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UK to introduce new visa stamps to check immigration fraud
New Delhi, June 18: Britain will introduce new tamper-proof visa stickers, replacing the old ink passport stamps, from September this year to check immigration frauds, the British High Commission said today.
New Delhi, June 18: Britain will introduce new tamper-proof
visa stickers, replacing the old ink passport stamps, from September
this year to check immigration frauds, the British High Commission
said today.
A statement issued by the high commission said the new sticker
is being phased in across Europe to ensure that all European Union
(EU) members have common high standards of document security.
The new stickers will be issued from mid-September to all non-EU
citizens who are granted extension or variations of stay in the UK.
Only EU-European Economic Area (EEA) citizens and their family
members will be exempt, the statement said, adding that the issue of
a sticker by one EU member will not exempt the holder from complying
with immigration regulations of the other member state.
Entry clearances will be phased in over two years for nationals
of countries not currently subject to a visa regime. Citizens of
these countries will continue to not need a visa for visits of less
than six months duration.
The countries affected in the first phase are the US, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, South Africa, South Korea and Hong Kong.
A complementary provision to help people planning to stay in the UK for more than six months is also being introduced. From november, those travelling from outside the European Economic Area and planning to stay for six months or more will have to apply for entry permission before they travel. This will speed up the arrival of all passengers as the individual's eligibility to enter the UK will already have been checked.
The requirement to obtain entry clearances for longer stays will be introduced initially in ten of the affected countries from November 13.
The high commission statement quoted British home office minister Beverley Hughes as saying that the new initiative would help tackle immigration fraud and forgery.
''Document fraud is a big business. We are tackling it head on using new technology. Genuine foreign residents will also benefit by having more robust evidence of their status in the UK to show employers and the authorities. The new standard will be adopted right across Europe to help tackle international document fraud'', he said.
Bureau Report
The countries affected in the first phase are the US, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, South Africa, South Korea and Hong Kong.
A complementary provision to help people planning to stay in the UK for more than six months is also being introduced. From november, those travelling from outside the European Economic Area and planning to stay for six months or more will have to apply for entry permission before they travel. This will speed up the arrival of all passengers as the individual's eligibility to enter the UK will already have been checked.
The requirement to obtain entry clearances for longer stays will be introduced initially in ten of the affected countries from November 13.
The high commission statement quoted British home office minister Beverley Hughes as saying that the new initiative would help tackle immigration fraud and forgery.
''Document fraud is a big business. We are tackling it head on using new technology. Genuine foreign residents will also benefit by having more robust evidence of their status in the UK to show employers and the authorities. The new standard will be adopted right across Europe to help tackle international document fraud'', he said.
Bureau Report