Immigration newsletter 17 Mar 2010

The recent Australian immigration changes mean that fewer people qualify for Australian immigration under the skilled independent visa.   The Migration Occupations in Demand List no longer exists.   Changes to the Skilled Occupation List in June 2010 may make Australian immigration more difficult still.

Sponsorship by an Australian State or Territory under the State Sponsorship permanent 176 visa (relatives may sponsor as well) or the provisional 475 visa may be an alternative to the Australian Skilled independent visa.  If you meet the requirements for a State Sponsorship visa it may be worth applying now instead of waiting until later in the year when you may no longer meet the requirements.

US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced recently that they will start accepting H-1B petitions again for the fiscal year FY 2011 cap from 1 April 2010.  These visas are useful for professional and management level employees in specialized fields, such as scientists, engineers, or computer programmers.

In 2010 all H-1B petitions were used up by 21 December 2010.   This is more than nine months before the next fiscal year starts on 1 October 2010.   In previous years all H-1B visas have been used up almost as soon as they have become available.

Australian Immigration Minister Chris Evans has welcomed the final report of the Baird Review on the legislation governing international education.  The Baird Report by Bruce Baird was commissioned by the Australian Department for Education to report on the legislation that governs international education in Australia.

Mr Evans says that he is pleased with the support in the Baird Report for the Australian immigration changes announced on 8 February 2010.  He goes on to say that the immigration changes mean the removal of incentives for students to apply for course in the hope of later gaining Australian permanent residence.   However, the report also said that there should be tougher national accreditation and that there should be greater protection for foreign students.

Canadian Immigration Minister Jason Kenney announced recently changes to be introduced on 10 April 2010 to the procedure for assessing language ability for the Federal Skilled Worker and Canadian Experience visa categories. Mr Kenney went on to say that the changes will increase fairness and reduce delays.

The language requirements themselves have not changed,said Minister Kenney. But beginning April 10, 2010, prospective immigrants will be required to prove their English and French language abilities at the time they apply. This requirement supports our commitment to fast, fair and efficient application processing.