Immigration newsletter 13 Aug 2008

As a reminder for people who entered Britain under the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP) scheme prior to 07 November 2006, it is now possible to extend their HSMP under the old rules. People denied an extension to their HSMP visa under rules established after the change can have the UK Border & Immigration Agency (BIA) reconsider their applications. Following a judicial review, the United Kingdom's High Court decided that the BIA acted unlawfully by requiring HSMP visa holders who entered under the old rules to effectively re-qualify under newer, much more difficult requirements.

The travel site, Destination New Zealand, recently conducted a reader survey that shows more people immigrating to New Zealand are using immigration consultants. 47.1% of readers are using an immigration consultant for their applications. The survey also found that many people had difficulty in providing all the documentation required for the application.

It was found that the waiting time was the most inconvenient and irritating part of the immigration process. This perception may have contributed to the increased use of immigration consultants. Professional consultants can help applicants avoid delays by ensuring the required paperwork is complete and correct.

On 12 August 2008, Canada proposed a new immigration scheme called the "Canadian Experience Class." The new immigration scheme would, if passed into law, create a new route to permanent residence and, eventually, citizenship. People applying under the Canadian Experience Class can continue to work in Canada while their application is being processed.

Under the proposed scheme, certain temporary foreign workers and certain foreign student graduates with managerial, professional, or technical/trade work experience would be eligible to become permanent residents and eventual Canadian citizens. Depending upon their occupational skill level, applicants would need to have at least basic or moderate language skills.

Funding has been announced for 11 organizations in the Canadian province of Ontario to help an estimated 1,800 internationally trained professionals improve their language skills. The Canadian federal government will provide over CAD $7.8 million and the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration will provide an additional CAD $3.4 million to agencies in Toronto that provide settlement services for immigrants.

Services are to include specialized language training, help for newcomers to find work, and mentoring and internship placements for internationally trained people. Funding will support services for foreign-trained individuals in specific fields such as health care, engineering, social work, architecture, and finance.

Australia signed new Work and Holiday agreements with Malaysia and with Indonesia last week. Up to 100 university graduates, or students who have completed at least two years of study, will be allowed to enter each others' countries under the agreement. Thailand and Australia are also expanding their existing Work and Holiday agreement by more than doubling the number of visas under their arrangements, from 200 to 500 per year.

Work and Holiday visas allow eligible citizens to work in Australia while on holiday; Australian citizens may apply for Work and Holiday visas to other countries under the agreements. Applicants must be aged 18-30 years of age and have no dependent children; they must also meet certain other requirements.

Work permit quotas in Moscow will not be applied to managers and certain categories of specialists, according to Russia's Federal Migration Service (FMS). An FMS spokesman said that his department is issuing work permits for some Moscow-based foreigners, even though Moscow had reached its annual work permit quota by the end of May.

A spokesperson for the Health and Social Development Ministry confirmed that a directive has been handed down allowing the FMS to issue work permits for foreign specialists. While not yet formally enacted by the Justice Ministry, the directive has been put into action by the FMS since July 24th 2008.