Watch video news          

The European Commission has declared 2006 to be the European Year for Workers' Mobility. The EU's stated position is that the freedom of movement between EU countries is a workers fundamental right.

Currently a seven-year transitional period is in progress. During this time free movement of individuals from eight of the new EU nations may have greater restrictions than the mobility enjoyed by workers from original EU-15 countries. The transition was planned in three phases, the second of which began on the first of May this year.

By declaring 2006 as the European Year for Workers' Mobility, the executive commission for the EU is hoping to encourage expedited easing of host country restrictions. Originally, Ireland, the UK, and Sweden were the only EU Countries with no restrictions. As May first, Finland, Portugal, Greece, and Spain have lifted all restrictions. Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg have now eased their restrictions and entrance requirements. Austria, Denmark and Germany specifically stated they will adhere to the old standards for the current time. The Netherlands originally stated an intention to lift or ease their restrictions this year. However, they will now maintain their current regulations until early 2007 when such will be re-evaluated by the Dutch parliament.

An acute nursing shortage in Western nations continues to worsen as their populations age. Foreign-educated nurses emigrating to meet this demand are commanding premium salaries and priority visa considerations.

It is estimated there are 2.2 to 3 million working nurses averaging 47 years old in the U.S. The annual vacancy rate is approximately 9 percent and projections anticipate a shortage of 800,000 nurses by 2050. Other estimates by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics are more dramatic, perhaps reaching 1 million vacancies to be filled by as early as 2012.

2001 saw an increase up to 40,000 nurses immigrating from overseas to the U.S. alone. Indications are that this will be a sustained influx for several decades. There is debate in the U.S. and Europe about whether or not to lower restrictions and caps on qualified immigrants to fill these vacancies.

Incentives to work in the West are high. Typical salary expectations may be $50,000 USD, up to $100,000 USD depending on location and experience.

Due to English proficiency exams and other competency tests in the U.S., many immigrant nurses find entry into countries such as England and Canada easier.

Debate continues in the United States regarding many immigration issues.

It appears that the U.S. elections this year may be very interesting, and immigration has become one high-profile topic in American politics and news.

On the first of May, several million people across the U.S. marched in large rally's to highlight issues especially focused on workers rights and immigration policy. Due to the large Hispanic population from Central America, the rally became something of a referendum on Mexican-American culture and immigration in the U.S.

40,000,000 ethnic Latino's live in the U.S. currently. About 13 million people reside illegally in the U.S., 11 million of whom are from Central America.

During the end of April, the U.S. dollar has lost significantly against other major world currencies. This slide has continued and financial experts are speculating that this may be a long-term correction against the state of the U.S. economy. Wages and transactions in Euro's, Yen and Pounds Sterling are considered to be more stable for the immediately foreseeable future.

Related, gold has claimed it's highest value in over 25 years, now trading for over $700 an ounce.

Latest immigration news

Immigrant Nurses in High Demand in Western Countries

An acute nursing shortage in Western nations continues to worsen as the population's age. Foreign-educated nurses emigrating to meet this demand are commanding premium salaries and priority visa considerations. more »

Australia Expos for Skilled Immigrants

Australia Needs Skills Expos have proved to be very successful and are being held all around the World. Prospective immigrants can find suitable work in Australia and Australian employers can find people with the right skills for a particular job. more »

Response to US immigrant marches

Up to several million people of Latino heritage marched in several cities of the United States on 01 May in support of immigrant workers rights. The largest was in Los Angeles with approximately 1 million in that city alone. Primarily they are from Mexico or descended from Mexicans, but many are from other Central/Latin American nations such as Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. more »

European Year for Workers Mobility

2006 is the European Year for Workers' Mobility. 06 May was the EU Open Day, with many EU institutions open to the public for the day. EU Open Day was an opportunity to celebrate The European Year for Workers Mobility. more »

The US dollar loses substantially in one week

Since the last week of April, the United States dollar has suffered a dramatic decline against many of the big international currencies. There are several factors involved, but most prominent are a large debt and some currency shake-ups in countries such as China. more »

Illegal immigration and undocumented workers in America

The topic of illegal immigrant workers has recently become a high-profile topic in American politics and news. Characterizing this issue as having only two sides may not give a full picture of the situation. This is a very complex topic that spans several areas. People from around the world today that wish to visit America for work, studies and/or travel might become confused by the diverse news stories currently being published. more »

video productions

Are you planning to emigrate? Are you good with a video camera?

We are looking for people to record their experiences at any time during the immigration process. The best footage will be used in one of our new video productions.

Please send your video with an explanation of the contents of the video to:

New Media Department
workpermit.com
Kalku iela 7
Riga
Latvia
LV 1050

Automatic news updates (RSS Feed)
Stay connected to the latest immigration news with our latest feature - automatic news updates. With this technology, summaries of the latest stories will be sent directly to you.