Dual citizenship granted to some 35,000 Sri Lankans living overseas has come under review as the authorities plan to tighten the screening process before granting this facility to applicants, a senior official said yesterday.
Immigration and Emigration Controller W. A. Chulananda Perera said only those with loyalty to their country of birth and who abide by the rules of the land by paying their taxes would be granted this facility.
He said that under a 1987 amendment to the Dual Citizenship Act, the Defence Ministry retained the power to cancel the dual citizenship to an individual at any time if he or she fell short of specified requirements to enjoy such a facility.
“For example, there are families that are forced to live abroad to take care of their children’s schooling or a large business and other interests, but at the same time they keep their commitments by paying their taxes to Sri Lanka. There are others who have damned the country for various reasons but now seek dual citizenship. It is in cases such as this that a review will be carried out,” Mr. Perera said.
He said the main purpose of this review was to carefully select people who would help Sri Lanka with no hidden agendas. He promised the screening would not be on ethnic or religious basis but purely on merit on loyalty and commitment to Sri Lanka.
He said senior citizens and professionals would be among those given special preference for dual citizenship. Earlier this year the Government put on hold the issuing of fresh dual citizenships until further notice, but it did not give any specific reason.
At present there are some 3,300 such applicants seeking approval and only about 620 have been cleared and sent for final approval by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is also the Defence Minister.
Earlier dual citizenship could be obtained by paying a fee of Rs. 200,000, or being the owner of real estate valued at Rs. 2.5 million or having a bank deposit of Rs. 2.5 million.
Source:http://www.sundaytimes.lk/110501/News/nws_03.html
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Online visas for visitors to Lanka
Cabinet approval has been sought to activate the on-line visa facility for foreign visitors that will be tagged along with an administration fee, a senior official said yesterday.
Immigration and Emigration Chief Chulananda Perera told the Sunday Times any person intending to visit Sri Lanka could download a landing visa from his or her home computer and the guidelines regarding this would be sent to the travel trade and diplomatic missions.
He said he could not say when the online facility would come into force, but added that the authorities were keen to put it into operation soon.
“The administration fee which will be decided by the Cabinet will cover only one month. Those intending to stay longer will be charged a visa fee on a reciprocal basis.“For example, if a British citizen seeks a visa for more than a month, then the fee will be the same that is charged from a Sri Lankan intending to visit that country. The same procedure will be applied to those visiting the country from the United States, Europe or elsewhere,” he said.
Citizens of Singapore and the Maldives would be exempted from the fee because Sri Lankans did not require visas to enter those two countries. Should any other country provide this same facility to Sri Lankans then we will reciprocate accordingly, Mr. Perera said.
Source:http://www.sundaytimes.lk/110501/News/nws_24.html
Immigration and Emigration Chief Chulananda Perera told the Sunday Times any person intending to visit Sri Lanka could download a landing visa from his or her home computer and the guidelines regarding this would be sent to the travel trade and diplomatic missions.
He said he could not say when the online facility would come into force, but added that the authorities were keen to put it into operation soon.
“The administration fee which will be decided by the Cabinet will cover only one month. Those intending to stay longer will be charged a visa fee on a reciprocal basis.“For example, if a British citizen seeks a visa for more than a month, then the fee will be the same that is charged from a Sri Lankan intending to visit that country. The same procedure will be applied to those visiting the country from the United States, Europe or elsewhere,” he said.
Citizens of Singapore and the Maldives would be exempted from the fee because Sri Lankans did not require visas to enter those two countries. Should any other country provide this same facility to Sri Lankans then we will reciprocate accordingly, Mr. Perera said.
Source:http://www.sundaytimes.lk/110501/News/nws_24.html
Thursday, April 28, 2011
457 visa process for flood rebuilding work - Queensland,Australia
The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) has announced fast-track processing of 457 visa applications specifically for reconstruction jobs in flood-affected areas, providing quick access to skilled overseas labour where local supply is insufficient.
The 457 program is available to businesses of any size; in fact, the vast majority of sponsors approved for the 457 program are small to medium enterprises.
Please note: This is a DIAC visa process intended only for occupations that cannot be filled by Queensland or Australian workers.
Occupations available for sponsorship
Employers can sponsor skilled workers for up to 4 years with no limit on the number of workers they sponsor for eligible occupations.
Application process
The application process is handled by DIAC.
Your business must be endorsed by the Queensland Government for you to qualify for priority processing for flood recovery work in this state.
Fill out the DIAC form Request for Priority Processing of Subclass 457 Workers for Flood Recovery Work and follow the instructions on the form to submit your application.
Please be advised that applying for endorsement correctly does not guarantee success. Endorsement is granted at the discretion of the Queensland Government and once a decision has been made it is final. Endorsed applications are sent to DIAC and DIAC makes all migration decisions.
The Queensland Government does not support any appeals to DIAC.
Last updated 22 February 2011
Sri Lanka: An online Visa system for foreigners soon
On-line visa system active
The Immigration and Emigration Department has set up an Electronic Travel Authority to simplify the visa process and facilitate short stay visitors.
Immigration and Emigration Controller General Chulananda Perera said the Authority allows tourists who would like to come to Sri Lanka for a short stay to apply and obtain a visa online.
"This service will be available for travellers from 78 countries including India from which tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka take place at present," he said adding that visitors from Singapore and the Maldives can continue to obtain an on arrival visa as a reciprocal gesture as these two countries offer the same facility to Sri Lankan visitors.
"After obtaining the processing fee, we will refer the application to the migration intelligence unit for profiling and vetting. This is done to verify if the applicant is a frequent or suspicious traveller or if he is from a health risk zone such as a country where there is an outbreak of an epidemic."
Such people will have to face an interview at a Sri Lankan mission in the country where they hold citizenship.
The Controller said this profiling would be made within hours and the visa will be issued within three days under the regular service or within one day at a higher fee. The Department will also operate a 24-hour calling centre to receive inquiries on visa matters. The visa will be sent via e-mail or mobile Short Message Service. The visitor has to submit the visa number and his passport at the Immigration counter at the airport and he will be granted access for a short stay.
Courtesy : Sunday Observer
The Immigration and Emigration Department has set up an Electronic Travel Authority to simplify the visa process and facilitate short stay visitors.
Immigration and Emigration Controller General Chulananda Perera said the Authority allows tourists who would like to come to Sri Lanka for a short stay to apply and obtain a visa online.
"This service will be available for travellers from 78 countries including India from which tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka take place at present," he said adding that visitors from Singapore and the Maldives can continue to obtain an on arrival visa as a reciprocal gesture as these two countries offer the same facility to Sri Lankan visitors.
"After obtaining the processing fee, we will refer the application to the migration intelligence unit for profiling and vetting. This is done to verify if the applicant is a frequent or suspicious traveller or if he is from a health risk zone such as a country where there is an outbreak of an epidemic."
Such people will have to face an interview at a Sri Lankan mission in the country where they hold citizenship.
The Controller said this profiling would be made within hours and the visa will be issued within three days under the regular service or within one day at a higher fee. The Department will also operate a 24-hour calling centre to receive inquiries on visa matters. The visa will be sent via e-mail or mobile Short Message Service. The visitor has to submit the visa number and his passport at the Immigration counter at the airport and he will be granted access for a short stay.
Courtesy : Sunday Observer
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