Immigration newsletter 01 Mar 2006

This week, US president George Bush is visiting India, and one of the topics for discussion is likely to be immigration. Considering that major Indian IT companies depend on H1B visas for easy movement of their workers for their outsourcing businesses, it is very likely that raising the H1B visa cap will be discussed. Bush has said that the limits should be raised to meet the shortage of technical workers in the US. The H1B is a temporary visa that allows technical specialists and other professionals with at least a college degree to work up to six years in the US. The US embassy in India issued almost two-thirds of all H1B visas given worldwide in 2005. US companies such as Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard have been lobbying Congress to increase the H1B quota, despite opposition from US labour groups. However, nothing significant has happened yet. Please continue to visit workpermit.com for updates.

Australian Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone has defended the country's new trade-skills training visa. The visa category will allow employers in regional areas to award apprenticeships to trainees from overseas. The opposition Labor party is calling for the visa category to be scrapped, saying it lacks a requirement for employers to advertise the positions first. Senator Vanstone says the visas will have to be approved by local certifying bodies. Opponents also say the Government and employers are not trying hard enough to make sure that local people fill apprenticeship and job vacancies first. Employment Minister Kevin Andrews told the Australian Parliament the visa will not take apprenticeships from Australian workers because they are only available in regional areas suffering skill shortages. Please check workpermit.com for updated information on this visa category.