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According to statistics from October 2007, Denmark expects that it will have issued 50% more Green Cards for 2007 than for 2006. The Danish Green Card is a non-renewable, six-month residence permit that allows non-European Union skilled migrants to enter Denmark to search for a job. However, it is not a work permit. People are not allowed to take employment while searching for a job. Once an immigrant finds work, they must obtain a work permit to work legally. Denmark uses a points-based system with points awarded based on education, language skills, age and work experience.

Norway has introduced new regulations to help employers more quickly recruit workers from the ten new European Union member states that joined in 2004. From January 1st, 2008, workers from these EU countries may now take up employment while waiting for their work permits to be processed. Under transitional arrangements put in place...

For 2008, workpermit.com is celebrating 20 years of helping people to immigrate around the globe. Established in 1988, we have been on the Internet since 1996. 100,000 people are subscribed to our newsletter, half a million people visit us each month for information, and more than 22,000 people are part of our on-line forum community. Thank you for helping to make us the most popular immigration advice site in the world!

According to a recent article in the Economist, immigration limits threaten the prosperity of countries across the globe. Most immigration is driven by economic factors. History shows that countries that encourage economic immigration benefit from the inflow of skills and talent from around the world. At the same time, foreign workers remit tens of billions of dollars to their home countries each year. While immigration can create brain drain in developing nations, this is balanced by the fact...

workpermit.com has a new section with up-to-date information about the new points-based system coming into effect in the United Kingdom this year. We will be updating this section with new information and guidance on how the Tier system will work as details are released. The United Kingdom will begin implementing its new points-based immigration system in early 2008, beginning in March with the Tier 1 visa, which replaces the HSMP visa .

A European Parliament news release indicates that the number of working age people in Europe is expected to decrease, and the decline could begin soon after 2010. With a smaller percentage of people paying taxes for required public services, the EP is estimating that about 56 million workers from outside of Europe will be needed by 2050 to compensate for the shortfall. To counter the generally negative impressions of immigrants by many...

The United Kingdom will phase out low-skilled migration coming from outside of the European Union as part of sweeping changes to its immigration laws. Low-skilled migration is intended to be regulated under Tier 3 of the new points system, but plans to implement Tier 3 have been "indefinitely suspended." Agriculture interests and related sectors maintain that it will be difficult - if not impossible - to meet their labor needs only from within the 27-member bloc. The National Farmers Union feels that workers from the EU will not want low-skilled jobs any more than people already in the UK. The Home Office said that a full or partial return of low-skilled migration might be possible, if there is a "need."

National City Brokers, an investment bank in Ireland, has published a report that finds that people immigrating to Ireland most often intend to return to their home country or...

An "Australia Needs Skills Expo" will take place in the United Kingdom on the weekend of 15-16 March 2008. The Expo is being hosted in London by the Australian government. Online registration at the government's immigration website is required; only those selected by the government will be allowed to attend. They will then be told the location and time of the expo. Those selected will have an opportunity to speak with employers in Australia. Australian State and Territorial government representatives will also be recruiting and be available to help people find out about immigrating to Australia independently.

The concept of 'sponsorship' will play an important role in the UK's new, points-based Tier system coming into effect this year. With the exception of applicants under the highly skilled Tier 1, all potential immigrants will require a sponsor who will have the responsibility to ensure that they comply with their immigration...