We remind you yet again that from 1 July 2012 you will have to submit an expression of interest before submitting your Australian skilled immigration application. This is likely to mean fewer people qualifying for skilled immigration and a longer processing time. If you wish to come under the current skilled immigration programme you should apply for a skills assessment as soon as possible.  You need to be ready with your skills assessment and, have passed the English language test before you can submit your immigration application.

From 14 June, the UK Border Agency will raise the minimum skills level for occupations in Tier 2 from the current threshold of National Qualifications Framework level 4 to level 6. This will result in 27 occupations no longer being eligible under Tier 2 including paramedics, IT operations technicians, and managers in various fields.

The UKBA will also make it easier for employers filling high level vacancies to complete the resident labour market test. For jobs requiring PhD-level skills, employers will be allowed to recruit the most suitable person for the job, even if they are a foreign worker. 

Last week, as employers began filing petitions for the popular US H-1B work visas, Microsoft stressed the importance of the visa in keeping America's IT companies competitive. Brad Smith, general counsel & executive vice president, Legal & Corporate Affairs, Microsoft said: "While the vast majority of our US workforce is comprised of US workers, the individuals we employ in H-1B status -educated at some of the best universities in the US and around the world - are crucial to our business.”

A new study released last week questions whether the Canadian government should continue to maintain high immigration levels in tough economic times. The study proposed that if Canada reduced immigration numbers during recessions then it could possibly improve the overall performance of immigrants. They added that it could also reduce the damage caused when new immigrants enter the labour market but can't find work for lengthy periods of time due to the economy.

Business owners have criticized the UK government's decision to close the Tier 1 post-study work visa saying that it makes it more difficult for companies to fill vacancies that require specialized skills. The post-study work visa route, which closed on 6 April 2012, allowed international students to work for up to two years in the UK after graduation. Now non-EU graduates wishing to remain in the UK to work will need to obtain a work visa that is sponsored by the employer. This will probably mean a Tier 2 visa.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has threatened to reinstate passport checks for all EU citizens arriving in France if EU countries fail to properly secure their borders against illegal immigrants. He said that all EU nations will need to have tightened border security within one year, or else France will pull out of the Schengen Agreement. The agreement allows free travel between 26 countries including France, Germany, Greece, and the Netherlands.