Australia and New Zealand Immigration News

Australia's skilled migrant recruitment campaign has begun in the United Kingdom. The international skills expo is being held at Australia House on the Strand in London.The event is the result of the Department of Immigration's decision to admit an extra 20,000 skilled migrants this year, taking the 2005/2006 intake to almost 100,000.

Australia's Federal Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone on 25 Sept. described Australia's immigration program as strong and generous, during a speech marking the start of Refugee Week in Adelaide. Senator Vanstone said the week celebrates the important contribution of courage and innovation provided by immigrants and refugees.

New Zealand must start a debate about the long-term economic benefits of attracting more immigrants rather than focusing on how foreigners could fix the short-term labour crunch, Wellington Regional Chamber of Commerce says.

Political debate tends to revolve around how people from different cultures would fit in, president Simon Arnold said, whereas business isdriven by the economic cycle, which had led to calls for the door to be opened to ease the labour shortage.

The number of new immigrants to New Zealand, or New Zealanders returning home in the year ending August fell 66 per cent compared to the previous year, Statistics New Zealand said today.

For the year ending in August, there were 78,900 permanent long term (PLT) arrivals. This figure is a decrease of 3,600 or 4 percent compared to the previous August year.

PLT departures, meanwhile, rose 9,100 or 14 percent to 72,300.

Flawed paperwork has forced the Australian Immigration Department to give back 8000 visas to foreign students who had lost the right to study because of poor grades or low class attendance. The department must search diplomatic posts overseas to offer the students their visas back.

Troubled by skilled worker shortage, officials from Australia's country towns or rural areas are reportedly touring India to entice immigrants. The city council of Victorian town Ballarat recently funded a former official to visit Bangalore to recruit potential immigrants right from the source.

"As a result of that trip, people of Ballarat have adopted India as a second country," said David Keenan, acting manager of city development.