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The Australian meat industry will be given greater scope to import temporary skilled workers in a deal being negotiated after investigation of alleged abuses of the present scheme.
Under a controversial visa program that allows employers to bring in these workers for up to four years, the meat industry is permitted to import only slaughterers.
Current federal law in the United States requires that the government approve or deny a citizenship application within 120 days of an immigrant passing their exam. Many immigrants attempting to become citizens have experienced delays far in excess of this statutory time limit.
Skilled individuals from outside the European Union (EU) were the big winners in last week's new wave of immigration policies announced by Home Secretary John Reid.
The Government is keen to implement the four-tier points-based system to attract foreign workers and students with the right skills to boost the UK economy, which is the fourth largest in the world and second largest in the EU.
As from 6 April 2006 organisations or individuals who supply or sub-contract labour to the agriculture, horticulture, food processing and packaging sectors (labour providers) are required to apply for a licence from the Gangmaster Licensing Authority (GLA).
From October 2006 it will be a criminal offence to operate in these sectors without a GLA licence and from December 2006 it will be an offence to use an unlicenced labour provider.
Introduction
The European Commission has issued a warning to Italy that it could face EU sanctions if its move to legalise up to 350,000 immigrants breaches union law.
Justice commissioner Franco Frattini said that the Italian authorities would have to check each one of the thousands of applications for regularisation to make sure they comply with EU law.
Immigrants arriving in another country often face one immediate and strong challenge: they must be highly fluent in the primary language of that country. To navigate a complex set of laws and procedures for obtaining and retaining residency permission, visas, and work permits, a person needs to speak and read the native language at a high level, or hire someone who can translate subtle meaning and instructions.