“Our Government’s top priority remains jobs, growth and long-term prosperity. Canada cannot afford to lose out in the competition for foreign entrepreneurs among immigrant-receiving countries,” said Kenney. “We need to proactively target a new type of immigrant entrepreneur who has the potential to build innovative companies that can compete on a global scale and create jobs for Canadians.”

In the coming months, CIC said they plan to consult with industry associations in the development of a new “startup” visa program for entrepreneurs. These proposed changes will help immigrant entrepreneurs connect with private sector organizations that have experience and expertise working with startups.

“This “startup” visa initiative is an example of the type of small-scale programs that would allow CIC to try innovative approaches to economic immigration,” said a government press release.

Canadian immigration also hinted at the possibility of creating other short-term visa programs under the Economic Immigration Class. The proposal is that these visa programs would be limited to no more than 2,750 applications per year and would end after five years. If a program is successful during the five-year trial period, then CIC could choose to extend it.

“Our Government is committed to strengthening the immigration system to make it truly proactive, targeted, fast and efficient in a way that will sustain Canada’s economic growth and deliver prosperity for the future,” said Kenney.

Immigration Minister Kenney also announced on 13 April that they would begin consultations on changing the immigrant investor program, which currently requires a five-year investment of $800,000.

Global Visa Support offers a variety of programs in Canada. Please check our Canadian page for more information: http://www.globalvisasupport.com/canada.html

The proposed changes are part of stage two of the Australian Government’s response to the Knight Review of the student visa program. Stage one was implemented last November.

Under the changes, student visa applicants can streamline their visa application if they submit them with a Confirmation of Enrolment from a participating university in Australia at Bachelor, Masters, or Doctoral degree level on or after 24 March 2012. Their applications will be assessed as though they were a lower migration risk, regardless of their country of origin. DIAC expects to have a list of approved participating universities published by 24 March.

Also, the maximum period of English language study for Schools Sector (Subclass 571) visa holders subject to Assessment Level 3 and above will be increased to 50 weeks. Applicants from an Assessment Level 4 country who wish to study at an Australian school will no longer be required to provide evidence of an English language proficiency test when applying for a Subclass 571 visa. Each country is assigned an Assessment Level which is based on the calculated immigration risk posed by students from that country studying in Australia. Higher assessment levels indicate a higher immigration risk. Countries in Assessment Level 3 include: Turkey, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Croatia. Countries in Assessment Level 4 include: China and Bangladesh.

Student visa-holders will also be able to have their visa granted for four months before the start of their course so they can get settled in before their classes begin.

There will also be more flexible work conditions. From 26 March 2012, the current work condition of 20 hours per week while the course is in session will be changed to 40 hours per fortnight during any fortnight while the course is in session. Higher Degree by Research Student visa holders will not be limited in the number of hours that they can work once their course has commenced.

These proposed changes would apply to both new student visa holders and existing student visa holders.

The proposed changes will go into effect once approved by the Governor-General.

Global Visa Support offers a variety of Australian programs. Please visit out Australian page for more information: http://www.globalvisasupport.com/australia.html

changes will affect the following visas:

• Employer Nomination Scheme visa Subclasses 856 and 121
• Regional Skilled Migration Scheme visa Subclasses 857 and 119
• Labour Agreement visa Subclasses 855 and 120

The Australian government will create a “fast-tracked” path from temporary skilled 457 visa-holder to permanent resident under the employer-sponsored visa system. Additionally, the current six permanent employer-sponsored immigration visas will be replaced by two new visas: Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) and Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (subclass 187). Bowen said this change would make it easier for businesses and potential immigrants to “navigate” the immigration system.

Among the changes, Bowen said the immigration department will remove the language testing requirement for existing 457 visa holders who apply for residency and will also increase the upper age limit from 45 to 50 for permanent residence applications.

“We know these workers can do the job and are ready to make a commitment to Australia, so it makes sense to streamline their pathway to permanent residence,” Bowen said.

Other changes include:

• Introduction of 3 distinct eligibility streams – 457 holders, direct applicants and Labour Agreement applicants
• Changes to qualification and skill requirements for ENS and RSMS
• Creating a single skilled occupation which applies to ENS, 457 and State/Territory Sponsored Points Tested visas
• Introduction of market rate salary for ENS and RSMS
• Higher training requirements for ENS

Australian Industry Group chief executive Innes Willox welcomed the visa changes and said he thinks they will help fix the “tight labour market”.

“Notwithstanding the slow growth seen in employment over the past year, businesses across the economy are still experiencing skill shortages in key occupations, especially those in demand by the resources sector such as in engineering and the skilled trades,” said Willox.

The visa changes are expected to come into effect 1 July 2012.

Global Visa Support offers a variety of Australian programmes. Please check our Australian page for more information: http://www.globalvisasupport.com/australia.html

The EB-5 visa program requires an investment of capital of at least one million U.S. dollars (except for certain target investment areas). Cash investment is perhaps the most direct way to meet the capital requirement. However, the regulations also allow other forms of capital investment including equipment, inventory, other tangible property and cash equivalents. Further, debts secured by assets owned by the investor entrepreneur also qualifies as capital as long as the investor is personally and primarily liable and that the assets of the new commercial enterprise are not used to secure any of the debts. Such a broad definition of capital makes it easier for investors to inject capital into their businesses. For instance, a restaurant owner may have a portion of the capital invested in equipment and cooking appliances; a pharmaceutical company may partially satisfy the capital requirement by investing in laboratory equipments and facilities; and a manufacturer or distributor of goods could meet the capital equipment through the purchase of inventory and other assets. All assets are valued at fair market value in United States dollars.

Another important requirement of capital is that it must come from lawful sources. Assets obtained through unlawful or criminal means cannot be used to meet the capital investment requirement. To prove the lawfulness of sources of capital, an investor must provide documentary evidence including: (1) Foreign business registration records, (2) Corporate, partnership (or any other business entity), and personal tax returns including income, franchise, property (whether real, personal, or intangible) filed within five years in or outside the United States by or on behalf of the immigrant investor; (3) Evidence identifying any other sources of capital; or, (4) Certified copies of any judgments or evidence of all pending governmental civil or criminal actions, and any private civil actions involving monetary judgments against the immigrant investor from any court in or outside the United States within the past fifteen years. Unfortunately, many investors are able to come up with the capital for investment but are not able to provide evidence to prove that the capital comes from lawful sources.

Finally, it is important to note that although an investor must commit to invest one million U.S. dollars in the enterprise, there is no requirement that the full amount must be invested when an EB-5 visa application is filed. An investor can use documents to show that she is in the process of investing the capital, perhaps in different stages depending on the needs of the business enterprise.

The new measures, announced by Immigration Minister Damian Green, are to be brought in to address the criticism that was received following the decision to close the post-study work visa route. The Tier 1 Post-study Work Visa, which allows graduates to work in the UK for two years after the completion of their course will no longer be available from April 2012. However, very few people will qualify for the new Tier 1 Post Study Entrepreneur Visa.

This new visa program would be offered to students who have engaged in innovative entrepreneurial activity during their studies and will enable them to stay in the UK following their graduation to develop their business ideas. The new visa route will open in April 2013.

“Now that we have moved away from the old model of mass unselective immigration we can develop the system further to encourage the brightest and best to come here,” said Green.

Students who have developed a business idea under supervision at a UK university, can apply for the new visa as long as they are sponsored by their university. It would be introduced as a one year visa and could be extended for a maximum of two years.

Global Visa Support offers a variety of programs in the UK. Please visit our UK page for more information: http://www.globalvisasupport.com/uk.html

This is a really significant change from the current Australian immigration system. It is likely that fewer people will qualify under the new scheme because under the new scheme you will not only need to gain enough points but, in addition, Australia immigration will decide whether or not you will be allowed to submit an application. This is compared to the current system wherein if you gain enough points under the particular visa scheme you are likely to get in.

From 1 July 2012, all new prospective Australian skilled migration visa applicants will have to submit an EOI and wait for an invitation before they can lodge their visa application. For those who have lodged a visa application before that date, Australian immigration will process the application in accordance with any priority processing direction in effect at that time.

Australian visa applicants will be selected based on their points test score in a number of selection criteria. All prospective visa applicants will be required to meet the relevant English language requirements and obtain the necessary skills assessment prior to their EOI submission. However, unlike now you will have to also be approved by SkillSelect to obtain your visa. This brings in greater uncertainty compared to the current system.

The SkillSelect system will affect applicants for the following Australian skilled visas:

• Independent Skilled Migration (subclasses 175 and 885)
• State Sponsored Skilled Migration (subclasses 176 and 886)
• Business Skills (subclasses 132, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 890, 891, 892, 893)
• Employer Nomination Scheme (subclasses 121 and 856)
• Regional Sponsored Nomination Scheme (subclasses 119 and 857)
• Subclass 457 Temporary Business (Long Stay) visa (subclass 457).

Remember if you wish to apply for a skilled immigration visa you should start preparing now so that you are ready to submit your application before 1 July 2012.

Once the new system in implemented, SkillSelect will begin issuing invitations to eligible applicants in August 2012. Invitations will be issued to the highest ranking EOIs in descending order. The date and time of submission of the completed EOI may be used to separate those who score equally, so apply as soon as possible. Australian immigration will also announce a cap for occupations to limit how many people are selected from a certain occupation group. This ensures that the migration program is not dominated by a narrow range of occupations.

Global Visa Support offers various Australian programmes. Please check our Australian page for more information: http://globalvisasupport.com/australia.html

Australian Immigration announced on November 30 the new Post-Study work visa program would be available for Bachelor or higher degree graduates starting in 2013, according to a joint press release from Chris Evans, Australian Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations and Chris Bowen, Australian Minister for Immigration and Citizenship.

“These changes bring Australia into line with arrangements in other countries and enable education providers to offer a more competitive package to international students who are seeking good quality and long-term study in Australia, regardless of their field of interest,”said Evans.

Currently, more than 80 percent of foreign students enrolled at the Bachelor degree level or above use the Temporary Skilled Graduate Visa (Subclass 485) to stay in Australia after they graduate. Additionally, some students who obtain qualifications other than a Bachelor degree or above can use the Temporary Skilled Graduate Visa, which provides an 18-month stay in Australia to study or work but requires applicants meet the qualifications for an occupation on the Skilled Occupation List.

The new arrangements will extend the visa stay period to two years, while Masters by research or PhD students will be eligible for stays of three and four years respectively.

Specific Criteria

In order to be eligible for the Post-Study Work visa, graduates must meet the following criteria:

• Graduates must have completed a Bachelor degree or higher level course in Australia in the last six months.
• Graduates must complete their degrees after at least two academic years’ study in Australia
• Applicants must demonstrate competent English language abilities

The new Post-Study Work Visa arrangements will be available for all students studying for a Bachelor degree or higher who make their student visa applications after 5 November 2011. These students will begin to graduate from mid-2013 onwards, so the post-study work visa arrangements are designed to be ready for them in 2013.

For students who obtain qualifications other than a Bachelor degree or above, like a vocational degree, the existing Temporary Skilled Graduate Visa (Subclass 485) will still be available. This visa allows graduates to stay up to 18 months for those who have occupations on the Skilled Occupation List.

Global Visa Support offers a variety of courses in Australia. For more details, please see this page: http://www.globalvisasupport.com/australia.html

The Knight Review is a government appointed strategic review of the student visa program to help reform the Australian immigration student visa program.

From 5 November, student visa applicants will need to include a confirmation of enrolment, issued by their intended education provider, as part of their student visa applications, the statement said.
A new ‘genuine temporary entrant’ (GTE) criterion was also implemented 5 November. According to the department, the criterion addresses whether the individual circumstances of an applicant indicate that their intention is for a temporary stay in Australia. It will be assessed by interview in most cases and will consider the student’s background and the value of the course to their future.

Additionally, the financial requirements for certain student visa applicants have been reduced, meaning students will need up to AUD36,000 less in the bank when applying for a visa. The department noted that “applicants for the vocational education and training and private education sectors in particular will benefit from this change”.

Other changes that are now in place include:

• Extending the time new PhD students can stay in Australia on a subclass 574 visa while their thesis is being marked;
• Discontinuing pre-visa assessment policy to help speed up visa processing;
• Allowing prepaid homestay fees to be included in the financial requirements assessment for a student visa;
• English language students can apply for a visa without first meeting minimum English skills requirements

“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 Bowen. “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.”

“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,” Mr Bowen said.

The majority of the stage two Knight Review changes are proposed to be implemented by mid 2012 with some other changes to commence in early 2013.

Please check our our Australian programs on our websiste: http://www.globalvisasupport.com.

The resources sector of Australia, which includes industries such as mining, are concerned about expected skills shortages as a number of multi-billion dollar projects get underway.

The BCA has urged the government to make changes to the 457 visa program and introduce a special faster labour agreement to approve visas for large projects.

The BCA said many employers are concerned about lengthy delays and paperwork involved in hiring temporary overseas workers.

A recent briefing with Immigration Minister Chris Bowen warned that at least 140,000 skilled migrants were caught up in a processing backlog of up to 28 months.

The immigration department recently announced speedier visa decisions for companies involved in reconstruction efforts related to the recent floods. The BCA wants that agreement expanded to other projects.

The resources sector of Australia, which includes industries such as mining, are concerned about expected skills shortages as a number of multi-billion dollar projects get underway.

The BCA has urged the government to make changes to the 457 visa program and introduce a special faster labour agreement to approve visas for large projects.

The BCA said many employers are concerned about lengthy delays and paperwork involved in hiring temporary overseas workers.

A recent briefing with Immigration Minister Chris Bowen warned that at least 140,000 skilled migrants were caught up in a processing backlog of up to 28 months.

The immigration department recently announced speedier visa decisions for companies involved in reconstruction efforts related to the recent floods. The BCA wants that agreement expanded to other projects.