AFRICA

 

Uganda

 

1. Brenda Nakayiwa, “Gov’t Takes Dual Citizenship Registration to the Nordics”, New Vision, April 22, 2018

• Ugandans living in Nordic countries have got an opportunity to save time and money which they would have spent travelling to and from Uganda to register for dual citizenship. The government has sent a delegation led by Citizenship and Immigration Control board chairman, Maj Gen (rtd) Emilio Mondo to Denmark and Sweden to sensitise and offer services to Ugandans in Europe.
• According to a statement signed by Florence Kiremerwa, the special presidential assistant on diaspora issues, the fiveday diaspora awareness workshop in the Nordic countries will kick-off on Monday 23 to Friday April, 27.
• At the workshop, the Ministry of Internal affairs will register Ugandans for dual citizenship or Evisa and will offer certificates in one day. "The requirements include: proof of being a Ugandan, an old Ugandan passport, two passport photos, and a money order of $400,” reads the statement.

 

AMERICA

 

Canada

 

2. Teresa Wright, “After 40 Years, The Federal Government is Removing Rules That Turned Away Disabled Immigrants”, National Post, April 16, 2018

• After four decades, the federal government is getting rid of rules that turned away wouldbe immigrants with intellectual or physical disabilities, Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen said Monday. The government will no longer be allowed to reject permanent resident applications from those with serious health conditions or disabilities.
• Most of those impacted by the policy have been economic immigrants already working and creating jobs in Canada, but whose children or spouses may have a disability, Hussen said.
• Ottawa is also tripling the cost threshold at which an application for permanent residency can be denied on medical grounds. That will allow immigrants with minor health conditions that have relatively low health and social services costs to be approved for permanent residency, such as those with hearing or visual impairments.

 

3. Karen Weise & Satitha Rai, “Engineers are Leaving Trump’s America for the Canadian Dream”, Bloomberg, April 20, 2018

• In 2016, Canada increased national immigration levels to 300,000 new permanent residents annually. Last year, in consultation with trade groups, it created a program called the Global Skills Strategy to issue temporary work permits to people with job offers in certain categories, including senior software engineers, in as little as two weeks. Since the program started in June, more than 5,600 people have been granted permits, from the U.S., India, Pakistan, Brazil, and elsewhere.
• As recently as a few years ago, the kind of jobs that might interest a top engineer weren’t plentiful in Toronto, but that’s changing. Google, Uber, and Amazon are expanding their engineering outposts, and the Canadian government is pouring money into artificial intelligence research and facilities such as the MaRS Discovery District, a tech incubator whose startups have employed more than 6,000 people as of the end of 2016.
• There’s work to be found in other Canadian cities, too. Montreal is home to Google’s AI research lab, the ecommerce giant Shopify Inc. is based in Ottawa, and the social media manager Hootsuite Inc. is Vancouver’s hometown darling […].

 

4. Nicholas Keung, “Immigration to Ontario Increasing After Prolonged Slump”, The Toronto Star, April 22, 2018

• The number of permanent residents settling in the province has rebounded to 111,925, or 39 per cent of the 286,480 new arrivals to Canada last year, from a low of 95,828, or 36.8 per cent of the 260,411 in 2014. In the past, more than half of newcomers settled in Ontario.
• This past January alone, Ontario received 10,870 new permanent residents, up 48.6 per cent from 7,315 in the same period last year. Greater Toronto’s share was 8,600, 57.2 per cent higher than January 2017.
• Experts said the immigration bump in the GTA and Ontario appears to be due to the economic downturn in Alberta, which saw immigrant arrivals drop to 42,100 last year from 49,200 in 2016, with its national share declining to 14.7 per cent from 16.3 per cent. The recent slump for Alberta comes after a decade in which its share of immigrants shot up dramatically, from less than 10 per cent in the past.

 

Caribbean

 

5. Marlon Madden, “UK To Open Three New Offices in the Eastern Caribbean”, Barbados Today, April 20, 2018

• […] The United Kingdom today announced it was opening up nine new diplomatic posts across the Commonwealth, including four in the Caribbean. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson made the revelation saying that in an effort to “boost prosperity, tackle security issues and clear up the environment”, the UK will be establishing a firmer presence in St Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda and the Bahamas, as well as in Lesotho, Swaziland, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu.
• During a courtesy visit on Barbados TODAY’s CEO and EditorIn-Chief Kaymar Jordan this morning, British High Commissioner to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Janet Douglas expressed delight over the news of the opening of the three new offices in the sub-region, which should be in place “in early 2019”.

 

ASIA

 

China

 

6. “China Focus: Hainan to Offer Visa-Free Access to Tourists From 59 Countries”, Xinhua, April 18, 2018

• China will offer greater visafree access for tourists from 59 countries to Hainan from May 1, in a move to support reform and opening up in the country's southernmost island province, the State Immigration Administration announced Wednesday.
• Under the new policy, group and individual tourists from 59 countries, including Russia, Britain, France, Germany, and the United States, can visit Hainan visafree and stay there for up to 30 days on condition that they book their tour through travel agencies. Hainan has offered a 15-day visa-free stay for group tourists from 21 countries since 2000, and added another five countries to the list in 2010.

 

India

 

7. Juergen T. Steinmetz, “New Kazakhstan Entry Requirements for Indians: 72 Hour Visa Free”, ETurbo News, April 23, 2018

• Air Astana passengers holding Indian passports can apply for a 72 hours visa free stopovers in Kazakhstan with effect from 23thApril 2018 until the end of the year.
• Passengers with Air Astana flights transiting in Almaty and Astana simply need to notify checkin staff at the point of departure in order to enjoy the benefit of a visa free visit.

 

Kuwait

 

8. Adelle Geronimo, “Kuwait to Begin Electronic Visa Renewal Next Year: Report”, Tahawul Tech, April 19, 2018

• Kuwait’s Ministry of the Interior has reportedly announced plans to electronically renew residence visas for expatriates beginning 2019. According to a report by the Arab Times, the process for the renewal of domestic workers sponsored by the Kuwaitis will begin this September on experimental basis.
• The Minister of Interior’s information technology department has completed the preparations for the new system, which consists of a form which can be filled online. It will require applicants to upload their documents electronically attached with a signed waiver for the authenticity of the data and holding legal accountability in case of providing false information. The system shall be linked with all the relevant ministries and related institutions.

 

Malaysia

 

9. “Malaysia Election: All Immigration Counters in Johor to Open on Polling Day, Official Says”, The Straits Times, April 22, 2018

• Malaysia's Immigration Department will open all its counters in Johor for three days from May 8 to facilitate traffic flow, so that Malaysians could come home to vote and then turn back to Singapore, a senior official said on Sunday (April 22). Malaysia's polling day is on Wednesday, May 9.
• Deputy Home Minister Nur Jazlan Mohamed said the department will be mobilising 350 officers to work during the general election, New Straits Times newspaper quoted him as saying. He said the officers will be deployed to both the Sultan Iskandar Customs Immigration and Quarantine at the Causeway, and the Sultan Abu Bakar CIQ complex on the Tuas side.

 

Myanmar

 

10. “Myanmar Fast Tracks e-Visa Approval”, The Phuket News, April 22, 2018

• The Tourist Visa Express Service is a new trial with a streamlined approval process for all nationalities that are eligible for an etourist visa. The application is made online at the Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population’s website and costs US$56 (B1,750, no refunds) compared with US$50 (B1,560) for the standard e-tourist visa. The fast track service is not applicable to for the e-business visa.
• The extra US$6 guarantees a 24hour turnaround approval via an email confirmation, 365 days of the year.

 

Qatar

 

11. “Qatar Approves Draft Law on Property Ownership by Foreigners”, Xinhua, April 20, 2018

• Qatar announced approval of a draft law on regulating the ownership and use of properties by foreigners, Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported on Thursday.
• The draft law said that nonQataris might own and use properties under specific conditions, QNA reported. The law applies to land space, buildings and residential units, in addition to the detachment units in residential complexes, the report added.
• Last August, Qatar granted visafree entry to citizens of 80 countries, to be the most open country in the Gulf region.

 

Taiwan

 

12. Keoni Everington, “9 More Foreign Professionals Approved for Taiwanese Citizenship”, Taiwan News, April 18, 2018

• As part of a new policy that went into effect last year, nine foreign professionals yesterday (April 17) were granted special permission to become naturalized as Taiwanese citizens, while not having to relinquish their original nationality, announced the Ministry of the Interior (MOI).
• In March of last year, the ministry promulgated a regulation as a supplement to an amendment to the Nationality Act (國籍法) passed by the legislature in December of 2016 which gave special exemptions and extensions for the requirement that foreign national to renounce their citizenship before being eligible to become a Taiwanese citizen.
• Once these nine professionals become naturalized, they will have the right to participate in political affairs and enjoy various social benefits. The MOI said that it hopes that they can help create a new future in the development of education, economics, medicine and science and technology in Taiwan and it looks forward to more foreign talents who have excellent specialties in various fields.

 

United Arab Emirates

 

13. “Visa-Free Entry for UAE Nationals in Paraguay”, Arabian Business, April 18, 2018

• UAE citizens can now travel to Paraguay visafree, following a memorandum from the Paraguayan embassy in Abu Dhabi. As part of the agreement, UAE nationals will be able to obtain entry visas upon arrival in the South American country, and will be able to stay for up to 30 days after paying a $100 fee at the airport.
• Ahmed Elham Al Dhaheri, the UAE’s assistant undersecretary for consular affairs, said that the move “reflects the status” attained by the UAE, and contributes to improving relations between the UAE and Paraguay.

 

14. “Prior Visa Waiver for Emiratis Travelling to Guinea”, Khaleej Times, April 19, 2018

• "Emiratis carrying ordinary passports and travelling to GuineaConakry can now get their visa upon arrival at the airport without any prior-visa requirements under a visa waiver memo of understanding signed by the governments of the two countries on March 15th 2018 following a joint committee meeting in Abu Dhabi," said Ambassador Ahmed Ilham Al Dhaheri, Assistant Under-Secretary for Consular Affairs at [the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation].
• "The Ministry is tirelessly working to make the Emirati passport one of the top five in the world in line with the UAE VIsion 2021," he noted.

 

EUROPE

 

Georgia

 

15. “Georgia Imposes Restrictions on Surname Changes to Prevent EU Visa-Free Travel Violations”, Trend News Agency, April 19, 2018

• The process for changing one’s surname has been made more difficult in order to prevent possible violations of the visa free regime with the EU by Georgian citizens, Agenda reports. Amendments to the law prepared by the Ministry of Justice have been passed by the Georgian parliament late yesterday.
• Under the new regulations, a change of surname is allowed for only once with few exceptions including when taking one’s spouse’s surname for marriage or changing one’s surname back after divorce.

 

Ireland

 

16. “80% of Irish People Believe Immigrants are Integrated Successfully”, The Journal, April 24, 2018

• The EUwide survey published by the European Commission shows that when asked “Generally speaking, how successful or not is the integration of most immigrants”, 80% of Irish respondents selected the response “Integration is successful in the local area or country”. This is 26% higher than the EU average.
• The survey, the Special Eurobarometer 469, evaluated public opinion on the integration of immigrants in all 28 EU member states. Overall, 54% of EU respondents think that the integration of immigrants is successful.
• The Irish results were welcomed today by David Stanton, minister of state with special responsibility for equality, immigration and integration, who said that the findings are “encouraging and are a credit to local communities and organisations working in support of integration throughout Ireland”.

 

Switzerland

 

17. “Switzerland Prolongs Immigration Limits for Bulgarians and Romanians”, Swiss Info, April 18, 2018

• The Federal Council decided on Wednesday to prolong the socalled safeguard clause built into the freedom of movement agreement with Bulgaria and Romania, limiting the number of workers that can immigrate over the next year to under 1,000. Between June 1, 2018 and May 31, 2019, a total of 996 work permits can be issued to Bulgarian and Romanian immigrants, the government said.
• Freedom of movement for citizens of Bulgaria and Romania entered into force in June 2016, but with the option to limit the number of permits issued annually if this is to the benefit the native workforce. The clause can be invoked until 2019.
• Switzerland first activated such a safeguard clause – a controversial instrument of its complex dealings with the EU – in 2012, to limit the number of citizens arriving from certain new member countries who joined the EU in 2004.

 

Ukraine

 

18. “Ukraine, Kuwait Visa-Free Regime Comes Into Force”, 112. International, April 18, 2018

• The visafree regime between Kuwait and Ukraine has come into force today, on April 18, 2018, as KUNA reported. The agreement on the visa-free regime between Kuwait and Ukraine was signed during the visit of President Petro Poroshenko to Kuwait.
• As we reported, on March 18, Petro Poroshenko officially visited Kuwait where he agreed on the bilateral liberalization of the visa regime.

 

United Kingdom

 

19. “Windrush: UK Citizenship Fees and Language Tests Waived”, BBC, April 24, 2018

• UK citizenship fees and language tests will be waived for the Windrush generation and their families, Home Secretary Amber Rudd has said. She told MPs she wanted people to have the "formal status" they should have had all along, without having to pay naturalisation fees or pass any tests.
• In a statement to Parliament, Ms Rudd said the citizenship offer would apply not just to the families of Caribbean migrants who came to the UK between 1948 and 1973, but anyone from other Commonwealth nations who settled in the UK over the same period.
• While the public expected immigration rules to be enforced, she said, it had never been the intention for a crackdown on illegal immigration to affect those who were "British in all but their legal status".

 

OCEANIA

 

Australia

 

20. Gareth Hutchens, “Migrants Add to Australia’s Wealth, Government Report Finds”, The Guardian, April 16, 2018

• Skilled migrants are adding to Australia’s wealth and are not living on welfare or robbing local workers of jobs, a report has found. Joint research by Treasury and the Department of Home Affairs has quashed concerns about the need to cut immigration, showing migration is benefiting the country’s coffers.
• The paper, released on Tuesday, cites International Monetary Fund estimates showing Australia’s migration program will add up to 1% to annual average GDP growth from 2020 to 2050 because it focuses on skilled migrants of working age, which limits the economic impact of Australia’s ageing population.
• The Treasury and home affairs report said immigration increased GDP per person because the focus on skilled migrants of working age helped to improve Australia’s productivity.

 

 

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