Immigration newsletter 31 Dec 2010

2010 was a momentous year for immigration around the World.  Below we include a few of the most important immigration stories for 2010:

Unlimited numbers of UK Tier 1 visa applications can still be made from within the UK until the end of March 2010. However, Tier 1 General visa or equivalent will be almost impossible to obtain from April 2011.

Australia immigration skilled occupation list for General Skilled Migration applications was reduced from 400 occupations to 181 occupations on 1 July 2010.  Immigration for tradespeople will be more difficult from July 2011.

Canada Immigration in demand occupations was reduced to 29 occupations from 26 June 2010. This means that many prospective immigrants to Canada will now require a job offer to qualify for immigration.

US H-1Bs continue to be available throughout the year.  In the booms years H-1Bs were used up the first day that they became available.

Canada has confirmed that Santa Claus is a Canadian citizen during a special citizenship ceremony on 20 December 2010.

"We wish Mr. Claus all the best in his Christmas Eve duties again this year," said Canadian Immigration Minister Jason Kenney.

Canada is a nation that welcomes over a quarter million immigrants each year and has the highest per capita immigration rate in the world.

As the unemployment rate falls in Australia, more and more Australian businesses are finding it difficult to fill vacancies. Many new job opportunities exist as a result of continuing economic growth in Australia.

Citizens of the UK will usually have an advantage when immigrating to Australia. Good English language skills will give you more points under the points based system for an Australian visa.

Australia is worth considering for those from the UK with a successful business career looking to expand overseas. Australia has a booming economy and to a great extent a shared culture with the UK.

The provisional State/Territory Sponsored Business Owner visa (Subclass 163) allows business owners under 55 years of age to emigrate and establish a business in Australia.

A dramatic boost in Canada's population was driven mostly by immigration, according to recent figures released by Statistics Canada.

The increase was the largest in 40 years; As of 1 October 2010 the total Canadian population was 34.2 million. During the third quarter of 2010, 65 percent of the 129,300 increase in Canada's population was due to immigration.

Southeast Asia is becoming an increasingly popular destination for both visitors and immigrants. Malaysia in particular is a favoured holiday destination and is considered a good place to a have a second home due to its diverse culture, good standard of living, and geographic location.

The Government of Malaysia encourages people from all over the world to apply for immigration under the Malaysia My Second Home Programme (MM2H). Foreigners who meet certain eligibility criteria can gain a multi-entry MM2H visa that is initially valid for 10 years and is renewable.

Under new rules signed by President Medvedev, Russia will make it easier for skilled foreign workers to maintain their registration status if they leave their place of residency for more than three workings days. The new rules are in line with longer visas and work permits introduced last summer for certain classes of foreign workers.

The UAE is introducing a new work permit which will allow foreign workers currently in the country to switch jobs after two years without facing a six-month ban for leaving their previous job. The changes are an attempt to reform the UAE labour market.

We at workpermit.com wish you a Happy and Prosperous 2011!