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The United States is engaged in an intense debate over the most substantial overhaul of immigration law in 20 years. The two houses of the US Congress have both created bills that each proposes to be the new laws and regulations for immigrants already in America and those that wish to come. Current and future visa holders will be affected, as will work and study permits. Legal and illegal immigrants all have vested interest in the outcome.
The Age in Australia reports on 24 May the growing controversy about proposed changes to the asylum laws in Australia.
Liberal MPs will be meeting Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone next week to express their concerns about the proposals to deal with asylum seekers offshore.
The bill has been criticised by Labor as an appeasement to the Indonesians' anger at the government's decision to grant visas to 42 Papuan asylum seekers that arrived in Australia in March.
A group of Liberal moderates have threatened to oppose the bill, which would deny asylum seekers arriving by boat access to Australian courts.
There may be more opportunities for immigrants in the US as the economy picks up. Despite the poor performance of the US dollar recent surveys suggest growing confidence in the workforce.
USA Today reports that Employees are feeling more confident about the labor market and their own job security as employment opportunities go up in a number of industries. Mounting research shows employees are cautiously optimistic as salary freezes thaw and companies play tug-of-war over skilled job candidates.
On any one day, there are between 225,000-250,000 people in New Zealand temporarily as students, workers or visitors. During 2004 and 2005, approximately 90% of applicants approved for residence under the Skilled Migrant Category previously had been granted temporary permits and visas of some type.
In March 2005, the New Zealand government proposed and initiated the most comprehensive review of immigration legislation in 20 years.
Being approved for a visa and various work and residency permits is often only one of the first steps an immigrant faces. When arriving in a new country and culture, the language barrier may rapidly become the most important problem to resolve.
Beginning on 01 October, 2006, beneficiaries of several visa classes for the United States will be permitted to begin work (the start of FY 2007). Some of the available categories have reached their caps, while several categories still have available positions for visa applications.
The most popular and commonly known category is the H1-B visa. It is designed for foreign workers with advanced degrees (usually a Master's or higher) to work for up to six years for positions unfilled by American workers. 66,000 are issued every year under current legislation.