Category: Immigration

The Price Of An Australian Partner Visa Is Out Of Control

Over recent years every July the Australian Government have increased the price of their visas for people who wish to emigrate but when we compare the various visa options and the cost of each visa against the benefits it offers we are certain the price of an Australian partner visa is now out of control.

Australian Partner Visas

An Australian who falls in love with an overseas national and who wants to bring that person back home will need to have deep pockets. The idea that love is free seems to have been lost to the Australian government in recent years. The current price of an Australian partner visa is in excess of $6,500. This only allows a person to enter Australia for a limited time before having to apply for permanent residence assuming the relationship is still subsisting (expect in exceptional circumstances) regardless of the fact that they have children or not. The application process is also currently 18 months plus in many cases and the burden of evidence to prove the relationship ever more demanding.

While there should be a duty of care not to grant visas to people who are attempting to circumvent the immigration rules by entering relationships for the primary purpose of securing a visa this should not require the vast majority of law abiding Australian citizens to suffer for the actions of the few. We suggest there would be more effective ways to manage this situation.

When we compared the partner visa to other popular visas we found not only are processing times often shorter but the cost is also much lower.

Australian Skilled Visas

A person on the shortage occupation list can secure a permanent visa to live and work in Australia without further restrictions post arrival for as little as $3,600 which may seem a great deal however the benefits are clear. The person can settle into Australia quite quickly once they have been accepted. The whole process usually takes eight months.

Australian Contributory Parent Visas

This visa class allows a person to invite their parent to live with them in Australia and while there are various criteria one must meet in order to secure the visa the price of the actual visa is $2,490 not including any contributions that maybe required. Again this is a great deal lower than a partner visa. That is in our opinion strange as the contribution of a parent and the amount they will contribute to the economy is likely to be less that that of a partner who are usually in their early years.

Working Holiday Visas

While this visa does not lead to residency and is limited in what the holder can do it is still a common way for young people to enter Australia, who then often go on to a 457 visa or other routes to remain. At just a few hundred dollars and a week to process this seems like a huge contrast to the partner visa. While often it is those young people on a working holiday who meet and fall in love with their future Australian partner.

We hope the Australian government will review their pricing structure and also the time it takes to process an Australian partner visa. Australian citizens should not feel like they are being penalised for falling in love with an overseas national. We shall wait and see. You can visit the government website here

Revocation of British Citizenship

Citizenship Deprivation

The deprivation of citizenship I.e, the exclusion of perceived undesirables from the UK is one of the most important trends in immigration at the moment. The reality is there were apparently no recorded instances of citizenship deprivation on the basis of dishonesty between 1983 and 2009. Since 2009 however, there were 30 such decisions, and the numbers have steadily been increasing.

If a migrant has previously lied about his or her identity, or claim for asylum, then they can now expect to face great difficulties obtaining settlement. There are further hurdles still if they then wish to naturalise as a British citizen as our case study demonstrates.

The Case of the Albanian

There are many examples of Albanians entering the UK and pretending to be Kosovan, obtaining immigration status and then eventually applying for British citizenship. Many have since settled down, landed full-time employment, and started a family.

We have been acting on behalf of an Albanian man, his wife and their two British-born children. The Albanian man claimed asylum after giving a false Kosovan identity and being recognised as a refugee. He was granted indefinite leave to remain in 2001. His wife was granted an entry clearance to join him in 2005. The husband was later naturalised as a British citizen and in April 2007 his wife made a successful application for indefinite leave to remain as the spouse of a British citizen.

However, in 2013 the man’s British citizenship was declared null and void. We thereafter made an application for the wife to be granted leave to remain, as she had a genuine and subsisting parental relationship with the two children, both of whom are under the age of 18 – and British citizens. Furthermore, we argued it would not be reasonable to expect the children to leave the UK for Albania as they were both born in the UK, are British citizens, have never lived in Albania and are highly integrated in the UK society and attend full time education here.

With regard to the husband he has encountered further difficulties with regard to being able to travel and work in the UK. Although his indefinite leave to remain was not revoked, when we requested that no time limit stamp be transferred to his Kosovan passport, the Home Office refused. They argued that they were not sure of the identity of our client. In other words they could not be certain that the Albanian man with one name was also the Kosovan man with a different name.

We have demonstrated through DNA testing that the Albanian man is the biological father of the children and we have provided supporting passport photographs and identity details from the Kosovan authorities. However, the Home Office has stated our client failed to provide legitimate reasons why his personal details have changed and as a result refused to issue him with a card confirming his true identity and nationality. In other words he is stuck; he cannot travel with his Kosovan passport because the letter granting him indefinite leave to remain belongs to an Albanian man with a different name, and despite coming clean, the Home Office will not revoke his indefinite leave to remain or give him a document in his true identity.

Summary

This is another reminder that British citizenship can be refused and revoked on the basis of past dishonesty. Deprivation of citizenship and the exclusion of perceived undesirables from our society, is a new trend and it is not always obvious that the deception is material to the grant of citizenship.

If a migrant has previously lied about his identity or claim for asylum he will now face great difficulty obtaining settlement and even greater hurdles naturalising as a British citizen.

The Strange Asylum Case of Ms Z

In the late 90’s, about 1997, before I left my private law practice in Washington, D.C. to teach at the Barry University School of Law School I was approached by a new, potential client. I will call her Ms. Z. Ms. Z had arrived in the United States a week earlier from Germany. She told me she needed a lawyer. Here’s why.

Ms. Z had obtained a visa from one of our American consulates in Germany allowing her to travel to the U.S. as a tourist. Upon arriving at the port of entry in Washington, D.C. she told the immigration officials that she did not really come to the U.S. to be a tourist. Instead she asked the officials to grant her asylum in the U.S. The inspectors were surprised and detained her for an interview. In order to gain asylum in the United States one must prove to the immigration authorities that they have been persecuted in their home country or have a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or one’s standing in a particular social group.

Ms. Z was put in detention for several days while they investigated. After hearing her story, which I will relate a bit later, the inspectors found that she might have a “credible claim” for asylum. They released her on her own recognizance and gave her a “Notice to Appear” in Immigration Court on a date two weeks away. They also gave her a “lawyers list” provided by the U.S. State Department of Washington, D.C. lawyers who might represent indigent asylum seekers for little or no money.

Because it begins with a “B” my name, Birdsong, was at the top of the list. Ms. Z sought me out at my office. I learned that Ms. Z had been in the U.S. one week, had less than $900 and was staying at the Washington YWCA. She spoke fairly good English and very good German. She was a small woman with lots of black curly hair. I thought her to be somewhat attractive in a “gypsy” sort of way. She was surprised to learn that I spoke some German and had previously been stationed in Hamburg, Germany as a U.S. State Department officer. We talked. She said she wanted me to represent her in immigration court. I told her she did not have enough money for my representation. She demanded. I refused… however, I listened to her case.

Ms. Z was actually a citizen of Romania. She had fled Romania in the early 90’s when the communist government of Romania collapsed. She had worked at the Romanian National Museum as a cataloguer. She had obtained her education and her job because she had joined the communist party when a teenager. With the communists out of power she feared that there might be reprisals against her by a new government.

As a result, she fled to Germany. After being there 18 months Germany granted her asylum and granted her a “laissez passé” or “travel document” that permitted her to travel outside of Germany. She learned German, got a job cleaning houses, and tried to keep a low profile. However, she did attend several rallies protesting the rise of neo-Nazis in Germany. She claimed that after one of these protests a group of young skin head neo-Nazis followed her to her home. They taunted her claiming she must be a Jew for attending such a rally. She was not Jewish. Nevertheless she was frightened by these skin head thugs.

Over the next few months groups of skin head neo-Nazis continued to taunt her when she left her apartment or when she came home. There came a point when they threw eggs at her second floor apartment windows. She believed they even broke in once when she was not home because food was missing. She became more frightened, she complained to her landlord. Ultimately she went to the German police. They told her there was nothing they could do, especially since she was not Jewish.

The taunts continued. She was never physically accosted, however her tormentors started taunting her by calling her a “Stauffenburg.” Count Von Stauffenburg was the German military officer who attempted to assassinate Hitler near the end of World War II with a bomb. Ms. Z decided she must leave Germany for her own protection. She flew to the United States and sought asylum in the U.S. because she was fleeing persecution at the hands of neo-Nazis who believed she was Jewish and a threat to them. I refused her case on the ground she had little money. She offered to work for me in my office as free paralegal for several weeks if I would only represent her.

Unfortunately, I relented and did let her work for me as a paralegal for the two weeks leading up to her immigration court hearing. Up to this time I had had a wonderful record of representing clients in the two Washington area branches of the U.S. immigration courts over a period of several years. I had gained asylum grants for the clients in nineteen of the nineteen cases I had taken to trial. However, I told Ms. Z that her case involved concepts known as political opinion, imputed political opinion and mixed motive asylum claims. These types of cases were among the most difficult cases in which one could expect to obtain asylum for a client. I also told her that she had already been given asylum in Germany and this was usually a bar to obtaining asylum in the U.S. After prepping her for the hearing she agreed that if it appeared that she would not be granted asylum that I would be allowed to request that she be given “voluntary departure.” This is a discretionary form of relief that an immigration judge may grant that will avoid deportation and allow the asylum claimant to leave the U.S. at his or her own expense within 60 days.

As I had surmised, the hearing did not go well. We had drawn the toughest immigration judge on the entire court. The judge listened to my proffer of what Ms. Z’s evidence would show if she went to trial. To say the judge was befuddled and a bit bemused would be an understatement. The judge had before her a Romanian citizen who had been already granted asylum in Germany, who was fleeing Germany because she was allegedly being persecuted by neo-Nazis who thought she was Jewish, when she wasn’t, and had the fortune to find that the first lawyer on the lawyers list given her was an African American who spoke German. The judge suggested that I might ask for another form of relief for my client. I promptly requested that the judge grant Ms. Z voluntary departure from the United States within sixty days. To my great surprise, the judge did just that. To my greater surprise the judge did not ask Ms. Z to provide bond to show that she would leave as expected. Instead, the toughest judge on the court continued Ms. Z’s release on her personal recognizance.

Ms. Z and I took a taxi back to my office where she collected her belongings, thanked me and left. I never made a dime on the case and I have never seen nor heard from her since. However, I have often wondered whether she really ever voluntarily left the United States. It is my assumption that with her gumption and brashness she is still living in the States and probably married to an American citizen. Stranger things have happened.

Brexit – What Next?

In a post-Brexit world there are multiple existing frameworks that the UK can look to in negotiating a new trade deal with the EU.

    • The European Economic Area (EEA) is that which is most similar to the EU, and, the free movement principle is considered essential to membership of the EEA.

 

    • The European Free Trade Agreement (EFTA) consists of the EEA members who remain outside the EU, with Switzerland as the only state not also part of the EEA and as such this is often referred to as the Swiss model. The Swiss model is based upon a multitude of bilateral treaties, and again retains the principle of free movement

 

    • The EU has recently concluded negotiations on the Comprehensive and Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) with Canada, which has yet to come into effect.

 

    • There is also a Customs Union under which Turkey trades with the EU.

 

  • As a baseline, international trade can be governed by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules.

EEA

The EEA is perhaps the closest alternative to the EU, and is often referred to as the Norwegian model. The free movement of people principle applies across the EEA and EEA (which includes EU) citizens are free to live and work in EEA states. EEA states are subject to the majority of EU rules and regulations however are exempt on certain areas such as agriculture and fisheries. However, the input that the EEA countries have into EU policy is very limited. They have been described as being subject to the rules without having a seat at the table where the rules are decided upon.

Non-EU countries within the EEA have to pay in to the EU budget proportionate to their economies and do not receive any funding from EU policies or any EU development funds. Norway for example pays in more than many EU member states, this is particularly heightened when you consider that actual members net contributions are reduced by the money they receive from the EU.

EFTA

Switzerland is the only EFTA country to remain outside the EEA and its relationship with the EU is governed by over 120 bilateral agreements. These agreements cover some, but not all, aspects of trade, Switzerland makes a financial contribution to the EU, including to the enlargement fund, and is subject to the Free Movement of People. Switzerland does not have a general duty to implement EU laws but is obliged to do so where trade is concerned. EFTA importantly, does not provide full access to the single market for its banking sector and other parts of the services sector, which together make up almost 80% of the UK economy.

The Swiss model was devised in a very unique context and was intended to be a transition into the EU for Switzerland It is highly unlikely to be replicated

CETA

The EU has recently concluded seven year negotiations on the Comprehensive and Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) with Canada. The deal has not yet come into effect and still faces a number of hurdles to be ratified by each member state.

The EU and Canada have agreed to scrap tariffs on industrial and fisheries products. The majority of agricultural products, with the exception of some key and protected products, will also see tariffs scrapped. The agreement also brings significant liberalisation of public procurements, allowing European companies to bid for public contracts in Canada. Some agricultural products, such as eggs, chicken or beef, have been excluded or limited from the deal meaning an equivalent would make significant sectors of British agriculture subject to tariffs. This type of agreement however is unlikely to be reflected in a similar UK-EU agreement given the geographical and historical links between the two.

CETA does not involve Canada paying into the EU budget or signing up to EU rules on the free movement of people in return for increased market access.The free movement of people is not part of CETA, however, the agreement does provide for visa free travel. Limitations on this right to visa free travel for some member states is the subject of some consternation and could potentially delay ratification.

The presence of an investor state dispute settlement provision may also raise concerns for those who voted to leave the EU on sovereignty concerns.

Trade in goods under the Canadian agreement will be largely based upon EU rules of origin. These rules require a sufficient proportionate amount of a product to be made in Canada. A similar requirement would place additional requirements and customs checks on UK goods, subjecting small business in particular to onerous administrative requirements The UK would be subject to additional tariffs on products the EU seeks to protect whilst having no say on the setting of EU regulations and standards that all products would be required to meet.

There is limited liberalisation with regards to services, and importantly, financial services remain subject to regulatory and licensing requirements. In the wake of the Brexit, the City has stated the importance of Passporting rights to the viability of the financial sector, a CETA style agreement will not provide for any such rights. Passporting rights are the main concern for the City of London post-Brexit and is seen as essential to maintaining the City’s status as the place to headquarter from and do business.

A Customs Union

Turkey currently has a customs union with the EU, meaning that there are no tariffs or quotas on industrial goods exported to EU countries. As part of this union, Turkey must then apply the EU’s external tariff on goods imported from outside the EU.

However, the customs union does not apply to agricultural goods, or services – including financial services. As it is not a member of the EU, Turkey has no say on setting the EU external tariff. Were the UK to adopt such an approach, it would have no vote or influence on the trade deals that the EU pursues, effectively making it a silent partner in EU trade policy

Much like the Swiss bilateral agreements, the Customs Union with Turkey was established as a precursor to eventually joining the EU.

WTO Rules

The UK could access the single market under WTO rules which form the default position for international trade. However, the principle of non-discrimination mandates that, in the absence of a bilateral treaty, members cannot treat any trading partner less favourably. This means the UK would be subject to the tariffs from its biggest trading partner in the form of the EU Common External Tariff. This avenue would also not provide any avenue for financial services to retain their current access to the single market.

The WTO rules will become the default position by which the UK trades with the single market if no trade agreement is reached before the UK exits the EU.

Conclusion

It is unclear which trade deal, or amalgamation of such, the UK will seek to follow. However, what is clear is that there will be important implications for EU citizens based in the UK. We would advise those that are in a position to do so to apply for permanent residency in an effort to solidify their status in the UK.

How To Find Trustworthy Asylum Lawyers?

Experienced and knowledgeable asylum lawyer to assist in your immigration process

The US Immigration law is a bit intricate, and the legal norms and regulations usually changes from time to time. Individuals willing to immigrate to a foreign land can definitely think of getting proficient legal assistance from the specialized immigration asylum lawyer. There can be numerous reasons for which the person may have to relocate to a foreign country. It can be due to study, business work or some personal matter. By acquiring requisite legal guidance from the lawyer the immigrating person would not have to face any legal complexities and can travel to the foreign land reluctantly.

With advent of modern technology, it has become extremely simple to search for experienced and professional immigration asylum lawyer in US. To help the potential immigrant, there are a number of law portals on the Internet. A great way to commence your search for experienced lawyer can be accomplished using such sites. The help seekers can easily communicate with the lawyers and get the initial legal assistance and approximate cost estimations for their immigration purpose. It could efficiently help to initiate the immigration process and help you to deal with the entire legal procedure in a hassle-free manner.

Why does an immigrant need to approach the asylum lawyer?

Some of the individuals have the urgency of returning to their own mother land or nation of origin. But due to inappropriate legal documentation, they are not able to make the smooth transition and relocate to their hometown. Under legal guidance of the experienced asylum lawyer, the urgent immigration needs can be effortlessly accomplished. Some of the immigration issues that are legally solved by the lawyer include:

· Felony history

· Infringement of immigration regulation

· Overstaying or failing to depart the nation on the mentioned date

· Violation of work permit rules

Services offered by the asylum Immigration lawyers:

Some of the professional legal services offered by the proficient immigration asylum lawyer include:

· Legal assistance and advice – The professional lawyers can provide requisite legal guidance to solve complex immigration issues. Some of the issues are political, social, harassment at workplace, domestic violence or gender related. A person may have applied for immigration for numerous reasons. Whatever is the reason, the lawyer are always there to help their clients and offer them advice related to Asylum and Human Rights case.

· Representation of the case before the Visa consulate office – The immigration lawyer may help to represent his client’s legal case before the Visa consulate office and take responsibilities of all the legal documentations.

· Legal advice on the pre-qualifying eligibility – The Asylum law is very complex part of jurisdiction and it is governed by numerous International agreements, conventions etc. The lawyer would have adequate knowledge of all such agreements and terms.

· Interview preparation – To qualify in the Visa interview process, it is important for the immigrant to be confident enough. The experienced asylum lawyer will prepare the client to be well versed with the complete interview process and thus the chances of success will increase.

A proficient and well-versed asylum lawyer can efficiently represent the immigration case and help the immigrant to stay away from the political and social-economic troubles. Moreover, the lawyer can also defend his client’s pursuits in appellate proceedings.

Immigration Inspectorate Cracks Down on South African Employers

In light of recent events, the parliamentary portfolio committee on Home Affairs has been taken to task over issues centered on the prevalence of illegal foreigners within South Africa’s borders and the perceived inability on the part of the government to keep track of their entrance and continued residence in the country. The proposed new International Migration White Paper, put forward by the Department of Home Affairs, will see substantial investment injected into the Immigration Inspectorate in order to improve detection and prosecution of illegal foreigners.

These illegal foreigners residing in South Africa face severe penalties upon detection. The Immigration Act provides immigration officials with wide-ranging powers when it comes to the arrest, detention and deportation of illegal foreigners. An officer within the Immigration Inspectorate is entitled to arrest an illegal foreigner, without the need for a warrant, and deport or detain said foreigner. The foreigner may be held in detention for up to 90 days. A foreigner who remains in South Africa in contravention of the Act shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine or imprisonment not exceeding 2 years. If the inspectorate elects to instruct a foreigner to depart South Africa and said foreigner fails to do so, he or she shall be liable upon conviction to a fine or imprisonment not exceeding 4 years.

Illegal foreigners are encouraged to depart South Africa of their own accord in order to avoid the above mentioned penalties. A foreigner who has overstayed his or her visa will still, however, be penalised upon departure and issued with a ban prohibiting re-entry into South Africa for a period of up to 5 years.

It has recently emerged that, since 2010, approximately 330,000 foreigners have overstayed their South African visas and remained in the country illegally. This is commonly viewed as the result of government failing to significantly invest in methods aimed at policing illegals residents. This is, however, only the tip of the iceberg and the government is well aware of the need to successfully implement a policy framework to ensure that South Africa’s immigration policies stand alongside those of leading world powers.

On 23 April 2015, the Honourable Minister of Home Affairs, Malusi Gigaba, advised parliament that the Department of Home Affairs is working towards completing a new International Migration White Paper aimed at overhauling South Africa’s entire immigration policy framework.

Of particular relevance to South African businesses is the Minister’s assertion that R118 million is to be invested in increasing the capacity of the Immigration Inspectorate over the course of the next 3 years. The Inspectorate is tasked with the policing of illegal foreigners within South Africa and the increased capacity will allow it to focus on the effective detection and prosecution of companies employing undocumented migrants and foreigners whose visas have expired. The Inspectorate will be looking to increase the frequency of raids on companies suspected of employing illegal foreigners in an attempt to clamp down.

The Immigration Act imposes substantial fines and terms of imprisonment for companies and employers who are deemed to have knowingly employed illegal foreigners and it is clear that the inspectorate, with the backing of the Department of Home Affairs, has deemed this area to be one which requires more stringent regulation. As a result, it is becoming increasingly necessary for companies to ensure that they are compliant with all aspects of the Immigration Act at all times. A failure to do so, is likely to lead to severe repercussions.

Companies currently employing illegal foreigners and wishing to legalise their staff can contact us at overstay appeals for further information and assistance.

Why An Immigration Consultant Is Your Best Bet When Applying for a Visa

Immigrating to another country should be an exciting process from beginning to end, but in most cases it is not. People get excited, but the process which can be daunting can steal the joy for a period of time until they have secured their visas and they are already on their way to the country of choice. Some of the most popular countries that people migrate to for studies, work and travel related reasons include New Zealand, Australia, United Kingdom, USA and Canada among others. Whichever country you are headed to, you should enjoy an easy time processing your documents and most importantly the Visa.

Luckily, immigration consultants can help ease out the process on your behalf. They can handle the process for you so you can have your documents processed faster for travel. The visa application process can be challenging, but the consultants offer solutions to minimize the challenges with the aim of fetching you a smooth experience moving to your country of interest. The experts are usually experienced and qualified and will save you effort, money and time you would have otherwise used to try to figure out the best way of handling the process. When choosing a consultant, there are things that you should consider so as to enjoy the best of the services.

Expertise and professionalism – It is most important considering that the immigration process can be tedious. Look at how qualified the immigration service providers are and the years of experience they have doing it. Your expert should be well conversant with the rules and regulations of visa applications for different countries and should show professionalism when handling your immigration needs. Find out what others have to say about the services offered and the success stories behind your visa expert.

Countries and visas it can handle – This is important because you want to ensure that your country of interest is indeed covered by the expert services. Considering that there are different types of visa, you also want to make sure that your provider can offer solutions for the type of visa you are after. It should be reliable enough handling your application as per the existing legal requirements and immigration policy.

Efficiency – What procedures and processes does the consultant use to help you with the paperwork? Look at such things to gauge on the efficiency and reliability. Considering how fluid migration rules can get, you want to settle for a service provider who ensures that your application is prepared and also lodged with utmost urgency to keep you cushioned from any changes that could lead to delays.

Reputation – A good immigration consultant with a little bit of experience in offering the solutions should surely have a number of previous clients. One of the best ways that you can use to be sure of the quality of services you will enjoy is by looking at the reputation. Consider the success stories the consultant has to his name and what the past clients have to say about the solutions they get from the consultant.

Types of Visas For Australia

A visa is a government sanctioned permit to enter, stay and exit a country granted to foreign nationals who wish to visit the concerned country. It is considered to be the entry ticket to a country which is mandatory irrespective of the nature of the visit. Just like almost all first world countries, an Australian visa is indispensable for a foreigner who wishes to visit the country. Surely, the Government of Australia has segregated the applications for the country’s visas depending upon the nature and tenure of the visit.

Visas in Australia are legally classified as follows –

Instant Tourist Visa

These visas are issued by the Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection for periods of 3, 6 and 12 months. The tenure of the visa depends on the nature of the visit. The Instant Tourist Visas are generally provided to visitors who bear the sole purpose of business or come as tourists.

It is necessary for visitors to hold a valid passport and are often supplied with an Australian ETA, which stands for Electronic Travel Authority. The ETA visa electronically links with the visitor’s passport for a fixed duration of time. Immigration authorities are thus, provided with prior knowledge about a visitor’s visa status.

Transit Visas

These visas are provided to travelers that use Australia as a means of transit, say, in case of a layover or if a visitor intends to join a merchant navy or ship crew in the country. Transit visas are generally permitted for a duration of only about 72 hours.

Working Holiday Visas

These visas are meant for people within the age of 18 and 30 years who wish to travel as well as work in Australia for a year. Working Holiday visas are particularly oriented towards catering drop-year travelers who wish to explore and at the same time, work their way to supplement their expenses.

Business Visas

Business Visas are provided to people with established businesses in Australia or people who are sponsored by a governmental or multi-national company with the purpose of conducting business operations in Australia under the purview of their employer.

Student Visas

The Department of Immigration and Border Protection are particularly cautious while issuing Student visas. The government permits a visa to a travelling student only after the submission and acceptance of a thorough, detailed analysis of the concerned student’s course of study and financial backing. This visa is classified according to the nature of the study. Separate visas are issued for international students who intend to travel to Australia for their graduate or postgraduate degree as opposed to a student travelling for a high school exchange program.

Students holding this visa are not permitted to work before the commencement of their study and can only apply for a job with a cap of up to 20 hours a week.

Skilled Migration

These visas are a permanent migration permit which allows foreign nationals to migrate to Australia under the pretense of being skilled in a domain of significance according to the Government of Australia.

US Public at Stake With the Spreading of Contagious Disease by the Illegal Immigrants

Any alien entering the US needs to undergo a stringent Immigration Medical Exam. The medical screening is conducted by the Public Health Services. This is not something new in the US, but has been in force for a long time. The immigration medical exam is required for adjustment of status and for nonimmigrant status. A Civil Surgeon designated by USCIS conducts the Green card medical exam.

Purpose behind green card medical exam for the Immigrants

The purpose of the immigration medical exam is to verify whether the applicant has any inadmissible health condition. Those are, communicable diseases like active tuberculosis, malaria, etc. Venereal disease like active syphilis, gonorrhea, cholera, plague and the trachoma, an infection that affects the eyes. They also check the physical and mental disorders that are associated with harmful behavior, and the drug abuse or addiction. Based on the reports of the Civil Surgeon, the USCIS makes the admissibility of an immigrant in the US in a legal doorway.

The Role of CDC in Immigration Medical Exam

The USCIS under the guidance of CDC, conducts Immigration Medical Exam. CDC is one of the major operating components of the Department of Health and Human Services that are recognized as the nation’s premiere health promotion, prevention, and prepares agencies. CDC works with the states and other associates, by providing a systematic health inspection to monitor and prevent disease outbreaks, strategies for preventing diseases, and maintain national health statistics. CDC also safeguards against International disease transmission. The CDC’s focus being improvisation on global health, implement measures to decrease leading causes of death and reforming health policies.

Illegal immigrants carrying contagious disease while crossing the US borders

The entries of the illegal immigrants, crossing the US borders in large numbers, are carrying with them highly contagious diseases, and having not pre-screened for medical tests and for vaccinations, they are posing medical threats to the public of the US. Diseases, like intense itchy rashes, caused by insect mites, Dengue fever, a viral illness spread by mosquitoes are detected and medical treatment have put in place. Measles and chicken pox are also emerging among the unvaccinated immigrants.

Nearly 150,000 illegal immigrants are detained by the Border Patrol and the Department of Health and Human Services. The holding centers and camps in the southern Texas and Arizona are cramped; it has turned out to be unhygienic with poor sanitation. If this continues, mosquitoes will breed resulting in deadly disease, as Dengue will turn out to be a public health disaster.

Doctors are treating hundreds of detainees for abdominal pain, skin abrasions and dehydration, they are helping as much as possible with over-the-counter medicine, but the disease continues to spread in other states, as some immigrants awaiting their court dates get on buses and go as far as New York, Ohio or Florida.

The ball is in the hands of Politicians to look into the immigration issue

America having stamped out the spread of deadly diseases decades ago, having yet another blow due to open border diseases, will not be a healthy option for America. It is indeed a high time to look into the immigration reform on both the sides of the aisle; both the house of politics should do everything they can to work together to bring this growing public health crisis under control.