Immigration news

Ontario is in the process of developing its first-ever immigration strategy to compete for immigrants against other Canadian provinces.Last Friday, Immigration Minister Charles Sousa announced the creation of a 13-member expert panel whose aim is to create an immigration strategy that best supports Ontario's economic development and help new immigrants find jobs.

US Representative Bill Pascrell, Jr. is hoping that easier US visit visa regulations will lead to closer US-Poland relations. The congressman is hoping that there will be a policy change to allow Polish nationals to be added to the US Immigration's Visa Waiver Program.The bill, entitled the Enhanced Security and Reform Act is also backed by Representative Mike Quigley, along with five other co-sponsors of the bill.

Alberta's Premier Alison Redford is in the US last week to look for US workers to immigrate to Canada to fill labour shortages. While the main focus of her visit to Chicago is to highlight Alberta's energy relationship with the US, the province's labour shortage will also be an important discussion topic when she meets with US political officials and union leaders.

The US passed new legislation that would add Israel to the list of countries eligible for E-2 temporary foreign investor visas. The legislation was approved by the US House of Representatives Judiciary Committee this week.Representative Howard Berman introduced the legislation last month which was supported by several other Representatives who are part of the Foreign Affairs Committee as well as Rep. Zoe Lofgren, the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee's immigration policy subcommittee.

A new report released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) last week shows that immigrants have boosted Australia's workforce skills. The report stated that two-thirds of all working age migrants possessed academic or trade qualifications in 2010–11.According to the report, in 2011, 66 percent of all immigrants aged 15–64 years possessed academic qualifications or trade qualifications compared to 56 percent of those born in Australia.The number of working age immigrants arriving in Australia with degree level qualifications has tripled, rising from 15 percent in the early 1990s to 44 percent in the last five years.

Under proposals to be laid out soon, Ireland will begin to offer special visas to individuals who invest in Ireland. It is hoped that wealthy individuals from outside the EU will wish to take advantage of one of the new investor schemes and immigrate to Ireland.Immigrants interested in the new scheme can do one of the following: