Visa

Visa on Arrival Facility reopened

Chief Migration Officer, Stanis Hulahau, made the announcement today, welcoming passport holders from specific nations to access the VoA service at designated ports of entry in PNG.

Mr. Hulahau emphasized that the PNG government is reciprocating the same treatment to passport holders from countries offering similar privileges to PNG passport holders, whether Diplomatic, Official, or Standard.

The VoA facility had been temporarily suspended in 2019 due to the Coronavirus pandemic, which necessitated strict entry requirements.

Benefits of multiple entry visa

Chief Migration Officer, Stanis Hulahau said it requires multiple applications per year, and currently, individuals with a 30-day visa must exit the country and reapply for a new visa if they wish to stay longer.

However, the introduction of the Multiple Entry Visa allows individuals to travel multiple times within a 12-month period and stay for up to 60 days per visit, avoiding the inconvenience of having to leave and reapply every 30 days.

No visa function at ACG

Australian Consul-General, Mark Foxe, made the clarification to the Lae business community, saying he continues to field visa enquiries and requests to intervene on decisions.

“Visas are not the responsibility of my office nor the Australian High Commission in Port Moresby,” Foxe stated.

“Visas are not a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade function but an immigration issue through the Department of Home Affairs.”

Ukraine Update: Visa, MasterCard Suspend Operations in Russia

The decisions came hours after President Volodymyr Zelenskiy asked U.S. lawmakers to urge both companies to cease business in Russia as that country pursues its assault on Ukraine. President Joe Biden spoke with Zelenskiy on Saturday. 

 

Visa Inc. and MasterCard Inc. have suspended operations in Russia amid growing pressure from within Ukraine and from U.S. lawmakers to do so. 

Covid testing will not lead to penalties for invalid visa holders - NZ govt

Hundreds of seasonal workers have been stranded in New Zealand over recent months, some with expiring visas.

Pacific leaders had already raised concern about those with uncertain immigration status missing out on assistance or healthcare because of fear of being discovered.

However the minister, Chris Hipkins, encouraged them to get tested for Covid-19 if they needed to.

"We will not use the information collected through the Covid-19 testing process for other purposes, including for immigration purposes," Mr Hipkins said.

US visa fee changes

These changes will increase the fee and/or decrease the validity for the visa categories below, and are commensurate to those imposed by the Government of Papua New Guinea on U.S. citizens. 

Former reciprocity fees/validities are in parentheses.

Visa Class

Total Fee (USD)

Entries

Maru calls for visa outsourcing

Minister Maru said the delay in processing visa applications is a hindrance to trade and investment.

He said during his visit to India in December 2017, he was advised by individuals from various sectors about the delay in approving visas to PNG, which sometimes took months.

Minister Maru said countries around the world, even our nearest neighbours, have reformed their visa requirements and processes, making it much easier for persons from other countries to travel.

New stringent process for travel documents

The authority will be making several changes to required accompanying documents to passport applications to ensure there are no falsified or misleading information.

In a public notice, Acting Chief Migration Officer, Solomon Kantha, says the changes were necessary due to the recent integrity issued concerning lodgment of applications for PNG passport by persons providing misleading or falsified information.

He said to address this, the following changes, which become effective as of March 01, have been made:

Blatter won't stand down despite call from sponsors

The major sponsors each issued statements saying Blatter should quit after Swiss criminal proceedings were opened against him last week.

Coca-Cola took the first step, saying: "Every day that passes FIFA's image and reputation continues to tarnish."

McDonald's said Blatter going would be "in the best interest of the game".

The 79-year-old is accused by Swiss prosecutors of signing a contract that was "unfavourable to Fifa" and making a "disloyal payment" to UEFA president Michel Platini but denies any wrongdoing.