Immigration newsletter 20 December 2011

We would like to take this opportunity to remind you that Australian immigration from 1 July 2012 will be introducing significant changes to their skilled migration program. If you wish to come under the current skilled immigration programme you should apply for a skills assessment as soon as possible.  You need to be ready with your skills assessment and, have passed the English language test before you can submit your immigration application.  It could take many months for you to be ready to submit your immigration application.

USCIS announced that if petitioners bundle US L-1 work visa applications for multiple L-1 workers related to the same project, where the location and the specialized knowledge duties of the applicants are the same, USCIS will consider them together.

While each L-1 work visa application will be considered on its own merits, bundling multiple US immigration applications together for the same project may streamline and make the review process easier.

The UKBorder Agency is facing further immigration issues following news of a legal loophole that allows individuals to enter the UK without going through passport checks.

The bypass is being called the 'Lille Loophole'. Eurostar train passengers are able to buy a ticket from Brussels to Lille, but can then continue to travel right through to London and bypass border checks. UK Immigration Minister Damian Green has commented on the situation saying that the loophole cannot be closed without international help.

While US tourism leaders are pushing for reduced wait times for processing visitor visa applications for foreign visitors, a US Commerce Department official said last week that the State Department has already made progress in accommodating the record demand for US visitor visas.

Acting director of the US Office of Travel and Tourism Industries for the Commerce Department, Isabel Hill, said while demand has intensified in major emerging economies like Brazil, China, India and Mexico, the number of US visas issued are up by triple- and double-digit percentages since 2005.

The Department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada have announced they plan to accept even more immigrants under the Federal Skilled Worker program in 2012.

In its report to the Parliament of Canada, Canadian Immigration has indicated that in 2010 they admitted over 280,000 immigrants, an increase of over 11.3 percent over the previous year, and the highest number of immigrants in the last 50 years. Around 67 percent of those admitted were economic immigrants with 40 percent of these being Federal Skilled workers.

Beginning 2012, Taiwan's immigration department will officially launch E-gates at three airports and one seaport to help expedite passenger clearance at immigration control. This will reduce processing times to approximately 12 seconds per individual.

The system, due to be implemented 1 January 2012, will allow local and foreign passengers who register their biometric data in advance to avoid long lines by using the automated immigration gates in three of Taiwan’s major airports and one seaport.

We would like to take this opportunity to remind you that Australian immigration from 1 July 2012 will be introducing significant changes to their skilled migration program. If you wish to come under the current skilled immigration programme you should apply for a skills assessment as soon as possible.  You need to be ready with your skills assessment and, have passed the English language test before you can submit your immigration application.  It could take many months for you to be ready to submit your immigration application.

USCIS announced that if petitioners bundle US L-1 work visa applications for multiple L-1 workers related to the same project, where the location and the specialized knowledge duties of the applicants are the same, USCIS will consider them together.

While each L-1 work visa application will be considered on its own merits, bundling multiple US immigration applications together for the same project may streamline and make the review process easier.

The UKBorder Agency is facing further immigration issues following news of a legal loophole that allows individuals to enter the UK without going through passport checks.

The bypass is being called the 'Lille Loophole'. Eurostar train passengers are able to buy a ticket from Brussels to Lille, but can then continue to travel right through to London and bypass border checks. UK Immigration Minister Damian Green has commented on the situation saying that the loophole cannot be closed without international help.

While US tourism leaders are pushing for reduced wait times for processing visitor visa applications for foreign visitors, a US Commerce Department official said last week that the State Department has already made progress in accommodating the record demand for US visitor visas.

Acting director of the US Office of Travel and Tourism Industries for the Commerce Department, Isabel Hill, said while demand has intensified in major emerging economies like Brazil, China, India and Mexico, the number of US visas issued are up by triple- and double-digit percentages since 2005.

The Department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada have announced they plan to accept even more immigrants under the Federal Skilled Worker program in 2012.

In its report to the Parliament of Canada, Canadian Immigration has indicated that in 2010 they admitted over 280,000 immigrants, an increase of over 11.3 percent over the previous year, and the highest number of immigrants in the last 50 years. Around 67 percent of those admitted were economic immigrants with 40 percent of these being Federal Skilled workers.

Beginning 2012, Taiwan's immigration department will officially launch E-gates at three airports and one seaport to help expedite passenger clearance at immigration control. This will reduce processing times to approximately 12 seconds per individual.

The system, due to be implemented 1 January 2012, will allow local and foreign passengers who register their biometric data in advance to avoid long lines by using the automated immigration gates in three of Taiwan’s major airports and one seaport.

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