“A noteworthy change is the definition of UBC’s. It now means “any document or or birth record issued by the relevant authority reflecting the full names and surnames, the date of birth of the child and the names and surnames of the parents of such child.” – TWNNEWS.
Is the the end of the fight, yet?
Read more here: http://www.etnw.co.za/tnweditions/Issue-2418-5October2016/page11.html
For those that need assistance with your Indian visas, please contact VISALOGIX, and we’ll get it done on your behalf.
AS FROM 01 OCTOBER, ALL VISAS ARE TO BE APPLIED FOR THROUGH VFS INDIA.
VFS Global Johannesburg :
2nd Floor, Harrow Court 1
Isle of Houghton Office Park
Boundary Road
Park Town, Johannesburg
VFS Global Durban:
Cowey Park, Essenwood, Office 401, 4th Floor
91-123 Cowey Road, Essenwood
Durban
VFS Global Cape Town
1st Floor, 47 Strand Street
Cape Town
VFS Office hours : Submissions Mon-Fri 0800-1600 (except public holidays)
Collections Mon-Fri 1100-1700 (except public holidays)
Tel: (012) 425 3007
E-mail: info.inza@vfshelpline.com
Web: http://www.vfsglobal.com/india/southafrica/
Contact VISALOGIX FOR FURTHER ASSISTANCE – NEW RULES EFFECTIVE 8 JUNE 2016
From Wednesday 8 June 2016, the current visa application lodgement process for applicants in South Africa applying for visas to Australia will change. All applicants, regardless of nationality, who are in South Africa at the time of making a visa application to enter Australia will be required to provide their biometrics along with their application, unless otherwise excluded or exempted from doing so under Australian Government policy. Those applicants exempted are detailed further below.
Biometric data is collected through a quick, discreet and a non-intrusive process that captures a facial image using a digital camera and a 10-digit fingerprint scan on a dry scanner machine. This process will be familiar to applicants who have travelled to other countries requiring biometric data collection. Australian visa applicants will need to attend in person any one of the four (4) Australian Visa Application Centres (AVACs) to provide their biometrics. These AVACs managed by the Australian Government’s Service Deliver Partner TLScontact, are located in Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg and Pretoria.
Applicants will still be able to lodge their visa application through any one of the AVACs located across South Africa, where they will also be able to provide biometrics at the same time. Alternatively, visa applicants who send their application by mail or lodge online will be sent a letter requiring them to attend an AVAC to provide their biometrics. Applicants will need to take this letter with them to an AVAC when providing biometrics so the AVAC is able to match their application with the biometrics collected.
Some applicants may be fully or partially exempt from providing biometrics under Australian Government policy. Applicants fully exempt from providing biometrics include diplomatic representatives and their dependants, and government officials acting as a representative of a foreign government. Applicants who may be partially exempt from biometric collection include minors less than 5 years old (photo only required) and mentally or physically incapable persons (photo only required).
Currently, Australia is collecting biometric data from visa applicants in 33 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Pacific, the Middle East and the Americas and will continue to expand globally in the future. The collecting of biometrics from visa applicants will improve visa integrity, reduce identity fraud and improve security and safety for travellers and the Australian community.
We would appreciate your assistance in helping promote this new requirement for applicants seeking a visa to Australia. Should there be any questions from your clients, please direct them to Australian High Commission Pretoria.
Kind Regards
Department of Immigration and Border Protection
Australian High Commission
Pretoria, South Africa
Windhoek — The Namibian Cabinet last week resolved to abolish all visa requirements into the country for all African holders of diplomatic or official passports, the presidency announced.
This is contrary to an erroneous initial article by New Era on Friday in which an impression was created that all Africans coming to Namibia would not be subjected to visa requirements. The newspaper regrets the error and unreservedly apologises for any inconvenience the report may have caused.
Technology can play a key role in improving and reinforcing external borders. Over the past years, the EU has been developing large-scale IT systems for collecting, processing and sharing information relevant to external border management. The Visa Information System, which supports the implementation of the common EU visa policy, is one of these tools.
The Visa Information System (VIS) allows Schengen States to exchange visa data. It consists of a central IT system and of a communication infrastructure that links this central system to national systems. VIS connects consulates in non-EU countries and all external border crossing points of Schengen States. It processes data and decisions relating to applications for short-stay visas to visit, or to transit through, the Schengen Area. The system can perform biometric matching, primarily of fingerprints, for identification and verification purposes.
Facilitating checks and the issuance of visas: VIS enables border guards to verify that a person presenting a visa is its rightful holder and to identify persons found on the Schengen territory with no or fraudulent documents. Using biometric data to confirm a visa holder’s identity allows for faster, more accurate and more secure checks. The system also facilitates the visa issuance process, particularly for frequent travellers.
Fighting abuses: While the very large majority of visa holders follow the rules, abuses can also take place. For instance, VIS will help in fighting and preventing fraudulent behaviours, such as “visa shopping” (i.e. the practice of making further visa applications to other EU States when a first application has been rejected).
Protecting travellers: Biometric technology enables the detection of travellers using another person’s travel documents and protects travellers from identity theft.
Helping with asylum applications: VIS makes it easier to determine which EU State is responsible for examining an asylum application and to examine such applications.
Enhancing security: VIS assists in preventing, detecting and investigating terrorist offences and other serious criminal offences.
10 fingerprints and a digital photograph are collected from persons applying for a visa. These biometric data, along with data provided in the visa application form, are recorded in a secure central database.
10-digit finger scans are not required from children under the age of 12 or from people who physically cannot provide finger scans. Frequent travellers to the Schengen Area do not have to give new finger scans every time they apply for a new visa. Once finger scans are stored in VIS, they can be re-used for further visa applications over a 5-year period.
At the Schengen Area’s external borders, the visa holder’s finger scans may be compared against those held in the database. A mismatch does not mean that entry will automatically be refused – it will merely lead to further checks on the traveller’s identity.
As a Schengen instrument, VIS applies to all Schengen States (Denmark has decided to implement it). The EU Agency for large-scale IT systems, euLISA , is responsible for the operational management of VIS.
Competent visa authorities may consult the VIS for the purpose of examining applications and decisions related thereto.
The authorities responsible for carrying out checks at external borders and within the national territories have access to search the VIS for the purpose of verifying the identity of the person, the authenticity of the visa or whether the person meets the requirements for entering, staying in or residing within the national territories.
Asylum authorities only have access to search the VIS for the purpose of determining the EU State responsible for the examination of an asylum application.
In specific cases, national authorities and Europol may request access to data entered into the VIS for the purposes of preventing, detecting and investigating terrorist and criminal offences.
Access to VIS data is limited to authorised staff in the performance of their tasks. They must ensure that the use of VIS data is limited to that which is necessary, appropriate and proportionate for carrying out their tasks.
Data is kept in the VIS for five years. This retention period starts from the expiry date of the issued visa, the date a negative decision is taken or the date a decision to modify an issued visa is taken. Any person has the right to be informed about his/her data in the VIS. Any person may request that inaccurate data about him/her is corrected and unlawfully recorded data is deleted.
Each EU State must require a National Supervisory Authority to monitor the lawfulness of the processing of personal data by that country. The European Data Protection Supervisor will monitor the activities at European level.
Closure dates for Consular offices: UK, Ghana, India & Nigeria
India : 21st May 2016
Ghana : 25th May 2016
Nigeria : 29th May 2016
United Kingdom : 29th May 2016
The U.S. Consulate wishes to remind all nationals who are able to travel to the United States via the Visa Waiver Program that as of 01 April 2016, to the U.S. via the Visa Waiver Program that as of 01 April 2016, they must have a valid electronic passport. This rule applies even to those who possess a valid Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). The U.S. Consulate strongly recommends that all travelers check to ensure their passports are valid electronic passports before they make arrangements to travel to the United States on the Visa Waiver Program.
You can check if your passport is valid for travel under the VWP by carefully reading the following page:
https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/visit/visa-waiver-program.html.
Any traveler who does not have a valid electronic passport is still eligible to travel to the United States with a valid nonimmigrant visa issued by a U.S. embassy or consulate. Such travelers will be required to appear for an interview and obtain a visa in their passports at a U.S. embassy or consulate before traveling to the United States. Information on visa applications can be found at:
http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en.html.
Dubai will not be issuing visas on the 5th, 6th and 7th of May 2016 due to public holidays
EU expansion: Which countries are waiting to JOIN?
As Brexit campaigners battle for Britain to leave the EU, here is a look at the countries that are waiting to join.
Who will join the EU next? Vote Leave research shows Britain has to pay £1.8bn to help expand the EU
Which countries are waiting to join the EU?
Turkey and the Balkan states of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania are now waiting in line to join the EU.
The EU has now promised to “re-energise” Turkey’s bid to join in return for helping to deal with the ongoing migrant crisis.
Turkey, which has 75 million citizens, first applied to join what was then the European Economic Community back in 1987.
The European Commission will back visa-free travel for Turkish citizens inside Europe’s passport-free Schengen area, sources have told the BBC.
Visa liberalisation was offered in return for Turkey taking back migrants who crossed the Aegean Sea to Greece.
But Turkey must still meet EU criteria, and the visa deal needs approval by the European Parliament and member states.
The EU fears that without this deal, Turkey will not control migration.
The waiver would scrap the requirement for Turks to get a three-month, short-stay Schengen visa, for tourism or business trips. But it will not grant Turks the right to get a job in Europe.
The UK, Ireland and Cyprus are not in Schengen, so they will keep the visa requirement for Turkey.
Turkey has threatened to stop taking back migrants from Greece if the EU fails to deliver on visa liberalisation.
A long-running dispute with Cyprus is a major stumbling block in Turkey’s bid to join the EU, not least because Ankara does not recognise the Republic of Cyprus, an EU member.
Turkish-controlled northern Cyprus does not have international recognition.
But a Turkish official, quoted by Reuters news agency, said a visa deal with the EU would also mean Turkey scrapping its visa requirement for Greek Cypriots.
The large influx of migrants and refugees arriving in Europe from Turkey, and from North Africa, has caused a political crisis among EU states.
