World News

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:

State or Territory Sponsorship

Under the State or Territory Sponsorship visa, the individual must meet the following requirements:

• Under 45 years of age;
• Be employed in an occupation listed on the Skilled Occupation List;
• Be employed in an occupation listed on the individual State Skills in Demand list;
• Have experience in the occupation;
• Have good English language skills;
• Be sponsored by a State or Territory;
• Attain a score of 100 points; and
• Live in the sponsoring State or Territory for the first two years.

Those qualifying under this visa category are also able to sponsor certain relatives for permanent resident visas.

State Sponsorship ? Provisional Visa 475

This option could be considered if the individual?s occupation is not on the Skills in Demand list.? The requirements are similar:

• Under 45 years of age;
• Be employed in an occupation listed on the Skilled Occupation List;
• Be employed in an occupation listed on the State regional skilled occupations list;
• Have experience in the occupation;
• Have good English language skills;
• Be sponsored by the regional area;
• Attain a score of 100 points; and
• Live in the regional area for the first two years.

This is not a permanent visa, so applicants cannot sponsor relatives for entry to Australia.? Sponsorship for relatives can be done after the two-year residency requirement is met and the individual applies for permanent residency.

Applicants under this visa type should review the regional skilled occupation lists specific states in which they wish to reside for at least two years.

The United Kingdom has announced that all U.K. visa applications will be subject to higher visa fees, although some are only rising slightly while others are rising significantly.? These new fee rates took effect on April 6th:
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? Tier 1 visas for investors/entrepreneurs increased ?15 to ?690.
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??Tier 2 visas for skilled workers increased by ?5 to ?270.
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??5-year multiple entry visas went up ?20 to ?420.
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??10-year visas increased ?110 to ?610.
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??Tier 4 student visas increased ?54 to ?199.
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The group that was impacted the most by the new fee structure is those with dependent relatives. ?Settlement Visas for dependent relatives jumped from ?585 to ?1680, an increase of nearly 300 percent.?An application for indefinite leave to remain for a dependent relative in the U.K. will rise to ?1,930. ?An additional 10 percent will now also be charged for dependent children.
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The United States took similar action in 2007 with large fee increases.?This sparked widespread criticism by immigrant advocates, who argued that steep hikes could impact some immigrants more than others, perhaps resulting in some applicants not being able to afford citizenship and other immigration benefits.?In fact, immigration applications did drop off noticeably.?U.K applications could face similar sharp declines, especially in light of the shaky economy.

On Friday, April 9th just before midnight, an unknown assailant tossed an explosive device over the wall surrounding the U.S. Consulate in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.? The bomb caused some structural damage to the building, but no employees were injured.? Mexican officials in Mexico City said they were reviewing evidence, including security camera video surveillance recordings.

This attack is another link in an alarming chain of violence against U.S. targets in Mexico.?Last month, a group conspired against U.S. consular workers in Ciudad Juarez who had been attending an engagement together.?Gunmen followed and killed three individuals who had left the gathering, also injuring several of their children who were accompanying them.

The U.S. Department of State has issued an updated travel warning for citizens of the United States in Mexico. The warning was issued to alert travelers to the risks in northern territories of Mexico.?It also noted that drug cartels have retaliated violently against individuals who speak out against them or whom they otherwise view as a threat to their organizations.?The State Department has also authorized approximately 100 family members of employees of the U.S. Consulate in Ciudad Juarez to depart Mexico for the United States amid concerns of increased security risk.

In 2008, two men fired shots and threw a grenade – which didn’t explode – at the U.S. consulate in Monterrey. Nobody was hurt in that assault, but the gate was left pockmarked. Five days later gunmen again fired at that consulate.

Many individuals who need to apply for U.S. visas elect to cross the border into northern Mexican cities with U.S. consular posts.?The convenience of the location is a draw for many foreign-born individuals living in the United States who have a need to travel internationally.?Given the increased?security risk and the potential for processing delays, individuals wishing to apply for visas at U.S. consulates in northern Mexico should weigh the risks of delay carefully in making their decision on where to apply for a visa.

South African officials have expressed concern that current immigration laws do not entice enough investors and entrepreneurial talent to the country.? The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor has consistently rated South Africa below other strong developing countries, which is due, in part, to its tight immigration policy that does not encourage a stead infusion of higher level skills and entrepreneurial-minded investors.
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Currently, in order to qualify for a business visa to South Africa the applicant must demonstrate an intention of investing at least 2.5 million Rand (~$350,000) in a new or existing business.? This can be a serious barrier to entry for those who have innovative ideas, but little capital to get their business off the ground.? Such businesses would need to begin operations elsewhere and then relocate to South Africa. ?While there is an exception to the capital investment rule, it is narrowly tailored to fit businesses in a limited number of industries.

Furthermore, South Africa’s work permit process only permits work authorization for 1 year at a time.? Work permits can be extended, allowing the person to remain and continue working, but the inconvenience of doing this on an annual basis can be discouraging to professional-level workers.
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South Africa has taken steps to reform its education system to meet some of these needs.? However, the fruits of that effort will not appear for year.? In the meantime, South African’s International Investment Council has expressed a desire to reform current immigration law to entice young, risk-taking professionals who have the ability to add thousands of jobs to the economy.? In the meantime, some South African officials are concerned that the gap could lead to serious economic problems.