Green Card & Visa News » Visa Holders

UK Tier 4 Student visa & Tier 1 visa changes coming soon – apply now!

Tushar Mathur — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000

The UK immigration has issued new information regarding inspections and reviews for Tier 4 student visa sponsors. There are also major changes coming to the Tier 4 and Tier 1 visas.

All current Tier 4 sponsors must be inspected by the appropriate reviewing body in order to retain their sponsorship status. These inspections and reviews will take place throughout 2012, and the results of each inspection or review will be published on the website of the appropriate educational oversight body. If the Tier 4 visa sponsor fails to achieve a satisfactory inspection outcome they may no longer be able to sponsor international students under Tier 4 of UK immigration‘s points-based system.

In particular these changes are likely to affect those looking to sponsor international students under Tier 4 of the Points Based System. More importantly though, beginning 1 April 2012, the following major changes will be made to the Tier 4 Student Visa and to the Tier 1 Visa:

Work placements will be restricted to one-third of the course, unless the course is at degree level and the sponsor is a higher education institution or the student is on a study abroad programme.
Tier 4 visa holders will be limited to the time they can spend at degree level to 5 years, with certain exemptions for longer courses and doctorates at higher education institutions.
Tier 1 Post-study work will be CLOSED from 1 April 2012. UK immigration will still offer visas through Tier 2 of the points-based system for graduates. In most cases only graduates who have an offer of a skilled job from a sponsoring employer under Tier 2 of the points-based system will be able to stay and work in the UK

Global Visa Support has a variety of programmes in UK. Please visit our UK page for more details: http://globalvisasupport.com/uk.html

More than 6,000 Waivers Granted to J-1Visa Holders in FY2010

Tushar Mathur — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 18:22:00 +0000

The U.S. State Department reports recently that it has granted more than 6,000 waivers to J-1 visa holders who are subject to the foreign residence requirement in Fiscal Year 2010. Only 227 waiver applications were denied during FY2010. A majority of the waiver applications were based on the “No Objection Statement” issued by the country of origin.

The United States established the J-1 visa classification to allow foreigners who intend to participate in a cultural exchange program to enter the U.S. as exchange visitors. Some common purposes for the J-1 visa include teaching, studying, observing, conducting research, consulting, demonstrating special skills, receiving training, or to receive graduate medical education or training. The U.S. Department of State designates certain public and private entities to act as exchange sponsors to implement the Exchange Visitor Program. Examples of exchange visitors include: professors or scholars, research assistants, students, trainees, teachers, specialists, nannies/au pairs, camp counselors, etc. The application process is started by obtaining a Form DS-2019, Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status (formerly known as an IAP-66) from the sponsoring agency.

There are many advantages of participating in the Exchange Visitor Program including cultural and knowledge exchange. There is also no cap imposed on the number of J visas, unlike the H-1B Program. However, for certain J-1 visitors, they are subject to the Section 212(e) foreign residence requirement of the Immigration Act. Generally speaking, there are three categories of J-1 visa holders who are subject to the residence requirement:

Applicants who have obtained their J-1 status through programs financed either in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, by the U.S. government or their home country government.
Applicants whose specialized knowledge or skill is in short supply in their home country
Applicants who have received graduate medical education or training in the U.S.

If a foreigner is subject to this requirement, before she is allowed to change their immigration status in the U.S. to another classification or apply for a visa to return to the U.S., she must first return to their country of origin or last residence and live there for two years. The only exception to this requirement is to apply for a waiver under Section 212(e). There are six bases for applying for such a waiver. For Fiscal Year 2010, the numbers of waivers granted and denied for each basis are as follows. The numbers show that the “No Objection Statement” was the most popular type of waiver while the “Interested Government Agency” waiver applications enjoyed the highest rates of grant.

TYPES OF WAIVER	Granted	Denied	Total
No Objection Statement	4,786	155	4,941
Exceptional Hardship	213	65	278
Persecution	24	1	25
Interested Government Agency- Physician	70	0	0
Interested Government Agency- Other	165	6	171
State Department of Health	829	0	829
TOTAL	6,087	227	6,314

Role of Immigration and Naturalization Services

Tushar Mathur — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 13:32:01 +0000

Immigration and Naturalization Service also known as INS is an organization that protects and enforces laws of naturalization. Naturalization can be detailed as a process that permits a person born in foreign country to become a citizen of United States. It also tracks the illegal entrants and thus maintains the security and deports the people living illegally in United States. Thus we can say that it is an organization that maintains and puts into the actions required to sustain the security bar of United States.

The United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) was formerly known as the subsidiary firm of the Department of Justice, but is now part of the Department of Homeland Security. The INS grants student visa, tourist visa or any extended stay visas for foreign born citizens who wish to extend their stay in the United States.

After the 9/11 attacks on the United States, the Immigration and Naturalization Services were made strict on strengthening the national security and tightening the antiterrorism. All the guidelines of this agency were made very stringent for issuance of visa and even on the general criteria for prolonged entry in United States.

INS also holds the responsibility of detention and questioning the suspected visa holders might be connected to terrorist organisation. The detention period can be of any reasonable length of time that might be required to check or gather the information required to scrutinise the suspect. INS is also powered by Mobilization Against Terrorism Act (MATA) thus it holds the power to deport or file a case against any foreign person that may be connected to any terrorism or such organisations. INS also holds the right to cancel the visa or green card of the suspect found in connection to any terrorist group.

INS works to cut down the number of people who entered United States through its Border Patrol. INS is also responsible for searching out the illegal foreigners and to deport them back to their nation. It also imposes stiff criminal penalties for the agents who exploit illegal aliens.

Thus INS works as a stringent security organisation that keeps an eye on each and every foreign born person who enters the United States and also keeps track on their activities.