Jun 07 St. Kitts regains Visa Free travel to Canada!
Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, visited Winnipeg today for an announcement regarding visa-free travel.
Passport holders from 13 countries will now be able to travel to Canada by air without requiring a Temporary Residence Visa. However, this applies only to travellers from these countries who have either held a Canadian visa in the last 10 years or who currently hold a valid United States non-immigrant visa.
Eligible travellers include passport holders from:
- Philippines
- Morocco
- Panama
- Antigua and Barbuda
- St Kitts and Nevis
- St Lucia
- St Vincent and Grenadines
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Argentina
- Costa Rica
- Uruguay
- Seychelles
- Thailand
Fraser says Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has been working to make the pretravel screening process easier, faster, and more affordable. He says this decision will divert thousands of applications from Canada’s visa caseload, allowing IRCC to process visa applications more efficiently.
A similar pilot program was introduced in Brazil in 2017. The minister says that the program was successful in increasing visitors from Brazil by 40% and reducing the caseload in IRCC’s Sao Paulo office by 60%, freeing IRCC officers to work on more complex applications. Visa-free travel to Canada
There are more than 50 countries that can enter Canada without a visa, although most require an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) if they are arriving by air.
United States citizens do not require an eTA or a visa to enter Canada unless they are moving to Canada to work or study.
Nationals of countries that are not exempt from obtaining a visa, must apply for a Temporary Residence Visa (TRV), also known as a visitor visa.
A TRV allows an individual to visit Canada for a period of six months (although this may differ for some foreign nationals).
Arriving in Canada with a TRV does not give the holder permission to work or study in Canada and they may be asked to demonstrate that the purpose of their visit to Canada is only temporary (such as tourism or visiting family) at their port of entry.
IRCC is currently working through a backlog of TRV applications. The latest backlog data from IRCC shows that 50% of TRV applications are not being processed within service standards, which is 14 days.
Minister Fraser has said TRV applications were impacted by the recent strike by the Public Service Alliance of Canada. The 12-day strike lasted from April 19 until May 1 and Fraser told reporters that there were 100,000 applications not processed during that period that otherwise would have been. He also said that he expects IRCC will be able to catch up to pre-pandemic processing standards within the coming weeks, or a few months.
Source: https://www.cicnews.com/2023/06/breaking-canada-introducing-visa-free-travel-to-13-countries-0635331.html#gs.0ix7zk
Dec 23 UAE residents pay Dh1.4m for a Caribbean passport
Hundreds of UAE residents are investing up to Dh1.4 million in Caribbean island states in return for citizenship.
The expatriate businessmen from countries such as Syria and Iran are becoming citizens of Dominica and St Kitts and Nevis to overcome restrictions imposed on their home countries.
Citizens of those islands are exempt from visa requirements in as many as 140 countries.
"Caribbean islands have a history of offering their citizenship against donations in government welfare funds," said Imran Farooq, chief executive of Premiers, a consultancy in Dubai that handles about 150 applications a year to St Kitts and Nevis.
"More people are taking citizenships in the Caribbean so if their country is under sanction, they can have options. Once they see the value that they can travel freely to various parts of the world, most of these are legitimate businessmen, they take up this option.
"St Kitts and Nevis has been very popular among Iranians, Russians, Pakistanis, Egyptians, Jordanians and Syrians." In this region, 65 per cent of applicants are Iranians, Mr Farooq said.
Only those who live outside Iran are eligible. St Kitts and Nevis suspended its programme for Iranians living in Iran last year.
A single applicant for St Kitts and Nevis will have to invest $250,000, or nearly Dh1m, in the country's Sugar Industry Diversification Foundation.
Another option is the Citizenship by Investment Programme, which requires applicants to invest at least $400,000 in property.
The fees may increase depending on the size of the family and age of applicants. Costs for a family of four can reach $600,000.
In Dominica, a single applicant pays $140,000. Passports for a couple and two children under 18 cost at least $235,000. Additional fees are levied for background checks.
"If you are really getting a second passport, it is not a good sign," said Badie, 38, a Syrian businessman in Dubai who has applied for a Dominican passport.
"A year ago I would not have thought of doing this. I applied out of desperation. I have to travel extensively in the Gulf for my business.
"Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have banned Syrians from entering. I am afraid it could have a domino effect and other countries may also ban us. I want this for my business and as a matter of security."
Mr Badie hopes to have his new passport in six months, but will not live in Dominica.
Alex Woodley, consul general at he newly-opened St Kitts and Nevis consulate in Dubai, said: "Most of our applicants are not just citizens from displaced nations. They are not from one region or country. Participants are from many stable countries.
"There is a significant denial rate. St Kitts and Nevis has a stringent due diligence policy including engaging specialists to check the identity of applicants and make sure no applicant brings disrepute."
A Dubai property firm has sent text messages to residents promising citizenship in St Kitts and Nevis through investments.
"We provide them a vehicle for investment but it is the government who will sign off on whether they can accept it or not," said Munaf Ali, chief executive of Range Developments, developer of the Park Hyatt St Kitts and Nevis.
"We provide this to genuine people who have a good background and aren't involved in any criminal activities. We take an initial deposit of 10 per cent. Once the government approves their application, then we take the full amount. It takes three months from start to finish."
Mr Ali said the ease of visa access made St Kitts and Nevis attractive.
"A citizen wants to become global and have borderless travel. People are becoming richer and would like to travel more. They don`t like these barriers to entry. And businessmen would like to have the luxury to travel visa-free."
Source: http://www.duhur.com/uae-residents-pay-dh1-4m-for-a-caribbean-passport-preeti-kannan-the-national-uae/
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