Category: Asia Pacific

Visas, Immigration & Nationality

Discovering Destinations: Where Your Soon-to-Expire British Passport Still Holds Value

Planning a trip abroad? Dealing with an expiring passport can turn the pleasure of arranging a surprise getaway into a nightmare, especially for UK travellers who must wait a whopping ten weeks for their passport renewal from the Passport Office. Ensure a smooth journey by understanding the passport validity requirements of your chosen destination. Here’s…
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Australia Halts It’s Golden Visa Program

Australia has officially discontinued its “golden visa” program which provided permanent residency opportunities to individuals investing more than AU$5 million (£2.6 million) in the country. Since its inception in 2012, thousands of Significant Investor Visas (SIVs) have been issued; however, critics argue that while benefiting affluent individuals, the program offered limited advantages to the Australian…
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London Gatwick Airport Ranks as the UK’s Most Stressful Airport

Air travel, synonymous with excitement and anticipation, often turns into an exasperating experience due to the challenges encountered at airports. In the throes of bustling terminals and seemingly endless queues, certain airports consistently stand out as stress-inducing hubs. Among them, London Gatwick, the UK’s second busiest airport, holds the notorious crown as the most stressful…
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US Extends Visa Interview Waiver Authority Through 2024

The United States State Department will continue to exempt certain visa applicants from in-person interviews next year, extending the waiver authority that was set to expire on December 31, 2023. This policy, known as the visa interview waiver authority, permits consular officers to bypass in-person interviews for low-risk visa applications. Acting in conjunction with the…
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EU’s New Entry/Exit Scheme Finally Gets 2024 Launch Date

The European Union’s much-delayed Entry/Exit Scheme (EES) is due to start on 6 October 2024. The launch has been postponed multiple times as EU countries struggled to integrate their border systems with the central EES database. The new border system is an automated IT system for registering non-EU nationals travelling for a short stay, each…
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