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The United Kingdom will phase out low-skilled migration coming from outside of the European Union as part of sweeping changes to its immigration laws. Low-skilled migration is intended to be regulated under Tier 3 of the new points system, but plans to implement Tier 3 have been "indefinitely suspended."

Agriculture interests and related sectors maintain that it will be difficult - if not impossible - to meet their labor needs only from within the 27-member bloc. The National Farmers Union feels that workers from the EU will not want low-skilled jobs any more than people already in the UK. The Home Office said that a full or partial return of low-skilled migration might be possible, if there is a "need."

National City Brokers, an investment bank in Ireland, has published a report that finds that people immigrating to Ireland most often intend to return to their home country or are traveling between countries. The study also found that the growing immigrant community in Ireland is adding to the productivity of the economy. The research compared migration statistics between the original EU 15 nations and people who have come from the East European states that joined the EU in 2004. Similar patterns were observed for migrant workers from the UK and the United States.

Effective from December 23rd, 2007, new legislation in Canada allows children adopted abroad by Canadian citizens to obtain their Canadian citizenship without first having to become permanent residents in Canada. Citizenship may be granted to adopted children if an application for citizenship is submitted and certain legislative requirements are met. These include requirements specific to the province in Canada that the child will live in and adoption requirements in the child's home country.

workpermit.com has introduced a convenient new online visa service for those wishing to travel to Australia. If you hold a passport from an eligible country, you can apply for an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) visa using an electronic form on our website.

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is dealing with an enormous backlog of U.S. immigration applications and petitions. A steep increase in immigration-related fees announced at the end of July 2007 is being blamed for the surge. It is now expected that the processing time for applications will take longer than usual through 2010. An average processing time of seven months for citizenship may increase up to 18 months, and adjustment of status applications for family-based immigration may increase from six-months to about one year.

Australia's new Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, is considering making changes to the nation's migration program to help offset skills shortages currently affecting the economy. He said that his government wanted to make sure that Australia had proper skills planning as part of a strong foundation for the future of the Australian economy.

A 'Skills Australia' program would create a roadmap of the skills Australia will need in the coming years. The effort would emphasize greater investment in skills and training, and "calibrating the migration program, as appropriate," both for the current economy and the "next economy."

The rapidly expanding economy of Western Australia continues to cause skills shortages in the area which, in turn, are driving up demand for labor from overseas. In 1996, the majority of temporary foreign labor originated either from New Zealand or the United Kingdom. However, during the following decade, the proportion of immigrants fell dramatically from those countries. Most of the shortfall has been made up from the nearby Asian nations of Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Senator Chris Evans, the Minister of Immigration and Citizenship for Australia, has announced that he would not appeal the decision to restore Dr. Mohamed Haneef's visa. The previous minister, Kevin Andrews, revoked Dr. Haneef's visa on "character grounds" after he was implicated in connection with failed terrorist bombing attempts in the UK in June 2007. Charges were later dropped and an Australian Federal Court restored Dr. Haneef's 457 visa late last December.

• UK to phase out low-skilled migration

  The United Kingdom intends to phase out low-skilled migration from outside the European Union as part of sweeping changes to its immigration law. Immigration authorities feel that the labor needs for most low-skilled work can be filled from within the newly enlarged EU. However, farmers and other related sectors have been complaining for some time that it would be difficult - if not impossible - to fill their labor needs from within the 27-member bloc. more  »

• Possible Australian migration policy changes

  According to ABC news in Australia, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is considering making changes to the nation's migration program to help offset skills shortages affecting the economy. more  »

• workpermit.com - Twentieth Anniversary Year

  Founded by Sanwar Ali and James Dunlop, we officially started trading on 1 June 1988. In reality, we started earlier. Some clients were so in need of our services that we had to help them out before we moved into our first office - a tiny space in South London in the UK. more  »

• Canada - immediate citizenship for some overseas adoptions

  New legislation went into effect at the end of December 2007 which allows children adopted abroad by Canadian citizens to obtain Canadian citizenship without first having to become permanent residents. more  »

• US - Unprecedented level of immigration applications

  The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is dealing with an enormous backlog of US immigration applications and petitions in the wake of a sharp increase in fees at the end of July 2007. more  »

• Study - Irish immigration from 2002-2006

  A new study by National City Brokers investment bank in Ireland has found that more people are immigrating to Ireland with the intention of returning home or traveling between countries. The study also found that the growing immigrant community in Ireland is adding to the productive potential of the economy. more  »

• UK - Scoring points under the UK's new immigration system

  The United Kingdom will be implementing sweeping changes to its immigration system for non-European Union nationals who want to work, study, or train in Britain. The system will be broken into five tiers which will encompass highly skilled migration, work permits, students, working holiday makers, and just about all other routes related to employment, study, business, or investment. more  »

• Skills shortages cause increased migration to Western Australia

  The rapidly expanding economy of Western Australia continues to cause skills shortages in the area, which in turn, is driving up the demand for labor from overseas. more  »

• Australia - No appeal against decision to restore Haneef's visa

  Senator Chris Evans, Minister of Immigration and Citizenship for Australia, announced that he would not appeal the decision to restore Dr Mohamed Haneef's visa. more  »