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workpermit.com would like to wish all of its readers and visitors a very happy, prosperous and joyful 2006. We hope that we can help you fulfil your immigration dreams, and we look forward to continuing to bring you the top immigration stories from around the world to keep you up-to-date in the New Year.

This week, workpermit.com brings you a summary of what we consider to be the most monumental immigration news of 2005 .

As workpermit.com has already reported, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill on Dec. 16, 2005 that would affect many aspects of US immigration . Among many other things, it would cancel the Diversity Visa program (the so-called Green Card Lottery ). The lottery makes available 50,000 immigrant visas each year. Citizens of certain countries, namely those that have not sent more than 50,000 immigrants to the US in the past five years, can apply for the lottery. workpermit.com will continue to keep you up-to-date with this important information.

As Canadian elections draw near, the main political parties are using immigration as a tool for gaining support. Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin is promising to phase out a hated immigration landing fee he imposed in 1995 , his latest effort to gather support for his party among new Canadians. Martin now calls...

Protests organized against illegal immigration in the US last week drew small numbers, and in some cases attracted more immigration supporters than protestors. The "Stop the Invasion" protests Saturday were organized in 19 states, demanding the government to increase border security and penalize employers who hire illegal workers. "This is not a racist thing," said one protestor, a construction worker from Westchester, New York. "We pay taxes, they don't. I get paid what the union says. The contractor pays them cash. It's not fair to me." The protests came at the same time as diplomats from Mexico and Central America met to demand guest worker programs and the legalization of undocumented migrants in the United States, while criticizing a U.S. proposal for tougher border enforcement.

Are you considering New Zealand immigration? Please see the special feature of one British man's...

On January 23, Canada's Conservative Party led by Stephen Harper won the Canadian national elections , which ended 13 years of Liberal rule. The victory is expected to move Canada rightward on social and economic issues and lead to improved ties with the United States. During the campaign, Harper pledged to cut the red tape in social welfare programs, lower the national sales tax from 7 percent to 5 percent and grant more autonomy and federal funding to Canada's 13 provinces and territories. Before the election, the Conservative Party promised that it will streamline the process of bringing skilled immigrants into the country and ensure their better integration into Canadian society. workpermit.com will continue to update you on changes in Canada's immigration policy as they happen.

This week it came to light that only five European Union member states have implemented key ...