President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he plans to offer a “gold card” visa with a path to citizenship for $5 million, replacing a 35-year-old visa for investors. “They’ll be wealthy and they’ll be successful, and they’ll be spending a lot of money and paying a lot of taxes and employing a lot of people,…
Canada tightens immigration rules Canada has announced new regulatory measures granting border and immigration officials broader authority to annul temporary resident documents, including study and work permits. Implemented by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), these amendments took effect on January 31, 2025, as documented in Canada Gazette II. The initiative seeks to reinforce border…
Canada has long been a preferred destination for higher education and employment, particularly for Indian students. However, in recent years, the country has experienced a significant rise in international student enrollments, placing considerable pressure on its education and immigration systems. In response, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has implemented stricter policies to manage student…
The Trump administration on Tuesday issued a waiver for lifesaving medicines and medical services, offering a reprieve for a worldwide H.I.V. treatment program that was halted last week. The waiver, announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, seemed to allow for the distribution of H.I.V. medications, but whether the waiver extended to preventive drugs or…
US President-elect Donald Trump’s supporters have targeted the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme, a critical pathway for international students, particularly Indians, aiming for H-1B visas, accusing it of “killing jobs for new American college graduates”. The OPT programme, which allows international students in the US to work temporarily after graduation and serves as a stepping…
Canada has long been a favored destination for Indian students seeking quality education and promising career opportunities abroad. The country’s welcoming immigration policies, diverse cultural landscape, and a well accepted Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) program have historically attracted a significant number of international students, particularly from India. However, 2024 witnessed a series of policy shifts…
NEW DELHI: Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday said that users of prepaid payment instruments (PPIs) can now make and receive Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions from and to full-KYC-compliant PPIs via third-party mobile applications, expanding the scope of digital payment services, as stated in their circular.“A PPI issuer shall enable holders of only…
US President-elect Donald Trump has pledged “fully expedited permits”, including environmental approvals, for companies that invest $1 billion in the country. Although he did not specify who would be eligible for the fast-tracked approvals, energy projects, including natural gas pipelines, export terminals, solar farms and offshore wind turbines, meet the billion-dollar criteria. In a post…