
Today, the UK Border Agency is publishing a statement of intent, to help employers prepare for changes to the points-based system.
The statement announces changes to the codes of practice for skilled migrant workers from outside the European Economic Area. These will come into effect on 6 April 2013 and will also affect the timing of the applications for restricted certificates of sponsorship in March and April. The changes include:

• Changes to the lists of skilled occupations

Our current codes of practice use the Standard Occupational Classification 2000 system, so we are updating our skill lists and levels to reflect the new Standard Occupational Classification 2010 system.

• Changes to salary requirements

The minimum appropriate rates for skilled workers in each occupation are being simplified and updated to reflect changes in pay for settled workers. In addition, the overall salary thresholds which apply across Tier 2 will be increased in April, in line with wage inflation.

• Changes to the way the resident labour market test is conducted

The current lists of specific publications and websites where vacancies can be advertised will be replaced with a set of simple criteria for identifying suitable media. These new criteria will make the resident labour market test more flexible, giving employers more freedom to advertise where they think will be most successful, while ensuring settled workers have the opportunity to apply for jobs.
This follows a review of the codes of practice carried out by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) last year. The statement of intent sets out the government's response to the MAC's recommendations and how we will update the system to make it more user-friendly for both applicants and sponsors.

Immigration Minister Mark Harper laid a written ministerial statement proposing fee increases for visa applications made overseas, and applications made in the UK.

The proposals laid in Parliament today and on 14 March, subject to Parliamentary approval, will take effect from 6 April 2013.

For more details you may click here.

Up to 15 fully-funded scholarships (each worth over £12,000 to cover tuition fees) are available for applicants from the following developing commonwealth countries to study for MSc Tropical Forestry by distance learning: Bangladesh, Botswana, Cameroon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

For more details you may click here.

The New Zealand Government announced commonwealth scholarship for the students of developing commonwealth countries for master and PhD studies at New Zealand universities.

The scholarships will cover tuition and enrolment fees and provide an establishment allowance, a basic stipend, approved scholarship-related travel, some course-related costs, and medical and travel insurance.

Nominating agencies are appointed for submission of the applications from prospective students, who wish to be enrolled in one of the New Zealand universities for Masters & PhD. You may view the complete details for availing the scholarships:

For more details you may click here.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) - Japan Scholarship Program (JSP) stablished in April 1988 with financing from the Government of Japan announced Scholar ships for students of developing countries.

The scholarship is to undertake postgraduate studies in economics, management, science and technology, and other development-related fields at participating academic institutions in the Asian and Pacific Region.

For more details you may click here.

British Prime Minister (Mr.) David Cameron, announced details of a super priority visa service which will allow frequent travellers from India to have their visas processed in just one day, Cameron told India Inc at Hotel Taj, the country's hospitality icon.....

For continue reading, click here.....

• File online with USCIS ELIS, or
• File a paper application by mail.

Chinese Government Scholarship Program is established by the Ministry of Education of P.R. China (hereinafter referred to as MOE) in accordance with educational exchange agreements or understandings reached between the Chinese government and the governments of other countries, organizations, education institutions and relevant international organizations to provide both full scholarships and partial scholarships to international students and scholars. MOE entrusts China Scholarship Council (hereinafter referred to as CSC) to manage the recruitment and carry out the routine management of Chinese Government Scholarship Program.

For more details you may click here.

A written ministerial statement setting out the changes to the Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) route has been laid in Parliament.

For complete story click here.

Citing technical reasons, ETS cancelled online test appointments for number of Graduate Record Examination aspirants, who have booked the appointments months before till Feb 2013.

The message circulated to the candidates speaks;

"We regret to inform that your test appointments scheduled with Prometric had to be cancelled due to technical glitches experienced by the site," candidates should get in touch with Prometric for an alternative date and venue for the test.

The GRE is a standardised test for admissions to top notch USA, Canadian universities & around the world, is administered directly by ETS through its associates in India, with no government agency monitoring the said exam.

With cancellation of exam hundreds of students are going to suffer for admissions, as every university has the deadline to submit GRE scores to them in order to get the I-20's & complete visa procedure in time.

In case you too are affected & need help, you may contact GREcoaching.com at their free 24/7 help line number 9814104562

Spain has opened its doors to investors from India under "Non-Lucrative Residence Visa for Spain", where in those investing INR 1,00,00,000/- in buying a house will be offered permanent residency without employment.

For more details, click here

New fee allows USCIS to recover the costs of processing immigrant visas after individuals receive their visa packages from the Department of State abroad

WASHINGTON—On Feb. 1, 2013, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin collecting a new USCIS Immigrant Fee of $165 from foreign nationals seeking permanent residence in the United States. This new fee was established in USCIS's final rule adjusting fees for immigration applications and petitions announced on Sept. 24, 2010.

USCIS has worked closely with the Department of State (DOS) to implement the new fee which allows USCIS to recover the costs of processing immigrant visas in the United States after immigrant visa holders receive their visa packages from DOS. This includes staff time to handle, file and maintain the immigrant visa package, and the cost of producing and delivering the permanent resident card. The implementation of this new fee is further detailed in a Federal Register notice scheduled for publication tomorrow.

In order to simplify and centralize the payment process, applicants will pay online through the USCIS website after they receive their visa package from DOS and before they depart for the United States. DOS will provide applicants with specific information on how to submit payment when they attend their consular interview. The new fee is in addition to fees charged by DOS associated with an individual's immigrant visa application.

USCIS processes approximately 36,000 immigrant visa packages each month. Prospective adoptive parents whose child will enter the United States under the Orphan or Hague processes are exempt from the new fee.

For more information ask us at 0172-2621090 or send mail to usa@sundlassconsultants.com News item taken from USCIS.

A number of changes to the Immigration Rules come into effect today (13 December 2012). These changes will affect non-European Economic Area nationals applying to enter or remain in the UK.
The changes include:

• Non substantive changes to all PBS tiers.
• Establishing a more robust and clear criminality framework against which immigration applications will be assessed.
• Amendments to clarify the absences from the UK that are allowed during the continuous residence period for settlement for Tier 1 (General), Tier 2 and pre-points based system work routes (for example work permits, self-employment and business person).
• Minor changes to the child and parent routes to make them as clear and comprehensive as possible and changes to simplify the operation of the income threshold for sponsoring family migrant

Further information, including the Statements of Changes to the Immigration rules (HC 760 and HC820), and the Explanatory Memorandum, kindly send us your query at info@sundlassconsultants.com.

For more information send mail at info@sundlassconsultants.com

For more information, please visit the USCIS blog, or contact info@sundlassconsultants.com

For more information, please visit the USCIS blog, or contact info@sundlassconsultants.com

For more information send mail at info@sundlassconsultants.com

For more information send mail at info@sundlassconsultants.com

The site where the homeless migrants had been living is now being secured to prevent further access.

Sixteen Indian illegal migrants have been arrested in a UK Border Agency-led enforcement operation targeting homeless migrants. The migrants had been living in squalid conditions underneath a motorway bridge in Heston, West London.

UK Border Agency officers were supported by the Metropolitan Police and the London Borough of Hounslow Council when they attended the site at about 6:00am yesterday, Wednesday 19 September.

The sixteen men were arrested for a variety of immigration offences and the UK Border Agency will seek to return them to India as soon as possible.

For more information send mail at info@sundlassconsultants.com

For more information, kindly call at 0172-2621090 OR send mail at info@sundlassconsultants.com

• Curtin staff were involved in the testing shared usernames and passwords to access the Australia-wide IELTS database if it crashed, allowing Mr Low to logon using the name of other staff.
  
  
• The IELTS database could only detect the last score entered and could not track changes made to test scores.
  
  
• Periodical audits of the test forms used in the tests were not conducted. Curtin University has since cancelled its involvement in IELTS and the database has been upgraded.

The United States Embassy in India today announced it is implementing a new visa processing system throughout India that will further standardize procedures and will simplify fee payment and appointment scheduling through a new website at www.ustraveldocs.com/in. Minister Counselor for Consular Affairs, Julia Stanley, announced at a press conference here today that beginning September 26, 2012 U.S. visa applicants will be able to pay application fees via Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) or with their mobile phones. They can also pay in cash at more than 1,800 Axis bank branches.

For more information click here OR send mail at info@sundlassconsultants.com

A written ministerial statement has been laid in Parliament today outlining a number of changes to the Immigration Rules.

The changes amend the Immigration Rules further to the Supreme Court's judgment in the case of Alvi . They follow on from the earlier changes on 19 July 2012 in response to the same judgment, which required that requirements that were previously set out in Home Office guidance be incorporated into the Immigration Rules.

Some further amendments that are not related to the Supreme Court's judgment are also being made, including:

• changes to the family and private life rules and the transitional provisions for dependants of points-based system migrants;
• changes to Tier 1 (Exceptional talent) of the points-based system; and
• changes to the list of low risk countries for the purpose of Tier 4 of the points-based system.

All overseas students will have to take out medical insurance, issuance of a standard student card and proof of acceptance from a higher education institution before they can apply for a visa.

They will also need to take a Malaysian language course during their first year of studies to help them interact better with Malaysians.

"Previously, a student could enter Malaysia before joining an institution," the minister of higher education, Mohamed Khaled Nordin, said. "Now all matters pertaining to foreign students involving the Immigration Department will be handled by EMGS." Malaysia is one of Asia's fastest growing education hubs – home to top international branch campuses such as the University of Nottingham and some 95,000 foreign students (a figure it wants to raise to 200,000 by 2020).

However, some claim Malaysia's student visa system is too lax and being abused by those who come to the country to partake in crime, such as drug trafficking.

In a right-leaning op-ed this week in the Malaysia Star, journalist M Veera Pandiyan wrote: "With "international" colleges even operating out of shop-lots, the reality is, many foreigners…are exploiting the "student route" to stay, work illegally or commit crimes in the country.

"The exact number of bogus students is unknown but there is no question that the number of colleges is mushrooming, especially in smaller towns."

"The exact number of bogus students is unknown but there is no question that the number of colleges is mushrooming" Others see the problem as less severe; Malaysian Association of Private Colleges and Universities president, Datuk Dr Parmjit Singh, has been quoted as saying that there are probably fewer than 10 institutions having bogus foreign students. EMGS will seek to control impropriety, enforcing the new restrictions and checking students have sufficient funds for their education before issuing visas.

Likened to the British Council, it will also coordinate the promotion and marketing of Malaysia's higher education as well as the recruitment of and support services for international students.

The UK Border Agency has revoked (withdrawn) London Metropolitan University's licence to sponsor students from outside the European Union.

The withdrawal of London Metropolitan University's licence means that it is removed from the register of licensed sponsors, and students from outside the European Union are no longer allowed to study at the university.

We understand that international students at London Metropolitan University may be concerned.

London Metropolitan University students who are already in the UK with a current, valid UK visa do not need to do anything immediately.

A government-led taskforce is being created, which will include the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), Universities UK, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), the UK Border Agency and the National Union of Students. This will work with London Metropolitan to support those affected and enable appropriately qualified genuine students to find another institution where they can continue their studies in the UK. The taskforce will start work immediately.

If an existing London Metropolitan University student with a current, valid visa is on holiday outside the UK, they can return to the UK.

New students who were planning to travel to the UK to start studying with London Metropolitan University should not travel.

Doctors, dentists, nurses and engineers have dominated the first round of skilled migrants invited to formally apply for visas under the government’s new online SkillSelect service. 

Accountants, ICT analysts and programmers were also strongly represented in the 100 invitations in the first round, which drew the highest scoring candidates from the initial expressions of interest (EOI).

“This is an excellent result for the economy, employers, and ultimately for Australia,” a spokesman from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) said today. 

“SkillSelect helps to ensure the skilled migration program is based on the economic needs of Australia. It supports the government in managing who can apply for skilled migration, when they can apply and in what numbers.”

More than 10 000 skilled people have completed EOIs through www.skillselect.gov.au since it went live on July 1.

Earlier this month, the first automated invitation round for skilled independent (90 visas) and skilled regional family-sponsored (10 visas) was completed. 

The lowest points score invited was 75 points in both the skilled independent and skilled family sponsored visas.  This is significantly above the 60 point pass mark, and demonstrates the quality of the skilled people interested in migrating to Australia, and the benefits of selecting only the best.

“The points score varied from 75 up to 85 across the two visa subclasses,” the spokesman said.

“Additionally, almost 400 skilled people have been invited since July 1 following nominations lodged by state and territory governments.

“More than 160 of these invited clients have already lodged their visa applications, and the others have 60 days to lodge their documentation using DIAC’s electronic lodgement system,” he added.

Full details of the first round of SkillSelect visa invitations are available at www.skillselect.gov.au.

For more information on the first round offers and statistics on SkillSelect go to www.immi.gov.au/skills/skillselect/index/report-2012-08/

CIC is aiming for a slightly more modernized approach to the application process this year by offering an e-submission page from which applicants will be able to upload their application form and submit it online once completed. There will also be on-line tutorials and FAQs to assist applicants in completing their applications.

Applications can be submitted online until September 7, 2012.

While every eligible refugee claimant will continue to receive a hearing at the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, key to this new system is faster refugee claim decisions. One way this will be accomplished is through the use of the new designated country of origin (DCO) policy.

DCOs are countries that do not normally produce refugees. Claimants from these countries will receive accelerated processing of their claim, will have limited access to appeals and limited access to work permits.

Some of the changes to the refugee system are already in effect such as changes to pre-removal risk assessments and applications for permanent resident status based on humanitarian and compassionate considerations. The other changes to the refugee system will come into effect later this year at a date that will be determined by the government.

Supporting regulations for this legislation will be published in Canada Gazette for comments later this summer/early fall.

CIC realizes that this change is an adjustment for the people we serve but does not expect service wait times to increase. With more and more of CIC’s services being provided electronically, fewer individuals will find it necessary to visit local offices.

Applicants will be able to conduct routine business with CIC quickly and easily online. In addition, CIC will offer some in-person services on an itinerant or travelling basis in some of the communities where offices have closed.

Canada is not the only target of immigration fraud. Other immigrant-receiving countries are also popular destinations for those wishing to immigrate in any way possible.

In June, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia held a joint press conference in India, to warn prospective visitors and immigrants of the dangers of being misled by unscrupulous immigration agents.

With the recognition that each country faces similar challenges, Canada and its partners have united their voices to warn against immigration scams.

Marriage fraud, for example, has been a particular problem in some countries that are major sources of applicants for immigration to Canada. In many cases, sponsors and foreign applicants arrange a “marriage of convenience”: a marriage or common-law relationship where the sole purpose is for the sponsored spouse to immigrate to Canada. Some of these plans are put together by crooked consultants, advising their clients that this is an easy way to get into Canada.

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today marked a significant milestone in its efforts to provide relief to victims of crimes by approving the statutory maximum 10,000 petitions for U nonimmigrant status, also referred to as the U-visa. This is the third straight year USCIS has reached the statutory maximum since it began issuing U-visas in 2008.

Each year, 10,000 U-visas are available for victims of crime who have suffered substantial mental or physical abuse and are willing to help law enforcement authorities investigate or prosecute those crimes. A U-visa petition requires law enforcement certification of assistance in the investigation or prosecution of crimes.

"The U-visa is an important tool aiding law enforcement to bring criminals to justice," said USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas. "At the same time, we are able to provide immigration protection to victims of crime and their families. Both benefits are in the interest of the public we serve."

In recent years, USCIS has greatly expanded its public education and outreach effort through partnerships with law enforcement agencies and service providers. As part of this effort, USCIS officers have traveled to more than 40 cities, including Denver, New York City, Newark, and San Antonio, to train federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and immigrant-serving organizations on immigration protections available to individuals who are victims of human trafficking, domestic violence and other serious crimes.

The program was created by Congress to strengthen the law enforcement community's ability to investigate and prosecute cases of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and other crimes while at the same time offering protection to victims. More than 61,000 victims and their family members have received U-visas since the implementation of this program in 2008.
USCIS will continue to accept new petitions as they are received until the end of the current fiscal year, and will resume issuing U-visas on Oct. 1, 2012, the first day of fiscal year 2013 when new visas are available.

For more information please send us mail at info@sundlassconsultants.com

This is to inform you that the CIC in New Delhi and Chandigarh has made the following changes to the SPP for the January 2013 intake as of September 1, 2012:

1. A minimum IELTS band score of 5.5 will be implemented for all programs that require 6.0 bands overall.

2. Applicants are now able to deposit $10,000 into a GIC at Scotia Bank for living expenses. The amount will be disbursed as follows:

a. $2,000 upon arrival

b. $2,000 every two months thereafter

This is an added value feature for applicants in India and is based on the New Zealand model that is already in place in India. Applicants who make a deposit of $10,000 improve their chances of receiving a Study Visa. Please keep in mind that this DOES NOT replace the first semester tuition payment to the institution. The CIC will be getting back to all SPP colleges regarding the mechanisms applicants can use to make a GIC deposit in the coming weeks. This deposit MUST be made in India and not by a relative outside of India including Canada.

For more information please send us mail at info@sundlassconsultants.com

Today, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will begin accepting requests, effective immediately, for consideration of deferred action for childhood arrivals. On June 15, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano announced that certain people who came to the United States as children and meet other key guidelines may request, on a case-by-case basis, consideration of deferred action. Read the Update.

For more information please send us mail at info@sundlassconsultants.com