Archive for the ‘Global Immigration’ Category

Which country packs the case for 'best tourist'?

A new study on tourism has revealed just who are the best and the worst recipients of a tourist visa.

The French – known for their haughty ways and tightness with money – were officially announced as the world’s worst tourists. They were closely followed by Spanish and Greek tourists.

The findings were taken from research conducted by TNS Infratest for the Expedia online travel agency. The poll, known as the Expedia Best Tourist Index,  has been running annually since 2002.

Top of the league were the Japanese. Their good manners and respect for cleanliness made them the most welcome visitors worldwide. Canadian tourists came second.

US tourists came first when it came to tipping and spending while abroad and tourists from UK came a surprise second in overall good behaviour and second best to the Italians in dress-sense.

The study asked over 4,500 hotels around the world to rank tourists from 27 countries based on nine measures from everything from spending habits to their willingness to try and speak the local language.

Luckily for many, getting a visa to move or work abroad depends on a more rigorous selection process.

A work visa can boost your brainpower

Don’t just take Global Visas’ word for it that living and working abroad is better for your mental health. A research project has proved there is actually a proven link between improved creativity and living abroad.

The study was conducted by two psychologists, William Maddux of INSEAD, a business school in Fontainebleau, France, and Adam Galinsky, of the Kellogg School of Management in Chicago. Their findings were published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology and a brief overview of their work is summarised below, in an article featured on the Economist.com website:

Maddux and Galinksky conducted two experiments to test their theory. The first, asked 155 American business students and 55 foreign ones studying in America with a test used by psychologists as a measure of creativity.

To check that they had not merely discovered that creative people are more likely to choose to live abroad, Dr Maddux and Dr Galinsky identified and measured personality traits, such as openness to new experiences, that are known to predict creativity. They then used statistical controls to filter out such factors. Even after that had been done, the statistical relationship between living abroad and creativity remained, indicating that it is something from the experience of living in foreign parts that helps foster creativity.

Given a candle, some matches and a box of drawing pins, the students were asked to attach the candle to a cardboard wall so that no wax would drip on the floor when the candle was lit. (The solution is to use the box as a candleholder and fix it to the wall with the pins.) They found 60% of students who were either living abroad or had spent some time doing so, solved the problem, whereas only 42% of those who had not lived abroad did so.

A follow-up study with 72 Americans and 36 foreigners explored their creative negotiating skills. Pairs of students were asked to play the role of a seller of a petrol station who then needed to get a job and a buyer who would need to hire staff to run the business. The two were likely to reach an impasse because the buyer had been told he could not afford what the seller was told was his minimum price. Nevertheless, where both negotiators had lived abroad 70% struck a deal in which the seller was offered a management job at the petrol station in return for a lower asking price. When neither of the negotiators had lived abroad, none was able to reach a deal.

Given the importance of creativity to working practices and individual self-development and the relevance of multicultural experience in our increasingly globalised world, such research is of insignificance for anyone who makes the effort to obtain a work visa and live abroad, or for employers who recruit from an international pool of workers.

Policy Network hold UK immigration seminar

In these hard times with unemployment on the rise and uncertainty about actual and future levels of immigration, Policy Network held a conference in London this week (July 7) aimed at helping policy-makers through the politics of UK immigration in times of economic turbulence.

The international thinktank launched research by migration expert Professor John Salt and colleagues Janet Dobson and Alan Latham from UCL. The paper analyses the latest data on UK immigration trends, and evidence from across Europe on how past recessions have affected migration flows. It also casts doubt on the widely held assumption that migrants return home when unemployment rises thereby freeing up jobs for the non-migrant population. It concludes that:

•  Migration flows are likely to remain more stable than most people think over the course of the current economic downturn.
•  In the past three recessions that have affected UK, inflows began to pick up quickly, before a noticeable improvement in the country’s employment situation.
•  While immigration has tended to fall and out-migration rise when unemployment increases, this pattern only lasts for a limited period.

The Policy Network seminar comes on the heels of the controversial figures published by the Office of National Statistics (ONS), which appeared to show that UK-born workers were losing jobs more quickly than non-UK born workers. This week’s research paper by Professor Salt and his team raises urgent questions about the direction of migration flows during a recession, the lessons that UK can learn from the experience of other European countries, and the type of policies that government should formulate to ensure that migration works to the benefit of the economic recovery.

Accompanying the paper, a comment piece by Elena Jurado, head of research at Policy Network, highlights the need for policy-makers to take into account the implications of changing migration flows for the future of the UK economy. She argues that “migrant who work in the UK are not only here to stay, they have also become an indispensable part of the UK economy. Accepting this reality and ensuring that they are incorporated into the government’s economic recovery strategy will form an essential part of its success.”

The paper was launched and discussed at a seminar entitled “Tracking migration trends in Europe during recession and recovery”.

This event is part of a Policy Network project on “Managing migration in times of economic turbulence: charting a progressive policy response”, kindly supported by the Barrow Cadbury Trust. The project aims to develop concrete policy proposals and political narratives that will help progressive governments and political parties navigate through the politics of migration in times of economic recession.

Policy Network is an international thinktank dedicated to promoting progressive policies and the renewal of social democracy. Policy Network facilitates the sharing of ideas and experiences among politicians, policymakers and experts on the centre-left.

We at Global Visas offer you some handy hints as to how to most efficiently secure your all important work visa:

1.  Patience is paramount in the visa process.
We all know someone who thinks the rules don’t apply to them.  But Immigration laws apply to everyone equally and the process takes time. In only very exceptional cases, fast tracking visas is possible,  but in most cases, the visa process must run its set course. Make sure you plan well head, allowing plenty of time for the visa(s) to be granted.

2.  Don’t book a flight until the visa has been issued.
This may sound like obvious advice, but even the most straightforward cases can be delayed.  Recently we had a client who booked a flight thinking the case visa would be issued in ample time. Unfortunately the employee’s passport was expiring within six months and this prevented a visa being granted.  The visa would have taken 24 hours to secure. His passport took six weeks to renew.

3.  Visa restrictions last longer than you think
Every visa comes with rules and conditions that must be adhered to. And that means even after your employee has arrived in ther host country. Your company must continue to track and manage their visa status any changes to their role, leave your employment, or extend their stay beyond their visa expiry date, then such changes must be reported to the relevant authorities and the visa amended. A visa only ceases to be an issue after your employee has returned back to their home country.

4.  Be prepared for others’ mistakes
It is not uncommon for a government employee to misread a form and then reject a perfectly acceptable case, or for a busy line manager to forget to sign a box.  Don’t panic! Immigration decisions made in error are common and there are procedures to correct them.  Managers in host countries often do not recognise the importance of just one form but with a close eye these things can be picked up early enough not to affect the case.

5.  Keep it simple
Your business maybe rocket science or even dealing with complex brain surgery. But that should not make securing your work permit any more difficult.  Immigration laws are the same regardless of what your company does.  The law is blind to certain details even if they are critical to your business.  When dealing with visas, keep it simple and only focus on the laws and what they are asking for to administer that law.  Ensure  your explanations on visa applications meet the requirement of the Immigration law only.  Offering explanations of how complex your business is will only confuse the officer charged with dealing with the case.  Stay focused on the rules.

6.  Protect your brand
Governments the world over need to show they are no pushover when it comes to enforcing Immigration law. Do not allow your brand to become that ’six o clock news’ example.  Always aim to ensure your staff remain compliant with the Immigration law at all times in all countries.  Immigration audits which show up any negative issues can have an adverse impact on a business’s reputation and should be avoided.  Even if you make a mistake but tried your best that will go a long way in your favour.

7.  Use a reputable Immigration consultancy
Make sure any immigration consultancy you use is up to the job. Do they have registered offices? Do their staff have the experience and, most importantly, are they qualified to address Immigration issues for the host country that you require?  In many regions across the world local “immigration advisors” operate with no supervision or control.  Their limited resources and knowledge can lead to difficulties and should be avoided.  Aim to secure the services of a company that is able to assist pre-departure and has offices in the host country.

8. Understand dependents
Dependents of employees often want to study or work in the host country.  Usually it’s a straightforward process to make the necessary arrangements or to explain why they are unable to do so if restrictions apply. Whatever the outcome, dependents are as important to the main applicant as his or her own visa.  The visa process may change depending on when the dependents apply for their visa.  Polygamous marriages are banned in many countries but acceptable in others, as are gay marriages and the maximum age a child can be a dependent.  Make sure you take into account all the issues before confirming a secondment the expat declines later due to family reasons.

9.  Localised staff can bring you benefits
Many on expat benefits find it hard to give them up, but a company can make big savings if they localise their expats quickly.  If a person elects to stay in a host country, you should be ready to arrange residency and even citizenship in that country.  It will mark the end of expatriate status and localise the employee in a supportive way.

10.  If in any doubt, ask
Immigration law tends to be one of the most complex areas of any country’s legislation.  Our team are always happy to answer our clients’ questions and we would prefer they confirmed facts rather than assumed them.  Our reputation is attached to the success of our clients international mobility programs and we want to get it right 100% of the time.  Whatever your question, we want to hear about them because you are important and so is your business

For all your work visa needs, let Global Visas be your one stop immigration advice and solution finder.

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News in the Metro today reports that Polish people are more “British” than British people.

The findings are based on an internet survey on Facebook where people can undertake a ‘How British are you?’ test.

Of the 11,118 British people who took the exam on Facebook, only 1,585 or 14% achieved the pass mark.

Polish people managed better with a 15.2 percentage pass rate.

Also beating the British are Finland, Sweden, Germany and New Zealand.

The multiple-choice test is based on the Home Office’s ‘Life in the UK’ test. Most new migrants entering the UK must sit and pass the test on their way to earning their UK visa.

Henry Dillon, editor of Red Squirrel Publishing, which carried out the study, said: “What these statistics show is that walking into the test without proper preparation is a recipe for failure – even British nationals struggle answering many of the questions.

“But these figures reflect people who haven’t studied for the test. Our research shows that with effective study a pass is achievable.”

To satisfy my own curiosity I sat the test myself and failed. I only managed a pass-mark of 18 out of 24. I didn’t know there were so many Christians in the UK and that there were so few in Wales!

Have you taken the test, leave your thoughts below.

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Following the historic April 6th High Court ruling against the UK government, condemning unlawful, retrospective changes to UK immigration the HSMP Forum have submitted a 15-point proposal to the UK Government, to finally put right what successive Home Secretaries have been cunningly back-tracking:

1.    Migrants who have already obtained a second extension to their HSMP and have not got their Indefinite Leave to Remain should have their fee waived and be awarded back dated ILR, or a letter issued confirming the time spent by the individual over 4 years will be counted towards future citizenship.

2.    Migrants who have paid for a second extension and additionally paid for their ILR should be issued a refund for the amount they paid for their ILR and migrants who have been granted ILR after 5 years should be allowed to apply for British nationality immediately.

3.    As well as those who paid for their second extension, the ILR and further obtained British Citizenship should be issued a refund for the amount they paid for the ILR.

4.    Children who have become over 18 years of age due to the extension from 4 to 5 yrs and had to apply separately for a visa should have their fees refunded.

5.    There should be no requirement to submit the Life in the UK and English language Test when making an ILR application for pre 3rd April 2006 HSMP migrants as these requirements can not be applied retrospectively in accordance with the high court order (point 1) and the judgment to apply such new requirements now.

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Obama & Leahy: A friend of a friend of Dorothy

In a letter to Alice B. Toklas of the LGBT Democratic Club, dated March 2008, the Senator from Illinois said he fully supported the gay community in their fight for equal rights and declared his commitment to extending the benefits to same sex couples under state and federal law.

One year later President Barack Obama’s support has remained open and consistent, an opinion apparent since his 1996 campaign for the Senate.

Publicly opposed to Proposition 8, the Californian constitutional change that censored marriage to that of  ‘only between a man and a woman’, Mr. Obama has went on record stating, ‘when you start playing around with constitutions, just to prohibit somebody who cares about another person, it just seems to me that’s not what America’s about. Usually, our constitutions expand liberties, they don’t contract them.”

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islandreefjob.com

Tourism Queensland’s dream job to be caretaker of Hamilton Island, a remote, sun drenched atoll on the Great Barrier Reef, has been whittled down to 50 candidates from 22 countries.

The marketing campaign seduced 34,800 applicants that want to work in Australia for $150,000 a year job, in a multi-million dollar villa (for free), with all travel expenses paid.

The job itself includes producing videos for the web, keeping a blog and updating the photo diary for the whole of Hamilton Island (five square kilometres).

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Canadian immigration minister Jason Kenney

Canadian immigration minister Jason Kenney has spoken out after the leader of a Canadian-Arab organisation called him a ‘professional whore’ for supporting Israel after a recent anti-Israel rally in Toronto.

Khaled Mouammar, president of the Canadian Arab Federation, which campaigns to fight negative stereotyping of Arabs, made the remarks after Kenney spoke out at the January 10 protests in Toronto where demonstrators screamed for the war to continue so ‘Hezbollah could wipe the state of terrorism off the planet’, waved Hezbollah flags and spat at counter protesters.

Speaking to Sun Media, Kenney announced ‘groups whose leaders say intolerant or hateful things shouldn’t get taxpayer funding’.

“We should not be rewarding those who express views that are contrary to Canada’s best liberal values of tolerance and mutual respect,” said Kenney.

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England 0 - Spain (youth team) 3

I am sick, sore and tired of watching these matches, it debilitates, sucks and lunges the tapas right up the back of my throat, and on top of that I’m served the cold dish of dessert served up by ITV commentators trying to tell me the match is tart, without the tang.

Even when times look bad and the English national squad constantly subject us to habitual international beatings (win or a lose) – I scream at the set and tell them they are great with or with out international players on UK work permits.

The Premier League – the best international league in the world, the best international opportunities in the world, the best managers in the world (at Premiership level), the best international staffing and policing – the best cash opportunities in the world for international footballers and yet still the best international team in the world to put your money on to lose first blood in the world – come on, who has faith in them?

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