Immigration newsletter 09 Dec 2014

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The US election & its impact on immigration

Following the US Congressional elections last month, President Obama is pushing through with his promised immigration reforms by executive action. This will effectively bypass Congress.

Usually a bill has to pass both the House of Representatives and the Senate, and be approved by the President before becoming law. Fortunately, via Executive Action Obama can go ahead without the support of Congress.

The nature of the US political system also means that the Republicans will not be able to push through any new immigration legislation either; A minimum of 60 votes are required in the Senate, which is unlikely as the Republicans only hold 53 seats, although still a small majority.

Australia and China agree immigration reforms

Australia and China are currently negotiating a free-trade agreement, which is set to include changes to immigration between the two countries.

The measures are being announced as part of the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA). This will result in more Chinese nationals coming to Australia, however some people in Australia are concerned about the impact this may have on the jobs market in Australia.

Prime Minister Tony Abbot has reassured the public, and points out that Australians will also benefit from this arrangement. He said: “These agreements today are not just about trade, they’re also about services, and there are tremendous opportunities for Australian law firms, accounting firms, educational providers and others to make more of this great market and, likewise, there are opportunities for Chinese people in Australia.”

Significant changes announced for UK Tier 1 visas

Radical changes have been implemented for the UK Tier 1 (Investor) category, with the overall aim of increasing funding to the UK economy and to eliminate any abuses of this category. However the changes now mean that investors no longer have the option of making part of the investment in property or putting some of the money into UK bank accounts. These changes are some of the most radical since the category opened.

Changes have also been introduced to the Tier 1 (Exceptional talent) visa category. UK immigration says that this is in order to attract more applicants, as at the moment very few migrants meet the requirements for this immigration route. It seems unlikely though that these changes will have a great impact on the number of people who qualify for this visa category.

There have also been a few minor technical changes announced for the Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visa category.

Australia Immigration Opportunities

Australia has some of the best skilled immigration programs in the World. We can ensure that your Australian visa applications are dealt with competently and efficiently so maximising your chances of success. We can help with Skilled Independent and State sponsored visas and a number of other Australian visa categories.

Canadian Express Entry vs Temporary Foreign workers

With the new Express Entry program launching in Canada next year, workpermit.com have reviewed the changes from the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, and the ways in which applicants will be affected under the new scheme.

The Temporary Foreign Worker program has been used extensively among Canadian employers, as it allows them to quickly recruit foreign workers from abroad. This has particularly been the case in Alberta and Western Canada where Energy and Mining industries are booming at the moment.

The Federal and Provincial governments have made some changes for the new Express Entry program, which aim to close some of the loopholes.

Canadian immigration says that the aim of the new program is to ensure that foreign workers are only recruited when there are no available Canadians, and that the right workers are allocated to the right jobs. Candidates will be added to a pool of applicants, with employers then able to select the best migrants.