Australia will lower the barriers for entry for many people who with to obtain student visas.
The student visa assessment level for 38 countries will be lowered across one or more visa subclasses as of 2 April 2011. The changes come after an internal review of Australia's student immigration system by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC).
The review was most likely prompted by calls from Australia's education sector to make it easier for overseas students to gain entry; In recent years, Australia has seen a sharp decline in the number of international students applicants after stricter rules were put into place.
Applicants from 38 countries will benefit by not having to provide so much documentation in support of their student visa applications; It is likely that less documentation will need to be provided to show English language proficiency, financial capacity and academic qualifications.
"Prospective students and their families, agents and education providers should be aware that these changes will lower the minimum evidentiary requirements needed for the grant of a student visa for the selected countries and education sectors," a DIAC spokesman said today.
DIAC was quick to point out that the changes only affect the requirements for initial entry as a foreign student -- not the requirements to stay on in Australia as a permanent resident after studies are completed.
"While many international students apply for permanent residence when they complete their studies, this is an entirely separate process and there is no guarantee that, on the basis of having held a student visa, a person will meet the requirements to be granted permanent residence," DIAC said.
DIAC warned potential applicants not to choose Australia solely based on their chances of obtaining a permanent skilled immigration visa in future.
"Students should not make educational choices solely on the basis of expecting to achieve a particular migration outcome, because the skilled migration program will continue to change and adapt to Australia's economic needs," the spokesman said.
270,499 student visas were granted during the 2009-10 Fiscal Year, with 382,710 student visa holders actually in the country as at 30 June 2010; 80,450 of these students were from India, 80,010 were from China and 21,720 were from South Korea.
Monday, April 11, 2011
German immigration on the rise
For the first time in a decade, Germany has seen an increase in immigration into the country, according to numbers published by the national statistics office.
At the end of 2010, approximately 6.75 million foreign nationals were registered in Germany, bringing the immigrant population of Germany to just over 8 percent. This was a rise of 58,000 over the previous year.
More than a third of foreign nationals residing in Germany are from other European Union member states. The largest group consisted of 21,600 Romanians, followed by large numbers of Polish and Bulgarian nationals.
In recent years Germany has had quite tough immigration controls. However, this may have to change in future; Due to an aging population there are fewer people in the workforce.
Germany may need to open its doors to skilled migrants to deal with skills gaps in the workforce.
At the end of 2010, approximately 6.75 million foreign nationals were registered in Germany, bringing the immigrant population of Germany to just over 8 percent. This was a rise of 58,000 over the previous year.
More than a third of foreign nationals residing in Germany are from other European Union member states. The largest group consisted of 21,600 Romanians, followed by large numbers of Polish and Bulgarian nationals.
In recent years Germany has had quite tough immigration controls. However, this may have to change in future; Due to an aging population there are fewer people in the workforce.
Germany may need to open its doors to skilled migrants to deal with skills gaps in the workforce.
Study says Canada should increase immigration
A recent study by Canadian professor Tony Fang recommends that Canada should increase its immigration levels to bolster investment in housing and boost the nation's gross domestic product.
Canada already has the highest immigration rate per capita out of all major countries. The country already has a number of skilled immigration programs to help deal with skills shortages in the labour force.
Fang says that Canada needs an additional one million immigrants; This would be an extra 100,000 immigrants a year during the period 2012 to 2021. This would also help the Canadian economy which is yet to recover fully from the Global Financial Crisis of 2008.
"To study the impacts of large-scale immigration on the Canadian economy, the researchers took into account many factors including: immigrants' participation in the labour force; associated spending on government services and infrastructure; funds brought by immigrants; and labour market differences between migrants (in order to capture the effect of large-scale immigration on Canadian-born workers)," a press release on the study said.
Fang, a professor at the University of York in Vancouver, said that adding 100,000 more immigrants a year to Canada's population would increase the GDP by 2.3 percent. Moreover, the increase in population would create demands for goods and services, particularly housing.
Fang also said that increased immigration would add $14 billion in tax revenue for the government.
Canada already has the highest immigration rate per capita out of all major countries. The country already has a number of skilled immigration programs to help deal with skills shortages in the labour force.
Fang says that Canada needs an additional one million immigrants; This would be an extra 100,000 immigrants a year during the period 2012 to 2021. This would also help the Canadian economy which is yet to recover fully from the Global Financial Crisis of 2008.
"To study the impacts of large-scale immigration on the Canadian economy, the researchers took into account many factors including: immigrants' participation in the labour force; associated spending on government services and infrastructure; funds brought by immigrants; and labour market differences between migrants (in order to capture the effect of large-scale immigration on Canadian-born workers)," a press release on the study said.
Fang, a professor at the University of York in Vancouver, said that adding 100,000 more immigrants a year to Canada's population would increase the GDP by 2.3 percent. Moreover, the increase in population would create demands for goods and services, particularly housing.
Fang also said that increased immigration would add $14 billion in tax revenue for the government.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
UK immigration announces changes to Tier 4 student visas
UK immigration has announced a number of changes to the Tier 4 student visa category. There will be new accreditation criteria for sponsors and tougher English language requirements. An outline of the changes is included below:
21 April 2011 Changes:
New sponsors will need to meet new educational accreditation criteria in order to be issued a Tier 4 licence.
There will be interim limit on the number of students that can be sponsored unless the sponsor meets the following requirements:
hold Highly Trusted Sponsor status; and
meet the new accreditation criteria.
B rated sponsors will only be able to assign CAS to complete a course.
There will be tougher English language requirements for Tier 4 (General) students:
a B1 Secure English Language Test (SELT) requirement for all courses at NQF 3-5/QCF 3-5 / SCQF 6-8 (ending the current SELT exemptions on pre-sessionals pathway /foundation degree courses);
a B2 SELT requirement for courses at NQF 6 /QCF 6 / SQCF 9 and above
Higher educational institutions will be allowed to make their own assessment.
Normally a CAS may only be issued in respect of a single course, except in a situation where you are attending a pre-sessional course of not more than three months' duration and you have an unconditional offer of a place at a higher education institution or at an independent school starting not more than one month after the end of the pre-sessional course.
July 2011 Changes:
If you are a Sponsor you will have to vouch for academic progression for students changing course, where the new course is not a step up the NQF/ QCF / SCQF scale.
If you are a student applying for a visa you will need to declare at the visa application stage that you hold and will continue to hold the required maintenance funds to support yourself and pay the course fees.
If you are a Student from a designated low-risk nationalities attending courses at Highly Trusted Sponsors you will you will not necessarily have to show documents normally asked for other students relating to maintenance and educational qualifications.
You will only be allowed to work during your studies if you are at an higher education institutions or publicly funded further education colleges.
You will only be allowed to sponsor dependents if you are a new student studying at a higher education institution on a course on NQF 7 / QCF 7 / SQCF 11 or above lasting 12 months or more.
Your dependants will be able to work.
April 2012 Changes:
All sponsors must have reached Highly Trusted Sponsor Status.
The interim limit will be extended if you are an existing sponsor and have acquired HTS status but not met the new educational accreditation requirements.
Courses offering work placements will have to have a study:work ratio of 66:33 except at higher education institutions.
You will normally only be allowed a maximum time of five years in Tier 4 studying at degree level and above; There will be exceptions for some courses and for PhD students.
The Tier 1 Post Study Work visa will end.
There will be new provisions for Student entrepreneurs.
End of 2012 Changes:
If you are a sponsors you will need to meet the new educational accreditation criteria to be able to sponsor new students.
21 April 2011 Changes:
New sponsors will need to meet new educational accreditation criteria in order to be issued a Tier 4 licence.
There will be interim limit on the number of students that can be sponsored unless the sponsor meets the following requirements:
hold Highly Trusted Sponsor status; and
meet the new accreditation criteria.
B rated sponsors will only be able to assign CAS to complete a course.
There will be tougher English language requirements for Tier 4 (General) students:
a B1 Secure English Language Test (SELT) requirement for all courses at NQF 3-5/QCF 3-5 / SCQF 6-8 (ending the current SELT exemptions on pre-sessionals pathway /foundation degree courses);
a B2 SELT requirement for courses at NQF 6 /QCF 6 / SQCF 9 and above
Higher educational institutions will be allowed to make their own assessment.
Normally a CAS may only be issued in respect of a single course, except in a situation where you are attending a pre-sessional course of not more than three months' duration and you have an unconditional offer of a place at a higher education institution or at an independent school starting not more than one month after the end of the pre-sessional course.
July 2011 Changes:
If you are a Sponsor you will have to vouch for academic progression for students changing course, where the new course is not a step up the NQF/ QCF / SCQF scale.
If you are a student applying for a visa you will need to declare at the visa application stage that you hold and will continue to hold the required maintenance funds to support yourself and pay the course fees.
If you are a Student from a designated low-risk nationalities attending courses at Highly Trusted Sponsors you will you will not necessarily have to show documents normally asked for other students relating to maintenance and educational qualifications.
You will only be allowed to work during your studies if you are at an higher education institutions or publicly funded further education colleges.
You will only be allowed to sponsor dependents if you are a new student studying at a higher education institution on a course on NQF 7 / QCF 7 / SQCF 11 or above lasting 12 months or more.
Your dependants will be able to work.
April 2012 Changes:
All sponsors must have reached Highly Trusted Sponsor Status.
The interim limit will be extended if you are an existing sponsor and have acquired HTS status but not met the new educational accreditation requirements.
Courses offering work placements will have to have a study:work ratio of 66:33 except at higher education institutions.
You will normally only be allowed a maximum time of five years in Tier 4 studying at degree level and above; There will be exceptions for some courses and for PhD students.
The Tier 1 Post Study Work visa will end.
There will be new provisions for Student entrepreneurs.
End of 2012 Changes:
If you are a sponsors you will need to meet the new educational accreditation criteria to be able to sponsor new students.
H-1B visas should be easier to obtain say business leaders
IEEE-USA which is usually in favour of tough immigration controls together with the Semiconductor Industry Association has made a statement supporting changes to the foreign worker program. The open letter to the Judiciary Committee said the following:
From 1 April 2011 you can again apply for an H-1B visa. However, the earliest employment start date is 1 October 2011.
Recently Business leaders asked a congressional subcommittee to reduce the amount of red tape required to obtain an H-1B visa. However an academic claimed that the H-1B visa program makes it easier for employers to hire cheaper foreign labor.
"As you may know, SIA and IEEE-USA have for some time been at odds over portions of the H-1B program and its administration," …. "Currently 50 percent of master's and 70 percent of Ph.D. graduates in electrical and electronic engineering from U.S. universities are foreign nationals. These highly talented individuals should be able to get permanent resident status (green cards) in an expedited manner, rather than having to wait from 5-10 years as many do under the current system. ... SIA and IEEE-USA support immediate action by the Congress to retain these graduates as legal permanent residents."
It is hoped that in future the expense and paperwork required to obtain an H-1B visa will be greatly reduced. It is unusual that both business groups and "pro-labor" groups have come together in support of reform of the H-1B visa system. With both sides working together it may turn out to be easier to reform the system.
From 1 April 2011 you can again apply for an H-1B visa. However, the earliest employment start date is 1 October 2011.
Recently Business leaders asked a congressional subcommittee to reduce the amount of red tape required to obtain an H-1B visa. However an academic claimed that the H-1B visa program makes it easier for employers to hire cheaper foreign labor.
"As you may know, SIA and IEEE-USA have for some time been at odds over portions of the H-1B program and its administration," …. "Currently 50 percent of master's and 70 percent of Ph.D. graduates in electrical and electronic engineering from U.S. universities are foreign nationals. These highly talented individuals should be able to get permanent resident status (green cards) in an expedited manner, rather than having to wait from 5-10 years as many do under the current system. ... SIA and IEEE-USA support immediate action by the Congress to retain these graduates as legal permanent residents."
It is hoped that in future the expense and paperwork required to obtain an H-1B visa will be greatly reduced. It is unusual that both business groups and "pro-labor" groups have come together in support of reform of the H-1B visa system. With both sides working together it may turn out to be easier to reform the system.
Tier 2 Visa - Major changes from 6 April 2011
Tier 2 Visa changes include the following:
All immigrants wishing entry to the UK must be filling a graduate level position. You do not necessarily need to have an academic position. However, you will need to show that you have the right level of skills for the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC). Following recommendations from the Migration Advisory Committee 71 occupations can no longer come under the Tier 2 visa scheme. UK immigration considers that these occupations are below "graduate level". This will be relevant both for Tier 2 (General) and Tier 2 (ICT) applications.
The UKBA also published a revised List of Shortage Occupations, 8 occupations were removed from the list where it was decided there is no longer a shortage of skills.
Tier 2 General Visa Changes:
Over a period of a year from 6 April 2011 to 5 April 2011 there will be an annual limit of 20,700 visas. This will apply to restricted Certificates of Sponsorship. Unrestricted Certificates of Sponsorship will apply in the following cases:
If you were previously sponsored under Tier 2 (General) or as a Work Permit holder on or before 5 April 2011 and wish to extend your visa;
If you wish to move to a different employer;
If you have an annual salary of GBP150,000 or more;
If you wish to switch immigration category from Tier 1 PSW or Tier 1 General categories to Tier 2 Visa.
In April 2011 4,200 certificates of sponsorship will be available. After the first month 1,500 certificates of sponsorship will be available per month until 5 April 2012.
You will as a Sponsor be able to request 'restricted' CoS up to three months before the start date. The certificates of sponsorship will be allocated on the 11th of each month.
Tier 2 Intra Company Transfer changes
From 6 April 2011 there will two new sub-categories of Tier 2 Intra Company Transfer (ICT). Below are further details of the two Tier 2 (ICT) subcategories:
For stays of up to Four years:
Tier 2 (ICT) is available for graduate level employees for a period exceeding 12 months, up to a maximum 60 months in total.
The job the migrant will do must be at a graduate level or above with a minimum salary of £40,000 per annum.
You will granted a Tier 2 Visa for a period of 3 years and 4 months. This visa category will not lead to settlement (permanent residence) in the UK.
For stays of up to twelve months:
The Tier 2 (ICT) Visa in this situation is available again only for graduate level positions with a minimum salary of £24,000.
You will granted a Tier 2 Visa for a period of up to twelve months. This visa category will not lead to settlement (permanent residence) in the UK.
If you will be earning £40,000 per annum you may be able to apply for a longer term Tier 2 (ICT) visa.
English Language Requirements Tier 2 (General) Visa
The English language requirements from 6 April 2011 for Tier 2 General applicants have been increased from basic to intermediate level. This is level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. The English language requirements for Tier 2 Intra-Company Transfer are unchanged.
All immigrants wishing entry to the UK must be filling a graduate level position. You do not necessarily need to have an academic position. However, you will need to show that you have the right level of skills for the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC). Following recommendations from the Migration Advisory Committee 71 occupations can no longer come under the Tier 2 visa scheme. UK immigration considers that these occupations are below "graduate level". This will be relevant both for Tier 2 (General) and Tier 2 (ICT) applications.
The UKBA also published a revised List of Shortage Occupations, 8 occupations were removed from the list where it was decided there is no longer a shortage of skills.
Tier 2 General Visa Changes:
Over a period of a year from 6 April 2011 to 5 April 2011 there will be an annual limit of 20,700 visas. This will apply to restricted Certificates of Sponsorship. Unrestricted Certificates of Sponsorship will apply in the following cases:
If you were previously sponsored under Tier 2 (General) or as a Work Permit holder on or before 5 April 2011 and wish to extend your visa;
If you wish to move to a different employer;
If you have an annual salary of GBP150,000 or more;
If you wish to switch immigration category from Tier 1 PSW or Tier 1 General categories to Tier 2 Visa.
In April 2011 4,200 certificates of sponsorship will be available. After the first month 1,500 certificates of sponsorship will be available per month until 5 April 2012.
You will as a Sponsor be able to request 'restricted' CoS up to three months before the start date. The certificates of sponsorship will be allocated on the 11th of each month.
Tier 2 Intra Company Transfer changes
From 6 April 2011 there will two new sub-categories of Tier 2 Intra Company Transfer (ICT). Below are further details of the two Tier 2 (ICT) subcategories:
For stays of up to Four years:
Tier 2 (ICT) is available for graduate level employees for a period exceeding 12 months, up to a maximum 60 months in total.
The job the migrant will do must be at a graduate level or above with a minimum salary of £40,000 per annum.
You will granted a Tier 2 Visa for a period of 3 years and 4 months. This visa category will not lead to settlement (permanent residence) in the UK.
For stays of up to twelve months:
The Tier 2 (ICT) Visa in this situation is available again only for graduate level positions with a minimum salary of £24,000.
You will granted a Tier 2 Visa for a period of up to twelve months. This visa category will not lead to settlement (permanent residence) in the UK.
If you will be earning £40,000 per annum you may be able to apply for a longer term Tier 2 (ICT) visa.
English Language Requirements Tier 2 (General) Visa
The English language requirements from 6 April 2011 for Tier 2 General applicants have been increased from basic to intermediate level. This is level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. The English language requirements for Tier 2 Intra-Company Transfer are unchanged.
Some UK Government Visa fees will more than double from 6 April 2011. This will affect non-EU nationals who wish to live, work or study in the UK. UK employers and educational institutions will also have to pay higher UK sponsorship fees.
Some of the changes to UK visa fees are as follows:
A number of same day PEO applications for dependents made from within the UK will double in price or more than double in price.
Tier 1 Visas made from within the UK will go up from £850 to £1,000.
Short term student visas for periods of less than twelve months will double from £70 to £140.
Settlement visas for dependent relatives will be even more expensive going up from £1,680 to £1,814.
Most other UK visa fees will also increase. However, the increases will generally not be more than about five to twenty percent in most other cases. For example a Tier 2 postal application will increase in price from £500 to £550.
Damian Green the immigration minister had the following to say:
"The fees allow us to generate revenue which is used to fund the UK immigration system and to set certain fees below cost recovery to support wider government objectives. The revenue generated will contribute towards securing our Borders and controlling migration for the benefit of the UK.
"Given the need to reduce public spending, we have had to carefully consider our fee levels, to ensure we can maintain good service levels to our customers and secure the border for the general public."
It seems that UK immigration is again targeting dependents when it comes to UK visa fee increases. The UK has some of the highest immigration visa fees in the World.
It remains to be seen whether these visa fee increases will help the Government fund the UK immigration system and improve border security. The increase in visa fees is likely to put off some people from coming to the UK. The problem is that it may put off people who are actually needed by the UK economy to deal with skills shortages.
Some of the changes to UK visa fees are as follows:
A number of same day PEO applications for dependents made from within the UK will double in price or more than double in price.
Tier 1 Visas made from within the UK will go up from £850 to £1,000.
Short term student visas for periods of less than twelve months will double from £70 to £140.
Settlement visas for dependent relatives will be even more expensive going up from £1,680 to £1,814.
Most other UK visa fees will also increase. However, the increases will generally not be more than about five to twenty percent in most other cases. For example a Tier 2 postal application will increase in price from £500 to £550.
Damian Green the immigration minister had the following to say:
"The fees allow us to generate revenue which is used to fund the UK immigration system and to set certain fees below cost recovery to support wider government objectives. The revenue generated will contribute towards securing our Borders and controlling migration for the benefit of the UK.
"Given the need to reduce public spending, we have had to carefully consider our fee levels, to ensure we can maintain good service levels to our customers and secure the border for the general public."
It seems that UK immigration is again targeting dependents when it comes to UK visa fee increases. The UK has some of the highest immigration visa fees in the World.
It remains to be seen whether these visa fee increases will help the Government fund the UK immigration system and improve border security. The increase in visa fees is likely to put off some people from coming to the UK. The problem is that it may put off people who are actually needed by the UK economy to deal with skills shortages.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)