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INDIAN THE GLOBAL
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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out of date reduces our ability to focus on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 |
>(6"68+
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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 |
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Phone: +64-21-251-4924 Email: [email protected] web: www.theglobalindian.co.nz Editorial comment and advice are non-specif ic and readers aree advised to
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