Immigration newsletter 20 Jul 2011

Australian immigration minister Chris Bowen has announced that Perth, Western Australia will have a sponsored migration scheme which will make it easier for employers to hire overseas workers.

Bowen said that Perth will come under the government's Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme, a move sure to please Australian employers desperate to hire overseas workers.

If you wish to immigrate to Australia, you may be eligible to apply for immigration under a Regional Sponsored Migration scheme specific to Perth, Western Australia.

We are able to offer sponsorships for occupations which are not on the state migration plan list, meaning you may be eligible for immigration to Australia under a 475 visa with experience in an occupation that is not on the occupation list.

A Northern Ireland MP, Jim Shannon, has called for immigration changes that would allow Filipino fisherman to keep on working in Northern Ireland.

Under current immigration rules, approximately 70 fisherman would probably not be allowed to continue working in the UK.

European Union Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom says that immigration and visa free travel are beneficial to the EU. Her comments come after Denmark brought in tougher border controls in response to growing immigration from North Africa.

Malmstrom says that the EU needs immigrants to help deal with skills shortages. The EU in general has an aging population and a declining workforce. More Immigration will benefit the economies of EU Countries and benefit EU citizens and residents.

The global financial crisis of a few years ago had a huge effect on levels of immigration to the EU. There was a significant reduction in immigration to the European Union, according to new figures from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

According to the report, immigration to some countries declined by almost 50 percent in 2009. The Czech Republic saw immigration drop by 46 percent and Ireland saw a 42 percent decline.

Canadian immigration minister Jason Kenney will be consulting with various stakeholders on the appropriate levels of immigration to Canada. Canada currently has one of the highest per capita immigration rates in the world.

"We want people's views on what is the right mix of our various immigration programs, how do we ensure that immigrants succeed economically, because when immigrants get good jobs, Canada succeeds," Kenney said.

According to new statistics, India has become the largest skilled migrant source Country for New Zealand.

The 2010-11 financial year saw a 12 percent increase in successful applicants from India under the countries points-based Skilled Migrant Category immigration scheme.

A new report says that more skilled Asians are choosing to emigrate to other Asian countries such as Singapore and Hong Kong rather than Western Countries such as the UK, Australia, and Canada.

The study, Change of Migration Patterns in Asia: Towards Regional Economic Integration, found that Hong Kong had the highest rate of East Asian immigration, with 2.74 million migrants, followed by Malaysia, Japan, Singapore, and Thailand. Approximately 5.3 million people migrated internally within Asia in 2008.