Immigration News: US to allow tourist/business visa holders to apply for jobs
Under the new rule, laid-off immigrants with H1-B visa can change their status to B1/B2 (business/tourist) visa within the initial 60-day allowed period, and continue to look for a job. (Representational photo of a US tourist visa issued in 2014. Photo by Alvaro Molinas via Wikimedia Commons)
US to allow tourist/business visa holders to apply for jobs: In a huge shift from its long-term stance of not allowing internationals on B1/B2 visa to seek or pursue employment, the US will now allow B1/B2 visa holders to apply for jobs and appear for interviews.
The B1 visa and B2 visa are temporary, non-immigrant visas that allow the holder to travel to the United States for either business or tourism purposes. The B1 visa covers business trips, while the B2 visa covers tourism, such as vacations or visiting family.
The move comes in the midst of huge layoffs in the US that have affected numerous Indians who live/work in the US on H1-B (work) visa. Under the current rules, laid-off immigrants get 60 days to stay in the country. If they do not find another job or change their visa status, they have to leave the country after 60 days. Usually, there is no grace period after that. However, under the new rule, laid-off immigrants can change their status to B1/B2 within the initial 60-day allowed period. With a B1/B2 visa in hand, they can legally stay in the country for another 60 days during which they can apply for jobs and appear for job interviews.
It is important to note that if the change-of-status request is denied, the individual must leave the US and be admitted in an employment-authorized classification before beginning the new employment.
Also, if the worker takes no action within the 60-day period, they have to leave the US within 60 days.
“Many people have asked if they can look for a new job while in B1 or B2 status. The answer is, yes. Searching for employment and interviewing for a position are permissible B1 or B2 activities,” US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), said in a press release.
Changes to German Skilled Immigration Act approved: The German government has approved the proposed changes to the Skilled Immigration Act in order to bring more foreign workers to the country to tackle the acute shortage of skilled workers in various sectors.
In 2022, there were 1.98 million open vacancies in Germany, the highest ever, many of which remained unfilled due to a lack of workers in specific sectors.
The latest amendments include:
- Qualification:The salary threshold will be reduced, the length of professional experience will be shortened, and proof of German knowledge will no longer be mandatory.
- Experience:Recognition of degree will no longer be essential before arrival. However, the due diligence has to be done after arrival.
- Potential:Those who could not find a job in Germany from their home country, can now obtain an Opportunity Card to move to Germany for a year and remain there while searching for a job. This Card will be granted according to a points-based system that will include criteria like knowledge of German and English, professional experience, connection to Germany, age, etc.
India in the Top 5 migrant-arrivals in Australia: The number of migrant arrivals into Australia (2021-22) jumped 171 percent – up from 146,000 the year before to 395,000, with India included in the top five countries of birth for migrant arrivals. India and China experienced very large increases for the year, with India reaching just under 60,000 arrivals and China over 44,000 arrivals. Nepal and the Philippines both increased on the previous year and have now re-entered the top 5 countries, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics report.
Analysis of these five countries of birth in the decade prior to the pandemic, shows that migrant arrivals had increased for Indian-born migrants – driven by international students (mainly for the higher education sector).
Collectively, migrant arrivals for all temporary visa holders increased seven-fold on the previous year, migrant arrivals for all permanent visa holders increased by 84 percent, migrant arrivals for international students, after having almost stopped during 2020-21, saw an increase of 135,500 people, while arrivals for working holiday makers increased by more than 12-fold from the previous year.
Egypt to offer 5-year valid visa for $700 fee: In a first of its kind, Egypt has announced that it will offer a five-year visa for a fee of $700 while a single-entry 30-day visa on arrival can now be obtained by more than 180 nationalities for $25. Among the handful of nationalities that have been added to the visa on arrival list are Indians and Chinese.
Visa on arrival is granted to tourists only if they have a visa on their passports for the UK, US, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, or Schengen countries.
It is the first time that Egypt has offered visas valid for multiple years, a step being taken to boost the country’s crippled tourism economy.
The country is targeting 30 million tourists a year by 2028 and needs to grow at a rate of more than 25% per year to reach the goals.
Denmark sees 73 percent increase in workers from India: In 2022, Indians accounted for the largest increase in the number of immigrants with a work permit to Denmark. Around 31,600 foreigners immigrated to the country for work purposes in 2022, with Indians marking a 73 percent increase with 2,800 arrivals.
According to Statistics Denmark, the country’s official statistical website, the number of foreigners who decided to immigrate to Denmark for work purposes in 2022 increased 24 percent as compared to the previous year and the highest number since 1997.
As of January 1, 2023, around 176,300 foreigners in Denmark had a residence permit to work – an 18 percent increase compared to 10 years ago.
Source: Money Control
