Immigration newsletter 04 Jun 2012

From 1 July 2012, Australian immigration will be introducing significant changes to their skilled migration visa program. If you are likely to have your skills assessment completed soon we can help you to beat the deadline. If you contact us by 24 June 2012 we can also obtain sponsorship quickly in Western Australia. You should contact us now at ozvisa@workpermit.com to discuss your various Australian visa options.  There will continue to be plenty of Australian immigration opportunities after 1 July 2012.

US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that, as of 18 May 2012, it has already received 42,000 H-1B cap-subject petitions out of the 65,000 available visas. This number is much higher than the 11,200 visa petitions filed during roughly the same period last year.

Additionally, they have already received 16,000 H-1B visa petitions for foreigners with US advanced degrees out of the 20,000 available visas.  If you are considering filing a cap-subject H-1B petition as part of the FY2013 quota, we highly recommend you apply as soon as possible. Workpermit.com can help you submit your application; please feel free to email us at us@workpermit.com  or call our London office on +44 (0)344 991 9222 for further details.

UK Immigration Minister Damian Green announced that the UK Border Force will be recruiting an additional 70 staff at Heathrow Airport to deal with long queues. He said the staff would be brought in following the Olympics to to cover for immigration officers taking leave after the end of the Olympics and to handle the expected surge when tens of thousands of students arrive in the UK for the new academic year. If you are interested in immigrating or visiting the UK, contact us at  uk@workpermit.com or call our London office on +44 (0)344 991 9222 to discuss your options with one of our experienced immigration consultants.

The Canadian government announced they are phasing out the plastic Social Insurance Number (SIN) card issued to millions of Canadians and others in order to save money and help avoid identity theft. All Canadian citizens, temporary and permanent residents need a SIN to work in Canada or to receive benefits and services from government programs. The nine-digit number is necessary for people to have access to government programs and benefits. It is also the number used by government officials to track the income and taxes owed by an individual.

From 1 July, the Australian government is set to relax immigration laws which will lead to the admission of more immigrants with disabilities and a pre-existing medical conditions. Australian immigration has what is called a significant cost threshold to decide whether or not an immigrant with disabilities or an illness will be too much of a burden on the Australian health system. If the projected cost of treating a prospective immigrant will be greater than the significant cost threshold currently AUD$21,000 over five years the immigrant will not be granted the visa. From 1 July 2012 the significant costs threshold will be increased to AUD$35,000, therefore making it easier for immigrants to gain entry to Australia.

The UK Home Office announced that immigrants from countries with a high incidence of tuberculosis (TB) will soon be required to be screened for the disease before being approved for a UK visa. Under the new rules, immigrants from 67 countries with high TB rates who wish to enter the UK for more than six months will be required to undergo pre-entry screening, followed by treatment if required. The high TB incidence countries were identified by the World Health Organisation and include China, India, Morocco, Nepal and South Africa. 

Foreign workers have continued to immigrate to Western Australia on 457 temporary work visas sponsored by construction and mining industry employers in order to address Australia's severe skills shortages. Australian immigration figures show that the number of visas granted for foreign workers going to Western Australia increased by 88 percent to 13,250 in the first 10 months of this financial year. Also, 90 percent of workers immigrating to Western Australia on the 457 visa are managers, professionals or skilled tradespeople, with most going to work in the construction and mining industry.