Britain Unveils new visa plans from August 9 2011

Britain has announced a new visa category to facilitate the immigration for exceptionally talented people from India and other non-EU countries in the fields of science, humanities, engineering and the arts.

The new Tier 1 (exceptional talent) category will open on 9 August 2011, and will have 1,000 places in the first year of operation, official sources here said. The new category will facilitate not only those who have already been recognised but also those with the potential to be recognised as leaders in their respective fields, the sources added.

There will be 500 places available between the August 9 and November 30 and a further 500 places available from the December 1 to March 31, 2012. The number of places will be reviewed at the end of March 2012. The immigration category will be overseen by four ‘competent bodies’, which will advise the UK border agency on these ‘exceptionally talented’ migrants to ensure that they are the brightest and best in their field.

The bodies are: the Royal Society, a fellowship of the world’s most eminent scientists, will be able to nominate up to 300 places; the Arts Council England, the national development agency for the arts, will also be able to nominate up to 300 places; the Royal Academy of Engineering, Britain’s national academy for engineering, will have up to 200 places to nominate; and the British Academy, the national academy for the humanities and social sciences will be able to nominate up to 200 places.

The Immigration minister, Mr Damian Green said: “The UK is a global leader in science, humanities and engineering and we are a cultural centre for the arts: we will continue to welcome those who have the most to offer and contribute to our society and economy”.

Migrants seeking entry to the UK under this category will not need to be sponsored by an employer, but will need to be recommended by one of the competent bodies. While the government has allotted a number of places to each body, it will be open to the bodies to transfer additional places to those with more demand if this becomes necessary, the sources added.

Those admitted under the category will initially be granted permission to stay for 3 years and 4 months. They will then be able to extend their stay for a further 2 years, and settlement may be available after 5 years’ residence in the UK.

Mr Alan Davey, the chief executive of arts council England, said: “We welcome the launch of this special visa scheme, which will enable the very best artists of international standing to live and work in the UK”. It will be for each competent body to select those who will qualify for recommendation, and we have also published the criteria for their endorsement.

The president of the British Academy, Sir Adam Roberts, said: “The Humanities and Social Sciences are flourishing in the UK and attract many excellent scholars from overseas. The British Academy is ready to play its part in identifying those outstanding scholars for whom Tier 1 is the appropriate visa category.”

Goa holidays - a ready reckoner

Goa has long been known as a paradise for vacationers who have traditionally preferred Goa in comparison to other holiday destinations in India owing to Goa's charming beauty and westernized culture.Couple this with the three "S"s which Goa is famous for- Sun, sea and Sand, and you have a cocktail for a holiday destination that you should not miss. Goa's never ending strip of sun kissed beaches , magnificent churches, beautiful ancient temples, liberal lifestyle and a great legacy of the erstwhile Portuguese rule makes Goa a natural hotspot for tourists with a leisure holiday on mind.

Although Goa is a destination for tourists from all over the world it is not an expensive destination to say the least and you can afford a holiday in Goa at a cheap cost. Something that the backpackers discovered long ago and continue to do so by traveling to Goa regularly.Goa holidays have been the favourite of people on low budgets as well as the high net worth travelers simply because it has the will to accommodate a wide category of tourists.

Goa's natural beauty to a large extent is the result of the Portuguese rule in Goa which extended to this place from the year 1510 to 1961 encompassing over 450 years of colonial rule which transformed Goa into a place blending the west with the east and its cuisine, local habits and dress codes are ample testimony to this fact. Goa's architecture of major houses and antique mansions is a glaring evidence of the impact which Portugal had over tiny Goa. The Portuguese culture has left an indelible mark on Goa's lifestyle which has endeared tourists to this place which is an ideal holiday destination with affable and friendly people to supplement a well-deserved holiday.

Goa is among the younger states of India and is very small in size compared to majority of the other Indian states and covers an area of only 3,702 km . In fact it is a linear stretch of coastal paradise known as the Konkan belt facing the Arabian Sea. Goa's coastline has a length of around 100 kilometres and the Goan mainland comprises of many rivulets, the major ones being the famous Mandovi in Panjim, the river Zuari in Cortalim, the Chapora river in Chapora, the terekhol river, the sal river in Salcete and the Betul river in the south. The Mormugao harbour is the natural harbour on the mouth of the Zuari river and is a busy port serving the needs of Goa's logistic operations.

Historically it is known that the Mandovi and the Zuari rivers are the lifelines of Goa with their tributaries claiming over 70 percent of Goa's area. Goa is blessed with more than eight marine and about ninety riverine islands and forty estuaries. The entire navigable length of Goa's rivers is around 157 miles.

Goa has plenty of beach area and several beaches are made famous over the ages. Each beach in Goa has an identity of its own and a following which goes beyond the seas. The most famous beaches of Goa are the Calangute beach, Anjuna Beach, Vagator beach, Dona Paula beach and Miramar beach in the north and Colva Beach, Benaulim Beach, Majorda Beach and Arossim beach in the south. The beaches have popularized Goa as the beach capital of India and it is rightly so. Over a million visitors visit Goa every year and holidaymakers to Goa are often known to find quick relaxation in Goa owing to Goa's laid back natural feeling which is summed up by the word "succegado", nostalgic to Goa and which means "laid back".

Goa's lush green surroundings give you a feel of openness and one can indulge in free spirited movement in Goa while following action after action and pursuing endless opportunities to roam around and enjoying all-night partying at certain locations. Goa's fun is not limited to the rich pockets and people of every budget can enjoy the spirit of fun and abandonment.

The Culture of Goa showcases a distinctly different cultural outlook compared to the rest of India. Its population has a wonderful mix of both Hindu and Christian people who live in perfect harmony in this most peaceful state of India. The traditional customs of the Hindus still remain intact in Goa and the traditional shigmo is one such festival which makes good entertainment besides many other such festivals of the Hindus. The Catholics in Goa celebrate feasts at various occasions including the feasts of every church in Goa. Goa has hundreds of Churches one in every village and city and as such festivities in Goa abound throughout the year .The traditional Carnival is observed in Goa with great fervour and marks Goa's distinguished western flavor in Eastern India.The people of Goa therefore observe the festivals of Christmas, Easter, Ganesh Chaturthi and Shigmo with equal zest.

Goa's staple food is fish curry rice and fish in itself is a desirable delicacy for almost every Goan and many lip-smacking fish preparations continue to decorate the Goan menu for ages. The Goan cashew feni is a natural brew extracted from the juice of the cashew fruit in Goa and has made Goa famous by its nostalgic delight all over the world. The Cashew feni is also known to have great medicinal value and is often used in Goa with other natural additives as a cure for many ailments. Goa is also known to extract maximum produce from its natural resource of palm trees which provide Goans with a great income and often runs households entirely on the coconut trade. Coconut vinegar is also very popular among Goans and unlike other places in India which use citric acid as vinegar, Goans continue to use natural palm toddy to produce vinegar which is used for various Goan preparations including the tasty delicacy called "Goan sannas". Palm trees also yield a brew known as "Maddancho Feni "which is prepared from palm toddy.

You can reach Goa by air, road and rail. Daily flights are connected to the major cities in India including Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai etc. Goa is hardly at a distance of 600 kms from Mumbai and buses are plying to Mumbai, Bangalore and Pune daily .Train services to Goa rae mainly along the Konkan railway route and several trains run through Goa which include the Konkan kanya, Matsyagandha express, Mandavi express, Netravati, Hapa express etc. The major stations in Goa include Margao, Vasco, Tivim, and Karmali. Although Goa has a large coastline, travel by sea has still not caught fancy and has been interrupted several times after being launched.

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