All ten fingerprints on your passport

The Cabinet of Ministers has decided that applicants for Sri Lankan passports should provide their biometric data or finger prints.
For this purpose, the Immigration and Emigration Act is to be amended. The move comes on a recommendation from President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is also the Minister of Defence.

The Ministers forwarded their decision to the Cabinet Sub Committee on Legislation headed by Minister Susil Premajayantha. The Secretary to the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development has been asked to explore the possibility of incorporating a clear definition of “biometric features.”

Acting Immigration and Emigration Controller M.N. Ranasinghe told the Sunday Times, “We are proposing to implement the biometrics in the passport application process from next month. Under these systems, photography studios will be given software which they will use to obtain the photographs in keeping with the required standards. Thereafter the applicants will have to call over at the Immigration head office so that their fingerprints – of all fingers — could be obtained.”

However, Government sources said time was too short for the enforcement of the Australian aided project from next month. This is both in view of the required legislation being passed by Parliament and putting administrative procedures in place.The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said in a recent statement: “As globalisation has led to large-scale migration, biometrics has become the standard for identity management. High standards at borders are vital to prevent cases of trafficking, smuggling, and other attempts at exploitation.

Source:http://www.sundaytimes.lk/140907/news/all-ten-fingerprints-on-your-passport-116806.html

Applying for U.S. visa? Make note of the changes

Got a question about U.S. visas? The U.S. Embassy in Colombo, in collaboration with The Sunday Times is launching a fortnightly column “Ask the Consul” for all those who want to go the United States. Whether you are a tourist, student, businessman, skilled worker or just hoping to learn more about the Diversity Lottery, an American consular officer will help guide you and dispel any myths about the U.S. visa laws and application procedures.

Watch this space! The Sunday Times and the U.S. Embassy will select the best questions and publish answers starting today, September 7, 2014, and once every two weeks thereafter.

To submit your question, simply email your questions to AskTheConsulSL@state.gov
Starting this week there are important changes to how people will apply for U.S. visas.

1. I’ve heard that there are some changes to the visa application process. How do I apply for a U.S. visa now?

There will be several changes to the visa process beginning today, September 7, 2014. The new, mostly online process is designed to be more convenient and user-friendly and has been implemented at U.S. embassies worldwide.

First, there will be a free telephone helpline that substantially expands available hours for applicants to obtain information regarding visas and the scheduling process. This Call Center service will be provided in English, Sinhala, and Tamil and will be available from Monday-Friday, 8:00am-8:00pm (local time) starting tomorrow, September 8, 2014.

Second, applicants will now pay the application fee before they schedule a visa appointment. Applicants will pay the fee at any DFCC bank location. For your convenience, DFCC has more than 130 locations around Sri Lanka. There is also no additional charge for this service. Finally, after receiving a payment receipt from the bank, applicants will schedule their visa appointments at www.ustraveldocs.com/lk.

2. So how is the new process better?

The new system allows applicants to make their own visa appointments online from home or work, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Through the free Call Center, they can also get their own personalized visa application specialist who can walk applicants through the process.  Again, there is also no fee for scheduling an appointment online. Furthermore, we understand that due to any number of reasons applicants often have to make changes to their travel plans. The new system also allows applicants greater flexibility for rescheduling and cancellations.

Applicant can find information about the new scheduling process, along with a link to the new scheduling website, on the U.S. Embassy website at http://srilanka.usembassy.gov.

3. What if the applicant does not have Internet access?

Although the new visa appointment system is now online, using the Internet has been a part of the U.S. visa process for several years already. The previous visa application process required all applicants to complete the visa application form (called the DS-160 form) online before scheduling their interviews. That part of the process is not changing.  As with previous application procedures, applicants who do not have Internet access can obtain assistance to complete this process from family, friends or from a trusted travel facilitator.

4. I’m considering taking a vacation next year in the United States. Will this change the type of documents I should bring to the interview?

No, the new application procedures will only affect the scheduling of the interview. This change will not impact the interview with the consular officer at the Embassy. Applicants are encouraged to bring documents to the interview that help demonstrate that they are well established in Sri Lanka and that support their intent to return after a short visit to the United States.  Here is a list of documents that may be asked for during the interview:

Previous passports
Bank statements going back six months (Bank letters are of little value)
If applicable, proof of legal status of friends or relatives in the United States
Proof of relationships (birth certificate, marriage certificate, photographs)
Proof of employment and salary slips
If applicant is an employer, EPF for employees
Property deeds

Source:http://www.sundaytimes.lk/140907/plus/applying-for-u-s-visa-make-note-of-the-changes-116185.html

Govt. slow in resuming dual citizenship

Sri Lankan authorities continue to receive a spate of inquiries about the status of dual citizenship, the granting of which was suspended by the Government more than two years ago.  A notice on the official website of the Department of Immigration and Emigration has remained unchanged for many months: “Acceptance of Dual Citizenship applications are temporary [sic] discontinued until further notice”.

The Government has already said it will reintroduce the facility after changes to the relevant laws. The Cabinet has granted its approval but amendments have been a long time coming. Yesterday, Immigration and Emigration Controller General W.A.C. Perera said he had the same answer he did three months ago — that the Legal Draftsman’s Department had directed the proposed amendments to the Attorney General’s Department for observations.

The Sunday Times reliably learns that the AG’s Department has now sent its observations to the Legal Draftsman. While the public are still not privy to what has been suggested, it is widely anticipated that an applicant would have to pay more than he did before for the dual citizenship. New conditions are likely to be introduced.

With the status quo still murky, a large number of Sri Lankan origin people abroad expressed their frustration at not being able to proceed with their applications. Others said they had lodged their documents “a long time ago” and were still waiting. Among this group were aged parents who fretted about not being able to settle their property — that is, transfer it to their “foreign” children — before they passed away. For instance, one 75-year-old public official said he wanted his 40-year-old son (an Australian citizen) to inherit his assets but could do nothing about it. He said he was worried by it.

Interestingly, none of the people interviewed for this article agreed to being named. One person, who wished only to be identified as “a Tamil man from Toronto” said his mother owned land in Mullaitiviu and did not know what to do with it. “I don’t think she can write it off to me since I’m not a citizen,” he said. “I haven’t looked at the legal aspects in depth yet.”

A former Sri Lankan national living in Britain said she was disappointed she could not have dual citizenship and had to apply for a visa each time she visited. She is a Muslim, married to an Englishman. They have a young son. “Selling property or handing it over to children is a problem that my mother is faced with,” she said. “I couldn’t bring my own savings to Britain because I was a resident here. It is very complicated and frustrating.”

“It has also put us off investing in Sri Lanka for fear that it may not be easy to take our investment out when we want to,” she continued. “This was something we considered when my husband took redundancy three years ago.”A Sri Lankan origin mother-of-two in Germany said her father in Sri Lanka could not leave any property to her because her children would not be able to get dual citizenship. She faced an additional problem: “Germany won’t allow dual citizenship either. So I had to turn down my father’s offer of building a house on a prime piece of land in Sri Lanka last year. We were all a bit disappointed and I can’t understand why the Sri Lankan government wants to shut people out.”

“Most of the older people I know already have dual citizenship so they don’t have a problem,” she elaborated. “I think it is people of our generation who are considering settling down in Sri Lanka for retirement and bringing all their foreign currency with them that have the problem because they can’t hand down their property to the children anymore.”A permanent resident of Canada who has retained her Sri Lankan citizenship said her mother — who is now a Canadian passport holder — was frustrated at not being able to request dual citizenship. “She even wrote to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is an old friend, but got no response,” she said.

Another Canadian citizen, a Sinhalese, said she was less concerned about property than about her right to choose. Her parents are retired and live in Sri Lanka. “Life is about making choices,” she reflected. “For us to make choices, we must have options.”“I did choose to leave Sri Lanka and start a life elsewhere,” she continued. “When I took up citizenship, I was under the impression that I was entitled to dual citizenship. I did not know that my original citizenship had been revoked the day I took my second citizenship and that I would have to reapply for citizenship.”

“Secondly,” she said, “I did not know that one day I would not be able to do so. It impacts a lot of individuals in various ways, whether it concerns family or property. In my case, I am an only child with aging parents and I would like to be able to go back and take care of them when the time comes. And when they do ‘cross over’, I would like to be able to continue living in my house as a Sri Lankan citizen.”

“If I do choose to leave, I would like to have the option of inheriting what my family has left for me without being penalised for it,” she said. “From a Government standpoint, I understand that it may see the Sri Lankans who left as being of no benefit to the country anymore. Many leave just to be able to provide a better life for the family left back in Sri Lanka.”

But, she said, it was not the Government’s place to take that option away. “They need to give people options, and if it means attaching some conditions to the option so that it is lucrative to the Government, so be it.” A lot of Sri Lankans had fled the country because of the war. This woman said it was now unfair to deprive them of their property rights. “The war meant that there was no light at the end of the tunnel for so many,” she explained. “Their objective was to get out, not to liquidate assets. Now, post-war, the Government has changed policies and left a large population unable to sort out their property matters. It is not right for the Government to extort victims of a war-torn economy, post-war.”

A Sri Lankan origin Tamil living in Australia said she had once been interested in getting dual citizenship but was “quite turned off by it all now, if they are going to make this process so unnecessarily difficult”. “For me, it’s not so much about the handing over of property or investing,” she explained. “It’s purely so I have the option of returning to take care of my parents should the need arise. I have thought about coming back to Sri Lanka and working for a few years, being close to family. Now that seems like a distant dream.” Another woman recently moved back to Sri Lanka with her husband and two children. All are of Sri Lankan origin but now hold British passports. “We have to apply for visas every year,” she said. “My husband’s company gives him a work visa but I have to apply under the ex-Sri Lankan category. And under this category, I cannot work or even volunteer. Very sad.”

The suspension of dual citizenship has also affected investment. A senior corporate sector lawyer said he had clients who wanted to return and invest here but cannot.  It would seem that Immigration and Emigration Department officials would be happiest to see dual citizenship back. According to what they have told some of the sources interviewed here, they get yelled at “by angry, upset, people”. And others in the public sector also get no end of inquiries.

Source:http://www.sundaytimes.lk/140330/news/govt-slow-in-resuming-dual-citizenship-90931.html

Wigneswaran wants dual nationality for diaspora

Northern province Chief Minister C.V.Wigneswaran stressed the need to give 'dual nationality' to members of the diaspora so that they could return to Sri Lanka and participate in post-war rebuilding work.

He made this request on Thursday while addressing the National Conference on Post-war Socio-Economic Development of the Northern and Eastern Provinces.
While being cautious about possible implications of such a move, Mr. Wigneswaran highlighted the importance of a transparent screening process to address any security concerns in such an eventuality.

“The diaspora is a competitive resource we need to capitalise on. They have the technical knowhow and the resources to contribute towards postwar rebuilding. They have the socio-cultural links with their motherland and also genuine interest, which are important ingredients to foster the transfer of knowledge and technical know-how. The government does not have the financial resources and professional technical input or knowledge capital to contribute towards an effective post-war recovery process. We need to adopt strategies that would facilitate the participation of the diaspora and lead to a ‘brain gain’ situation. However, for diaspora professionals to come over and participate in the post-war recovery processes we need to have pragmatic, meaningful structures and modalities in place to ensure their security, safety, motivation and participation. How can we encourage the return of diaspora members when we take steps to prohibit dual nationality (except in the case of a privileged few),” he asked.

However, Mr. Wigneswaran hailed President Mahinda Rajapaksa for having accommodated his request to facilitate the early disbursement of donor money from those living abroad.

“On a positive note, during my recent discussions with the President, in the presence of his Secretary, the Treasury Secretary and the Cabinet Secretary, we discussed the mutual benefits that could be reaped by the Central Government and the Northern Provincial Council by allowing a smooth flow of funds from our brethren abroad, through State organs. One of the difficulties faced by us is the delay in donor monies reaching us. Since valuable foreign currency can flow into the coffers of the State, I said it must ensure the speedy delivery of equivalent local currency to the periphery. The President and his advisors were seemingly very accommodative saying that so long as the donations are approved in advance by the State the passage of the finances to their ultimate destination will be unhindered. This is a positive move and I remain hopeful that we could progress on this front,” he said.Mr. Wigneswaran said a comprehensive needs-assessment of all the sectors was required when dealing with post-war challenges. (Kelum Bandara)

Source:http://www.dailymirror.lk/news/43148-wigneswaran-wants-dual-nationality-for-diaspora.html

Immigration Department data shows number of work visas in Australia continue to climb

THE number of visitors to Australia with work rights continues to soar, despite the nation's worsening job outlook.

New Immigration Department data show that the number of New Zealanders on special visas has risen to 625,000 while there has been a 10 per cent jump in young foreigners on working holidays to almost 180,000, as of December 31 last year.

With the nation's unemployment rate climbing towards 6 per cent, there was a 7.6 per cent spike in numbers for the controversial 457 skilled visa to 170,000.

Student visa numbers rose by 6.4 per cent to 257,000 while there was a 6 per cent jump in the total number of temporary entrants in Australia to 1.82 million, according to the report Temporary Entrants and New Zealand Citizens in Australia.

It revealed that the working holiday program was dominated by youth from the UK, Taiwan, South Korea, Germany and France.

The number one country for the 457 visa was the UK, followed by India, Ireland, Philippines and the US.

Victorian federal Labor MP Kelvin Thomson has criticised the open-ended migration of NZ citizens and aspects of skilled migration, claiming local jobs are under threat.

Mr Thomson recently formed the grassroots lobby group Victoria First, which wants immigration slashed to improve liveability and protect the environment.

Source:http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/immigration-department-data-shows-number-of-work-visas-in-australia-continue-to-climb/story-fni0fit3-1226816936526

Indian student dies in Maribyrnong immigration detention

The man who died in a Melbourne immigration detention centre was an Indian university student whose visa had been cancelled.

The 27-year-old hanged himself in his cell on Thursday night in the Maribyrnong Immigration Detention Centre after overstaying his visa, two independent sources said.

The Indian community responded by saying more care should have been taken of the young man's mental health through the detention centre's duty of care.

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''I would urge Minister Morrison to get the system to review their arrangements in this regards,'' said Yadu Singh, the president of the Indian Australian Association of NSW.

''We feel sad to know about the death of this young man,'' Dr Singh said. ''Our hearts go out to the parents and family members.

''It is well known when people go into a detention centre they are under massive stress.''

In recent years tensions between India and Australia have been inflamed by a series of attacks on Indian students in Melbourne, dating back to 2009.

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison confirmed the man was found unconscious by staff at the centre in Melbourne.

Victoria police said the death was not considered suspicious.

Mr Morrison said the government ''expresses its sympathy to the family and friends of the deceased man and will provide support to the police and other authorities as appropriate to assist with their investigations''.

But the department would not provide figures showing how many international students were detained in detention centres in Australia, and offshore centres including Manus Island and Nauru.

Mental health issues were among the most pressing concerns for people being kept in detention centres, refugee supporters warned.

According to documents obtained by Fairfax Media, the Australian government had to pay nearly $7 million for breaches of duty of care, including mental health claims, of asylum seekers held in detention centres since 1999.

Of the 150 claims lodged for negligence or breach of statutory duty, 102 were closed and had cost the government $6.92 million.

The average amount of money per payout was $45,520, the documents showed.

Louise Newman, a professor of developmental psychiatry at Monash University, said the environment of the detention centres, particularly in Nauru and Manus Island, fostered mental illnesses.

''It is highly predictable,'' Professor Newman said. ''We are setting up the circumstances [that will] lead to an increase in disorders, depression and suicide.''

Human rights lawyer Greg Barns said detention was ''inherently stressful'' and asked if the signs for mental strain were being picked up by centre staff. ''The environment itself is creating the illness,'' he said.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/indian-student-dies-in-maribyrnong-immigration-detention-20140214-32qcd.html#ixzz2tdb7Rkuh

Legal Draftsman dilly dallies over new dual citizenship laws

Sri Lanka’s much awaited new dual citizenship scheme has been held up at the Legal Draftsman’s office for the past one year adversely affecting the Immigration and Emigration office processing applications from expatriates seeking dual citizenship.

Immigration and Emigration Controller Chulananda Perera said they were awaiting approval from the Legal Draftsman’s office from the middle of last year to go ahead with the dual citizenship scheme.

“We need to amend Section 14 of the Immigration Act to accommodate the changes in the new procedure,” he said adding that the Legal Draftsman is yet to put together the draft Amendment for approval.

Following the dawn of peace in the country, the Sri Lankan expatriate community is eagerly waiting to obtain dual citizenship to become partners in the country’s development and make any contribution within their reach but the delay in implementing the new procedure has dampened their enthusiasm.

The draft law had been referred to the Attorney General for his perusal and fine-tuning and was returned within one month to the Immigration office with adjustments to be sent to the Legal Draftsman.

A Sri Lankan holding citizenship of another country will be granted permanent residency for five years before he becomes eligible for dual citizenship under the new scheme.

Details need to be submitted on how he or she obtained the citizenship of the other country and the intention to seek dual citizenship in Sri Lanka to process his application.

The issue of dual citizenship has been suspended since early 2011, in view of the new measures to be adopted to streamline this facility which is misused by some expatriates.

source:http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2013/10/20/new02.asp