Monday 3 March 2014

Kuwait Work permit Immigration.

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor has set to suspend the process of business visit visas that permit expatriates to convert their purpose of keep from visit to employment standing at intervals Kuwait. in step with a report from Arabians.com, the suspension can inherit impact on Sept one, 2011 for AN indefinite amount of your time whereas the ministry reviews the visa system and determines new policies to implement.

Currently, a company-sponsored business visit visa permits entry into Kuwait so as to convert to a residency visa and procure a piece allow that enables the foreigner to be used by a sponsoring company. As of Sept one, however, foreigners can have to be compelled to prepare work visas before arrival, as conversion type an advert visit visa to a residency visa won't be attainable.

The modification could be a results of the recent political unrest within the region. Following recent anti-regime protests across the Arab states, Kuwait needs to avoid any attainable security issues caused by a surge of foreign staff into the country.

“These countries square measure all making ready for the post-Ramadan political season and it's reported it's about to be quite hot,” Theodore Karasik, director of analysis at Dubai’s Institute for geographical area and Gulf Military Analysis aforementioned. “I suppose you're about to see these sorts of measures and a lot of being place in situ. however long they'll be in situ is another question however we'll see a lot of restrictions growing so as to manage population.”

Many corporations primarily based in Kuwait have voiced their objection to the planned restrictions. As a result, representatives of the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and trade can meet with ministry officers to debate however the suspension of business visit visas can impact corporations. Already it's been discovered that sure professionals World Health Organization hold pedagogy degrees (mainly doctors and engineers) square measure to stay exempt from the order and should still enter for work supported business visit visas.

Saturday 1 March 2014

Taking your pets to New Zealand


Anyone considering a New Zealand visa application should be aware of the country's tight quarantine restrictions, similar to those encountered by applicants for Australia visas. To find out your exact rights during you New Zealand immigration, take our free assessment above.
Only domesticated dogs and cats may be imported. If you have a non-traditional pet (such as a bird, rabbit, ferret, hamster, guinea pig, rat, or mouse), it will not be able to accompany you to New Zealand.
Animals must be shipped in International Air Transport Association (IATA) approved transit kennels that allow the animal to stand up without touching the top of the box, lie down and turn around.
Cats and dogs must be shipped as manifest cargo and not as excess baggage. There is currently no quarantine for cats and dogs entering New Zealand, however they must be isolated at the owner's home for 30 days.
All animals must come through Auckland International Airport. They must have typically spent at least six months in their departure country and will require full vaccinations and a subcutaneous identity chip.
Certain breeds of dogs (including cross-breeds) are not eligible for importation. These include the American Pit Bull Terrier, Dogo Argentine, Japanese Tosa and Brazilian Fila.
Vaccinations required for cats:
  • Rabies
  • Panleukopenia
  • Rhinotrachetis
  • Calicivirus
  • Chlamydia Psittaci (optional)
To import cats or dogs to New Zealand the following is required:
  • As from the July 1 2005 you no longer need an Import permit, however all animals must be identified with a microchip (approved ISO types only) or permanent tattoo.
  • An Official Export Health Certificate, which must be applied for from DEFRA.
  • On two occasions, 14 days apart, being within 30 days of export, faecal samples must be taken from the animal(s) and examined for hookworm eggs. Tests must be done by a Government or VI Laboratory.
  • Treatment for internal parasites must be given within 21 days of export and again within 96 hours of export.
  • Treatment with an insecticidal dip for external parasites must be given between 48 - 96 hours of export.
  • In the case of dogs, blood tests/treatment for Brucella canis, Dirofilaria, Ehrlichia and Leptospirosis (or specific treatment with antibiotics) must be submitted to the relevant authority within 30 days of the flight with negative results (more tests will need to be done if any positive results are obtained).
  • Babesia Gibsoni testing is now required, 2 tests need to be completed within 10 days of departure. They are, blood taken from the outer surface of the ear for smear testing and a PCR test.
  • For dogs, two heartworm (Dirofilaria) tests, Antigerm Elisa Test and Microfilaria concentration test need to be done.
  • The original clearance of notifiable diseases certificate from DEFRA. The vet at the airport must have this in order to sign the third section of the Health Certificate.
  • The LVI doing the first two sections does not require this. A written declaration regarding residency, age and pregnancy as laid down in the regulation.

Importing Cats or Dogs to New Zealand 

Moving a pet to New Zealand can cost several thousand New Zealand dollars by the time you take into account vet costs before you leave and air transport.
Before you leave the UK a vet will need to implant a microchip into your pet (or arrange for a permanent tattoo) for identification purposes.
If coming to New Zealand from the UK, you should allow for around £100 for vet costs. To fly a cat or a small dog to New Zealand from the UK will cost around £1,000. Find out further information on our Emigrate to Northland page.

A guide to Spanish work and residence permits


EU/EEA & Swiss citizens    

If you are an EU citizen trying to find a job in Spain, congratulations, you’re already closer than most.

Since 2003 when Spain opened its borders to allow EU citizens to work in the country, EU nationals have not needed a work permit to work in Spain.

The only exception to this is Romanian citizens who require a work permit and a work contract before they can enter the country. These restrictions were put in place in July 2011 and will be effective until at least 31 December 2012.

Entering Spain
If you are a citizen from the EU/EEA country or Switzerland you may enter Spain on a tourist visa and stay for up to three months. However if you plan to stay for more than three months you must register in person for a Residence Certificate at the Oficina de Extranjeros in the province in which you are residing. There you will be issued with an A4 printed Residence Certificate stating your name, address, nationality, Foreign Identity Number (Número de Identificación Extranjeros or NIE) together with the date of registration.

As an EU citizen with a valid residence card you need do nothing further until the card expires. At that point you must register at theOficina de Extranjeros or designated police stations.

Family members who are non-EU citizens may reside in Spain for more than three months by obtaining a residency card for EU citizen family members from a Foreigners Office. This must be done within three months of arrival.

On 10 July 2012 the Spanish Government introduced new rules for EU/EEA and Swiss citizens applying for residency or stays of longer than three months. This includes the requirement to produce evidence of financial support for themselves and dependants. Applicants may also be required to provide proof of private or public healthcare insurance.

Working in Spain
You can enter Spain as a tourist and then register with the Spanish national employment office (Instituto Nacional de Empelo – INEM) to look for work. You will have 90 days to find employment. It is possible to obtain an extension after this or alternatively you can leave Spain and re-enter for a further 90 days.
Employees
When you secure employment you must produce your employment contract in order to apply for your residence card. Employed workers must also produce a declaration or certificate of employment (containing company details, tax identification and Employer’s Social Security Number).

Self-employed Workers
Self-employed workers must produce evidence such as the following:
  • Registration on the Economic Activities Lists (Censo de Actividades Económicos)
  • Registration in the Mercantile Registry (Registro Mercantil)
  • Registration with the Social Security System
  • Corroboration with the files held by the General Social Security Finance Office or Taxation Office files (Ficheros de la Tesorería General de la Seguridad Social o de la Agencia Tributaria)

You must apply for registration in the Central Register of Foreigners to obtain the necessary Registration Certificate (Autorización de Residencia y Trabajo). Upon doing so you become entitled to the same legislation and equal citizens as Spanish citizens, including unemployment benefits should you be laid off.

The spouse or registered partner of an EU citizen is allowed to work in Spain and to do their children until they are 21 years old - the legal age to begin working in Spain is 16.

Non-EU citizens

There are a handful of different live-work visas, issued for fixed periods of time or certain kinds of jobs, but you may have to trudge through several layers of bureaucracy to get all the right papers together.
You will need a visa to live, reside, work, study or research in Spain in addition to getting a work permit.

Work Permits
Starting your life with a job contract will make the visa process much easier, but given the competitive market and increasing number of foreigners scrapping for these jobs, getting hired from abroad can be tricky.

If you are already in Spain you may apply to the provincial office of the Ministry of Labour (Delegación Provincial del Ministerio de Trabajo). In many cases, your employer will guide you through the process or submit documentation on your behalf.

In order to complete your visa application at the consulate’s office in your country of origin, you may need a letter from the Immigration Office in Spain (Oficina de Extranjero/Oficina d’Estrangers; Avinguda Marquès de l’Argentera 4, www.map.es, 93 520 14 10) granting you and your company work permit authorisation.

The provincial labour offices (Direcciones Provinciales de Trabajo, Seguridad Social y Asuntos Sociales) will decide whether the work permit will be issued or not.

You must present the following documents when applying for a work permit:
  • Valid passport or travel document, valid for a minimum of 4 months
  • Three passport-size photographs
  • Copy of the employment contract, stamped by the Foreigners’ Office
  • Criminal record certificate issued by your national police authority covering the previous 5 years and indicating you have not committed any criminal offences under Spanish law
  • Certificate of health confirming you are not suffering from any diseases that could endanger public health

Landing a job requires the Spanish Employment Institute (www.inem.es) to agree that this position cannot be filled by any other Spanish or EU citizen. If this isn’t the case your employer will have to be interviewed to make a claim for you to work for them.

It may help if the occupation is included in the National Occupation Shortage list (www.redtrafaja.es). Other requirements include:
  • The employer must guarantee the worker continuous employment
  • The person must be in Spain legally
  • Not have a criminal record
  • Be properly qualified to do the job

Once a work permit has been granted you must present a visa application at the consular office in your country of residence, if you are not living in Spain. The following documents are required:
  • Original and copy of the visa application
  • Copy of the employment contract, stamped by the Foreigners’ Office
  • Valid passport or travel document, valid for a minimum of 4 months
  • Criminal record certificate issued by your national police authority covering the previous 5 years and indicating you have not committed any criminal offences under Spanish law
  • Certificate of health confirming you are not suffering from any diseases that could endanger public health

The application fee is usually €60 and is non-refundable and a decision will be made in between 1 – 3 months.

If you are successful in obtaining a visa and it is for longer than 6 months you must apply for a foreign identity card within one month of entering Spain. Additionally, the employer must register you with the Social Security system within 3 months of entering the country. You can renew residence and work permits provided employment is continuing and an application is made within 60 days of the expiry date.

After this, begins the process of applying for a work visa. Here are the things you will be required to submit to the Subdelegación del Gobierno of the city in which you will be living.

Employees
  • Official application form (EX-1), signed and stamped by your employer.
  • Three passport photos (not high-gloss)
  • Photocopy and original of passport (must be valid for duration of work-term);
  • Official job offer form (EX-5), signed and stamped by your employer - the job offered must be full-time and 10 months or longer
  • Original official company fiscal identity document (CIF)
  • Original official company social security inscription document, as well as documents TC-1 and TC-2
  • Certified originals from the Tesoreria General de la Seguridad Social and the Agencia Estatal de Administración Tributaria proving that the company is fully up to date in its tax and social security payments
  • Official certification that the job on offer has already been advertised in the official Provincial Unemployment Office and that no suitable European candidate has applied
  • Document describing the services offered by the company and why a non-European should be employed to work there
  • Original and photocopies of degree transcripts/certifications and credentials, with the official seal of convalidatation of the Spanish Ministry of Education and Culture (Madrid)
  • A Spanish translation of a certificado penal from your home province stating you have no prison record
  • A health certificate or certificado medico showing you have no contagious diseases (Once you have arrived in Spain)

Self-employed
  • Photocopy and original of passport (must be valid for duration of work-term);
  • Certificate of criminal records issued by the authorities of your home country, except when it was presented upon application for the visa
  • Official medical certificate
  • Three passport photos (not high-gloss)
  • Full description of the job and the company's activity
  • Proof of your professional qualification or that you meet the requirements needed to perform the professional activity in Spain, such as the appropriate licences to perform the activity or the registration to the Spanish Social Security system, or your NIE
  • Any other documentation the Spanish Administration requires from time to time

Highly Qualified Professionals
Applicable to workers who can prove a minimum of 5 years of professional experience in an activity that requires a higher education qualification (of at least 3 years duration). This is a temporary residence and work permit.

Employers must submit an application for an initial permit. If this is granted you must apply in person to the consular office in your country of residence, submitting the following documents:
  • Original and copy of the visa application
  • Copy of the employment contract, stamped by the Immigration Office
  • Job description and the company’s activities
  • Possibly proof of the employer’s solvency
  • Valid passport or travel document, valid for a minimum of 4 months
  • Criminal record certificate issued by your national police authority covering the previous 5 years and indicating you have not committed any criminal offences under Spanish law
  • Certificate of health confirming you are not suffering from any diseases that could endanger public health

You must enter Spain within 3 months of obtaining the visa and also be registered with the Spanish Social Security system. Once you have registered you must apply in person for a foreigner identity card at the immigration office or police station. Failing to do so can lead to deportation. The initial permit is granted for one year and can be renewed within 60 days of the permit expiry date. Once the renewal application is approved you must apply for a new foreigner ID card within one month.

Types of work permits
Employees
- Type A: for seasonal or time-limited work. This may entail a specific contract or a specific geographic area. Its maximum duration is nine months, including renewal

- Type b initial: It enables the foreigner to work in a specific profession, activity and geographic area for a maximum period of one year.

- Type B renewed: This is issued to those ‘b initial’ holders once it has expired. It entitles you to carry on various professions or activities within a maximum period of two years.

- Type C: issued to the ‘B renewed’ work permit holders once it has expired. This entitles the foreign worker to perform any professional activity throughout the Spanish territory.
Self-Employed
- Type d initial: To carry on a specific activity for a maximum of one year. Spanish authorities could limit this to a specific geographic area.

- Type D renewed: This is issued to those ‘d initial’ holders once that permit has expired. It entitles him to perform various professional activities for a maximum period of two years. Spanish labour authorities could limit this to a specific geographic area and/or a specific activity.

- Type E work permit: This is issued to those holding the ‘D renewed’ work permit once it has expired. This entitles the foreign worker to perform any professional activity throughout the Spanish territory for a maximum period of three years.

Either employed or self-employed
- Type F work permit: To perform professional activities within Spanish borders, provided their daily return to the foreign borders where they normally reside. This is issued for a maximum period of five years, after that it may be renewed.

- Permanent work permit: It enables the foreign worker to perform any professional activity where s/he has the qualification required. Type C or E work permit holders may obtain this permit once theirs has expired. It is mandatory to renew this work permit every five years.

- Extraordinary work permit: this is issued to non-EU foreign citizens who have helped Spanish economic and cultural progress. It enables the foreign worker to perform any professional activity throughout the Spanish territory where s/he has the qualification required. It must be renewed every five years.

Visit Spain’s Ministry of Labour website at www.mtas.es just in case these rules change. On the website you can also find out about registering professionals in Spain.

Everyone else, roll up your sleeves. This is where the cat and mouse game begins and the rubberstamp collecting can get complicated.

First, you’ll need to decide on the most appropriate visa for you. The broad categories include student, residency and a combined work and residency visa.

There are also visas for family members, family reunification, retired persons, self-employment and investors.

In all cases, though, you’ll want to coordinate with the local Spanish consulate in your home country, which will act as the middleman for all visa-related matters.

Other things to keep in mind:
  • Confirm that what’s listed on the consulate’s website is the most up to date set of requirements. Rules change, so call and ask for specific lists of necessary forms, essential documents and certifications.
  • Cross-check requirements with the Ministerio de Trabajo y Asuntos Sociales’ Secretaría de Estado de Inmigración y Emigración, as there may be other forms you need once you get here.
  • Verify if visas will be issued for a certain period of time and if they can be renewed. Some are issued for 180 days and no more, while others may be initially offered for a year with renewals extending for two years.
  • Build in extra time for getting documents translated.
  • Clarify what tasks employers will organise and what burden falls back to you.
  • Schedule time when you arrive to get authorisations from proper agencies.
  • Expect the process to be costly and take several months to complete.

Residence Visa
There are a few types of residence visa that allow you to live in Spain, but not to work or conduct ‘lucrative activities’ here. These visas include:

Temporary residence card
Initially granted for 1 year but can be renewed for an additional 2 years. Upon this expiry you may apply for a permanent residency visa, which is renewed every 5 years.

Retired resident
For this, you’ll need medical and criminal record certificates, documents showing financial status and a passport valid for at least one year. Plus, you may need to prove family ties to someone already living in Spain.

Family residency
If you’ve been resident in Spain for one year and have your residency renewed for another 12 months you can make moves to ‘sponsor’ family members. Visa applications can be submitted for a spouse, unmarried children under 18 and parents (either the resident’s or the spouse’s) if they are dependants or their stay can be otherwise justified. The foreigner ‘sponsoring’ the family members must get approval from the Delegación or Subdelegación del Gobierno. Copies of this authorisation and the sponsoring resident’s passport andEmpadronamiento, the piece of paper that lists their residency in theAjuntament’s books along with certified birth and marriage certificates and proof of funds, may also be needed.

Student Visa 
If you’re coming to Spain for the purpose of study, training or research, you can apply for a student visa. You can simultaneously request visas for your spouse or any children under 18 for the duration of your studies. Among the standard stack of documents, expect to show your admission or pre-registration letter from a recognised educational institution, a clean criminal record certificate, and, if you’re below 18, notarised authorisation from your parents or legal guardian to study abroad.

If your stay is for more than 6 months, you must apply for a Foreigner’s Identification Card (TIE) within 1 month of arriving in Spain. You may work in Spain with a study visa as long as the work is compatible with the area of study and any income earned is not required to support you in the country.

The student visa is valid for a period of one year but can be renewed as long as you continue to satisfy the visa conditions and you are also able to provide evidence of having passed the relevant exams. Extension applications must be made within 60 days of the visa expiry date.

Researcher
The duration of the permit is equal to that of the research project (3 months to a maximum of 5 years). You must register with the Social Security system within a month of arrival. The permit can be renewed on a yearly basis but application for renewal must be within 60 days of the expiry date.

United Kingdon ( England ) Visit Visa.


Visiting the UK

This section describes the different types of visitor visa, and helps you to choose the right one for your circumstances. It also explains what you are allowed to do while you are in the UK as a visitor.
If you come to the UK as a visitor, you are normally allowed to stay here for a maximum of 6 months. If you want to stay here for longer than 6 months, read the other categories in the Visas and immigration section to see if you qualify for another type of visa.
See the Travel and customs section for general information about visas and travelling to the UK.
If someone in the UK will 'sponsor' you during your visit, they should read theSponsoring a visitor pages.
Our service standards for visitor visas are that we will decide 90 per cent of applications within 3 weeks, 98 per cent within 6 weeks and 100 per cent within 12 weeks.

Tourism and visiting friends

If you want to visit the UK as a tourist or to stay with friends in the UK, you should apply to come here as a general visitor (or as a child visitor if you are under 18).
If you are a Chinese national and you will be coming to the UK as part of a group for a maximum of 30 days, you can apply for a visa as an ADS visitor.
There are restrictions on what you can do in the UK in these visitor categories. For example, you cannot get married.
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Visa Waiver Program, USA Work Permit Visa, Canada Tourist Visa, Australia Working Holiday Visa, Spain Working Holiday Visa, Italy Working Holiday Visa, France Working Holiday Visa, 

Russia Skilled Worker Immigrants.


Russian proposals to make it easier for families of skilled worker immigrants

Foreign specialists living in Russia may soon find it easier to bring in their families if a new immigration bill passes into law. If the changes go ahead Employers will find it easier to hire the workers they need to help fill skills shortages.
The Russian parliament has drafted new legislation which will allow the spouse of a foreign skilled worker to obtain a work visa for the same period of time as the primary visa holder spouse.

Previously, family members had to either face separation or see a representative of the Russian Migration Service every four months.
In addition, a foreign skilled worker who changes location in Russia for longer than 30 days or who wishes to leave the country for longer than 90 days will not have to go through the migration process again.
According to Vladimir Pligin, head of the Duma committee on constitutional legislation and one of the authors of the new bill, the new rules should make Russia a more attractive destination for highly skilled workers.
Moreover, companies wishing to hire highly skilled workers under the new rules will not be subject to typical Russian immigration caps.
And finally, foreign workers will even be able to apply independently for a visa. These applicants will be entered into a database that Russian employers can use to find overseas skilled workers.

Working Holiday Visa for the UK


The UK Working Holidaymaker Visa allowed Commonwealth citizens aged between 17 and 30 to pursue UK immigration for an extended holiday of up to two years, with the intention of taking paid work in Britain as part of their working holiday UK visa.

From February 2005, the scheme was geared towards making the employment undertaken incidental to the holiday of which it formed a part, and not the key reason behind the type of UK visa application. As a result, candidates may only have work for 12 out of the 24 months duration granted.

Additionally, applicants could only switch to a UK work permit application if the profession in which they had a job offer featured on the Skills Shortage Occupation List. However, switching to the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme or HSMP was still permitted.

A working holiday visa differed from UK work permits and skill based immigration services such as the Highly Skilled Migrant Program, in that its main purpose was not to bring immigrants to the country to fill job vacancies but to grant leave to enter the UK to those interested in working overseas.
Like similar schemes in Commonwealth nations such as Australia and Canada, the scheme was intended primarily as a holiday option, with the added advantage that for half of their time in the United Kingdom, holidaymakers could earn money.
People who viewed this page also viewed jobs in UK pages.
Because of the nature of this visa for working in the UK, no points assessment was required and no specific job offer needed to be in place before you coming to Britain, as would be the case with a UK working permit.  You may qualify for an EEA Residency Permit

However, it is important to remember that this route to the United Kingdom could only be issued once per person and unlike a Work permit visa application to work in the UK, it could not be extended or repeated.
The scheme was temporary in nature and did not lead to indefinite leave to remain in the UK (ILR) often referred to as UK permanent residence, nor was there any progression towards British naturalization through UK citizenship. Find out further information on our EEA Residence Permit page.

Singapore Business Visa.


Take the free assessment to quickly find the best Singapore visa for your needs. Simply click on the above link to complete our easy Singapore visa form.

Singapore Business Visa

The first thing to be aware of for the Singapore business visa is that it will not be necessary if you expect your business to have finished within a month. There is a 30 day limit for tourists, business visitors and normal visitors, so even if you’re negotiating a huge contract, you will not require a business visa for Singapore if it concludes within the month.
However, if you intend for your time to exceed the limit then you’ll have to get a Singapore business visa. What is required for this? First of all, your passport must extend beyond the time period you intend to remain in Singapore. Business visa or not, you must be a legal visitor if you expect to be successful in the country.
You will also need various identification and supporting documents for your business visa for Singapore, from colour photographs to evidence of your intention to leave. There may be other documents you can show that will speed up the process of getting your business visa for Singapore but you will need to speak to our visa consultants to get an individually tailored strategy.
If you’ve been convicted or have a history of being forcibly removed from countries then you may struggle to get your Singapore business visa. Likewise, there are other contributing factors that can lead to your application for a Singapore business visa.
So if you believe you’re eligible for a visa but aren’t sure of the process, or if you feel you will need extra support to expedite the process and ensure you get your professional Singapore pass quickly and without stress, take the Global Visas free online assessment and let one of our immigration lawyers do things the right way.