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The Immigration, Diversity and Inclusion Minister (MIDI) for Quebec Kathleen Weil has announced the reopening of its online skilled worker program (QSWP), commencing 13 June 2016. On this date, an initial quota of 5,000 skilled worker visa applications will be accepted as part of an overall quota of 10,000; The second batch of 5,000 visas will be issued later in the year.
Labour hire firms in Australia face being licenced should a key recommendation of a Senate inquiry into foreign worker visas be introduced. A recently published, 373-page Senate committee report says that labour hire companies, with strong links to South East Asia, had been subjecting illegal workers to 'slave-like' working conditions.
However Coalition committee members objected to a number of the key recommendations made, meaning that most of the suggested changes are unlikely to occur.
The Australian Senate Committee says that there is exploitation of temporary foreign workers in Australia who enter the country under a range of schemes including the Seasonal Worker Program for Pacific Islanders, working holiday visas (417 and 462) and 457 visas for skilled workers. The Australian Senate Committee says the situation is a 'national disgrace.'
Just hours after the terror atrocities in Brussels, the hard right political party UKIP blamed immigration for the attacks. UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, blasted comments made by a UKIP spokesperson who said that 'open borders are putting lives at risk.' Cameron labelled the remark 'inappropriate' on the day of the attacks.
Cameron, along with other critics, was responding to UKIP's assertion that the terror attacks in Brussels 'highlight the dangers of lax immigration controls' and a 'need for the UK to leave the European Union'.
Despite initially resisting calls to scrap the controversial 'backpacker tax' for those on the popular Australian working holiday visa for young people – as reported by Workpermit.com on 1 March 2016 – the Australian government has succumbed to pressure, taking the decision to dump the controversial plans. The move comes amid concerns from farmers facing a potential labour shortage during harvest times.
The US will hold a consultation with India in April over the recent H-1B and L-1 visa fee increases mainly affecting Indian owned companies in the US, according to reports in the Indian media. The US has agreed talks following India's complaint to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) about the cost hikes slapped on the non-immigrant visas.