1. Australia rated as best in the world for quality of life

    September 30, 2011 by oe-admin

    Australia has been rated as the best country in the world for quality of life in a new survey by the Better Life Index. Immigrants said that they chose to come to Australia for a better life and felt that the country came out on top in several key categories.

    Most thought that housing was good quality and that there was a strong sense of community and civic participation.

    Around 70% of adults in Australia have a high school diploma, while 72% of adults make up the workforce. Around 71% of mothers return to work after their children are old enough to attend school.

    In all, 75% of those interviewed said that they were happy with their life in Australia.

    Category: Australian Immigration NewsComments (0)

  2. NZ fees change

    by oe-admin

    Immigration New Zealand’s fees for immigration services changed on 29th August. The changes only affect payments made outside New Zealand, not payments made in NZ dollars.

    The changes are due to the fact that currency exchange rates have changed significantly in recent months. All applications lodged after 29th August must now be paid with the new fee.

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  3. DIAC releases guidelines for EMAs

    September 16, 2011 by oe-admin

    Submission Guidelines for Enterprise Migration Agreements (EMA) have been released by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship to assist project owners and contractors in recruiting international skilled workers under the new initiative.

    Designed for companies in the resources industry, EMAs will permit businesses to easily import skilled workers for major resource projects in Australia, particularly in the mining sector.

    The current shortage of local workers in resource projects will be addressed by the program through the availability of a large number of Australian work visas for eligible projects.

    ‘Access to overseas skilled workers will ensure the workforce needs of major resource projects are met, realising the economic and employment benefits of the projects’, stated an Australia Immigration Department spokesman.

    The spokesman said the program would still give local workers priority, as overseas workers ‘will be only supplementary, with resources projects required to demonstrate effective and ongoing local recruitment and training efforts’.

    To qualify for the EMA program, businesses must meet criteria specific to the size of the project and the number of workers needed.

    ‘The agreements are available to resource projects which have been approved by the relevant state or territory government with capital expenditure of more than $2 billion and with a peak workforce of more than 1500 workers’, added the spokesman.

    According to an announcement released by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, it will take no more than three months to process the program’s submissions.

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  4. Melbourne best city in the world to live

    by oe-admin

    For the first time since 2002, Melbourne has surpassed Vancouver to be the most liveable city of the world, the latest Global Liveability Survey conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) reveals.

    Melbourne has beaten 139 other countries around the world covered in the Global Liveability Survey to rank the first position with a score of 97.5 percent, closely followed by Vienna and Vancouver. It is a significant change in ranking because Vancouver has dominated the index for almost a decade.

    Australian cities have secured four of the top ten rankings for the world’s most liveable cities, with Sydney, Perth and Adelaide ranking sixth and equal eighth respectively, highlighting some of the best cities to live in Australia. Canadian cities, Vancouver (3rd), Toronto (4th) and Calgary (5th) were also ranked in the top ten world cities.

    The regular good performance of Australian cities on the index can be explained by their social stability with moderate populations and low crime rates.

    ‘Australia, with a low population density and relatively low crime rates, continues to supply some of the world’s most liveable cities’, said Jon Copestake, editor for the EIU survey.

    The EIU survey takes many aspects of living into account to assess the city’s liveability. It scores cities on political and social stability, crime rates and access to quality health care, as well as the diversity and standard of cultural events, the natural environment, education (school and university), and the standard of infrastructure, including public transport.

    Category: Australian Immigration NewsComments (0)

  5. Australia considers guest worker scheme expansion

    by oe-admin

    The Australian Government is considering expanding its “guest worker” scheme in order to fill chronic labour shortages.

    According to media reports on September 5th, 2011, Australia is set to discuss the guest worker scheme in Cabinet before the end of year. The existing guest worker scheme announced in August 2008 is expected to expand following the latest announcement of tourism minister Martin Ferguson.

    The expanded Australian visa scheme is expected to permit immigrant workers to enter Australia for a specific job or employment in a designated industry. Mr. Ferguson also wishes to extend the scheme to the hospitality and service sectors. The tourism industry claims its labour shortages are due to the attraction of larger wages in the mining industry. Additionally, the decrease in industry sources may be caused by a drop in foreign students who usually take service industry jobs to help pay for their studies.

    ‘It is an ongoing problem to find people; staff turnover can be quite high as well’, a spokesperson for the Tourism and Transport Forum stated.

    Mr. Ferguson also noted big opportunities for the tourism sector to employ more staff through new state and regional migration programs, working holiday visas and employee sponsored 457 visas. He said: ‘Additional incentives are provided for engaging long term unemployed, workers with a disability, mature aged workers, and indigenous Australians.’

    The foreign workers to Australia under the program will be paid full wages and receive the same work rights and conditions as Australian Citizens. However, they must leave the country after a set period.

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  6. Canada launches new movement to attract entrepreneurs

    September 6, 2011 by oe-admin

    Startup Visa Canada is a new Canadian immigration movement which is looking to make it easier for international entrepreneurs to emigrate to Canada and work with Canadian investors to launch new science and technology companies.

    The movement is comprised of three founding principles: Boris Wertz, Danny Robinson and the Canadian Venture Capital Association (CVCA). Both Wertz and Robinson have history as entrepreneurs and investors, and the CVCA is comprised of over 1,800 members who have a combined capital of over CA$75 billion under management.

    The reasoning behind Startup Visa Canada being formed was summarised by Wertz: ‘We are already falling behind countries like Chile, Singapore and Britain, who have already upgraded their programs….but I believe we can learn from their programs and make ours better’.

    CVCA’s director also commented on the need for the Canada visa process for entrepreneurs to be overhauled. ‘Our belief is that we must promote a culture of entrepreneurship in order to successfully compete in the new global economy’, he said.

    ‘Canada can become a beacon, attracting the best and the brightest from across the globe.’

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  7. Further details of July 2012 GSM changes released

    by oe-admin

    Australia’s Department of immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) has released further details of its planned changes to the General Skilled Migration (GSM) programme, to be implemented in July 2012.

    These changes will include a new GSM selection model via an Expression of Interest (EOI), Regional Migration Agreements (RMAs) and Enterprise Migration Agreements (EMAs).

    The changes are designed to allow DIAC to deliver a more demand-driven migration programme and follow on from the changes made in July this year with the scrapping of the MODL list, CSL, changes to the SOL and the introduction of State Migration Plans.

    While the details are still being worked out, we do know that the Skilled Migrant Selection Model (‘The Model’), will be a two stage process. To begin with, applicants will be required to submit an Expression of Interest, and if they are successful, they will then be invited to submit a visa application. The Model will affect Skilled Independent, State and Territory Sponsored and Skilled Regional visa subclasses.

    The EOI programme will compare applicants in order of application on a periodic basis based on the number of points scored. There will also be quotas on occupations in particular areas.

    DIAC has confirmed that a skills assessment and an IELTS English Language test will be required PRIOR to lodgement of the Expression of Interest: this requirement does represent an initial financial outlay for prospective applicants who will be uncertain as to whether their EOI will be accepted or not. If the subsequent EOI applicant is then accepted, then they will have two months to submit a GSM visa application.

    If the EOI is not accepted, then the application will remain on the system for two years. If a visa invite has not been issued by the end of that date, then a fresh EOI can be submitted.

    One serious time issue is that while The Model will be introduced in July 2012, invites will not commence until January 2013, leaving a gap of nearly six months where no applications will be taken. However, DIAC has confirmed that ultimately, The Model will significantly reduce the pipeline of visa applications and streamline processing times.

    The other changes announced for July 2012 refer to regional migration, which will be assisted with the introduction of Regional Migration Agreements (RMAs) and the introduction of Enterprise Migration Agreements (EMAs) which are targeted towards the large resource projects being undertaken in Australia. These programmes are designed to provide a more consultative approach to employer sponsored regional migration so that employers and large project owners can work with other bodies in order to stream skilled workers to where they are most needed.

    In conjunction with the above changes, DIAC has also announced that the permanent migration programme will be increased by 16,300 places in the 2011 to 2012 period, with the skilled migration component increasing by 10.5% to represent 68% of the programme. The GSM component of this is 72,450 places in total.

    If you have any questions about the GSM changes and how they may affect you, please contact +44 (0) 845 6017810 (this call is charged at local rate), or direct at 0131 625 6900 and ask to speak to a consultant. You can also email us at enquiries@my-oe.com.

    Category: Australian Immigration NewsComments (0)

  8. South Australia needs doctors!

    by oe-admin

    The need for doctors is growing in South Australia due to the fact that 25% are set to retire within the next five years. To counteract this, the South Australian Government has been urged to fund new internship and training places, and it is likely that doctors and other skilled medical professionals will continue to be in high demand in the state.

    South Australia, and Australia in general, is a popular option for medical professionals due to the established career progression opportunities available there and the lower cost of living.

    The usual working week is around 38 to 40 hours with additional hours being paid at overtime rates.

    Category: Australian Immigration NewsComments (0)

  9. NZ looking for ‘soft ‘skills’

    by oe-admin

    According to recruitment expert Hays, technical skills are not the only skills in demand in the New Zealand job market. Applicants should also consider selling their ‘soft skills’, defined by Director Jason Walker as interpersonal and communication skills, team management, leadership and organizational abilities.

    According to Jason, soft skills are highly sought after by employers and some will even offer training to a candidate who is otherwise fit for the role but perhaps could benefit from tuition in one of these areas.

    Category: New Zealand Immigration NewsComments (0)