---------------------------------------------------------- Archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/goa-net/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Goanet2003/ ----------------------------------------------------------
U.S. visa rule begins in March >From CBC Toronto - An immigration lawyer is predicting that new American visa requirements will create havoc for business travellers and tourists at Ontario's border crossings. Starting Mar. 17, landed immigrants from more than 50 Commonwealth countries will need visas to enter the U.S. The new policy affects more than half a million people living in Canada. They won't be let into the U.S. without a $100 visa that they'll need to apply for weeks before their trips. "I think you're going to see chaos with respect to the many people who don't know about this provision," said Toronto immigration lawyer Evan Green. He said male landed immigrants from Pakistan and Malaysia must also undergo a special security clearance if they're between the ages of 16 and 45. "Sometimes the clearances just never come back," Green said. "I have cases that we've been waiting 12, 14, 16 weeks, and it's extremely difficult for the people from these countries to get visas, period." Green says thousands of Canadian landed immigrants working in the U.S. may not know about the new visa requirement. If they come to Canada for a visit without one, they'll be denied re-entry to the U.S. Officials at the American consulate in Toronto say they've hired extra staff to process visa applications.
