Washington DC – February 27, 2012 Recognizing the importance of tourism to the U.S. economy, the Department of State continues to refine the visa process in major markets to help attract more visitors to premier U.S. travel destinations – without compromising border security. Streamlining visa processing supports the Department’s “Jobs...
Monthly Archives: February 2012
New Work Permit / Labour Market Opinion Process in Quebec
Effective February 24, 2012, as part of a new facilitated labour market opinion (LMO) assessment process, employers in Quebec seeking to hire temporary foreign workers in selected occupations, will no longer be required to provide proof of recruitment efforts. The list of occupations has been developed and will be updated annually by Quebec’s...
Aussie Visa Applicants May Require Health Insurance – AMA
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) is requesting that health insurance become mandatory for all Australian visa applicants. The request was made by vice president of the Victorian branch of the AMA, Stephen Parnis, following recent figures released by the AMA that shows the number of immigrants treated in the Victoria’s...
Harper Government Introduces the “Protecting Canada’s Immigration System Act”
Ottawa, February 16, 2012 — Legislation to protect the integrity of Canada’s immigration system was introduced today by Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney. The proposed measures include further reforms to the asylum system to make it faster and fairer, measures to address human smuggling, and the authority to...
UK Visa Rules Becoming More Restrictive
LONDON — The new British coalition government of Conservatives and Liberal Democrats has announced tough new measures to control immigration, including a halt to acceptance of applications for Tier 1 general immigration and making student visas harder to obtain, tuition fees vastly more expensive and jobs to pay the fees...
NEXUS Card Holders Can Now Cross Border Faster
The Canadian Press Date: Wednesday Feb. 15, 2012 10:27 AM ET OTTAWA — Starting today, Canadians with Nexus cards will able to use them in faster security lines when flying to the United States from eight Canadian airports. Those airports are in Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, and...
Census 2011: Canada’s Population Booms Thanks To Immigration
Canada’s population of 33.5 million people is growing faster than that of any other G8 nation – fuelled primarily by immigration – while the booming West continues to reshape the country’s demographic landscape, a new census has revealed. The latest national head-count, released Wednesday by Statistics Canada, shows strong and...
Canada Could Need 650,000 More Foreign Workers – Minister
February 14, 2012 Harry Bloy, Canada’s Minister of State for Multiculturalism, has claimed that an additional 650,000 skilled workers will be needed in Canada over the coming 15 years and that immigration is the best way to achieve this. Speaking at a gathering of four state ministers and people from...
Report Reveals High H1B and L1 Visa Denial Rates at USCIS
The National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) issued a report analyzing data obtained from USCIS that shows a high rate of denials and RFE issuance in petitions for L-1 intracompany transferees and H-1B professionals. That report may be referenced below by clicking on the link. http://www.nfap.com/pdf/NFAP_Policy_Brief.USCIS_and_Denial_Rates_of_L1_and_H%201B_Petitions.February2012.pdf The Siskinds Immigration...
Canadian Housing Market To Remain Stable – CMHC
Canada’s housing market has at least two good years ahead of it, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. said Monday, with low interest rates and a “moderately” expanding economy keeping price corrections at bay. The Crown corporation – which insures Canadian mortgages – has had a consistently rosier view of the market...
