Former American Institute in Taiwan Director Douglas H. Paal believes the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) will have a significant economic impact throughout the world. He believes it will demonstrate that closer economic ties with the People’s Republic of China are good for Taiwan and its financial future. The ECFA is a proposed agreement between the governments of Taiwan and mainland China that would enable Taiwan to generate economic integration China. The agreement is still under negotiation and stands to be finalized sometime in June of this year.

Canada is set to introduce a biometric passport system patterned after U.K.-style e-passports. Starting as early as 2011, Canadian citizens will begin receiving passports embedded with chips that contain digital images and personal information, including the individual’s name, gender, date of birth, and place of birth.

Recent changes to Australia’s Skilled Occupation List mean that fewer people qualify for visa status in Australia as skilled independent visa holders. Furthermore, the Migration Occupations in Demand List no longer exists. These changes make Australian immigration more difficult. One alternative is sponsorship by an Australian State or Territory, under which relatives may sponsor as dependents. The second option is the provisional 475 visa, which may be an alternative to the Skilled Occupation List. A detailed description of the requirements for each of these visas is listed below: