Immigration News Blog

European Union immigration pact

admin — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 01:15:38 +0000

The pact is meant to strike a balance between the concerns that illegal immigration and asylum-seekers are overwhelming the capacity of some nations to accept them while at the same time keeping open the flow of valuable highly skilled foreign workers to Europe, EU Observer reported.

The pact will make it more difficult for EU member states to grant mass amnesties for illegal migrants, as Spain did in 2005, to the chagrin of neighbours including France.
The pact says illegal immigrants must return to their countries of origin or to a country of transit. To that end, EU co-operation with those countries is to be enhanced, including strengthening of border controls.

Apart from labour shortages in key sectors such as information technology, engineering, and health care, increased numbers of highly skilled workers are needed to make the EU more competitive with other economies. Currently, 55 per cent of the world’s skilled migrants go to the United States and Canada. The EU attracts only five per cent of highly skilled migrant workers.

Britain take steps to restrict immigration

admin — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 14:51:13 +0000

World economy downturn forcing Britain to restrict immigration in attempt to save jobs for residents.

Canada still following quotas, expecting 240,000 to 265,000 this year.

Tough rules for immigration consultants

admin — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:01:14 +0000

Jim Rankin and Nicholas Keung, Staff Reporters of the TheStar.com writes:

The organization that oversees immigration consultants is toothless and should be dismantled, replaced by a statutory body empowered to go after unscrupulous advisers who prey on vulnerable migrants, urges a report tabled in the House of Commons yesterday.

New Immigration Laws to Benefit Skilled Workers

admin — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 23:25:44 +0000

Controversial changes to the Canadian Immigration Act have been accepted in the House of Commons. The changes give power to the immigration minister, Diane Finley, to fast-track the processing of visas to Canada for skilled workers of her choosing.

Minister Finley claims that the changes will allow Citizenship & Immigration Canada to speed up the immigration process for those immigrants whose skills are most needed, as well as reducing the massive backlog of visa applications currently queued for processing.

Waiting time can hit 10 years mark

admin — Tue, 27 May 2008 04:06:57 +0000

According to latest data from Citizenship and Immigration Canada backlog of applications will increase to 1.6 millions by 2012, and waiting time will grow from 6 to 10 years.

There is a few factors that have contributed to the situation:

Canada is a popular destination for reasons other than its multiculturalism. Its point selection system for skilled immigrants, unlike most other Western countries, gives people chance to move here as permanent residents even though they don’t have family connections, a Canadian education or a job lined up.

Nearly one million of applications were filed in 2000 and 2001 when the former Liberal government prepared to raise the application pass mark, which would make it more difficult to apply and cut the existing backlog.

In that same budget year, immigration staff at overseas visa offices was cut from 1,403 to 1,366.

read full article here…

Tags: Immigration, visa

Lost in Migration

admin — Mon, 12 May 2008 22:34:29 +0000

Lost in Migration, a 2007 Star investigation into unscrupulous immigration consultants, revealed how easily and how often would-be Canadians, and our immigration system, are abused. Police and a fledgling overseeing body lack the mandate to do much about it.

Projected Backlog

admin — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 15:29:22 +0000

Picture from Citizenship and Immigration Canada website shows projected backlog of application for permanent residence.

Average Time for Applications Processed at Canadian Visa Offices in Europe in 2007

admin — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:47:08 +0000

Visa office in Budapest, Hungary closed

admin — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 21:11:47 +0000

After the removal of the temporary resident visa requirement for citizens of Hungary on March 1, 2008, the visa office of the Canadian Embassy in Budapest will stop receiving applications on April 3, and will close permanently as of April 15, 2008.

Average Time for Applications Processed at Canadian Visa Offices in Asia and Pacific in 2007

admin — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 05:09:47 +0000