The UK has proposed a plan to introduce travel visas for citizens from 11 different countries worldwide when travelling to Britain. This however could, in turn, hurt UK tourists, believe www.globalvisas.com.

Due to rising illegal immigration figures and fears around border security, tourists and business people from countries like South Africa, Malaysia and Mauritius may have to abide by visa restrictions in the UK. And this could result in reciprocal visa restrictions.

With visa restrictions such as this in place, it would be surprising if these eleven countries don’t retaliate by imposing their own visa constraints on UK citizens. And why not, these laws are ultimately labelling citizens untrustworthy and a threat.

The British government can impose such restrictions but they cannot expect such measures not to affect them too. Besides, it is silly to impose such rules on countries where citizens make up a high proportion of visitors and therefore greatly contribute to the country’s economics via tourism and business.

Many different people will be affected by such changes in the UK and in the 11 designated countries. This visa scheme will affect the tourist itself by raising costs and adding inconvenience. Tour operators and agents would have to change their strategy and this will also add more paperwork to their current load.

Countries like South Africa are extremely popular tourist destinations, particularly for Brits who come for holiday or to visit family. This will be seriously impacted if citizens of the UK need a visa to visit.

Implementing visas for these countries, which are seen as risky, is ultimately a double edged sword. On the one hand visitors who contribute to the UK economy would be affected and turned off and the opportunities for British travellers would be hampered.

A final decision as to if necessary visas will be introduced in certain countries will take place early next year. (TB)

In a day and age of global mobility it seems that the concept of free travel is far from evident. Recently news from the Moscow Times has shown that visa controversy has once again halted controversial groups, this time Mormons.

The story explains that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints have announced that due to the stringent visa laws it will no longer be able to send North American Missionaries to Russia.

A new visa regime signed into law by then-Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov in October states that holders of humanitarian visas are allowed to remain in the country for no longer than 180 days in one calendar year, and for stretches of no longer than 90 days at a time.

While missionaries could previously renew their visas in neighbouring countries, they must now return to their country of origin, greatly increasing costs.

The controversy has further meant that future missions will be halted and instead assignments to Russia will be limited to those nationalities not needing visas.

The so-called Mormon Church has strong ties with Russia and at present it yearly sends an average of 19,000 members and eight permanent missions.

The debate which has emerged from this topical story however is one of preference. Should Mormons or any other religious group be exempt from visa restrictions and if so can an argument therefore be made for sportsmen, actors or musicians?

Sydney’s World Youth Day celebrations have been marred by the disappearance of 39 Indians who used the events as a scam to gain entrance through tourist visas.

Two hundred and twenty Indians travelled to New Zealand en route to the Australian religious pilgrimage, however just 181 left Auckland, New Zealand. This has sparked a man hunt in New Zealand for these potential illegal immigrants.

Of those men who have been contacted almost all have admitted their plans to remain in New Zealand. This has sparked fears at the number of those already in Australia who have the same idea.

However these missing men claim that they were promised New Zealand residency and were shocked to find they had received short-term visas, despite this they have no plans to leave.

No matter what the truth, it is a shame that such religious events have been affected by immigration and the rise of global illegal immigration.

“It appears World Youth Day has been used as an excuse and that is really quite alarming,” said New Zealand’s Catholic Church spokesperson, Lyndsay Freer.

And there is nothing that can really be done at the moment to those who did not attend the events as they have been granted entry for three months and are legal until this time period is up.

It seems that such scams are increasing in number; this hampers such get-togethers and puts the future of events like this in jeopardy.

Australia has strict visitor visa criteria that can be viewed on www.globalvisas.com, however with such events it is difficult to determine who is a genuine visitor for purposes of the event and who is using this as an illegal route to immigration.

The question is, how can they continue to hold World Youth Day or similar such events, when a minority continuously dupe the system? It is a sad reality but a valid fear.

Skilled migrants have become an integral part of guaranteeing that Australia remains a competitive economic destination. Therefore industries throughout the country are welcoming immigrants with open arms.

The latest sector to voice the essential need for skilled workers from overseas is the mining industry in the Northern Territory province. This area is booming at the moment due to uranium and gas deposits, as reported by ABC News.

And how do they attract these immigrants? The Northern Territory government is promising high salaries that are difficult to turn down.

“This industry needs to maintain its growth and success, therefore they need more workers coming to Australia under skilled visas or working holiday visas,” says Erin Ryan of www.globalvisas.com. Therefore not just the provincial but the national government are easing visa requirements through extensions and fast-track possibilities.

Currently 33 positions up for grabs from managers, supervisors to engineers. 

With global mobility becoming a developing trend it seems that it has fuelled an entire generation of so-called job-hoppers.

According to a report by CNN fewer numbers of youngsters are opting to settle with one employee and are instead moving around from job to job.

The report blames today’s mobile work force as the result of a rapidly changing economy.”In previous generations, a worker sometimes could land a job out of college and remain with the same company until retirement. Experts say that scenario is rare these days; most workers don’t spend more than 10 years with a company.”

The increased mobility comes as workers have had to adapt to a global, information-age economy. In this age companies as well as employees are not merely settling for local talent and are instead broadening their horizons to the global marketplace.

With many students opting to travel and work most end up in temporary jobs which are not skills assessed but are instead used as a convince pit stop before returning to follow careers.

Well, this is the theory in practice, however it could be argued that with so many people wanting to open their horizons and experience more of the worlds and its contrasting cultures the tradition of establishing a career at a single company and subsequently growing through the ranks.

Australia needs immigrants; these were the sentiments of the Australian government on Friday.

Not only do immigrants provide vital skills that are needed in sectors were shortages are rife but they also add to the cultural diversity of the country. This was the conclusion of Chris Evans, immigration minister, and other officials during a Ministerial Council on Immigration and Multicultural Affairs meeting in Perth.

Those attending this meeting therefore welcomed the expansion of visas, such as the Working Holiday visa as well as other temporary and permanent visas.

Australia has finally realised the crucial need for immigrants if Australia wants to continue booming, believes www.globalvisas.com. The success of the country is ultimately in the hands of immigrants who will come and work in the country in occupations where the countries low unemployment rates equal labour shortages.

The members of this meeting also concluded that settlement services need to be escalated as the Australian population swells through immigration. 

In further development to the previous post concerning the imminent 2008 Olympic Games and the issue of obtaining visas for both athletes and visitors it seems that the UK has stepped up with new visas to prevent such actions happening prior to 2012.

It seems that the UK, whom have won the honour of hosting the 2012 Olympic Games in London are taking learnings from the problems which China and Beijing in particular are experiencing.

In what appears to be an effort of preparation for the event the UK has announced potential plans to issue new short-term, low-cost visas for group travel and one-off special events.

According to a report in the Guardian Newspaper, the new system will include separate visas for sports people and entertainers and a clear and distinct visa category for business visitors.

Although not publicly deemed as being in aid of the Games, there is no doubt that such plans would ease any potential problems in getting visas for essential individuals.

The UK has officially said that they have been improving the short-term visa system to make the UK more attractive to business and tourism, while deterring those seeking to break the rule.

Under the new rules, sports people and support staff coming for specific events or joining UK amateur teams will be eligible to visit the UK for up to six months.

Speaking about the changes proposed by the UK Border and Immigration Agency, Minister for Sports Gerry Sutcliffe said “If we are going to make the UK the world’s best cultural and sporting nation by 2012, then we need to make sure that talented sportspeople and entertainers from all over the world come here to take part in the many sporting events, festivals, and shows we have on offer.” (CN)

With the Olympic Games in Beijing rapidly approaching and China announcing tightened visa restrictions as well as rising prices, it seems many travelers, gap year students and sports enthusiasts alike are finding difficulties in getting into the country.

Four years ago when Beijing was announced as the host for the 2008 Olympic Games many worldly sports fans began planning their trips. In the same way that amateur athletes began their strict training regimes. However with time ticking and the Games arrival becoming ever more imminent much controversy has arisen regarding the cost of visas and the accessibility of them.

This week the Chinese Embassy in the UK more than doubled the cost of a tourist visa - a move that will hit Brits planning to head out there for the Beijing Olympics for sure. Under the new fees a family of four heading to the event will now face costs of around £400 in order to obtain their visas.

So why such a price hike?  is the question which many are asking. The official line remains with the news of the Chinese Embassy outsourcing some of the administrative work associated with issuing visas.

Angry visitors whom have been hit by this rise debate whether or not the work even needs to be outsourced or if it does many argue that surely the Chinese embassy should have been able to pre-estimate this need and the costs in advance.

In contrasts many Chinese locals and officials support the increases and see it as a necessary movement in order to get all visas processed in time and the games opening without any problems.

There is also a thought by some that the prices are fair especially when Chinese citizens are forced to pay similar fees when coming to Britain.

Either way, it seems that this year’s games have prompted many a newspaper headline in the years preceding the event. Let’s just hope that as soon as the opening ceremony is underway, the hype surrounding such issues can be forgotten and the games can instead be remembered for exceptional sporting achievements.

Australian travellers are opting for more environmentally friendly travel; this is according to research conducted by Contiki Holidays.

The world is becoming “greener”, with initiatives to become more environmentally conscious springing up all over the place. This has even filtered into the tourism industry.

Young Australians seem to be setting the standard as they realise the effects their travels can have on the environment. “The world is filled with young Australian tourists,” says Erin Ryan of www.globalvisas.com. She adds that this study shows that, “not only does their tourism benefit a country economically but they now aim to help the environment at the same time.”

According to the survey 54% of young Aussie travellers expressed a want to travel using carbon-neutral options.

These include the use of recycling bins while travelling, couch touring which is less pollutant, requesting that towels are not washed daily and travelling in tourist buses that use fish and chip oil to run. This however is only achievable by changes and developments within the tourism industry, whereby more carbon friendly practices are incorporated.

Despite the want to travel “green”, it must be noted that only 9% of those interviewed travel according to these standards. (TB)

Tourism Australia is working on an international marketing campaign to coincide with the release later this year of epic film ‘Australia’, set in the outback and starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, the film hopes to increase the countries visitor numbers as well as raise the profile of less documented areas.

Australia, which has a budget of £63m, is expected to draw a phenomenally large audience. Talking about the films imminent release the Australian tourism minister, said “the film would bring to life little-known aspects of Australia’s extraordinary natural environment, history and indigenous culture”.

The period film takes place during the bombing of Darwin in the Northern Territory and like many of its Australian predecessors, such as Crocodile Dundee it is hoped that the film will act as an exceptional opportunity for positive promotion.

Australia is already seeing a current influx in immigration particularly from the UK and with this forthcoming film being another masterpiece of the Moulin Rouge director and Aussie prodigy Baz Luhrman, surely interest from all over the world will be huge. (CN)