Dear Visitor

On June 14th & 15th, there will be a judicial review by the High Court of the United Kingdom regarding changes to British immigration law that were applied retrospectively. The Court will specifically examine a change that means that people will have to reside in Britain for five years instead of four to gain Indefinite Leave to Remain.

The question to be decided upon is the legality of making changes to the law and then applying those changes retrospectively to people who obtained visas under the previous rules. The determination may affect other changes, such as those to the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP).

Russia and Norway have signed an agreement to ease visa and travel procedures between the countries. Russia has begun adjusting visa and travel requirements with European nations, with a number of agreements coming into effect from June 1st of this year. Norway's prime minister, Jens Stoltenberg, said that he believes a visa-free regime should exist between both nations, as well as other Schengen Agreement members. The Schengen Agreement sets standards by which countries share information between law enforcement and government agencies.

Immediately in the wake of the May Day festivities last month, German Chancellor Angela Merkel strongly denied that she would allow Germany to set a federally mandated minimum wage. However, intense pressure is building on the government to set a minimum wage for the first time in Germany's history.

Some business interests and labor interests are trying to force a vote on a minimum wage this month. They are hoping to get Ђ7.50/hour after a decade of bottom wages between Ђ3 and Ђ4.

Millions of workers from such countries as Poland and Romania have been lured to other nations for higher wages but, now that the economies of Eastern EU nations are picking up, they are facing a desperate shortage of qualified workers. Employers are looking further east for workers, such as the Commonwealth of Independent States and China. Ђ32.5 billion were invested by businesses in 2006 in East EU nations. The boom in construction especially is driving the need for labor to sustain the economic growth.

Australia's Department of Immigration and Citizenship granted a record number of 457 visas for IT professionals for the nine month's prior to March 31st. About 4300 of the temporary skilled worker visas were given to IT companies alone in that time, indicating a potential rise by 35% in this category for the year.

With a booming economy, Australia has increased the quotas for some visas, and other changes to adjust the rules are being examined. Australia faces an aging workforce and a low birth rate, meaning that the country requires several million permanent immigrants in the upcoming years.

The Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) for New Zealand immigration is getting a significant facelift. Effective from July 30th, changes to the SMC points system will be implemented. Numerous other changes to New Zealand immigration will be phased in gradually.

A "more transparent and appropriate definition" of skilled employment will become effective from November 2007. More significant changes will begin after that, such as an update to the List of Recognized Qualifications. Immigration Minister David Cunliffe also announced that "more fundamental" reviews of the SMC are scheduled for 2008.

• Russia and Norway sign travel and visa agreement

  Following talks between Russia's and Norway's prime ministers, Mikhail Yefimovich Fradkov and Jens Stoltenberg respectively, both countries signed visa facilitation and readmission agreements in Moscow on 08 June 2007 during Stoltenberg's three-day, official visit. more  »

• Number of visas for IT professionals in Australia skyrockets

  Australia's Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) granted a record number of temporary employment visas for IT professionals during the nine month's prior to 31 March 2007.
  
  The group will assess the needs and circumstances in which the use of the 457 temporary work visa would be appropriate. For some time now, Australian businesses have complained that they are short of 'semi-skilled' workers to perform critical industry functions. more  »

• Australia looks to 457 visa to import trucking industry skills

  Australia's Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews has announced an "industry working group" that will investigate the needs of the trucking industry in finding skilled labor. more  »

• Upcoming judicial review of HSMP visa changes in the UK

  The High Court of the United Kingdom will conduct a judicial review on the 14th and 15th of June regarding controversial changes to the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP) implemented last December. The High Court will consider and decide whether the Home Office had the right to impose new immigration rules retrospectively upon highly skilled immigrants already in the UK. more  »

• Pressure heating up in Germany for first-ever minimum wage

  Over the past year, the economy has been turning around in Germany. For nearly a decade, Germany has been synonymous with an anemic economy, high unemployment and a nearly out-of-control cost of living.
  
  While enjoying one of the highest standards of living in the world, Germany has been losing droves of its most highly educated, professional workforce to emigration. In most part, the youth of Germany complain there are few opportunities to find a good job and make a career. more  »

• Shortage of professional & labor skills being felt in Eastern Europe

  Eastern European nations who have recently joined the European Union have seen enormous growth in emigration of their citizens to other countries. Economic growth coupled with low mobility of the remaining labor force has exacerbated a growing shortage of qualified skilled labor to perform needed local work. Companies are finding it more and more difficult to find qualified workers and, in some cases, wages have increased by up to 50% during the last year. more  »

• Changes to New Zealand's Skilled Migrant Category

  New Zealand's Immigration Minister, David Cunliffe, announced changes to the nation's Skilled Migrant Category (SMC), in an effort to attract highly skilled overseas talent that the minister feels New Zealand needs. more  »

• Vacationing Americans furious at new passport rules

  New rules that require everyone to have a passport to cross the United States border are inconveniencing Americans who want to go on vacation. Politicians in Washington D.C. have received so many complaints that they are now likely to suspend the requirement, for Americans, temporarily. more  »

• US Senate votes for 5-year limit on temp worker program

  The United States Senate voted 49-48 this morning to place a five-year limit on a program that would have provided U.S. employers with 200,000 temporary foreign workers annually. The amendment was introduced by Senator Byron Dorgan of North Dakota. more  »