Immigration newsletter 12 Oct 2011

Firstly we remind you that you only have three weeks left if you wish to enter the US Green Card Lottery. The entry period ends on 2 November 2011.

If you are interested in Canadian immigration you should note that visas for Pharmacists and Restaurant Managers under the Skilled worker category are rapidly being used up.  You should apply soon if you wish to emigrate under one of these occupations to Canada.

Four out of five companies in Western Australia (WA) plan to hire foreign workers to help fill skills gaps, according to new research by global consultancy services firm KPMG.

The KPMG report found that there were increasing skills shortages in every Australian state except Queensland, and 61 percent of surveyed employers were affected by the shortfall in skilled labour.

The number of temporary 457 visa holders in WA rose by 85 percent in July compared with the same period in the previous year.

Dow Chemical CEO Andew Liveris says that Australia's manufacturing sector needs more highly skilled migrants; There will need to be changes to the Australian immigration rules to enable more skilled immigrants to stay in the country.

At a job summit on 6 October 2011, Liveris warned that Australia must avoid the fate of the US, where highly skilled migrants are returning home due to burdensome visa rules.

Many Australian states will sponsor cooks and chefs under State Sponsored skilled migration routes.

If you are skilled in the culinary arts and want to live and work in Australia, it is possible for you to obtain a work and residence visa through a State Sponsored skilled migration route under the General Skilled Migration program.

It is important to act quickly if you want to immigrate to Australia as quotas generally apply.

People wishing to become UK citizens may soon need to brush up on their knowledge of British history in order to pass the citizenship test (Life in the UK Test).

"There's a whole chapter in the citizenship handbook on British history. But, incredibly, there are no questions on British history in the test," said Prime Minister David Cameron.

A panel of business leaders, immigration law experts, and city mayors said that the United States needs to realize that immigration is a vital component in spurring American economic growth and increasing its global competitiveness.

The discussion was organized by the Partnership for a New-American Economy and held in El Paso Texas on 5 October 2011.

"Our immigration system is broken," said El Paso mayor John Cook.

Hungary has introduced the European Union blue card scheme which allows entry of skilled non-EU nationals to Hungary and certain other EU member states.

The EU blue card is issued to highly skilled workers who obtain a job offer and meets the requirements of the scheme. However only certain member states have agreed to take part in the scheme. Hungary will issue a blue card for up to four years to qualifying applicants.