Immigration newsletter 11 May 2011

Firstly I remind you that there is less than a year to go if you wish to apply for your Tier 1 Post Study Work Visa.  If you qualify for this visa you have until April 2012 in which to apply.

Unemployment in Australia has fallen below 5 percent. Low unemployment means more labour shortages. Businesses are urging the government to increase skilled immigration into the country to help deal with these labour shortages.

New job creation in Australia is holding steady at 30,000 per month and growth is expected to continue, according to budget projections by Skills Australia.

Australian and Indian officials are working with Australian educational institutions and training organizations on opening up the country's training system to Indian students.

Tens of thousands of Indians would be trained under the plan to work in both countries, with up to 30,000 Australia-trained Indians being recruited to work in Australia.

The finance and import-export sectors in Hong Kong are having a hard time filling vacancies from the local population, prompting many firms to look abroad for workers.

The unemployment rate in Hong Kong is hovering around 4 percent, which is low compared to other developed nations many of whom are still recovering from the global financial crisis of 2008.

Singapore's status as a world financial hub has driven its economy to historic heights, prompting people looking for new job opportunities abroad to choose this Southeast Asian country as their immigration destination.

Singapore's foreign population has risen from 20 percent of the total population in 2001 to 36 percent today. In just one year in 2010 the country saw a 14.5 percent expansion in its economy; This is largely thanks to the large number of foreigners choosing to immigrate to Singapore.

New Zealand has announced changes to its business migration scheme designed to promote investment in the country. It is hoped that this will result in new investments in New Zealand of over half a billion New Zealand dollars. Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman said recently that the Government's business migration scheme has attracted over half-a-billion dollars in potential investment:

"We launched this package 19 months ago and the take-up rate has been incredibly encouraging. It's attracted $562 million in potential investment which shows the package is very appealing to business migrants," Dr Coleman says.

The Australian government will implement a number of regional migration initiatives and will increase permanent immigration during the 2011-12 fiscal year.

The increase in permanent migration visas to 185,000 will make Australia an even more popular destination for skilled individuals looking to live and work abroad.