Immigration newsletter 07 Jun 2006

In the US, no more H-1B visas are available for the upcoming fiscal year. The fiscal year 2007 begins on October first, 2006 for anyone granted an H-1B visa this year. The full quota of 66,000 applications has been met and the US will not accept any submitted after May 26th. Applications for the fiscal year 2008 begin on April 1st of 2007.

Midwives with nursing training and certificates are in high demand in the US. Approximately 320,000 couples have their children born at home annually these days. The numbers have more than doubled over the last ten years.

Dublin, Ireland is being called the "brain gain" capital of the European Union.

One of the most economically depressed regions in Europe a decade ago, Ireland continues to be the "Celtic Tiger". With one of the lowest corporate tax rates (12.5%) and one of most open borders in the EU, Ireland has attracted a huge surge of immigrant labour. Unemployment has plummeted from a record high of 18% to a record low of 4.4% in just over a decade.

The European Commission has revealed preliminary plans and a budget of 1.5 billion euros to upgrade the borders of the EU for the upcoming year and 2007. Generally, increased training and high-tech security devices are planned. One that seems likely is a small fleet of unmanned, robotic aircraft for border surveillance.

Finally, The Population Commission of the United Nations has unanimously adopted and issued its report on migration and development. The on-going project is an extension of the United Nations Protocol Against Smuggling of Migrants, which entered into force on 28 January, 2004. Its primary goal is to make sure that both the Country receiving the immigrants and the immigrant's home Country benefit from immigration.