Immigration newsletter 29 Oct 2008

The Australian government recently hinted that they may reduce immigration quotas in response to the global economic downturn. But industry experts are warning that reducing immigration levels will hurt businesses in Australia. Both Prime Minster Kevin Rudd and Immigration Minister Chris Evans have stated that migration policies should take into account the current economic situation.

However, Evans did state that no decision has yet been made to reduce immigration. Gary Black, executive director of Australia's National Retail Association says that reducing immigration quotas is not the right answer. While he agreed that the government should review current immigration policies, he stated that "it really would be counter- productive to interfere with skill-based programs."

Black was referring to immigration schemes such as employer sponsored 457 temporary work visas and the General Skilled Migration program, which allows overseas workers to come to Australia permanently under a points based system.

According to a new study by the Conference Board of Canada immigration levels in Canada will need to increase significantly for economic growth to continue.

The study outlined a number of measures that should be taken to ensure a healthy long-term domestic labour market, including more options for temporary foreign workers to become permanent residents.

The study praised recent changes to Canadian immigration policy, such as the new Canadian Experience Class and improvements to the Off-Campus Work Permit program for foreign students; however, the report found that Canada will need to increase its annual immigration intake from the current 250,000 to 360,000 by 2025 to remain competitive in the global demand for skilled talent.

In addition, the study said that Canada needs to address the issue of transparency in its immigration system. The study noted that officials need to be up front to migrants about selection criteria, wages, and the availability of social benefits and health care. 

The Canadian Press is reporting that the United Kingdom is dropping plans for a 'Britain Day' public holiday that would promote social cohesion. "Britain Day" has long been championed by Prime Minister Gordon Brown as a way of combating extremism and promoting shared values between British citizens.

The idea went as far as being proposed in a government-commissioned report earlier in the year. However, Constitution Minister Michael Wills told the Commons in a written statement on 27 October 2008 that "there are no plans to introduce a national day at the present time."

Increased immigration and Britain's battle against extremism have brought the topic of citizenship to the forefront of political discourse during the last few years. Efforts have already been put forth by the government to try and better integrate immigrants; for example citizenship ceremonies and the Life in the UK test were introduced for migrants who wish to become British citizens.

The United Kingdom's new immigration minister, Phil Woolas, fell victim to a custard pie on 24 October 2008 while speaking at an environmental debate held at Manchester University.

When Woolas arrived at the debate, he was faced with a mock 'border control' and asked to present his passport. Shortly after he began his speech at the debate, a member of No Borders -- a group that campaigns against strict immigration policies -- threw the pie in his face and then ran away.

Woolas, who replaced Liam Byrne as the UK's immigration minister, began his tenure by hinting at stricter immigration policies for Britain. According to the BBC, a spokesperson for the group said that Woolas had been "spouting right-wing anti-immigration policies". Woolas has not commented on the incident. However, he has denied that he wants a numerical limit on immigration.

The United Kingdom will begin accepting applications for Tier 2 and Tier 5 of the new points based immigration system on 27 November 2008.

Tier 2 will replace the current UK Work Permit scheme, which allows employers to hire skilled workers from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland to fill particular vacancies. Under the new system, employers will first be required to obtain a license to sponsor non-EEA/Swiss nationals. Workers applying under Tier 2 will need a certificate of sponsorship, and will need to gain a total of seventy points.

Tier 5 will cover a number of temporary employment schemes, such as the Working Holiday visa, charity work visas, and various amateur sports and entertainment visas. Employers and other organisations such as sports teams will be required to hold a sponsorship license in order to employ people who come to the UK under Tier 5.

On 27 November 2008, a number of immigration categories will close. People currently in the UK under these schemes will need to extend their stay under the relevant tier when their current leave to remain expires.

The European Union Blue Card proposal is expected to be voted on next month at a European Union Council of Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs meeting. Ministers are expected to green-light the proposal, which would make skilled immigration to the European Union easier.

The EU Blue Card would grant up to a four years work and residence permit in an EU member state, with the Blue Card holder having the option to move to another EU member state after two years. In addition, Blue Card holders could bring family.

The Blue Card is the work of European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso. On 29 September 2008, Barroso told journalists during an EU-India summit in France that the European Union is likely to eventually implement the Blue Card, which takes its inspiration from the United States Green Card.

However, the Blue Card will be somewhat watered down, compared to its United States counterpart. For example, the Blue Card does not grant permanent residence as the US Green Card does. In addition, during negotiations on the proposal for the Blue Card initiative, many EU member states demanded that they retain control over how many skilled migrants to admit and for what sectors. Blue Card holders will also likely be required to make at least 1.5 times the standard wage in their EU country of residence.

During a United States citizenship ceremony held at George Mason University, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Acting Director Jonathan Scharfen presented Professor Abul Hussam of GMU with an Outstanding American by Choice certificate. The award is handed out to naturalized US citizens who have made significant contributions to their community and the United States as a whole. Hussam, born in Bangladesh, developed a household water treatment system that removes arsenic from groundwater. Over 100,000 of his arsenic filters have been distributed to countries such as Nepal, India, and his native Bangladesh. Hussam was awarded the certificate during the ceremony which welcomed over 50 new citizens at the Fairfax, Virginia university.