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Australia implemented major changes to its General Skilled Migration program on 1 July 2011. The pass mark for various visa subclasses is now 65 points. The age limit has also been raised from 45 years of age to 50.

Nominated occupations no longer earn points, but applicants are still required to nominate an occupation. Points are scored for experience in an occupation. Experience within Australia and overseas in a nominated occupation can be combined to earn points of up to 20 points.

Australia is processing the highest number of temporary 457 visa applications since 2008, as business demand for overseas workers continues to increase.

The Australian economy took a dip like most Countries after the global financial crisis; However, Australia was not as badly affected as many other Countries and it's economy is recovering more rapidly than in other Countries due to heavy demand in the mining industry and related industries.

Australian immigration minister Chris Bowen has announced that Perth, Western Australia will have a sponsored migration scheme which will make it easier for employers to hire overseas workers.

Bowen said that Perth will come under the government's Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme, a move sure to please Australian employers desperate to hire overseas workers.

If you wish to immigrate to Australia, you may be eligible to apply for immigration under a Regional Sponsored Migration scheme specific to Perth, Western Australia.

A parliamentary committee has taken the UK Government to task over its recent tightening of student immigration rules, saying that the new restrictions could cost the UK economy £3.6 billion over the next four years.

UK universities depend heavily on fees from non-EU students who pay up to three times as much as students from Britain and the EU.