Archive October 2019

On his official visit to China on Thursday, the Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro, announced that a Brazil visa for Indians and Chinese will not be required for them to travel to this developing South American country. The facility is applicable to the business and tourist visa to Brazil.

When Bolsonaro first came to power at the beginning of the year, he has been determined since to take steps towards a developing world and one of the major initiatives was to reduce the visa requirements for a number of countries.

The tourist and business visa requirements were previously reduced for countries including Japan, Australia, Canada and the United States. However, these countries have not done the same for Brazilian citizens yet.

With confirmed employment in the United States, the job holders can now apply for a work permit as late as 90 days before the start date of the employment.

The information was revealed by the US Embassy through the following tweet -

"Applying for your work #USvisa? You can apply up to 90 days before the employment start date noted on your I-797 form," the US Embassy tweeted.

The website of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) clarifies that the I-797 form is used to establish a communication with the applicants/petitioners or to convey an immigration benefit.

The H1-B visa has been in the news a lot lately because of the amendments made in the policies and the rules and regulations. It has been indicating that the US requires a supply of highly-skilled Indian candidates. It is a type of US visa for Indians that allows the US-based enterprises to employ Indian professionals as per the requirements of the company and the skill set of the candidates.

Indian passport holders who are doctors, dentists, nurses and midwives need not attend IELTS and TOEFL for the application of General (Tier 2) Visas for the UK. Occupational English Test (OES) scores are enough for these applicants.



Previously, the candidates had to take the IELTS and TOEFL for the visa along with the OES to register with the two healthcare boards in the UK, Nursing and Midwifery Council, and the General Medical Council. This change will apply to all the applications made after the 1st of October.

“The Home Office has also streamlined English language testing ensuring that doctors, dentists, nurses and midwives who have already passed an English language test accepted by the relevant professional body, do not have to sit another test before entry to the UK on a Tier 2 visa," stated the UK Government during the release.

The OET was mainly designed to ensure that the applicants meet the English language requirements of the healthcare sector and are able to practise the language proficiently. It is meant to examine the language expertise of the professionals in the sector. The OET examination is conducted by Cambridge Boxhill Language Assessment (CBLA), which is a pursuit between Cambridge Assessment English and Box Hill Institute.

The Saudi Arabia Ministry, on 26th September, announced the introduction of the much-awaited ‘Saudi Tourist Visa’. Made available from the 27th of September, the visa will be issued for a validity of one-year as multiple entries and will permit the tourists to stay in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for a duration of 90 days.



In efforts to cover for its depleting oil resources and create a steady income for a post-oil era, Saudi Arabia has recognized tourism as its new golden goose. The announcement came as a part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's ‘Vision 2030’ reform program focused to reduce the nation’s dependence on oil and diversify the economy. 

Speaking to the media, the tourism chief of Saudi Arabia, Ahmed al-Khateeb said - “Visitors will be surprised... by the treasures, we have to share — five UNESCO World Heritage Sites, vibrant local culture and breathtaking natural beauty.” He also added that to complement the introduction of tourism, Saudi will also ease on the laws regarding the dress code for foreign women. In the following years, the ministry is also planning to reduce its strict rules in order to attract more tourists.

Since the number of travellers to Russia from India for short term purposes has been increasing significantly, the Russian Federation has introduced an e-visa for Indian passport holders. This visa will allow travellers to visit Saint Petersburg, the cultural capital and the Leningrad region.