Immigration newsletter 30 April 2008

A new report out by a non-profit organization, The Work Foundation, analyses the impact of recent immigration trends in the United Kingdom. Findings generally show that Britain has benefitted from the high levels of immigration over the last ten years. Inflation and interest rates have been lower than expected as a result of increased migration, according to the report. Labor shortages have been alleviated and the economy has been growing steadily. The report also welcomes the UK's new points-based immigration system, but cautions that the Tier system would benefit from greater flexibility.

A new survey by a global employment services company finds that 31% of employers across the world are having a difficult time finding employees. The report found the top three occupation categories most in demand are skilled manual trades, sales representatives, and technicians in the areas of production/operations, engineering, and maintenance.

The authors of the report surveyed over 43,000 employers from 32 countries and territories in a follow-up to previous surveys in 2006 and 2007. The survey was undertaken to forecast the most in-demand positions that employers will need to fill worldwide during 2008.

Many people immediately think about the U.S. H-1B visa when considering immigration to the United States. An H-1B visa can be difficult to obtain, but foreign employees of international companies with a presence in the U.S. have another option: the L-1 visa. Sponsoring companies are not required to be American-owned or even incorporated in the United States to sponsor a foreign worker under an L-1 visa.

An L-1 visa can be granted for an initial period of up to three years, then renewed for two year periods after that for a total of up to seven years. An employee must have worked for the sponsoring employer for a minimum of one continuous year within the previous three years - in the same capacity under which they will work in the U.S. - to be eligible.

Canada's immigration minister recently presented a progress report on the federal Foreign Credentials Referral Office (FCRO). The FCRO is a resource creatred in response to difficulties some migrants in Canada have faced in having qualifications recognized by local employers. The Foreign Credentials Referral Office is operated by Citizenship and Immigration Canada, but the Canadian federal government is not responsible for assessing foreign qualifications. That responsibility is left to the individual provinces and territories.

Canadian immigration authorities have relaxed work permit rules for some graduates from participating universities and post-secondary institutions. International students graduating from eligible programs can obtain an "open work permit" under the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program.

There are no restrictions on the type of job a graduate may take, and there is no requirement for a previous job offer. Qualified international students may work anywhere in Canada, after completion of their studies, for up to three years.

New research from Down Under finds a high level of support in Australia for the nation's immigration program. 69% of Australian citizens surveyed as part of the study said that immigration "makes the country stronger." The report shows a trend that negative perception of immigrants by Australians continues to decline; the number of people who feel that immigration rates are "too high" has dropped by about 50% over the last 10 years.

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