In this Issue

UK tightens immigration, sidesteps process

Goods and Services Tax to increase in New Zealand

Immigration New Zealand relaxes entry rules for Child Students

New Zealand won't cap migration numbers

Canadian Immigration Changes

Changes to NZ List of qualifications exempt from assessment

Changes for students from North India - UK Border Agency

International Students shun Australia for the US and Canada

New Zealand still world's most peaceful country

2010 Agents' Familiarization Tour Nova Scotia, Canada June 14-21

UK Tightens Immigration, Sidesteps Process

- from Education New Zealand E-News 27 July 2010 

In a move that sidesteps the UK Court of Appeal and the Houses of Parliament the British government has given just 24 hours' notice of a change to immigration law.

The change bans adult students from coming to the UK to study English or any other course below degree level for more than six months, unless they have passed a specified intermediate English qualification at B1 level on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

A new list of qualifications comes into effect from 12 August; the only ones accepted for entry are TOEFL, IELTS, the Pearson Test of Academic English and Cambridge ESOL exams. Among the qualifications no longer accepted is TOEIC, the world's largest English language exam, which is taken by over four million candidates a year and dominates in Korea and Japan, the two largest markets for English language courses in Britain.

The government laid the new immigration rules before parliament just 24 hours before implementation and three days before the beginning of the summer recess. It also comes at the peak time for student applications for courses for the next academic year. The House has forty days to disagree with the judgment, in which case the government must amend it, but this is unlikely to happen before autumn. Meanwhile, thousands of students will be rejected because they do not have the right language level, or because they do not have the correct qualifications.

The move follows two important rulings on the UK's student immigration policy by the British courts. In the first case, known as Pankina, three Lord Justices of the Courts of Appeal ruled, in what they described as a question of 'constitutional importance and real difficulty', that amendments to the immigration rules must be laid before parliament. In the second case, brought by language-centre association English UK, the Judge also ruled (following the precedent set in Pankina) that the language levels could not be increased to B1 without a negative resolution procedure (the forty-day period above) being implemented.

Goods and Services Tax to increase in New Zealand

In this year's Budget, the Government announced that GST (Goods and Services Tax)will increase to 15% from 12.5% (as at present) on 1 October 2010. This means the GST payable on all goods and professional services will increase by 2.5% from 1 Oct 2010.
The last increase in the GST rate was more than 20 years ago in July 1989. On an international comparison New Zealand has had a reasonable length of time with the same GST rate. The GST rate increase to 15% equates to a 2.2% overall increase on a GST inclusive basis.

Immigration New Zealand relaxes entry rules for Child Students

Announced on 26 July 2010

Children as young as 5 could come to New Zealand to study for up to three months each year on a visitor's permit, under immigration policy changes that took effect on 26 July 2010.

Immigration NZ has announced several amendments to policy, including one that would enable visitor's permit holders in Years 1-13, which the agency says is usually between 5 and 18 years, to study for a single period of up to three months per calendar year in non-consecutive school terms.

Department head Nigel Bickle said these children could also come to New Zealand without their parents or legal guardians because the policy had no guardian requirements.

But while immigration rules allow 5-year-olds to study here without their parents, Ministry of Education rules prevent them from being enrolled.

Read more.

New Zealand won't cap migration numbers

Unlike Britain, New Zealand won't cap the number of foreign workers allowed to settle in the country.

Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman says New Zealand needs skilled migrants to grow, and the country wouldn't benefit from capping the number of foreign workers who bring their skills to the country.

"We've always matched our temporary permits to the demands of certain occupations," says Coleman, "and the system has always worked well for New Zealand and is constantly being reviewed."

The British government will limit the number of foreign workers entering the country to 24,100 until April 2011.

Read full article.

Canadian Immigration Changes

Ministerial Instructions published in the Canada Gazette on June 26th have introduced changes to the Federal Skilled Worker program, the Canadian Experience Class and the Immigrant Investor Program.

Federal Skilled Worker -

Removal of Category 3: Temporary foreign worker (TFW) or international student residing in Canada for one year and still in Canada (previously known as Category 3) can no longer apply under the Federal Skilled Worker program unless these individuals have an arranged employment offer pursuant to subsection 82(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations or have at least one year of continuous full time or equivalent paid work experience in the last ten years in at least one of the occupational categories identified in the Ministerial Instructions.

29 in demand occupation list:

• 0631 Restaurant and Food Service Managers
• 0811 Primary Production Managers (Except Agriculture)
• 1122 Professional Occupations in Business Services to Management
• 1233 Insurance Adjusters and Claims Examiners
• 2121 Biologists and Related Scientists
• 2151 Architects
• 3111 Specialist Physicians
• 3112 General Practitioners and Family Physicians
• 3113 Dentists
• 3131 Pharmacists
• 3142 Physiotherapists
• 3152 Registered Nurses
• 3215 Medical Radiation Technologists
• 3222 Dental Hygienists & Dental Therapists
• 3233 Licensed Practical Nurses
• 4151 Psychologists
• 4152 Social Workers
• 6241 Chefs
• 6242 Cooks
• 7215 Contractors and Supervisors, Carpentry Trades
• 7216 Contractors and Supervisors, Mechanic Trades
• 7241 Electricians (Except Industrial & Power System)
• 7242 Industrial Electricians
• 7251 Plumbers
• 7265 Welders & Related Machine Operators
• 7312 Heavy-Duty Equipment Mechanics
• 7371 Crane Operators
• 7372 Drillers & Blasters - Surface Mining, Quarrying & Construction
• 8222 Supervisors, Oil and Gas Drilling and Service

NOTE: the occupations above are all Skill Type 0 (managerial occupations) or Skill Level A (professional occupations) or B (technical occupations and skilled trades) on the Canadian National Occupational Classification list.

Cap (limit) of 20,000 applications per year:

For clients applying under one of the 29 eligible occupations, that a maximum of 20,000 Federal Skilled Worker applications will be considered for processing each year. Also, within the 20,000 cap, a maximum of 1,000 Federal Skilled Worker applications per eligible occupation will be considered for processing each year. The first year began on June 26, 2010 and will end on June 30, 2011. Subsequent years will be calculated from July 1st to June 30th.

CIC has indicated that it will stop processing additional applications once the cap is reached. In this case, CIC will advise the applicant in writing that their application will not continue and refund their processing fee.

Exemption to 20,000 limit:

The cap or limit does not apply to those individuals applying under the Federal Skilled Worker program with an Arranged job offer (AEO) pursuant to subsection 82(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.

Mandatory language test:

Mandatory language tests are required for all skilled worker applications. Previously, applicants had the option of proving their language ability via a written submission. Citizenship and Immigration Canada now only accepts designated third-party language tests as proof of language ability – no exceptions.