Latest news with #visaapplications
RNZ News
07-07-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Nearly 300 visa applications from Israelis, Palestinians and Iranians in past month
Photo: RNZ Immigration New Zealand has received nearly 300 offshore visa applications from Israeli, Palestinian and Iranian nationals since 1 June 2025. It follows the most recent armed conflict between Israel and Iran, which started on 13 June when Israel launched an air attack on Iranian nuclear facilities and killed top military commanders. In a statement to RNZ, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) said the government agency "understands the difficult situation this crisis is causing for many and has great sympathy for those separated from their loved ones during this stressful time". INZ acting director visa Marcelle Foley said 277 offshore visa applications from Israelis , Palestinians and Iranians had been made across all visa categories since the start of last month. The vast majority were Iranian nationals. "230 visa applications were submitted from Iranian nationals," Foley said. "Of those, 93 have been approved and seven declined. The remaining applications are either still under assessment or have been withdrawn. "Forty-one applications were submitted by Israeli nationals. Twenty-four have been approved, one was declined, and the remainder are still being processed. "Six applications were submitted from Palestinian nationals, with two approved and the rest currently under assessment." INZ also revealed that since 7 October 2023, a total of 8634 New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) applications have been granted to Israeli nationals. "Israel is a visa waiver country. This means Israeli citizens visiting New Zealand temporarily do not need to apply for a visitor visa but must obtain a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA)," said Marcelle Foley, Acting Director Visa. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
06-07-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Nearly 300 visa applications from Israelis, Palestinians and Iranians in lpast month
Photo: RNZ Immigration New Zealand has received nearly 300 offshore visa applications from Israeli, Palestinian and Iranian nationals since 1 June 2025. It follows the most recent armed conflict between Israel and Iran, which started on 13 June when Israel launched an air attack on Iranian nuclear facilities and killed top military commanders. In a statement to RNZ, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) said the government agency "understands the difficult situation this crisis is causing for many and has great sympathy for those separated from their loved ones during this stressful time". INZ acting director visa Marcelle Foley said 277 offshore visa applications from Israelis , Palestinians and Iranians had been made across all visa categories since the start of last month. The vast majority were Iranian nationals. "230 visa applications were submitted from Iranian nationals," Foley said. "Of those, 93 have been approved and seven declined. The remaining applications are either still under assessment or have been withdrawn. "Forty-one applications were submitted by Israeli nationals. Twenty-four have been approved, one was declined, and the remainder are still being processed. "Six applications were submitted from Palestinian nationals, with two approved and the rest currently under assessment." INZ also revealed that since 7 October 2023, a total of 8634 New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) applications have been granted to Israeli nationals. "Israel is a visa waiver country. This means Israeli citizens visiting New Zealand temporarily do not need to apply for a visitor visa but must obtain a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA)," said Marcelle Foley, Acting Director Visa. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Reuters
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Trump administration resuming student visa appointments, State Dept official says
WASHINGTON, June 18 (Reuters) - The United States is directing its U.S. diplomatic missions abroad to resume student visa applications, a senior State Department official said on Wednesday, after the administration of President Donald Trump last month suspended scheduling of student visa appointments.
Associated Press
28-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
New policy on visas adds to mounting scrutiny of international students in the US
New State Department guidance on visa applications is adding to scrutiny of international students that has intensified under President Donald Trump, who has leveraged control of foreign enrollment to press his demands with American colleges. In a cable sent Tuesday to U.S. embassies and consulates Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio halted the scheduling of new visa interviews for international students until the department releases guidelines for increased vetting of their activity on social media. Existing appointments may be kept and will proceed under current review guidelines, the cable said, but new guidance is expected in the coming days. It came days after the Trump administration moved to block Harvard University from enrolling any international students, a decision that has been put on hold by a federal judge, pending a lawsuit. Trump said Wednesday that Harvard, whose current student population is made up of more than a quarter of international students, should limit that percentage to about 15%. 'I want to make sure the foreign students are people that can love our country,' Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. Earlier this year, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested and tried to deport students who had been involved in campus protests against the Israel-Hamas war. And the Trump administration abruptly terminated the legal status of thousands of international students before reversing itself and then expanding the grounds on which students can lose permission to study in the U.S. The uncertainty raised by the suspension of the visa appointments will do further damage to the U.S. reputation as a destination country, said Fanta Aw, CEO of NAFSA, an association that represents international educators. Students generally commit to their program of study in late spring, meaning now would be peak time for students to schedule their visa interviews. 'International students and scholars are tremendous assets that contribute to U.S. preeminence in innovation, research, and economic strength,' Aw said in a statement. 'Undermining their ability to study here is self-defeating. With these actions, the United States will alienate the very minds that fuel its success.' The pause affects three categories of visas that cover a range of people seeking to study in the U.S. The largest category, F-1 visas, includes students who are enrolling at full-time accredited schools. Students participating in exchange programs enter on J-1 visas, and those enrolling in vocational or non-academic programs enter on M-1 visas. The bulk of visa recipients are university students. However, visiting scholars, high school exchange students, summer program participants and boarding school students are also covered by the three affected visa categories. Around 1.1 million international students were in the United States last year — a source of essential revenue for tuition-driven colleges. International students are not eligible for federal financial aid, and their ability to pay tuition often factors into whether they will be admitted to American schools. Often, they pay full price. Visa applicants have been required to provide social media handles to the State Department since 2019. The cable did not indicate what kind of additional scrutiny the new guidelines would cover, but suggested the new reviews may be more resource-intensive. 'In light of potentially significant implications for consular section operations, processes, and resource allocations, consulate sections will need to take into consideration the workload and resource requirements of each case prior to scheduling them going forward,' the cable said. The additional vetting will deter students from coming to the U.S., said Jonathan Friedman of PEN America, a literary and free expression organization. 'The details remain vague, but this policy risks upending the long-standing place of the U.S. as a beacon for intellectual and cultural exchange with the world,' Friedman said. The move to cut off international enrollment at Harvard stems from a dispute with the Department of Homeland Security, which has demanded that it provide information about foreign students that might implicate them in violence or protests that could lead to their deportation. Harvard says it complied with the records request, but the agency said its response fell short. On Wednesday, Trump said more scrutiny of Harvard's students is necessary. 'They're taking people from areas of the world that are very radicalized, and we don't want them making trouble in our country,' Trump said. The Trump administration has cut over $2.6 billion in federal grants for Harvard as it presses demands for changes to policies and governance at the Ivy League school, which the president has described as a hotbed of liberalism and antisemitism. Harvard has pushed back and filed a lawsuit against the administration. ___ Associated Press writer Seung Min Kim contributed to this report. ___ The Associated Press' education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
Arabian Business
20-05-2025
- Business
- Arabian Business
World's largest visa application opens in Dubai with 10,000-per-day capacity
The world's largest visa application facility has opened in Dubai and is capable of handling 10,000 visa applications a day. VFS Global launched its flagship Visa Application Centre in Wafi City, marking the opening of the largest visa application facility in the world. At nearly 150,000sq ft, the centre is equipped to handle up to 10,000 visa applications daily, a capacity that stands as the highest for any single location, and is supported by a skilled and diverse team of over 400 trained professionals from more than 25 nationalities. Dubai visa application centre Helal Saeed Almarri, Director-General of the Department of Economy and Tourism said: 'This milestone is more than an infrastructure achievement, it reflects the strategic direction Dubai is taking to enhance global mobility, unlock access to opportunity, and accelerate growth across our visitor and business economy. 'As we advance the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, strengthening seamless access to and from Dubai remains a priority. 'Visa facilitation is a key enabler of talent attraction, tourism development, and international partnerships, all essential levers of our strategy to position Dubai as the world's most connected and future-ready city.' Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director-General of the General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs, said: 'Today, we witnessed the inauguration of a new milestone in the journey of excellence pursued by the UAE in general and Dubai in particular, with the opening of the world's largest Visa Application Centre, located in the heart of Dubai, a city that continuously redefines innovation. 'This achievement embodies a true reflection of the directives of our wise leadership towards strengthening the nation's position as a global hub for smart services and establishing a unique model for delivering government services with high efficiency and quality.' Zubin Karkaria, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of VFS Global Group, said: 'Operating in the UAE since 2004, our journey has been defined by our unwavering commitment and a deep-rooted connection with this dynamic nation and its visionary leadership. 'In these two decades, we have witnessed the spectacular growth and development of the UAE to become a preeminent global hub of business, thought leadership, technology development and innovation. 'In line with the rapid development of Dubai, today we are pleased to launch the world's largest Visa Application Centre, serving over 200 nationalities.'
