Immigration news

The UK Border Agency will provide visa applicants from Antigua & Barbuda with a local Mobile Biometric Clinic on 18 May 2012. The one-time mobile biometric clinic will be located in St John's, Antigua.The mobile biometric clinic is by appointment only and there is an additional fee for using this service. People from the Eastern Caribbean wishing to apply for UK visas should apply as soon as possible so they can make sure they have an appointment. Normally applicants have to travel to Barbados or Jamaica in order to register their biometric information.

The next two years should see the launch of the world's first floating business startup community off the coast of the US.The company responsible for the project, Blueseed, wants to provide office space and accommodation for entrepreneurs aboard the vessel which will be anchored less than 30 minutes off the coast of Silicon Valley. They hope to have the ship open for business before 2014. They already have nearly 150 technology startups from more than 40 nations that have expressed interest in starting their businesses on the ships.

A recent study has found that US immigrants are more likely to start a business than native-born US citizens. The study was conducted by the Office of Advocacy of the US Small Business Administration an independent group that voices concerns from small businesses to the federal government.

Australian Immigration has released a new video online in 14 languages that advises Australian visa overstayers on how to resolve their immigration status. The new video, created by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship contains necessary information for those that are unsure of how to resolve their situation.

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced 8 May changes to the NEXUS membership process in order to increase NEXUS membership. The NEXUS program is available for pre-approved, low-risk travellers into Canada and the US at designated air, land and marine ports of entry. When travelling by air, NEXUS expedites border clearance by enabling card-holders to enter either country quickly and easily by using self-service kiosks.

Following Indonesia's announcement that they will remove Sri Lanka and Bangladesh from its immigration red list, Australia worries that they will soon receive a new wave of asylum-seeker boats.