Call London +44(0)344-991-9222. ![]() The world’s most popular immigration advice site ● 32 Years in Business ● Established in 1988 Immigration newsletter 19 September 2007 The Australian Citizenship Amendment Bill of 2007 passed in the Australian Parliament last week. From 01 October, people seeking Australian citizenship are required to take a test, which includes a basic grasp of English and a knowledge of Australian culture and history. 20 questions are randomly chosen from a possible 200, and there is no limit to the number of times that the test can be taken before passing it. Special arrangements will be made for those with low levels of literacy and other special needs. The Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship has published research showing that immigrants who have been in Australia for longer than 18 months experience lower unemployment rates and higher wages. The survey also shows a correlation between higher English language test scores and better employment. Australia and Canada have formalized a longstanding Working Holiday visa agreement with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed on 10 September in Canberra. The program allows thousands of young Australians and Canadians to work while taking an extended holiday in each others' country. Canada last week announced a test project to expand the Off-Campus Work Permit program. Intended to be introduced in all provinces eventually, it allows students from select private educational institutions to obtain off-campus work permits while in the country under a student visa. Previous to this program, students could only work on-campus at the institution they were attending. Immigrants living in Canada for less than five years have had the most difficulty integrating into the labor market, according to the most recent Labour Force Survey study from Statistics Canada. However, the study showed that the longer immigrants stay in Canada, the better they fared in the labor market. The European Commission is calling for Canada to lift travel visa requirements for all of the new member states that joined in 2004 and 2007. The EU is asking that at least one of the eight East European Member States have its visa requirements removed this year, and that all remaining EU nations have their visa requirements eliminated by the first half of 2008. The European Union's Justice Commissioner, Franco Frattini, told immigration ministers for the EU at a conference in Portugal that the EU should "stop erecting barriers" and "build legal and safe pathways" for immigrants from Asia and Africa to come and work on the continent. CONNECT WITH US: |