Under changes to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, federal skilled worker applications are assessed for eligibility according to the criteria listed below. Note: This does not apply to applicants intending to live in the province of Quebec.

These criteria affect you only if you applied on or after June 26, 2010. If your application was received before June 26, 2010, it will be processed according to the rules that were in effect at that time.

Is my application eligible for processing?

For your application to be eligible for processing, you must include the results of your official language proficiency test, and either:

have a valid offer of arranged employment, OR

be a skilled worker who has had one year of continuous full-time or equivalent part-time paid work experience in at least one of the following eligible occupations within the last ten years:

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.

If you are not sure if you should apply as a skilled worker, you can use the eligibility tool to get an idea of whether your application would be eligible for processing.

If you apply and do not meet the above criteria, you will be informed of this and  your processing fee will be refunded. Source Citizenship and Immigration Canada website.

The federal skilled worker scheme is only one of many different ways to migrate to Canada. Before you decide on which scheme is best for you make sure you dod your research or take professional advice from a qualified Canadian Immigration Adviser.

One of the main attractions for migrants seeking new opportunities abroad, and why it seems half the world wants to be Canadian, is that Canada has a liberal and generous settlement policy.

Unlike some countries where settlement can take as long as five years, e.g. the UK, or is not allowed at all, as in most of the  Middle East, Canada allows many categories of skilled immigrant workers an opportunity to apply for Canadian permanent residency after just two years.

The authors of the software package, “My Immigration Consultant“, say that according to Immigration Canada data, every year, Canada plans to accept between  225,000 to 265,000 immigrants, to meet Canada’s economic goals. 

Find out how you can migrate to Canada. 

See also:

Massive Job Opportunities in Canada

Why the world wants to be Canadian

For more information on how you can migrate to Canada - CLICK HERE  

info@immigrationmatters.co.uk or visit www.immigrationmatters.co.uk

John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator, cited a report posted on the Saudi Gazette website last Wednesday September 1.

The news item said the incident transpired Tuesday on Sultana Street in Madina, Saudi Arabia.

Witnesses said the umbrella used by the domestic worker “failed to open at the right moment and the maid came crashing down on the pavement to die instantly.”

Eyewitnesses added that the domestic worker first tossed out a bag containing her clothes and jumped with the umbrella in her hand.

Her employer, the news report said, who is known only by his initials M.O., said the building’s guard told him about the incident and said he found the umbrella hanging on the balcony. A knife used by the maid to open the tightly closed window was also found, he said.

At the request of the maid’s family, the employer said, she was buried at Baqe’e Al-Gargad in the Prophet’s City.

“Concerned fellow OFWs have called me last week and informed us about the death of a domestic worker who reportedly jumped to her death from the window of her employer’s flat on a higher floor of a building,” Monterona said.

However, Monterona pointed out the informants failed to identify the nationality and name of the victim upon his further query.

“Until we have read the news report from a local news website which we suspect is about the unconfirmed reports of what we have been receiving as the circumstances of her death are the same as what have been told to me last week by concerned fellow OFWs,” Monterona said.

“It is of particular interest and concern to us because of the unclear circumstances leading to the migrant worker’s death, aside from the need to establish the victim’s identity; what forced the worker to jump out of the building that led to her unfortunate death must be investigated and primarily established,” he said.

Monterona said Migrante-ME welfare case officers have handled cases of the same nature in the past involving abused and maltreated OFWs jumping from the building in their vain attempt to escape from abusive employers only to discover later from relative’s complaining that there was foul play involved. Source: Roy C. Mabasa, MB.com.ph

If you need any immigration advice or help with Sponsorship or Work Permits, Visa, ILR/Settlement, Citizenship or an appeal against a refusal please email: 

info@immigrationmatters.co.uk or visit www.immigrationmatters.co.uk

For more information on how you can migrate to Canada - CLICK HERE

Patel, 60, is today one of the richest men in Britain and ranks 141st in the Sunday Times Rich List. He was awarded an honorary degree by the De Montfort University, Leicester.

Now a pharmaceuticals tycoon, Patel studied pharmacy at University and graduated in 1973. He heads the globally successful company, Waymade Healthcare.

He and his older brother Bhiku head the company. They started with a single chemist’s shop in Essex, and now own a global company, marketing and distributing drugs to 110 countries.

Patel, who was awarded an honorary degree in business administration, said, “I had a dream to start my business when I was just 10 years old but I never dared to tell anyone. I never imagined this would happen, though, and I am so deeply humbled to be honoured by the university in this way.”

Patel grew up in difficult circumstances in Kenya. His father died when he was five, leaving his mother to bring up her children in an impoverished country.

He said, “My mother taught me a very important lesson – get the best education you possibly can. But I had no way of funding myself through it, so I picked myself up and headed to the UK with little more to my name than a bag full of ambition.”

Senior lecturer in business at De Montfort, Dr Robert Webber, said, “This is in honour of Dr Patel’s many achievements in business, nationally and internationally. It is a great pleasure to be honouring him in this way.” Source: Chai Samosa.

See also:

Weekly Immigration News Round up 29 August 2010

If you need any immigration advice or help with Sponsorship or Work Permits, Visa, ILR/Settlement, Citizenship or an appeal against a refusal please email: 

info@immigrationmatters.co.uk or visit www.immigrationmatters.co.uk

Starting September, the mobile “balikmanggagawa” processing scheme will cater to returning OFWs from Pangasinan at the DoLE field office in Rosales situated at Barangay Zone 4 every Friday.

The One-Stop Processing Center at the DoLE Dagupan Field Office will continue to process returning workers every Wednesday of the week.

Meanwhile, OFWs living in Ilocos Norte can visit the Provincial Capitol of Laoag every 2nd and 4th Monday of the month at the provincial auditorium.

The program is one way of reducing the number of individuals going to the POEA main office during peak season.

It also aims to bring the POEA’s OEC processing closer to where workers live or stay. Source: Manila Bulletin

See also:

Nine illegal workers in care home deported – 6 Filipinos sent home

Britons survive Philippines bus siege

Weekly Immigration News Round up 29 August 2010

Massive Job Opportunities in Canada

CYNTHIA BARKER SAYS CARERS AND CHEFS TO BE REMOVED FROM SHORTAGE OCCUPATION LIST

If you need any immigration advice or help with Sponsorship or Work Permits, Visa, ILR/Settlement, Citizenship or an appeal against a refusal please email: 

info@immigrationmatters.co.uk or visit www.immigrationmatters.co.uk

For more information on how you can migrate to Canada - CLICK HERE

Carole Spencer, 55, also allowed staff at Bessingby Hall Residential Nursing Home in Bridlington to doze off, the Nursing and Midwifery Council heard.

A care assistant photographed her sleeping and recorded her snoring.

The council said Spencer regularly slept on duty and this could have had “serious consequences” for patients.
Winsome Levy, chairman of the council’s conduct and competence committee panel, said: “She was in charge of night shifts in a care home, with up to 51 elderly, vulnerable patients.

“Some of them were terminally ill, two were unconscious, and they all needed constant care.”

Spencer, who had worked at the home since October 2006, would “usually” get her head down in the early hours and would often be joined by other nurses and care assistants.

On one occasion, the night of 18 January 2008, every member of staff took a nap at the same time.

After being reported to managers, Spencer complained that she was being “singled out” and claimed “they all do it”.

In a letter to the council, Spencer said she had “no cares” about the case and denounced the accusations as “lies”.

“She has consistently denied the allegations, and has shown no insight, regret or remorse,” said the panel chairman.

“She continues to seek to blame others.

“Her misconduct put her patients at risk and would undermine public confidence in the profession.”

Spencer could return to work only if she “changed her attitude, showed insight, and remedied her practice”, she added.

Spencer, from Bridlington, was found guilty of misconduct by sleeping on duty between September 2007 and February 2008, and by allowing staff to sleep between 4 October 2006 and 20 February 2008.

She did not attend the hearing in London. Source: Guide2Care.co.uk

See also:

Weekly Immigration News Round up 29 August 2010

If you need any immigration advice or help with Sponsorship or Work Permits, Visa, ILR/Settlement, Citizenship or an appeal against a refusal please email: 

info@immigrationmatters.co.uk or visit www.immigrationmatters.co.uk

For more information on how you can migrate to Canada - CLICK HERE

The new coalition government has pledged to cut net immigration from the 150,000-plus each year addition to the UK population back at least to below 100,000.

Cameron has already capped Tier 2 working visas for non-European Union migrants, at 24,100 between June and next April – 1,300 fewer than last year.

However, researchers have taken issue with a net target, arguing that it makes little sense to aim for a figure that is largely out of the government’s control. Immigration rose 33,000 last year to 196,000 but most of the net increase came from fewer Brits emigrating – probably because the weak pound made overseas living less appealing, while the recession slashed jobs abroad.

The net number of Brits moving abroad dropped to 36,000 in the year to December 2009, from 90,000 in the year to December 2008.

A8 EU net migration down to 5000

Meanwhile, a number of other indicators seemed to be pointing against net immigration.

UK Tier 2 work visas fell sharply, as did national insurance registrations that foreigners must complete to work here.

More significantly net immigration from the eight eastern European nations that have had free movement of labour rights in Britain since 2004 was just 5,000 last year, compared to 80,000 at its peak. The figures confirm other indicators that Eastern European migrants are returning home in large numbers.

Sarah Mulley from the Institute for Public Policy Research said: “This demonstrates the difficult task that the government has set itself in seeking to significantly reduce total net immigration – a measure over which it has only limited control.

“The impact of changes in British migration [over which the government has no control at all] on total net migration demonstrates this very clearly.”

Several aspects of the increase in immigration will provide ammunition for those seeking lower inflows.

Immigration by non-UK citizens was swollen by a 35 per cent surge in student visas in the year to June 2010; there was also a 37 per cent jump in grants for migrants to settle indefinitely in the same period.

Damian Green, immigration minister, said the surge in student numbers was a worrying sign that people might be coming to the UK under false pretences. “It’s important to look carefully at those courses to see that they are genuinely valuable and are not just being used as an excuse to evade immigration controls,” he said.

The government is also looking at reforming the student visa system and how it can deal with the surge in applications to settle permanently in the UK.

New student visas rose to more than 360,000 in the year to June, from about 270,000 the previous year. However, in 2008-9, 144,770 non-EU students started courses at UK universities. The remaining non-EU student visas must have been allocated to pupils at other institutions – such as language colleges and independent schools.

But the rise in student numbers probably reflected both the weak pound making British education cheaper and universities seeking funding from high-paying foreign students.

The university sector is concerned by the prospect of tighter controls. Universities UK, the institutions’ umbrella group, estimates that non-EU students contribute £2.2bn in tuition fees – 8 per cent of their total income. Their higher fees cross-subsidise UK and EU students.

Meanwhile, a rise in grants of settlement – which provide indefinite leave for immigrants to remain – is thought to be in part a reflection of faster processing of applications by the Home Office, as well as the fact that many eastern European people and families who have moved to the UK since 2004 are becoming eligible to stay permanently. Source: FT.

The UK needs to attract the best skilled migrants and international students in order to remain competitive and economically vibrant, as Canada, Australia and the US are also competing for highly skilled and skilled talent.

See also:

Net UK migration rose in 2009 with student visas up 35%

Weekly Immigration News Round up 29 August 2010

CYNTHIA BARKER SAYS CARERS AND CHEFS TO BE REMOVED FROM SHORTAGE OCCUPATION LIST

If you need any immigration advice or help with Sponsorship or Work Permits, Visa, ILR/Settlement, Citizenship or an appeal against a refusal please email: 

info@immigrationmatters.co.uk or visit www.immigrationmatters.co.uk

For more information on how you can migrate to Canada - CLICK HERE

Complex new background designs on pages unveiled yesterday show Ben Nevis, the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland, Wales’s Gower Peninsula – and the white cliffs of Dover.

Mixed in are references to the British weather – with symbols for clouds, lightning… and rain. Typically, sunshine appears on just four of the 28 pages.

The revamp to thwart passport fraud will see the hi-tech chip moved to the inside cover where it is harder to tamper with. There will also be two photos of the passport holder.

A ten-year one will still cost £77.50. Passports boss Sarah Rapson said the aim is to “stay ahead of criminals.” Source: The Sun

See also:

Sham marriage pair in court

Nine illegal workers in care home deported – 6 Filipinos sent home

If you need any immigration advice or help with Sponsorship or Work Permits, Visa or an appeal against a refusal please email: 

info@immigrationmatters.co.uk or visit www.immigrationmatters.co.uk

The authors of the software package, “My Immigration Consultant“, say that according to Immigration Canada data, every year, Canada plans to accept between  225,000 to 265,000 immigrants, to meet its economic goals.

Net UK migration rose in 2009 with student visas up 35%

Net migration to the UK rose last year to 196,000, up by 33,000 from the number in 2008, the BBC reports.

YES, YOU NEED TO TAKE THE LIFE IN THE UK TEST OR ESOL BEFORE APPLYING FOR BRITISH CITIZENSHIP

Cynthia Barker says: If you are applying for naturalisation as a British citizen or for indefinite leave to remain (ILR), you need to show that you know about life in the UK.

Care worker paedophile jailed

A social worker who sexually abused children more than 30 years ago was finally caught after being nominated for a bird-watching award, the Daily Mirror reports.

Nine illegal workers in care home deported – 6 Filipinos sent home

Nine illegal foreign workers, arrested during an immigration operation at a care home in Poulner, Ringwood on 29 July 2010, have been deported, the UK Border Agency has announced.

Life in the UK Test – Journey to British Citizenship

The naturalization process in the United Kingdom includes as a first step the “Life in the United Kingdom” test that needs to be attached to the citizenship application.

Britons survive Philippines bus siege

The BBC reports that two British nationals are among the survivors from the Philippines bus siege, the Foreign Office has said.

If you need any immigration advice or help with Sponsorship or Work Permits, Visa, ILR/Settlement, Citizenship or an appeal against a refusal please email: 

info@immigrationmatters.co.uk or visit www.immigrationmatters.co.uk

For more information on how you can migrate to Canada - CLICK HERE

Migrants from across the globe are searching for jobs and prospective employers in Canada. The reason behind this is the country’s booming economy, developed status and a relatively liberal and open immigration policy.

The job opportunities in Canada have multiplied at a steady rate post recession. More and more investors and businesses have opened the flood gates in Canada both in the industrial as well as service sector.

The service sector alone contributes to 75% of the Annual GDP of Canada. Hence, one can find jobs in various domains in this region.

The opportunities available in this region are available to both the Business Class (Employers) as well as Employees (Job Seekers):

For Employers

The developed economy of Canada has been attracting businessmen and investors from every nook and corner of the globe. There are several sectors like hospitality industry (restaurants, hotels etc), legal services, medical sciences, read estate, media etc where a lot of current investments are being made.

Investors are eyeing cities like Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Victoria and Ottawa for their urban settlement as well as popularity among job seekers. There is also a large population of immigrants settled in these regions of Canada.

British Columbia, closely followed by Quebec; are among the most economically influential provinces in Canada. They are at the heart of urbanization and at the helm of trade and commerce in the country.

For Employees

Employees have a variety of verticals to choose from in Canada. Mostly, there is a great influx in sectors like news media, hospitality, Information Technology, Transportation, Legal Services, Nursing and Medical Sciences, Complementary and Alternate Medicines, Real Estate, Consultancy etc.  

There are various sectors which are currently requesting job applications for a variety of vacancies. Some of these sectors include financial services, retail, education, real estate, high-tech, information technology, entertainment, healthcare and tourism.

One of the main attractions for migrants seeking new opportunities abroad, and why it seems half the world wants to be Canadian, is that Canada has a liberal and generous settlement policy.

Unlike some countries where settlement can take as long as five years, e.g. the UK, or is not allowed at all, as in most of the  Middle East, Canada allows many categories of skilled immigrant workers an opportunity to apply for Canadian permanent residency after just two years.

Canada is also to ‘immigrant visa’ applicants and remains one of the most sought after destinations in the world.  Source: Kell John Smith.

The authors of the software package, “My Immigration Consultant“, say that according to Immigration Canada data, every year, Canada plans to accept between  225,000 to 265,000 immigrants, to meet Canada’s economic goals.

See also: 

Why the world wants to be Canadian

Find out how you can migrate to Canada. 

For more information on how you can migrate to Canada - CLICK HERE  

info@immigrationmatters.co.uk or visit www.immigrationmatters.co.uk

Office for National Statistics figures show 4% fewer people arrived in the UK last year – 567,000 compared with 590,000 in 2008 – but the number who left fell further, by 13% to 371,000.

Home Office data shows a 37% rise in people granted settlement in the UK between June 2009 and June 2010.

The number of visas issued to students also went up by 35% to 362,015.

Left-leaning think tank the Institute for Public Policy Research said the fall in long-term emigration to 371,000 last year, from 427,000 in 2008, was largely due to fewer British people moving overseas.

Among those classed as immigrants to the UK in 2009, many were actually Britons returning from overseas, and a cap on skilled migration could harm business it added.

Student visas rise

The BBC’s Andy Tighe said the increase in student visas revealed by the Home Office’s annual bulletin was significant, and there was some concern within the government about how easy it appeared to be for people to move to the UK with their families on study-related permits.

The figures also showed a significant fall in the number of work-related visas issued, in part due to the recession and also because of the tougher points-based system rules for those wishing to come to the UK from outside Europe.

Immigration minister Damian Green said the figures were proof that the coalition government had inherited an immigration system that was “largely out of control”.

“What these figures tell me is that we also need to look at all the other routes [aside from employment] by which people come into this country, maybe for education, for family reunion reasons and also, in particular, routes that lead to permanent settlement.”

On the issue of those given permission to come here to study, Mr Green said: “It’s important to look carefully at those courses to see that they are genuinely valuable and are not just being used as an excuse to evade immigration controls.”

Shadow Home Secretary Alan Johnson said the increase in people entering the country through an academic route showed the previous Labour government was correct to tighten the rules.

“The government’s recently announced ‘cap’ will affect less than a third of 1% of those coming to our shores,” he said.

“The points-based system works and the government is foolish to pretend they can improve its effectiveness with an arbitrary cap.”

But the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development said the sharp fall in the number of work-related visas showed the points-based system was “robust and working”.

A further cap on net immigration – planned by the government – would leave many employers with a significant skills gap, it added.

Asylum figures

Also released on Thursday were the latest available figures for 2010 detailing population movements in the second quarter of the year.

In this period, the number of applications to the UK for asylum, excluding dependants, was 29% down on the same quarter in 2009. Two-thirds of this fall was due to a drop in applications from Zimbabwe, from 1,560 to 405.

In 2009 as a whole, asylum applications, excluding dependants, dropped 6% from 2008 levels.

In the second quarter of this year, the Home Office said 14,130 people were removed from the UK or left voluntarily, 14% fewer than the same quarter in 2009 when the figure was 16,345.

Refugee Council chief executive Donna Covey highlighted other statistics that caused her concern. She said: “These figures show that almost a third of appeals are still being allowed, proving a significant proportion of initial asylum claims are being wrongly refused.

“The detention figures are also cause for alarm – up to 40% of people detained were later released back into their community, showing that detaining them was unnecessary in the first place.”

Other details from the statistics included:

• Of those granted settlement in the UK in 2009, 68% were dependants of those already living in the country
• Migrants from the Indian sub-continent made up to largest proportion of settlement grants, 34%. Of the remainder 25% were from Africa and 21% from elsewhere in Asia
• The total number of approved applications from EU citizens to come and work in the UK fell 22% to 118,675 from 151,870 in 2008
• The number of Polish migrants approved to work in the UK in 2009 fell 38% to 62,095, from 100,500 in 2008
• But the number from Latvia and Lithuania increased considerably – the former from 6,005 to 16,020, and the latter from 10,550 to 15,815
• Nearly a quarter of all births, 24.6%, in 2009 were to mothers born outside the UK
• In the London borough of Newham, which has the highest number of births to foreign-born mothers in the country, the figure was 75.7%

Source: BBC

See also:

Life in the UK Test – Journey to British Citizenship

Nine illegal workers in care home deported – 6 Filipinos sent home

Immigration Rule change following Supreme Court judgment in ZO (Somalia)

If you need any immigration advice or help with Sponsorship or Work Permits, Visa or an appeal against a refusal please email: 

info@immigrationmatters.co.uk or visit www.immigrationmatters.co.uk