UK's Student Visa Application Process Simplified for Taiwan: UK Border Agency (UKBA)

UK's Student Visa Application Process Simplified for Taiwan

TAIPEI, Taiwan – According to British Trade and Cultural Office statement; the Taiwanese students who want to pursue their academics in UK will be facilitated in terms of visa application process. 

Director of the UK Border Agency (UKBA) for the Asia-Pacific region, James Sharp, stressed that the change does not imply a “softening of entry requirements.”

Reportedly, approximately 4,000 Taiwanese will be benefited a year with the simplified visa application process that will begin in July 2011.    

According to the UKBA Web site; the latest changes, introduced by British immigration authorities on Monday, are part of the UK’s attempt to review and reinforce its immigration policy. Their aim is to deal with immigration misuse and modernize the visa application process for students who pose a low risk.

Taiwan is among 14 countries or territories to be granted this privilege.

Strong Earthquakes Strikes Philippines and Taiwan, No tsunami alert

MANILA – There are no immediate reports of deaths or damages as a 6.4-magnitude earthquake hit off the northern coast of the Philippines on Sunday, local seismologists said. 

There is no immediate tsunami alert, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said, but a close monitoring is being done on the northern areas.

 The earthquake was located 117 kilometres (70 miles) northeast of Laoag city in Luzon Island at a depth of 50 kilometres, the institute said.

In the meantime, on Sunday a earthquake of 5.5-magnitude struck off Taiwan jolting buildings in the capital, seismologists said, but there were no reports of damage and a tsunami warning was not issued.