Dear Visitor

On March 7th, the United Kingdom's Home Office announced increases in various immigration-related fees. Some very dramatic increases in government fees will come into effect from April 1st.

A reminder to our readers: the United States government will begin accepting H-1B visa applications from April 1st. The current cap on H-1B's is 60,000. Last year the quota was used up in record time, with the government not accepting applications received after May 25th. 20,000 H-1B's are available beyond the normal quota for positions requiring advanced degrees and specialized experience.

Expected to be released in in January, the British government's controlling authority for migrant workers will in May release the internal guidance documents used by caseworkers to make determinations for the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme. The office is making the guidance public in response to "a number of Freedom of Information Act requests." They have said that the guidance was delayed so that all 'fully revised,' HSMP guidances are available at the same time.

The Irish Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment is beginning to process Irish Green Cards and Employment Permits under the new policies that took effect on February 1st. Last week they were still processing applications that were received prior to the rule changes. As expected, there have been some short delays as the new rules come into effect.

The European Union celebrated its 50th anniversary last weekend. EU citizens benefit from many rights to travel, live and work within any of the 27 Member States. By 2014 all current EU citizens will enjoy full travel and work rights throughout the EU. The EU is also considering a "Blue Card" for people from outside the EU to work and live within the trading bloc.

British Columbia, Canada is expected to need 1,000,000 workers over the next twelve years. The provincial government currently estimates that up to 350,000 of these vacancies will remain unfilled. In another region of Canada that has a population of approximately 200,000 and includes the cities of Kamloops and Kelowna needs an estimated 68,000 workers within the next five years. All these regions in Canada are attempting to recruit from abroad to deal with the skills shortage.

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services announced on March 23rd that the quota for H-2B visas was reached on March 16th. No applications received after that day will be processed. The current cap applies to temporary workers who may begin work on or after October 1st of this year. The USCIS will accept applications again for the first half of the fiscal year 2008 later this year.

A government report by the United States Department of Homeland Security indicates that over 623,000 illegal immigrants who have been ordered to leave the U.S. may still be in the country. Termed "fugitive aliens," these are people who have been convicted of a criminal offense serious enough to revoke their rights to residency. Many may have left the country, but no reliable method is currently in place to know for certain if they have left.

• UK Home Office publishes new immigration schedule of fees

  On 07 March 2007, the United Kingdoms Home Office published an announcement with proposed new rates for various immigration and immigration-related services. Two different files were posted with slightly different information, although some of the information is duplicated. more  »

• United States cannot locate 600,000 foreign fugitives

  In a particularly embarrassing admission, the inspector general for the United States' Department of Homeland Security released a report on Monday indicating that they cannot account for over 600,000 foreigners who were ordered to leave the country. more  »

• EU immigration on the 50th Anniversary of the European Union

  The European Union is celebrating fifty years of existence this month. With a few exceptions due to expansion, living and working in Europe has never been easier - at least for a European - thanks to liberal work permit policies for member nations. For those who live outside the EU and the European Economic Area (EEA), it can be more difficult. But, that may change in the future. more  »

• H-2B cap reached for second half of 2007

  United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on 23 March that it had received a sufficient amount of petitions to reach the congressionally mandated H-2B cap for the final six months of fiscal year 2007 (FY 2007). The limit for H-2B workers is 33,000 for the second half of the fiscal year. more  »

• UK to release internal guidance procedures for HSMP in May

  Work Permits (UK), the government authority on migrant workers, has stated that it will release information in May on the internal guidance its caseworkers use in assessing applicants for the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP) in response to a number of Freedom of Information Act requests. more  »

• Kiwi and Oz: A comparison of skilled immigration programs

  New Zealand and Australia are becoming increasingly popular as destinations for migrant workers. Australia, the 6th largest country in the world, is highly favorable to migrants because of its rich and varied geography, low unemployment, and low population density. New Zealand has much of the same to offer; it's especially known for its pristine landscapes and wildlife, as well as a relatively low-crime society. more  »

• Ireland experiencing delays in employment permit processing

  With a recent surge in demand for immigration into Ireland, combined with dramatic changes in the employment permitting scheme, the Irish Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment is experiencing some delays in processing applications that have already been received. Excitement over the new Irish Green Card Scheme has also resulted in a surge of applications and questions. more  »

• Canada - record low unemployment, 350,000 workers needed in British Columbia

  Located about 200 kilometers north of the border with the United States, Kamloops is a city of nearly 87,000 in British Columbia, Canada, about 350 kilometers east and a bit north of Vancouver. In conjunction with the provincial government and the nearby sister city of Kelowna, they are beginning a recruitment drive to bring 68,000 workers into the region in the next five years. more  »

• Overseas doctors win with HSMP rule

  The United Kingdoms Department of Health recently released guidance that overseas doctors within the UK should not be interviewed for positions if their HSMP visa was set to expire past 01 August of 2007. The clause was retracted, however; mainly in response to efforts by Bapio Action Ltd. - a group formed by the British Association for Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO) for the purpose of fighting the clause. more  »

• Spotlight - immigration reform in the United States

  Currently a hot debate in American politics, and a sure-fire point of contention in the race for the next United States presidential election in 2008, is the subject of immigration reform. more  »