Leaders of eight western US states and three Canadian provinces focused on internationalization and immigration on 12 June. The leaders met to search for ways to build their regional economies and find solutions to problems that include increased demands for health care and education.
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Immigration news
Australian Immigration officials picked up 20,000 people who had overstayed their visas or breached their visa conditions in 2003-04, new figures reveal.
The figures were part of a report released by Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone, who said compliance officers had located 20,000 people who overstayed, worked illegally or otherwise abused the terms of their entry.
She said immigration officials had also been active at the other end of the process, refusing entry to more than 1,200 people at Australian airports in 2003-04.
UK companies planning to create a branch or office in Australia do not need to have an office in Australia before transferring an employee to Australia for employment.Current Australian migration regulations enable UK-based employers to apply to the Australian High Commission in London for permission to sponsor UK employees for employment in Australia - such as establishing a new branch or office in an Australian City.Many small UK software, telecom, recruitment and specialist manufacturers have established a presence in Australia under the "UK Sponsorship" Regulations.
The fees for passports, visas and chargeable consular services provided by British consular posts overseas are to change from Friday, 1 July 2005. On the same date, the fee for legalisation services provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London and overseas will change. The FCO says these changes will ensure that the full cost of providing services at home and overseas are fully recovered without any claim on public funds and to meet the increasing demand, while maintaining high standards of service. Chargeable Consular Services
On 7 June 2005, the US State Department issued a Supplemental June 2005 Visa Bulletin. The Visa Bulletin adds a new "Schedule A" subcategory to the Employment-Based 3rd (EB-3) category for Registered Nurses, Physical Therapists and their spouses and children. The new Schedule A subcategory shows a "current" priority date for all RNs and PTs which allows them to immediately apply for permanent residence.
On May 11, 2005, President Bush signed a law permitting the recapture of 50,000 green cards under EB-3 category.
The Supplemental Visa Bulletin affects RNs and PTs in different ways:
Canadian immigration officials say a predicted wave of refugees from tsunami-ravaged South Asia never materialized, but representatives of those communities say it's because of Canadian government bureaucracy. Thousands of survivors were expected to flock to Canada following the Dec. 26 tsunami that killed more than 150,000 people in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, India and Thailand.
Only 278 of the 366 permanent resident visas issued were used by survivors to travel here -- well short of the 1,000 cases originally pegged for fast-tracking.