Latest news with #visa
Washington Post
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
State Department to investigate Harvard's use of international J-1 visas
The State Department on Wednesday opened a new investigation into Harvard University's eligibility as a sponsor of visas through the Exchange Visitor Program, intensifying the Trump administration's battle with the Ivy League institution. In a statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said all program sponsors need to comply with government regulations and ensure they do not undermine U.S. foreign policy or compromise the country's national security interests. 'The American people have the right to expect their universities to uphold national security, comply with the law, and provide safe environments for all students. The investigation will ensure that State Department programs do not run contrary to our nation's interests,' the statement said. It did not outline any specific misconduct on Harvard's part. In an emailed statement Wednesday, Harvard said it remains committed to compliance with all Exchange Visitor Program regulations. 'This investigation is yet another retaliatory step taken by the Administration in violation of Harvard's First Amendment rights,' a spokesperson said, adding that the university continues to enroll and sponsor international scholars, researchers and students. The Exchange Visitor Program provides nonimmigrant visas, also known as J-1 visas, for those coming to the United States in various educational and cultural capacities, including as students, professors, au pairs, camp counselors, interns and researchers. President Donald Trump's targeting of higher education institutions to bring them in line with his political agenda has involved actions such as freezing of billions of dollars in federal research funding. His administration has tried to revoke Harvard's ability to enroll international students and has focused on visa applications related to the nation's oldest university for additional federal scrutiny. Harvard has pushed back against the administration's claims, including that it is not taking sufficient action against antisemitism on campus. This week, in a case that could have significant ramifications for higher education in the U.S., Harvard's lawyers argued that the Trump administration's reasons for withholding federal funding were 'cooked up' and unconstitutional. The hearing before U.S. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs concluded without a ruling. In May, when the Department of Homeland Security revoked Harvard's ability to admit international students, the university sued and won a temporary block of the ban. There are more than 10,000 foreign students and scholars from over 150 countries at Harvard in the current academic year, according to its data. Days later, the State Department directed its embassies and consulates to undertake extra scrutiny of visa applicants requesting travel to Harvard, including students, faculty, workers, guest speakers and tourists. Last month, Trump issued a proclamation — which typically does not have the force of law — seeking to restrict the entry of international students and scholars looking to study or research at Harvard. Soon afterward, a court blocked the administration from targeting student visas, following which the State Department instructed consulates to resume processing such applications. Harvard says it has taken numerous steps to address antisemitism in the wake of campus protests last year over the war in Gaza. Earlier this month, the Harvard Crimson reported that the school told international students to expect enhanced screening at Boston Logan International Airport and warned them that their social media could be vetted for pro-Palestinian posts. While Harvard's legal fights continue, other institutions have sought to compromise with the administration. Columbia University on Wednesday agreed to pay the federal government more than $200 million to settle a dispute over funding. The deal reinstates most of the $400 million in frozen research grants and closes investigations into the school. Amy B Wang contributed to this report.
The Guardian
16 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Afghan translator who worked for US military detained by Ice in Connecticut
An Afghan wartime translator granted a US immigration visa after risking his life to help US troops has been detained by masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) agents, in the latest sign that the Trump administration is willing to flout legal agreements and promises to allies in pursuit of its unprecedented immigration crackdown. Identified only as Zia S, the 35-year-old husband and father of five who entered the US in October 2024 with a visa issued by American authorities was arrested and taken away in a van last week after a routine biometrics appointment for his green card in East Hartford, Connecticut, according to his attorney, members of Congress and human-rights advocates. A judge has issued a temporary stay preventing Zia's removal from the US, but he remains in detention at a facility in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The former wartime interpreter fled Afghanistan with his family after the Taliban takeover in 2021. Zia legally entered the US in October 2024 through New York's JFK airport with humanitarian parole – and an approved special immigrant visa (SIV). This visa is a pathway to permanent residency, or a green card, for certain foreign nationals who have worked for the US government or military in specific capacities, particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan. 'What happened to him is the worst kind of abhorrent violation of basic decency,' said the Democratic senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut on Tuesday. 'He actually worked and risked his life in Afghanistan to uphold the values and rights that are central to democracy.' Zia is the third known Afghan ally who helped US troops to have been seized by Ice since Trump returned to power, amid growing outrage at the administration's actions. Jahana Hayes, a Democratic member of Congress for Connecticut, said she had been contacted by Zia's family because they didn't know where Ice had taken him. 'Our credibility is at stake. We have families who have risked everything not just for themselves, but for their entire family … in the name of standing up for the promises of our American democracy,' Hayes said. In a statement to Reuters, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the Afghan national entered the US on 8 October 2024, and is under investigation for a 'serious criminal allegation', adding: 'All of his claims will be heard by a judge. Any Afghan who fears persecution is able to request relief.' Zia's attorney Lauren Petersen said she had no idea what the DHS was referring to. 'Zia has done everything right. He's followed the rules. He has no criminal history,' said Petersen, adding that he was approved for humanitarian parole due to a direct threat from Afghanistan's Taliban rulers. 'If he is deported … he faces death.' Sign up to This Week in Trumpland A deep dive into the policies, controversies and oddities surrounding the Trump administration after newsletter promotion More than 70,000 Afghans were granted permission to enter the US under Joe Biden's 'Operation Allies Welcome' initiative, which followed the bungled US exit and subsequent Taliban takeover in 2021. Some, like Zia, have a SIV and pathway to permanent residency, while about 12,000 or so have temporary protected status (TPS) – a type of work visa granted to people already in the US who cannot return to their home countries due to armed conflicts, natural disasters or other extraordinary events. The Trump administration is seeking to terminate TPS status for multiple countries including Venezuela, Haiti and Afghanistan – despite ongoing unstable and dangerous conditions in those countries.
CBS News
17 hours ago
- CBS News
American passport not as powerful as it used to be, dropping to 10th place in an annual ranking
The U.S. is on the brink of exiting the top 10 in an annual ranking of the world's most powerful passports for the first time in the index's 20-year history. American passports fell to a 10th place tie, jointly held by Iceland and Lithuania, in this year's Henley Passport Index — which bases its rankings on how many destinations a passport's holder can enter without a visa. The U.S. has fallen in the rankings every year since 2014, when its passports were ranked as the most powerful. The U.S. has visa-free access to 182 destinations, whereas a passport from Singapore, which holds the top spot, grants the holder visa-free access to 193 destinations, according to the Index. In a Tuesday news release, Henley, a London-based global migration consultant group, noted that countries like the U.S. and U.K. "appear to be retreating behind more restrictive entry policies." "Your passport is no longer just a travel document — it's a reflection of your country's diplomatic influence and international relationships," Henley & Partners CEO Dr. Juerg Steffen said in a news release. American travelers can find out which countries require a visa by using the U.S. State Department's Learn About Your Destination search tool. The U.S. also ranks low on "openness," only allowing 46 other nationalities to visit visa-free. The State Department did not immediately respond to CBS News' request for comment. In second place on this year's list are Japan and South Korea, with passports from those countries both granting holders visa-free access to 190 other countries. Most of the remaining top 10 slots, which include several tied rankings, are held by European countries, with the exception of the United Arab Emirates and Canada in a tie for eighth place and the U.S. in the 10 spot. Afghanistan is ranked last. Its passport grants visa-free access to just 25 countries. Henley says its index is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association, a major travel information database. "The consolidation we're seeing at the top underscores that access is earned – and must be maintained – through active and strategic diplomacy," said Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, inventor of the passport-index concept, in a statement. "Nations that proactively negotiate visa waivers and nurture reciprocal agreements continue to rise, while the opposite applies to those that are less engaged in such efforts."
Yemen Online
21 hours ago
- Business
- Yemen Online
UAE offers Golden Visa through nomination without the need of a sponsor
Foreigners who want to live, study, work and settle in the United Arab Emirates can make use of the UAE Golden visa to get a long-term residency without the need for a sponsor within the country. Two important things are important to know about the UAE Golden visa – One, it provides for a long-term residency for a period of five to ten years, and second, there is an online nomination-based process. 'UAE Golden Visa by nomination is only for people who meet the criteria laid down by the UAE Govt. – It's not open to all. You can't just pay fees and get a Golden Visa. It is valid for 10 years and may be renewed thereafter and does not lead to Citizenship in UAE,' says Paresh Karia, CEO, Acquest Advisors. There is a process laid out for applying for golden residency on the UAE government's website, called 'Visa-Golden Residence-Nomination Request For Golden Residence-New Request'.
RNZ News
21 hours ago
- RNZ News
Seven millenia visa in Chathams, plane offload and deportation threat
Robbie Lanauze, Nadja van Osch and their three children while they were living in Spain Photo: Supplied A Chatham Islands-bound family says their four-year immigration battle has left them in a "bureaucratic hamster wheel". New Zealander Robbie Lanauze and his Dutch wife Nadja van Osch have waited more than four years for her visa. The father-of-three, who was born on Pitt Island, said the first visa showed no criteria for when they had to arrive in the country. A second residence visa showed her visa would expire in the year 9999. She was then threatened with deportation and that was only resolved last week. Immigration New Zealand (INZ) admits the second residence visa was granted in error but maintains the first one correctly set out the visa information. The couple had been overseas and travelling before deciding they would settle in the Chathams with their three children, near to Lanauze's mother, brother and his family. "We'd wanted to build a house for quite a while and we had the land sorted. We had everything sorted, ready to go. We wanted to live in the Chathams and maybe partly in Indonesia as well. But everything's sort of been up in the air for the last few years to be very honest." Paperwork was hard to find as partnership residence visas need proof such as joint utility bills which they struggled to find, but eventually got the visa. "We sent this passport to London. It got verified, they sent it back. And we assumed that that was what was needed to activate the partners residence visa. We had the letter printed out to show that she was allowed in New Zealand. And then they said no, sorry, you're not allowed to board this flight because you don't have a visa." A screengrab of the visa granted through to the year 9999. Photo: Supplied They were told van Osch was three days past the date when the visa had to be used - 12 months after it was issued. They maintain they were never told that criteria, and there was a missing attachment in an email they were sent. RNZ has seen a copy of the email. "We did everything in our corner to adhere to the rules and regulations, but unfortunately it was, I'm guessing, a technical glitch or just a a clerical error of some description and we never got that information. "I'm just going to keep rattling everyone's cage and pull every trigger I can and just keep doing a song and dance until someone with authority can actually look at the case and go, 'OK, there was a mistake made, we never sent you that email attachment, this is a fault from our department and no fault of your own, sorry, here's your visa.' And then we can carry on our merry way." They were told to apply for a second or subsequent resident visa (SSRV) but that was also a mistake. "The lady on the phone explicitly said to us - I spoke to her in depth many, many times and I said look we want her to be able to work, live and study in New Zealand indefinitely, we have three children. We want to build a home and if we're going to put our money into a house in New Zealand, my wife needs to be able to confidently put her life savings into an investment in the island where she knows that she's not going to get kicked out of the country or her time will run short. "She said that the second and subsequent visa gave exactly all the same conditions and it meant the same thing, which we were like, OK, cool. We took her word for it, which was silly. We should have got it in writing." It looked on the face of it as though they had been given a permanent residence visa - for an unusually long period of time. "The visa said congratulations, you can work live and study in New Zealand until the year 9999 and I thought 'oh wow OK, no one's going to be around by then, but amazing. And we just thought it was just the way they do things. So we thought we had the same conditions and everything was sweet until we got a letter from immigration Resolutions saying that we are liable for deportation because of a clerical error." INZ has now quashed the threat of deportation, saying it made a mistake, but maintains it made no error with the first visa. "We understand that the possibility of deportation can be stressful, and we empathise with Ms van Osch and her family," said its acting director of visas Marcelle Foley. "We can confirm that Ms van Osch's deportation case was considered by a Delegated Decision Maker for the Minister of Immigration (DDM) this morning. The DDM has cancelled Ms van Osch's deportation liability, and a decision letter has been sent to Ms van Osch to notify her of this outcome." She became liable for deportation as her visa was granted 'in breach of immigration instructions'. Foley said her first residence visa granted in November 2022 clearly outlined the conditions of the visa including the latest date she could arrive, and its expiry two years later. It's left a bitter taste for Lanauze, who said a family-of-five was a major addition to the small Chathams community of 600, especially as his wife's skills as a therapist are in demand. "We've spent thousands on this. We just really do need to go back and hold them accountable for the first error, which was them not giving us the information about entering New Zealand within the 12 months. No-one looked at our case, we just seem to be knocking our heads against the wall and going around in circles and getting handballed from person to person. "I'm no stranger to paperwork in different countries, getting stuff translated, dealing with bureaucrats and all that sort of stuff, but I have to say, dealing with Immigration New Zealand has been an absolute nightmare. I don't want to like get too worked up about it, but I wish I could just walk in there and crack some heads."
