Immigration news

The Australian Defence Force is trying to recruit laid-off soldiers, sailors and air crew from the UK in order to fill their quota of new recruits. Those chosen will gain preferential treatment when it comes to Australian Immigration and Citizenship. The Australian Navy has sent a delegation to the UK to recruit some of the 5,000 Royal Navy staff due to lose their jobs over the next four years.

From 1 January 2012, all short term visitors and transit passengers to Sri Lanka must apply for their visas online. Sri Lanka closed their visa on arrival facility for citizens of all but two countries, replacing it with an online application system where visitors will have to apply before arriving to the country.

The US Travel Association is pushing Congress to pass new legislation to ease US visitor visa restrictions in the hope that tourism to the US will increase. International visitors are expected to spend more than $152 billion in the year 2012, but tourists could offer an even larger boost to the US economy if the current bill before Congress passes so that it is easier to obtain visitor visas.

The UK Government has announced that its Air Passenger Duty (APD) will increase this April. New Zealand is worried that the tax hike on long haul flights from the UK could harm tourism.The tax, which increases from £85 to £92 for flights to New Zealand, is based on the distance travelled.

Talks between the US and India regarding H-1B and L-1 visas and trade issues have been postponed indefinitely. US officials said that the talks were being held at the wrong time. India is unlikely to agree to its number one priority; Increased market access for US firms to India's consumers.

A review of Australian immigration's 457 visa is expected to happen later this year following complaints from the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union (AMWU) that the process used to grant visas is flawed. Australia's manufacturing industry relies heavily on foreign workers, however, the ANWU says that some foreign workers are being exploited. It should be noted that the Australian economy is doing well and that in general salary rates are very good.