Indians can now visit Russia’s far east without visas

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has announced that tourists and businessmen from India and 17 other nations can visit his country’s far east without visas to boost tourism and investment in the region.

“I have recently approved the list of countries, whose nationals can take advantage of the preferential regime,” Medvedev said.

“We are pro actively forming the modern infrastructure and creating special regimes in the far east; the law on visits to the Vladivostok free port was approved in March,” he said.

Cancellation of visa procedures for tourists and businessmen “will promote growth of investment and tourist attractiveness of the far east,” the Prime Minister said.

The region will earn more money from tourist traffic growth, he added.

Eighteen countries from various regions selected by the reciprocity principle were included into the list, Medvedev said.

“This is not because these states are situated at a closer or longer distance - we are appropriately introducing bilateral agreements on visa-free travel for those ready to use such an approach for us,” he said. PTI

Australia abolished a visa programme used by over 95,000 temporary foreign workers, majority of them Indians, to tackle the growing unemployment in the country.

The programme, known as 457 visa, allows business to employ foreign workers for a period up to four years in skilled jobs where there is a shortage of Australian workers.

“We are an immigration nation, but the fact remains: Australian workers must have priority for Australian jobs, so we are abolishing the 457 visa, the visa that brings temporary foreign workers into our country,” said Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

The majority of the visa holders were from India followed by the UK and China. He said Australia will adopt a new ‘Australians first’ approach to skilled migration.

As of September 30, there were 95,757 workers in Australia on primary 457 visa programme, media outlet ABC reported.

The programme will be replaced by another visa programme, with new restrictions.

“It is important businesses still get access to the skills they need to grow and invest, so the 457 visa will be replaced by a new temporary visa, specifically designed to recruit the best and brightest in the national interest,” he said.

Turnbull said the new programme will ensure that foreign workers are brought into Australia in order to fill critical skill gaps and not brought in because an employer finds it easier to recruit a foreign worker than go to the trouble of hiring an Australian.

Turnbull’s announcement comes days after he visited India where a range of issues were discussed and six deals signed.

OZ PRIME MINISTER MALCOLM TURNBULL SAYS THEY WILL ADOPT A NEW ‘AUSTRALIANS FIRST’ APPROACH TO SKILLED MIGRATION