Australia and New Zealand Immigration News

The New Zealand Labour Department has launched an ad campaign through Tourism New Zealand's tourism and marketing program designed to attract highly skilled workers in the nearby region to live and work in Kiwi.

Teresa Gambaro, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, will welcome 613 new Australian citizens in a ceremony in Brisbane, Australia.

The fresh Aussies hail from over 50 countries.

Yesterday was International Women's Day (IWD), observed around the world to show appreciation to women's achievements. It's history dates back to the early 20th Century and came about as a reaction to the rapid industrialization of the world and the hardships that followed for women forced to work in difficult conditions.

Recent Australian political discourse, sacking of government officials and changing of department names shows that Oz - like many others - is coming to grips with an increasingly globalized world. Recent events suggest a shift from embracing the concept of multiculturalism in Australia to a focus on cultural unity.

New immigration legislation designed to strengthen Australian security passed the Senate on 25 February 2007. The House of Representatives passed the legislation in November.

According to a recent press release, on 19 February 2007, the Australian government intercepted a boat containing 85 men trying to illegally enter the country. The boat was spotted about 50 nautical miles off of Christmas Island by an Orion P3 aircraft.

The boat was later intercepted in the early hours of 20 February by HMAS Success, an Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment vessel.