Immigration tightens permit rules for foreign workers Edu Punay (The Philippine Star) - May 2, 2019 - 12:00am MANILA, Philippines — The government has tightened its rules on the issuance of permits to foreign nationals working in the country, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said yesterday. BI Commissioner Jaime Morente announced this after the signing of the agreement on joint guidelines for issuance of work and employment permits to foreign nationals by the BI, Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR). This shift in policy was implemented following concerns over the rising number of foreign nationals working in the country due to emerging industries such as the online gaming industry. “Issues and challenges only appear now. This has never been a problem in the past because of the relatively smaller number of foreign nationals working in the … [Read more...] about Immigration tightens permit rules for foreign workers
Immigration
Tighter rules for foreign workers ready, Immigration says
Tighter rules for foreign workers ready, Immigration says (Philstar.com) - May 1, 2019 - 2:13pm MANILA, Philippines — The government will tighten rules on issuing work permits for foreigners, the Bureau of Immigration announced Wednesday, saying this is "to ensure that jobs that can be done by Filipinos will not be given to foreigners." Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said in a BI press release that the bureau, the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the Department of Labor and Employment and the Department of Justice have signed joint guidelines on the issuance of work and employment permits to foreign nationals. "We saw a rise in the number of foreign nationals in the previous years due to emerging industries such as the online gaming industry," Morente said, referring to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators, where 138,001 foreign nationals are employed based on DOLE and BI data. "Issues and challenges only appear now. … [Read more...] about Tighter rules for foreign workers ready, Immigration says
Canadian immigration officials cut ‘legacy’ refugee backlog as new one grows
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By Teresa Wright The Canadian Press Tues., April 30, 2019 OTTAWA—A backlog of “legacy” refugee claims filed by applicants who have been waiting over seven years to find out if they can remain in Canada will soon be cleared, as Ottawa now turns its attention to an even bigger backlog of fresh asylum claims. The old list of stagnating cases one point stood at 32,000 claims and Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen was eager to shine a spotlight this week on his government’s successful efforts at cutting it to almost nothing. The people whose cases have been on that list came to Canada seeking refugee protection prior to December 2012. That’s when the Conservatives, then in power, established new 60-day deadlines for refugee hearings. That left the 32,000 cases already in the system to be bumped to lower priority for scheduled hearings because they were already late. Thanks to the efforts of a special task force struck to deal specifically with … [Read more...] about Canadian immigration officials cut ‘legacy’ refugee backlog as new one grows
Chaos at hawker complex as foreign workers try to evade immigration officers
GEORGE TOWN: The situation at a bustling hawker complex here turned chaotic last night as foreign workers ran helter-skelter when they sensed the presence of enforcement officers from the Penang Immigration Department. But it was to no avail as the officers had already cordoned off the area around the complex in Solok Sungai Pinang. State Immigration Department Enforcement chief Kholijah Mohamad said that 60 officers took part in the operation, which began at 9pm, and they inspected 15 stalls in the complex. “Of the 50 foreign workers there, 34 were arrested for various offences under the Immigration Regulations and Immigration Act. Among the offences were for not having travel documents and work permits as well as for misusing their social visit passes,” she said here today. Those arrested, aged between 20 and 40, included 19 Bangladeshi men; nine Myanmarese, including five women; two Indonesian women; two Syrian men; as well as a Vietnamese and Nepalese men. Kholijah said … [Read more...] about Chaos at hawker complex as foreign workers try to evade immigration officers
Meet the Singaporean immigrants taking a bite out of the Big Apple
How far would you travel for crabs slathered in black pepper and spicy sauce, an experience that requires more napkins than you have hands, and is likely to blemish your clothes? If the crowds flocking to Yummy Tummy in Queens, New York City - despite no subway access - are any indication, people are happy to go the extra mile for one of Singapore's most loved dishes. Long lines form outside the restaurant, especially on the evenings and weekends. Patrons come from all over New York and beyond, lured by the appetising smells of curry leaves, black pepper and chilli. Novelty may be one of the reasons for Yummy Tummy's popularity. Despite Singapore's reputation as a food paradise, its cuisine has not yet developed a profile in the United States. There are plenty of Southeast Asian flavours in the melting pot of New York, but Singaporean eateries are few and far between. For many years, Malaysian eateries like Kopitiam, Rasa, and the Nyonya chain were the closest thing New Yorkers had to … [Read more...] about Meet the Singaporean immigrants taking a bite out of the Big Apple