New H-1B System to Prioritize Qualification, Talent Out February 01, 2019 11:07
The new visa system announced Wednesday, that will kick off from April 1, will turn things bad as it will give priority to foreign workers who hold advanced degrees from various American universities taking no…
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Guide to Vote in 2019 Indian General Elections If You Are Serviceman/NRI January 31, 2019 11:26
Ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in India this year, the government is making an effort to encourage voters to exercise their franchise, not only for its citizens but also for servicemen and Non-Resident Indians (NRIs). As a huge chunk of votes gets wasted every election as people away from constituency could not exercise their franchise, the government is easing out the electoral registration process. The option of service vote was already available for servicemen posted abroad. But now, overseas voters can also shortly cast their votes through proxy voting if a bill which is currently still pending in Rajya Sabha is cleared this budget session. Here is a look at the process of servicemen and NRI voting in India: How to Enroll as an Overseas or NRI Voter After an NRI or person of Indian origin traces the polling station and gets the contact information of Election officers in the region, they can fill up Form 6A online on http://www.nsvp.in or from the Election Commission of India website and then upload the needed documents showing proof which can either be submitted through post or in person. Documents Required One recent passport size photograph, self-attested photocopies of the applicable pages of the passport and valid visa endorsement. As soon as the documents are submitted, for the verification process, a Booth Level Officer visits the home address mentioned in the passport and just in case of declaration for proof, it is sent to the concerned Indian Mission. The decision is and so communicated by post and through SMS, apart from which electoral rolls are also available on the ECI website under the “Overseas Electors” section. How to Vote? An NRI voter will not be issued an EPIC card and will be allowed to vote in person at the polling station on the production of original passport. The bill for proxy voting which allows NRI voters to exercise their right through e-postal ballots is yet awaiting in Rajya Sabha. Who Can Enroll as Service Voter? A person who is in the Armed Forces of India, or belongs to the Assam Rifles, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBPF); General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) in Border Road Organization; Central Industrial Security Force or is employed under the Indian government in a post outside the country or is a member of the Armed Police Force of a state and serving outside the state can enroll as a service voter. How to Enroll? Once the voter finds out the name of the constituency that he/she belongs to, they can fill the enrollment form, Declaration form and then submit it to the Record or Nodal officer. This will guarantee that the service voter’s spouse will be enrolled on their behalf as mentioned in the declaration. As an alternative, the serviceman can also choose to enroll as a general elector at the place of posting, if it is a peace posting. How to Vote? The Returning officer of the constituency sends the service voter the postal ballot in which the service voter can register their vote and seal the cover. The voter has to sign the declaration in Form 13A after which the Commanding officer of the unit will certify the voter’s signature which is required to be given to the Returning Officer by messenger or post. -Sowmya Sangam
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Guidelines for NRIs to Buy a Property in India January 29, 2019 12:51
No matter how the real estate market in India behaves, Non-Resident Indians for good and all prefer a place back in India, not merely for investment return but similarly to remain rooted in their country…
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3 Indians from UAE Receive Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards January 24, 2019 11:11
Three Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) from the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday were among others who won the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award (PBSA). President of India Ram Nath Kovind conferred the award on Surender Singh…
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Indian Groups in UAE Miss Deadline for Proposals on New Immigration Bill January 21, 2019 12:09
Scores Indian expatriate groups in the United Arab Emirates have missed the finishing date to recommenced changes to New Delhi’s new draft immigration act that will replace the immigration act of 1983, according to media…
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NRIs Can Now Cast Their Vote in 2019 Indian General Elections January 12, 2019 13:24
In a piece of good news for Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), you can now be able to vote in the 2019 Indian general elections. Through the official website of the Election Commission of India, an NRI can register as a voter . In the website, if you click on the button titled 'Enroll as NRI voter', it takes you to a form that needs to be filled and submitted to register as a voter in the 2019 general elections. About 31 million NRIs around the world will be benefited, who are unable to cast their vote since they are no longer a resident of India. In the form, there is a list of guidelines that need to be adhered to. The form clearly states that Indians who have acquired citizenships of other countries will not be eligible. This provision has come about after a bill to amend the electoral law to allow NRIs to vote came up before the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian parliament earlier this year. Related Content: Bill Granting Voting Rights to NRIs Blocked in Rajya Sabha Overseas Indians are currently free to cast their votes if they are physically present in the constituencies where they are registered. An official announcement on this has not been made by the authorities yet. The tenure of Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance will end on May 26, 2019, and the 2019 Lok Sabha elections will be held sometime around April and May. -Sowmya Sangam
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Over 5,000 Register for Indian Diaspora Conclave January 12, 2019 12:44
More than 5,000 people have been registered to take part in this year's Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) or Indian diaspora conclave to be held in Varanasi from January 21 to 23, Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh said on Friday. Briefing the media, Singh said while in the last PBD held in Bengaluru in 2016 only 500 people had registered till the time of a media briefing like the one on Friday, this time over 5,000 people have already registered for the event. Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi will kick off the conclave with Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Jugnauth as the chief guest. Related Content: PM Modi Invites Indians Living Abroad to Attend Kumbh Mela, R-Day Indian origin Members of Parliament Kanwaljit Bakshi of New Zealand and Himanshu Gulati of Norway a will be the guests of honor. The Pravasi Bharatiya Samman will be conferred on 30 individuals for their achievements and accomplishments in different fields, according to Singh. After the end of the event on January 23, the participants will be taken to Prayagraj on January 24 where they will take part in the Kumbh Mela. From there, they will be brought in special trains to New Delhi where they will witness the Republic Day on January 26, he added. -Sowmya Sangam
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H-1B Visa Changes to Bring Relief to Indian IT Professionals January 12, 2019 11:06
In a much relief to Indian IT professionals in the United States, president Donald Trump on Friday assured H-1B visa holders that his administration will soon bring changes that will give them certainty to stay…
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Over 25,000 Indians to Attend Rahul's Public Meeting in Dubai January 09, 2019 15:42
Over 25,000 Indian origins across the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are expected to attend the public meeting of Indian National Congress Party President Rahul Gandhi's at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Friday. Gandhi will be…
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UK Visas to Be Expensive for Indian, Non-EU Migrants from Today January 08, 2019 10:58
As part of plans to raise the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), the overall cost of the United Kingdom visa and non-European Union citizens will rise from Tuesday, which is payable when professionals, students, and family…
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MEA Address 4,189 Complaints of Abandoned Wives in Last Three Years January 04, 2019 13:26
In the past three years, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has addressed 4,189 complaints of distressed Indian women abandoned by their non-resident Indian husbands, the Rajya Sabha was told Thursday. In 2016, a total of 1,510 such complaints were addressed, while in 2017 as many as 1,498 complaints were addressed and earlier this year, till November 30, 1,181 complaints were addressed, Minister of State for the External Affairs Ministry V K Singh said in reply to a question. Singh said the government has adopted a "multi-pronged approach to give respite to the wives deserted by their NRI husbands". "The Ministry of External Affairs provides counseling, guidance, and information about legal procedures, mechanisms for serving a judicial summons on the overseas Indian husband; filing a judicial case in India, issuing Look out circulars; impounding and revocation of Indian passport of the husband to such aggrieved women," he said. The Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) Guidelines were revised in September 2017 with an intent to provide financial and legal assistance to distressed women married to NRI spouses by all Indian Missions and Posts abroad, he added. The amount of legal and financial assistance to distressed Indian women has also been increased to USD 4,000 per case, he said in a written response. "The assistance is released to the impanelled legal counsel of the applicant or Indian Community Association or Women's Organization or an NGO concerned to enable them to take necessary and appropriate steps to assist the woman in documentation and preparatory work for filing the case," he said. -Sowmya Sangam
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SEBI Brings in Single Regime for NRI, FPI, PIO Investors January 04, 2019 10:25
Indian regulatory body Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has come out with rules for the merger of Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI) and non-resident Indians/overseas citizens routes to bring in a single regime for…
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