Free Republic

New Zealand’s conservative government announced Sunday it has tightened work visa rules as “unsustainable” migration levels soar to near-record highs. Low-skilled applicants now have to fulfil English-language requirements and are allowed to stay for three years – down from five previously – amid fears that high immigration levels are driving up house prices. “Getting our immigration settings right is critical to this government’s plan to rebuild the economy,” said Immigration Minister Erica Stanford. Close to a record 173,000 non-citizens migrated to New Zealand last year.

The fact that the hordes of new arrivals know all the loopholes and legal angles to scam our immigration laws and maximize benefits on our welfare system, while the working American does not, is really quite astounding, and tells me that there have to be a number of lawyers involved, telling these people what they can do to cheat American citizens out of a country. Check out this story, reported by the New York Post yesterday: Two New York City men staged armed robberies at convenience stores and fast food joints across the United States to scheme immigration benefits, federal...

Israel is reassessing its visa policies for Evangelical Christian organizations, including the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem, after years of restrictions. The move follows a surge in visa denials for Evangelical clergy and comes against a backdrop of rising tensions between religious communities in the country.Israeli authorities are in talks to establish new visa procedures for permanent staff of Christian organizations like the ICEJ, Bridges for Peace and Christians United for Israel, Al-Monitor reported, citing a spokesperson for the Israel Population and Immigration Authority.Founded in 1980, the ICEJ has a small permanent staff of 40 in Jerusalem and is involved...

The US Embassy in the Dominican Republic is in the news for a recent press release where it alerts that those seeking fiancee visas need to present what they call “appropriate proof of relationship.” The Embassy highlights: “Please DO NOT SUBMIT intimate photographs (such as photos of the couple in bed together, not fully clothed, or engaged in intimate displays of affection. Such “evidence” is neither appropriate nor convincing to establish proof of a relationship, and may even be detrimental to your credibility.” Local press had a field day. The note left open to imagination and speculation what people were...

… The grimly named European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) is projected to cost 7 euros per application and take up to 14 days to render a decision. Before you start shaking your fist at freedom-hating Eurocrats, know that ETIAS is the belated continental answer to a system the U.S. has imposed on residents of friendly countries since 2009, called the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, or ESTA. Like ETIAS, ESTA is a response to 21st-century terrorist attacks and combines modest fees ($21) with less-than-instantaneous turnaround times (a promised 72 hours). Both either tweak or torpedo (depending on your...

Starting next year, Americans will need one more document in order to enter countries in the European Union.To visit, you'll have to apply for approval under the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS). You will apply online, and the authorization, which will be linked to your passport, will account for short-term stays, including up to 90 days in a 180-day period. In addition to adding some hassle, this requirement will make a family vacation slightly more expensive. Applications will cost 7 euros, which right now is close to $8. The ETIAS website says that "most" applications are processed in...

An official meeting of all ASEAN Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors kicked off on Tuesday (March 28) in Indonesia. Top of the agenda are discussions to reduce dependence on the US Dollar, Euro, Yen, and British Pound from financial transactions and move to settlements in local currencies. The meeting discussed efforts to reduce dependence on major currencies through the Local Currency Transaction (LCT) scheme. This is an extension of the previous Local Currency Settlement (LCS) scheme that has already begun to be implemented between ASEAN members. This means that an ASEAN cross-border digital payment system would be expanded further...

Bank Indonesia (BI) says it will introduce a domestic credit card system allowing for greater independence and lower fees, as transactions are settled locally rather than by foreign providers. BI spokesperson Erwin Haryono said on Saturday that the central bank had been in discussion with local industries and progress stood at 90 percent, but he declined to reveal when the domestic credit card would be launched or what it would be called. Erwin said a domestic credit card would have several benefits, notably lower fees, because offshore settlement and relying on foreign payment networks like United States-based Visa or Mastercard...

Politicians lean on the financial industry to target activities they don’t like.The first credit card processor to announce plans to track purchases at gun shops is Discover Financial Services. The company hints that its competitors, specifically Visa, MasterCard, and American Express, are on the same schedule to implement a controversial gun-specific merchant category code announced last year. Given that the ideologically charged bank behind the new code has big plans for targeting gun purchases you can expect more fireworks to follow. "Discover Financial Services, a provider of credit cards, told Reuters it will allow its network to track purchases at...

Dozens of House Democrats urged President Biden and his administration to revoke the diplomatic visa that former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is using to stay in the U.S. amid the recent riots in his country’s capital. In a letter sent Thursday, the lawmakers expressed concern about Sunday’s riots in Brasilia, noting the similarities between them and the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the U.S. Capitol, with Bolsonaro and his administration touting false stolen elections claims and misinformation after he lost his reelection bid to current Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in October.

Visa, Mastercard and American Express will separately categorize sales at gun shops...The decision is a win for gun control advocates who say it will help track gun sales...Until Friday, gun store sales were considered general merchandise.

The US has received sufficient number of applications needed to reach the Congressionally mandated 65,000 H1-B visa cap for the fiscal year 2023, the country's federal agency for immigration services said on Tuesday. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Technology companies depend on it to hire thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China. The H-1B visa programme is the most sought-after work visa among foreign professionals, including Indians. “We have received a sufficient number of petitions needed to...

A federal judge ruled Friday that Visa helped Pornhub “monetize child porn” and sex trafficking ....

A chorus of prosecutors, gun legislation advocates, law enforcement officials, and corporate shareholders are calling on global credit card giants Visa and Mastercard to stop facilitating payments for “ghost guns,” or untraceable, easy-to-assemble firearm kits that are often sold over the internet. Visa and Mastercard, which process 75% of all credit card transactions in the United States, have so far refused to do so. Mastercard’s board unanimously recommended that shareholders vote against a new proposal that calls on the company to take action. “Payment processors like MasterCard absolutely have the ability to restrict transactions related to ghost guns on their...

A starling new development reveals South American criminal tourists are on home invasion sprees targeting wealthy neighborhoods across the US, according to Daily Mail. South American thieves exploit the US’ immigration system for travel as they target multi-million dollar homes in liberal-controlled areas with relaxed criminal justice laws. Police from around the country report some of these criminal tourists are from Colombia and elsewhere in South America. They have ransacked mansions in California, New York, Virginia, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Law enforcement experts say these professional burglars exploit a 2014 visa waiver program intended to promote tourism....

The Central Bank of the Russian Federation announced on Sunday that several banks will switch to the Chinese card system following the suspension of Visa, Mastercard, and Paypal in Russia. It can be recalled that Visa, Mastercard, and Paypal announced on Saturday they will suspend all operations in Russia. “We are compelled to act following Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, and the unacceptable events that we have witnessed,” said Al Kelly, chairman and chief executive officer of Visa Inc. On Sunday, several banks in Russia will start to issue new cards with the new Russian payments system “Mir” and China’s...

Several Russian banks said on Sunday they would soon start issuing cards using the Chinese UnionPay card operator's system coupled with Russia's own Mir network, after Visa and MasterCard said they were suspending operations in Russia. Announcements regarding the switch to UnionPay came on Sunday from Sberbank (SBER.MM), Russia's biggest lender, as well as Alfa Bank and Tinkoff.

Financial services companies Visa and Mastercard announced Saturday they are suspending business in Russia in response to the country’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine. "Effective immediately, Visa will work with its clients and partners within Russia to cease all Visa transactions over the coming days," Visa said in a press release. "Once complete, all transactions initiated with Visa cards issued in Russia will no longer work outside the country and any Visa cards issued by financial institutions outside of Russia will no longer work within the Russian Federation." Al Kelly, chairman and chief executive officer of Visa Inc., said in the...

Credit card giants Mastercard and Visa late Monday began blocking Russian banks from access to their networks. “As a result of sanction orders, we have blocked multiple financial institutions from the Mastercard payment network,” the company said in a statement. “We will continue to work with regulators in the days ahead to abide fully by our compliance obligations as they evolve.” Visa is reported to have taken similar action.

Another scandal for the "scandal-free" Obama administration. Not all ICE targets work construction or smuggle drugs. Some are key figures in the Dem machine. But the era of Obama corruption is over. There's a new sheriff in town. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) this week arrested two millionaire fugitives from Ecuador whose family donated heavily to American political campaigns. Roberto and William Isaías, 74 and 75, were detained Wednesday in Miami and taken to a detention facility for undocumented immigrants awaiting deportation, The New York Times reported Friday. ICE told the Times that the brothers were “unlawfully present” in...