Immigration newsletter 14 Nov 2007

We at workpermit.com would like to wish a happy and prosperous Diwali to all. We hope that your celebration of the Festival of Lights this year was joyful!

An unlikely group of countries has come out in support of the proposed European Union Blue Card. France, Italy and Spain, the southern European Union states most affected by illegal immigration, are backing the plan. France's ambassador to the EU praised the Blue Card as a "move forward" in attracting highly skilled migrants into the 27-member bloc of nations. 

Austria has been keeping the proposal at arms length, and the Finnish Immigration Minister has been questioning exactly how the scheme could work. Highly skilled immigrants make up less than 1% of the EU work force, something that proponents of the Blue Card hope to change.

The new points system to be rolled out in the United Kingdom during 2008 might possibly have requirements relaxed for unskilled workers, particularly in the construction industry. The government may ask the Migration Advisory Committee to look into the possibility of allowing more unskilled workers from outside of the European Union into Britain's labor force, at least temporarily. 

A shortage of unskilled and semi-skilled labor is expected with the 2012 Olympics coming up. In addition, some 3 million homes are due to be constructed by 2020. However, some point out that there are about 450,000 people in London alone of working age currently on welfare. They are suggesting that there should be sufficient labor available in-country without a need to change the points system. 

Britain's Border and Immigration Agency (BIA) has cleared up their backlog of work permit applications. As of 07 November 2007, the BIA is considering applications within 5 days of receipt. At the end of October, the BIA was making decisions on 70% of applications within 5 working days and 88% of applications within 15 working days. Review requests for rejected applications currently take about 5 weeks to decide.

The British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO) has won a judgment in favor of international doctors living in the United Kingdom. The ruling found that guidance handed out by the Department of Health to National Health Service employers was unlawful. It is directed that international medical graduates should be treated on par with medical graduates from Britain and the European Union. 

The controversial guidance had instructed NHS employers to give preference to British and EU medical graduates to fill NHS training posts before considering international medical graduates in Britain for such positions.

Diane Finley, the Immigration Minister for Canada, has just completed a tour of India and China. Canada has established a Foreign Credentials Referral Office and Ms. Finley just announced the expansion of orientation sessions abroad to help potential immigrants get their credentials assessed and recognized in Canada as quickly as possible. 

Originally, orientation services were available in only three cities in India, China, and the Philippines. The expansion will add new offices in the Indian states of Gujarat and Punjab, as well as the cities of Beijing and Shanghai in China. These offices will operate on a temporary "rotational basis." 

In addition, a new centrally located office is being established in New Delhi, India, to respond to increased demand in that region. The expansion of services is seen as essential for migrants from China and India to get their professional credentials assessed and recognized in a timely manner before attempting to immigrate into Canada. 

Foreign professional credential recognition in Canada is a territorial and provincial responsibility. However, the federal government has taken on a "facilitative role." The effort is designed to help prospective immigrants get a head start by providing information on the foreign credential recognition process and the Canadian labor market while they are still in their country of origin.

Spain and Senegal have reached an agreement to grant about 2,700 work permits for Senegalese workers seeking jobs in Spain. The deal is part of a larger effort to stem the tide of illegal immigration to the southern European Union nation. Special training will be implemented in Senegal, funded by the Spanish government as part of the long-term strategy.