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Portugal has the European Union Presidency for six months from 01 July, 2007. The term is already off to a challenging start with heated debate over EU migration and expansion issues, and the highly controversial EU Constitution. Portugal announced it intends to continue pursuing solutions for the illegal immigration problems from African nations. A summit will be held in December to continue with economic development and diplomatic progress to ease relations between Europe and Africa.

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has released its International Migration Outlook report for 2007 with analysis of recent migration and immigration patterns. Generally, immigration is increasing for family reunification and also to meet labor market demands, but is decreasing for humanitarian reasons for the 20 member nations. Foreign students entering the OECD have increased by 9% every year since 2000, showing a clear trend in the importance of attracting and retaining...

Microsoft announced on 05 July that they will create a new Microsoft Canada Development Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia. About a two-hour drive north from Microsoft's headquarters in Redmond, Washington, it will open later this year with around 200 employees, with up to 1,000 planned later on. Officials in Vancouver greeted the announcement with excitement as the move represents a significant boost to the cities' economy. The announcement pointedly took a few political digs at the implosion of the U.S. immigration reform debate two weeks ago. Microsoft had lobbied hard for an increase in the H-1B visa quota and now says that the new software center will allow them to hire immigrants that are being kept out of the U.S.

The United States is in the process of changing the citizenship and naturalization test. The stated goal is that the questions should more closely reflect information about the U.S....

The British embassy in Moscow is currently receiving an average of about 100 visa applications per hour. Embassy officials attribute the 25% increase, in part, to a combination of June's traditional high demand and up to a 50% reduction in cost for certain types of visas. Part of the surge in applications is comprised of a 37% increase in international students trying to come into the UK.

French Immigration Minister, Brice Hortefeux, introduced a new immigration bill in Parliament. It proposes a number of changes in policy that French President Nicolas Sarkozy would like to see implemented. These would result in stronger French language and cultural integration standards for immigrants. The bill is scheduled for debate in the Parliament in September.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel hosted a national immigration summit on 12 July to address integration issues for Germany's immigrants. One previous summit was held last July, and...

The UK's National Shortages Occupation List was modified to add the category of Chartered Quantity Surveyors as of July 23rd. Occupations on this list do not require a Resident Labor Test. This means that an employer does not need to show that a job cannot be filled by citizens of Britain, the EU, or the European Economic Area. Chartered Quantity Surveyors generally work within the construction industry to control and manage costs on a construction project.

In response to a series of diplomatic expulsions in the United Kingdom and Russia over the past two weeks, Britain has halted reform under negotiation with Russia to speed up Russian visa applications for diplomats and to fast-track visas for tourists and businessmen. Visa applications, especially for applications from government officials, may undergo increased scrutiny. The British embassy also said that the visa process would only change for applications submitted for members of...