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Starting 29 November 2010, migrants who are the spouse or partner of a British citizen or resident and who wish to live in the UK will be required to prove that they can speak and understand English.
The new immigration rules will affect the spouse or partner of a British citizen or resident from countries outside the European Economic Area (including Switzerland).
To prove English language ability, you will need to show one of the following:
The UK Government is expected to announce a new "entrepreneur visa" aimed at attracting investor-backed businessmen who wish to immigrate to the UK to start high-tech companies. The goal is to better position London as a hot-bed for startups; The UK Government hopes that East London will become the "Silicon Valley" of the UK.
The government of Canada plans to maintain high immigration levels to help sustain the economic recovery.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) estimates that they will welcome between 240,000 and 265,000 new permanent residents in 2011. 60 percent of these are expected to be immigrants who arrive in Canada on skilled immigration visas.
"Canada's post-recession economy demands a high level of legal immigration to keep our work force strong," said Immigration Minister Jason Kenney.
The UK Border Agency has started issuing Tier 1 (General) Visas again from 1 November 2010.
On 19 July 2010, the UK Government introduced an interim limit on the number of initial Tier 1 (General) Visa applications that can be issued each month; On 20 October 2010 the monthly limit had been reached and the UK Government stopped issuing Tier 1 (General) Visas.
KPMG, a global business consultancy firm, says that the ongoing boom in Australia has resulted in low unemployment and a demand for overseas skilled workers to fill gaps in the labor market -- a trend that is likely to increase in the future.
According to their report entitled Skilled Migration Survey 2010, employers are being forced to increase their skilled migration intake to meet the demand for skilled workers.
Foreign specialists living in Russia may soon find it easier to bring in their families if a new immigration bill passes into law. If the changes go ahead Employers will find it easier to hire the workers they need to help fill skills shortages.
The Russian parliament has drafted new legislation which will allow the spouse of a foreign skilled worker to obtain a work visa for the same period of time as the primary visa holder spouse.
Previously, family members had to either face separation or see a representative of the Russian Migration Service every four months.