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The UK Home Office has announced that an updated version of the FLR(IED) application form is now available. The new version of the form is only valid for applications submitted on or after 15 September 2005. This means that applications that are either posted or submitted on or after 15 September should use the new form. If you wish to submit your application before 15 September you should use the current version of the form. If you complete the incorrect version of the form, your application will be returned to you so that the correct version of the form can be submitted.

The United States announced this week that Australian citizens may begin applying for the new E-3 visa. This new visa classification allows Australian citizens and their spouses and children to come to the United States to work in a specialty occupation. There are 10,500 E-3 visas available per year. Spouses of an E-3 visa holder are permitted to work. A spouse's employment may be in a position other than a specialty occupation. In the past, Australians had to battle for the limited numbers of H1B visas, available to all nationalities.

The UK's Civil Partnership Act 2004 will come into force on 5 December 2005. Civil partnerships are a new legal relationship which can be registered by two people of the same sex and give the couples legal recognition for their relationship. Same-sex couples who register a civil partnership will have equality of treatment in a wide range of legal matters with those opposite-sex couples who enter into a civil marriage. The rights and responsibilities civil partners will have will include recognition for immigration and nationality purposes.

The UK has announced changes to the points system for the Highly Skilled Migrant Program. In the past, if your employer sent you abroad to work and you claimed points for past earnings on your HSMP application, you would have been considered against the income of the country in which you were sent to work. Now, you will be considered against the income band of the country in which you normally work. These new rules are already in effect.

Officials from Australia's country towns or rural areas are reportedly touring India to attract new immigrants. According to news reports, this is due to a dwindling population and a skilled labour shortage in Australia. A number of regional-skilled visas are being offered to encourage potential immigrants to choose country towns. Such incentives to settlers in rural areas are reported to be successful as there has been an increase of 50 percent in the number of immigrants settling in the regions this year.

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