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Canada to return older visa forms

In a major announcement that's likely to

impact about 300,000 visa applicants, the

immigration department of Canada is

planning to return nearly all applications

submitted before 27 February 2008.

The proposed drastic measure will "create a

fast immigration system that creates jobs

and promotes Canada’s long term

prosperity. The move will eliminate the

backlog in the main federal economic

immigration programme.

“The Federal Skilled Worker Program

backlog is a major roadblock to Canada’s

ability to respond to rapidly changing labour

market needs,” said Citizenship,

Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister

Jason Kenney. “Having to process

applications that are as many as eight years

out of date reduces our ability to focus on

new applicants with skills and talents that

our economy needs today.”

As announced in Economic Action Plan

2012, Citizenship and Immigration Canada

(CIC) is planning to refund fees and return

stale applications.

CIC is transforming its suite of economic

immigration programs to create a just-in-

time system that recruits people with the

right skills to meet Canada’s labour market

needs, fast tracks their immigration, and

gets them working in a period of months,

not years, says an official statement.

"Eliminating the longstanding backlog of

Federal Skilled Workers (FSW) applications

will allow the Department to focus resources

on facilitating the arrival of skilled

immigrants who apply under the current

eligibility criteria," the statement said.

Under proposed legislation, CIC will close

the files of FSW applicants who applied

before February 27, 2008, and for whom an

immigration officer has not made a decision

based on selection criteria by 29 March

2012.

This is expected to affect around 280,000

applicants, including their dependants. CIC

will begin the process of returning the full

amount of fees paid to the Department -

projected to be C$130 million.

For those who have passed the selection

criteria stage – approximately 20,000

people – CIC will continue processing their

applications until they are approved for

entry into Canada or not.

"Over the last decade, the number of FSW

applications received has greatly exceeded

the space available within the Immigration

Levels Plan each year, resulting in long

processing times and an increasing

inventory," CIC said.

"Under the 2008 Action Plan for Faster

Immigration, CIC began to limit intake to

priority occupations. The Department added

caps to the number of new applications in

2010.

"As a result of these efforts, CIC has reduced

the pre-2008 backlog by more than 50

percent, and the overall FSW inventory by

over 25 percent.

"However, without further action, some

FSW applicants might have to wait until

2017 for a decision.

“It’s unreasonable to keep applicants

waiting for another five years,” said Minister

Kenney. “It’s also a far cry from the nimble

and responsive immigration system Canada

needs to remain a destination of choice.”

The decision has attracted criticism from

immigration consultants. "While it is a good

news that the old applicants don't have to

wait for a long period to know the outcome

of their applications, this problem should

have been addressed much sooner," said a

consultant, who did not wish to reveal their

name.

However, another consultant was more

critical. “These people have had the rug

pulled out from underneath them,”

Montreal-based lawyer David Chalk told

CBC News.

| VAIBHAV GANGAN |

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2345"3$(67("6)

India to record departing Indians

India is planning to set up an authority to

monitor the activities of Indians leaving the

country for overseas work.

India's minister for Overseas Indian

Affairs, Vayalar Ravi, plans to bring a

legislation in the next parliamentary session

to set up an authority to facilitate migration

of its citizens to other countries, and create a

comprehensive database of Indians working

abroad

Loosely titled the Emigration Authority, the

new unit will have details of its citizens

migrating to other countries for work and

other purposes.

Speaking with reporters in Dubai, the

minister also announced that the

government has approved the use of the

Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF)

for building cremation facilities and

community centres in

Sharjah, Ajman,

Umm Al Quwain, Abu

Dhabi and Al Ain.

A crematorium is

already being built in

Sharjah after Ruler of

Sharjah, Sheikh

Sultan bin

Mohammed Al

Qasimi, donated land

for that purpose,

India's PTI news

agency reported.

However, he described government's

funding a 'symbolic contribution'.

Ravi also urged Indians in the UAE to

register online for votes in large numbers

and said his ministry is working out details

of NRIs participating in the electoral

process.

The next Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, a

conference of overseas Indians, will be held

in Dubai on 12 and 13 October.

| VAIBHAV GANGAN |

www.currymantra.com

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Sleepy Canadian town gets relief for women

When you come to Banff - a small, frozen

town i the middle of 7000 sqkm Banff

National Park, tourism is the first thing on

your mind. It's a sleepy town of just 7500

people in Canada's western province of

Alberta, caterig to a heavy inflow of keen

skiers.

Domestic violence is not something a tourist

would naturally think of here. However, a

city with men is likely to be a city with some

family violence. Banff is no exception to the

behaviour of men. But it is certanly

indfferent in that it attracts many seasonal

workers from a range of nationalities; many

are non-Canadians.

While government-funded shelters welcome

victims of family violece, they often turn

away non-Canadians, as the service tries to

prioritise its limited resources resources of

its citizens. It costs as much as C$250 to

provide shelter to

one woman for

one night.

"Just imagine how

humiliating it

would be to arrive

at the

(government)

shelter and ... be

told you have to

go back to your

home where you're not safe," says Kathryn

Williams, the director of programmes and

community support for YWCA Banff, in a

local newspaper.

Not any more, thanks to a generous C

$25000 donation by Calgary Real Estatte

Board Charitable Foundation. Now, non-

Canadian women will have a shelter to go to,

in case they face family violence

It's a major relief not just for non-citizens,

but for most victims of home violence. The

government-funded facilities ironically turn

away victims if they have used the shelter

earlier. The government shelters are able to

accommodate women during their first visit

to the facility.

As statistics show, most women return tot

their abusive partners a few times before

gathering

courage to

leave them

for good.

The YWCA

shelter

offer the

much-

needed

shelter to

such

women, if

they have

been not accepted by the government

facilities, in atrocious weather conditions.

The location of this shelter is kept secret to

protect the women from their abusive

partners.

Such donattions are a God-send for the

victims of family violence.

About domestic violence in Canada

• Domestic violence is the single largest

women’s health issue in Canada with more

reported cases than heart attack and

stroke.

• One in four Canadians will be directly

affected by domestic violence in their

lifetime, and Alberta has the second

highest rates of domestic violence.

(Source: YWCA Canada)

| VAIBHAV GANGAN |

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Indian films at international festival

Most common form of migration is moving

to another country. Migration within a

country is less talked about, but throws

more questions. A documentary that looks

at the issues of internal migration has been

selected to feature in the the European

Independent Film Festival that begins in

Paris next week.

'Dilli' is one of the two Indian films to

feature in the festival among a selection of

101 films from 33 countries on from 30

March to 1 April.

Produced by Rintu Thomas and Sushmit

Ghosh, Dilli attempts to reveal the issues of

slum dwellers in India's capital city. It is a

moving collection of interviews with Delhi

slum dwellers, says Sarah, a festival

organiser.

"Its lens focuses on a group of dwellers,

bringing to life the untold story of mass

exodus of thousands who were bulldozed

from their homes and transferred to a

makeshift facade - Bawana without water,

shelter or drainage, while the city was being

beautified for Commonwealth Games 2010."

New Delhi based Thomas and Ghosh have

produced documentaries that have explored

issues of gender and sexuality, HIV AIDS,

human rights and climate change. These

multiple award-winning films have

been screened in film festivals across six

continents and are also being used as

advocacy and resource mobilization tools by

governments, development sector

organizations and educational institutions.

Recently, their film on climate change was

selected from a global call of films to be

screened sat the United Nations Climate

Change Conference held in Cancún, Mexico.

Article continues below

Another Indian short-film that has made to

the careful selection of the festival is 'Mon

Armie Noire', directed by Omar Iyer.

“The film traces the life of an unnamed

female protagonist who is molested as

teenager by a man she trusts and has known

for a while," says the festival organiser.

"The incident has a deep psychological effect

on her behaviour and she cannot find a

way to deal with what has happened to her.

So she creates her own system of justice and

punishes those hungry, deprived men that

she thinks don't deserve the precious gift of

life.”

While Bollywood takes much of limelight in

the movie-hungry India, it is these

independent film-makers that are often seen

attempting to trail down the dark path of

some of India's open secrets.

| SAMEER BHARGAVA |

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Olympics: Australia wins bid over India

The inaugural Special Olympics Asia Pacific

Games for athletes with an intellectual

disability will be held in Australia in

December 2013. Newcastle has secured the

winning bid against strong competition

from cities in India and Malaysia.

In less than 22 months, Australia will

welcome more than 1,700 Special Olympics

athletes, 600 coaches, 4,000 volunteers,

and approximately 200,000 spectators from

25 nations across the Asia Pacific region,

who will compete in a range of Olympic-

style sports.

“The Special Olympics movement is very

close to my heart," says Quentin Bryce,

Governor-General of the Commonwealth of

Australia at Sydney Opera House,

announcing the decision by the Special

Olympics International board of directors.

"I am very proud to be Patron of this

national charity and delighted that Australia

will host the Asia-Pacific Games.

“I hope the Games will build a platform of

awareness and support for people with an

intellectual disability and I urge all

Australians to support athletes along their

journey to the Games and beyond,” Bryce

says.

Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy

Shriver, Special Olympics is the largest

grassroots sport and humanitarian

organisation in the world, having grown

from a few hundred athletes to more than

3.7 million in over 185 countries in all

regions of the world.

Gill Stapleton, CEO, Special Olympics

Australia says the win is a great opportunity

for Special Olympics athletes to share their

successes and talents with members of the

broader community. “A Games of such

magnitude is just reward for the athletes

and volunteers who give their best at weekly

sports training. “This is a great opportunity

for them to share their talents with the

wider community. I can't wait to see athletes

from across Asia Pacific doing their best and

experiencing the thrill of competition.

The Special Olympics Asia Pacific Games

will provide a unique opportunity to support

local athletes from 25 countries including

Pakistan, India, Malaysia, Nepal, Japan and

New Zealand to access sport, a supportive

community, and the opportunity to achieve

their personal best.

| TGI NEWS SERVICE |

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Build your nest egg this Easter

It’s nearly Easter and what better time for

taking steps to sort out your retirement nest

egg. No matter your age, it’s never too soon

(or too late) to hatch a money plan that will

help you to enjoy the lifestyle you want in

retirement.

Life expectancy has risen as our quality of

life improves and on average, a 65-year-old

man can expect to live until they are 85 and

a woman until they are 89. The majority of

New Zealanders end up relying on the

government pension (NZ Super) and their

savings for income during retirement.

There’s no ‘rule’ about how much you need

to save for retirement because everyone is

different, but putting aside some of the

money you earn now will make your

retirement nest egg that much more cosy.

To work out how much you’ll need, think

about these questions:

• When would you like to stop working?

• What sort of lifestyle would you like in

retirement?

• How does that compare to your

current lifestyle?

• Will you live in your own home or

rent?

If you retire at 65 you will need to have a

plan that provides the income you want for

at least 20 years.

Any retirement plan should include the goal

to be debt-free by retirement. Pay off ‘dumb

debt’ (high-interest debt such as unpaid

credit cards, and hire purchase that’s no

longer interest-free) as soon as possible and

avoid acquiring any more.

Focus on becoming mortgage-free as soon

as possible and definitely by the time you

intend to stop working. Debt can be very

hard to pay off once you have retired.

While being debt-free including owning a

mortgage-free home in retirement is an

essential part of retirement savings, you’ll

want to save extra unless you’re happy to

live on NZ Super alone. (For a couple where

both qualify, NZ Super pays around $523 a

week.)

Consider joining a retirement savings

scheme such as KiwiSaver. With KiwiSaver,

your money grows because your employer

has to contribute (a minimum of 2%) and

the government contributes 50 cents for

every dollar you pay up to $1,042. There’s

also the $1,000 kick-start which the

government pays when you join. At 64, it’s

still worth joining KiwiSaver because of the

extra contributions you receive.

Review your retirement plan whenever your

circumstances change so that you can

continue to reach your savings goal.

Planning ahead now will provide stability

and peace of mind during retirement. Make

a retirement plan and start building a nest

egg so your retirement can be one you look

forward to.

David Kneebone is a Sorted

spokesperson. Sorted is New

Zealand’s free independent online

money guide, run by the Commission

for Financial Literacy and

Retirement Income.

| DAVID KNEEBONE |

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Flu shots safe during pregnancy

As the winter approaches in Australia and

New Zealand, health professionals are

recommending flu shots for new and

expectant mums.

The safety of flu vaccination during

pregnancy is well established and should be

routine, according to the Royal Australian

and New Zealand College of Obstetricians

and Gynaecologists.

The College says that vaccination offers

benefit to both mothers and infants.

Influenza immunisation is estimated to

prevent 1 to 2 hospitalisations per

1000 women vaccinated during the

second and third trimester.

New Zealand’s National Influenza

Specialist Group (NISG) says that the

vaccination is free until 31 July for pregnant

women, people aged 65 years and over, and

those with ongoing medical conditions.

“Pregnant women are offered free

immunisation as studies have shown they

are particularly susceptible to more severe

outcomes from flu. Additionally, vaccination

of pregnant women has been shown to

decrease the incidence of influenza in their

new-born babies,” says NISG spokesperson

Dr Nikki Turner.

Dr Turner says women should also think

about immunisation against influenza for

children. Immunisation is recommended,

but not free, for healthy children.

The 2012 seasonal influenza vaccine

includes protection against three types of

flu, including the Pandemic H1N1 Influenza

09 (swine flu), which is expected to be still

in circulation in New Zealand this season.

“People need to be immunised as soon as

possible as it can take up to two weeks to

develop immunity after vaccination,” says

Dr Turner.

“Although flu is mild-to-moderate for most

people, it can lead to serious complications

and even, in rare cases, death for others.”

Research in Australia and New Zealand

found that pregnant women are seven times

more likely to be admitted to intensive care

with severe influenza than women who are

not pregnant.

The study also found that women more than

20 weeks pregnant were at an even higher

risk as they were 13 times more likely to be

admitted to intensive care than a woman

who is not pregnant.

Health experts believe pregnant women are

more affected than others by swine flu

because of the changes that occur in a

woman’s body when she is pregnant. The

developing fetus places stress on a pregnant

woman’s respiratory system as well as her

other organs as the unborn baby grows,

making a woman more vulnerable to

developing severe complications from what

would normally be a more mild case of the

flu.

The influenza vaccine has been shown to be

safe and effective in pregnant women. No

study to date has shown an adverse

consequence of inactivated influenza

vaccine in pregnant women or their

offspring.

Myth: the flu vaccination gave me the

flu!

Unlikely, as the flu vaccine does not have

active viruses, rather it is made from

inactive viruses that stimulate your body’s

immune response.

| TGI HEALTH CORRESPONDENT |

THE GLOBAL INDIAN MAGAZINE®

The online magazine is published by Angan Publications Ltd, Auckland. Registered office: 707B Richardson Road, Hil lsborough, Auckland 1042 NEW ZEALAND.

Phone: +64-21-251-4924 Email: editor@theglobalindian.co.nz web: www.theglobalindian.co.nz Editorial comment and advice are non-specif ic and readers aree advised to

seek professional advice. Views expressed are of writers and not necessari ly of publishers. This magazine is copyright © All Rights Reserved. ISSN - 1172-6911

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