Immigration newsletter 29 Aug 2007

The General Skilled Migration (GSM) program for Australian visas will change from 01 September 2007. There will be major restructuring of the visa categories. From 01 September, the current fifteen categories of temporary visas will be reduced to nine categories.

The Australian government has published a draft of what the new citizenship test will look like. Legislation for the new citizenship test still needs to be passed by the Parliament, and is expected to become law and to be implemented later this year. It is hoped that the test will help newcomers more easily integrate into Australian society.

British Liberal Democrats have weighed in with a new policy position on illegal immigration in the United Kingdom. Last week they issued a paper and statements coming out in favor of a limited, "earned amnesty" for some illegal immigrants. Much tighter border controls would also be part of the new initiative. If adopted, it could affect between 300,000 and 900,000 estimated 'irregular' residents currently in the UK. 

The Institute for Public Policy Research estimates that regularizing people under a structured, 'managed' amnesty could add over ?1 billion in taxes annually to the treasury. They also estimate that deportation costs will be reduced by about ?4.7 billion. Under the proposal, any such amnesty would only be available to long-term "illegal immigrants" who have, in most respects, abided by the law in the UK.

A record number of people left the United Kingdom last year for other countries. While many Brits often retire to other locations, analysis indicates that about half of British emigrants are either looking for work or have a job lined up. Nearly 50% of those leaving are 'long-term migrants' themselves who have been in the UK for more than one year. To take one example, the number of Eastern Europeans leaving the UK increased from 3000 in 2005 to 16,000 for 2006. However, the total number of immigrants coming into Britain last year was nearly 200,000 more than the total numbers leaving. 

A new government report states that New Zealand's labor market will remain tight during the next year as the skilled worker shortage continues to get worse. The working age population is growing at only 0.2%, while unemployment is down to 3.6%. 

Companies have been raising salaries in an attempt to attract and retain employees. The report acknowledges that many New Zealand companies are having a difficult time finding qualified staff. In order to bolster the economy, the government has raised interest rates three times this year in an attempt to slow spending and to fight inflation.

A report analyzing skilled migration to America has been published on behalf of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation (EMKF). It is the third in a series focusing on immigrants' contributions to the global competitiveness of the U.S. economy. Almost 9 in 10 foreigners cannot get a skilled employment-based visa due to quota limits. Entitled "Intellectual Property, the Immigration Backlog, and a Reverse Brain-Drain," findings from the report suggest that highly educated people from overseas with desperately needed skills will not be able to stay and contribute to the U.S. economy. Rather, they may find work in their home countries or immigrate to other nations instead.

Germany intends to make access to their labour market easier for nationals from the 12 new European Union nations that have joined since 2004. This represents a significant change in policy. Due to a serious shortage of skilled professionals, the country is now planning to allow electrical and mechanical engineers from these EU states into the German labor market. 

Germany is considering a reduction in the minimum annual wage requirements for non-EU and non-EEA visas. Currently set at ?85,000 a year, discussion within the government has suggested lowering it to the ?40,000 to ?60,000 range. Also under consideration is a proposal for a German graduate scheme. Foreign students earning a degree in Germany would be allowed to remain and work for up to three years after graduation.

The new Dutch Minister for Integration, Ella Vogelaar, wants to make language lessons for immigrants free of charge. If implemented, it will be a dramatic departure from the current government policy of forcing immigrants to take and pay for language lessons. Many have needed to take out loans to learn Dutch. 

The "Naturalization Deltaplan" was leaked to the public last week before it has been presented in the Parliament. It proposes integration through schooling, work, and volunteer programs, which is hoped to make Dutch easier for migrants to learn. By learning social skills through such activities, the idea is that they can increase their chances of finding work.