1. New Zealand introduces new residence pathway for religious workers

    November 17, 2011 by oe-admin

    Immigration instructions have been introduced from November 2011 to enable religious workers to provide New Zealand communities the opportunity to practice, maintain and advance their religious beliefs.

    Religious workers may be eligible for a work visa for two consecutive periods of up to two years each, and may apply for a resident visa after holding a Religious Worker work visa for at least three years.

    Religious work includes:

    •teaching or guidance in religious scripture or philosophy
    •leading religious practice, worship or prayer
    •conducting religious initiations, ordination or ritual
    •ministering or pastoral care, or
    •roles of religious leadership in relation to any of the above.

    A religious worker can be sponsored by an organisation that is registered with the New Zealand Charities Commission with a primary purpose of advancing religion.

    A religious worker may qualify for a work visa if they:

    •will be undertaking religious work in New Zealand
    •have a sponsoring organisation who has agreed to support them for the duration of their visa
    •have training and/or experience of at least two years in religious work related to the work they are applying for
    •are of good health and character, and
    •have evidence to support the above.

    Who may qualify for a Religious Worker resident visa?

    A religious worker may qualify for a resident visa if they:

    •have held a Religious Worker work visa (or a Ministers of Religion, missionaries, and members of religious orders work visa, or Specific purpose or event work visa for pastors and lay missionaries) for at least three years
    •will be undertaking ongoing religious work in New Zealand
    •have a sponsoring organisation who has agreed to support them for five years from the day their resident visa is granted
    •have training and/or experience of at least five years in religious work related to the work they are applying for
    •are 55 years or younger on the date they apply for a resident visa
    •meet a minimum standard of English
    •are of good health and character
    •have not applied for or been granted welfare assistance for the duration of their work visas, and
    •have evidence to support the above.

    Category: New Zealand Immigration NewsComments (0)

  2. Canadian Government announces new ‘super visa’ in effort to deal with backlog

    by oe-admin

    The Canadian Government will stop accepting permanent residency applications from parents and grandparents of Canadian residents, announcing a new ‘super visa’ as a replacement.

    In an effort to clear the 165,000-strong backlog of permanent residency applications, Canadian immigration minister Jason Kenney has this week flagged changes to the family reunification system.

    ‘Wait times for Family Class sponsorship applications for parents and grandparents now exceed seven years, and without taking action, those times will continue to grow, and that is unacceptable’, Mr Kenney said.

    ‘Action must be taken to cut the backlog, reduce the wait times, and ensure that the parents and grandparents program is sustainable over the long run.’

    The action proposed by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) authorities is to stop accepting and processing permanent residency applications from parents and granparents of citizens and residents for a period of two years.

    Over this hiatus CIC intends to boost the number of parents and grandparents entering Canada by issuing a new Canada visa valid for extended stays of up to two years.

    CIC expects that the grandly named ‘Parent and Grandparent Super Visa’ will increase the number admitted by more than 60% in 2012.

    The visa is conditional on a number of requirements including proof of private medical insurance, and a ‘written commitment of financial support from a child or grandchild in Canada who meets a minimum income threshold’.

    CIC claims it will issue these ‘super visas’ within eight weeks of application.

    Category: Canadian Immigration NewsComments (0)

  3. Fees reduced for Australian student visas

    by oe-admin

    Following the implementation of the Knight Review findings, financial arrangements for Australian student visas have been changed.

    Prospective international students will now need up to $36,000 less when applying for an Australia visa, as the Australian Government rolls out the first stage of its student visa reforms.

    ‘The change that came in this week recognises that the financial requirements for student visas were often too onerous, and discouraged applicants from choosing Australia as their preferred study destination’, said Australian Immigration Minister Chris Bowen in a statement.

    ‘Applicants for the vocational education and training and private education sectors in particular will benefit from this change.’

    The Government has also taken away the requirement to meet a minimum English skills level before applying for a visa.
    Among the other changes implemented is the introduction of a new ‘genuine temporary entrant’ requirement for all student visa applicants, which allows the immigration department to ensure students intend to stay in Australia on a temporary basis.

    ‘We want to avoid the situation where student visa holders are desperate to stay in Australia to work to pay off large study debts amassed at home’, Mr Bowen said.

    ‘While international students may aspire to remain in Australia, if they cannot achieve permanent residency or long-term employee sponsorship, they need to return to their home countries.’

    The changes to the student visa system are being introduced in response to the recommendations of former NSW Government minister Michael Knight in his review of the Australian international education sector.

    Category: Australian Immigration NewsComments (0)

  4. Canada considers visa limit to deal with backlog

    November 3, 2011 by oe-admin

    Canada is considering limiting the number of visa applications it receives and processes as a solution to the backlog of demand for Canadian immigration, which has now reached one million names.

    Canadian immigration and citizenship minister Jason Kenney has raised the possibility of accepting fewer applications to a Canada visa, meaning fewer opportunities for immigration. He raised the policy proposal as a solution to the processing backlog.

    ‘Those are the only two possible solutions. It’s a math problem’, Mr Kenney said, going on to explain that Canada must either vastly increase immigration acceptances – which is unlikely given the tough immigration stance of the current government – or take fewer applications in the first place.

    The Minister pointed to the ‘family class’ path to migration as one of the reasons behind the backlog. Under Canadian immigration law, parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens are eligible for immigration which saw 37,500 applications in 2010 and has a ten year wait for processing.

    Kenney said the government is considering adding conditions to the family class, including possible prerequisites of family income, family health insurance or a bond, similar to the proposal currently before the UK House of Commons.

    Immigration law specialist Richard Kurland has expressed support for a tightening of the family migration scheme.

    ‘Unless you solve the intake problem, you’re going to have a growing backlog with growing processing times and it’s time to bite the bullet’, he said.

    The NDC opposition has responded cautiously, immigration spokesperson Don Davies saying a cap on family migration is ‘not the only policy tool available to the minister’.

    Category: Canadian Immigration NewsComments (0)

  5. New Zealand to review pregnant student visa restriction

    by oe-admin

    New Zealand is reviewing the policy that prevents pregnant women from getting or renewing an international student visa.

    New Zealand Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman has told Radio New Zealand that the current policy on prospective international students who are pregnant is ‘outdated’ and that the Government will be reviewing its position.

    Under legislation introduced in 2008, pregnant international students are unable to be granted a New Zealand visa – or a visa renewal – for study. At the time, the Government argued that foreign students giving birth in New Zealand is an unnecessary strain on the public health system.

    The news that the Government will review the policy has been praised by the NZ Union of Students’ Associations, who argue that the policy is archaic and puts a lot of pressure on students.

    ‘The policy, while it only affects a very small number of people, really has had the affect of unduly disrupting students’ studies, meaning some people just can’t complete their study in New Zealand’, said organisation spokesperson David Do.

    ‘In the past there have been cases where students have offered to pay all the medical costs associated with giving birth and still being declined (their visa) which seems quite unreasonable.’

    Category: New Zealand Immigration NewsComments (0)

  6. New Zealand introduces biometrics

    by oe-admin

    New Zealand’s immigration authorities have announced the introduction of new biometric technology to bolster border security and assist with visa processing times.

    The waiting time for a New Zealand visa may be shortened by the adoption of such biometric technology, New Zealand Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman has announced.

    ‘Biometrics provides better tools which allow Immigration to confirm an individual’s identity and protect New Zealand’s border’, Dr Coleman said.

    ‘The changes will protect people from identity theft and prevent the misuse of passports or visas by fraudsters and criminals. A further benefit is that the new technology will speed up visa application processing, as we are more readily able to confirm who we’re dealing with.’

    Immigration New Zealand will be using biometric technology to store personal data such as photographs and fingerprints, which in turn will speed up visa processing and provide border protection agencies with ease of access to key security information.

    New Zealand will share biometric data with Australia, Canada, the UK and the US as part of a multinational security framework.

    However, Dr Coleman has stressed that his department will be compliant with New Zealand privacy and security laws in granting access to personal information.

    The Biometric system is now live.

    Category: New Zealand Immigration NewsComments (0)

  7. Australia to allow English language competition for student visas

    by oe-admin

    The Australian Government has announced it will open the market for English language testing to competition, ending the dominance of IETLS in the Australia visa application process.

    The Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) has announced its intention to accept results from tests other than the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) in assessing language level for an Australia visa.

    From November 2011, prospective international students to Australia can be tested via the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), Pearson’s PTE Academic test and the Cambridge English Advanced Test during their visa application process.

    Currently students from countries that have a first language other than English – particularly the key student markets of China and India – must show their IELTS test results to DIAC in order to qualify for a student visa.

    Australian immigration authorities first began an review of the IELTS monopoly in 2008 and have been working with test providers to achieve a table of equivalent scores across the various testing systems.

    However, IELTS will continue as the official language testing standard for skilled migration visa applications.

    The news to end the dominance of IELTS comes amid reports of rising demand for student visas to Australia. ABC Radio reported that ‘the number of applications for visas to study in Australia has begun to rebound’, indicating a stabilisation of the international student market following a period of noted decline.

    Category: Australian Immigration NewsComments (0)

  8. Australian trade minister in call for migration increase

    by oe-admin

    A senior member of the Australian Government has re-opened the ‘big Australia’ debate calling for an increase in net migration to fuel economic growth.

    Australian Trade Minister Craig Emerson has called for a boost in immigration to fuel economic productivity.

    The Australian Trade Minister Craig Emerson has released a 17-page economic position paper on preparing the Australian economy for the “Asian century”. The paper called for an increase in targeted Australian immigration in order to thwart the threat to exports posed by labour and skills shortages.

    ‘Australia’s sparkling future in the Asian century will require higher levels of temporary and permanent immigration as shortages of skills and general labour choke off the country’s capacity to expand in exports and domestic economy’, Dr Emerson said.

    ‘If Australia’s 2020 vision is to be realised, a rational debate about immigration levels will need to occur.’

    The comments indicate the Minister’s support for the policy of ‘big Australia’ championed by the former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, and a diversion from the current PM Julia Gillard’s stated position of supporting a ‘sustainable Australia, not a big Australia’.

    Dr Emerson said his comments are not inconsistent with official government policy as an increase in immigration was already stipulated in this year’s federal budget.

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