Skilled Migration Australia - Meet Australian Immigration Specialist Consultant in Dhaka

by eduaid

Jan 29, 2023

Skilled Migration to Australia from Bangladesh - Meet the Licensed Australian Immigration Specialist Consultant in Dhaka from 12 to 18 Feb 2023 You can secure your spot for a One-on-One consultation and get your profile evaluated by our Licensed MARA Consultants. Take advantage of this opportunity, Book your appointment now: https://www.eduaid.net/meet-immigration-consultant Call for an appointment (Directly/Viber/WhatsApp): Bangladesh: +88017 3333 2264 +880...

5,500 Express Entry candidates invited in second 2023 draw

by eduaid

Jan 25, 2023

Canada invited 5,500 Express Entry candidates to apply for permanent residency for the second consecutive week as it held the second invitation draw of 2023. The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cutoff score for this draw was 490 points – 17 lower than the previous invitation round. Following this latest draw, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has invited 11,000 candidates to apply for Canadian permanent residency in 2023 – the fastest-ever start to the Expr...

New Zealand records positive net migration in November

by eduaid

Jan 25, 2023

Migration to New Zealand gained momentum with a positive net migration of more than 5,500 people in November 2022. Data released by Stats NZ showed that more than 21,000 new migrants arrived in New Zealand in November last year, while 15,600 left the country. This resulted in New Zealand having a net gain of 5,700 migrants in November after more than a year of migrant losses. New Zealand’s migrant intake in November 2022 was up by more than 300 per cent compared to November 2021,...

Canada invites 5,500 candidates in first draw of 2023

by eduaid

Jan 25, 2023

Canada invited 5,500 Express Entry candidates in the first all-program invitation round of 2023. This round of the draw was conducted by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and had a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cutoff score of 507 points. Eligible candidates were invited from Canada’s Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) in this invitation round, held on January 11. This invitati...

Australian immigration â€“ Partner (Provisional) visa (subclass 309)

by eduaid

Jan 12, 2023

Australia’s Partner (Provisional) visa, also known as the subclass 309 visa, allows the spouse or de facto partner of an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen to move to Australia. This is a temporary visa and is the first step towards Australia’s permanent Partner visa (subclass 100). How do I get the subclass 309 visa? To be eligible for the subclass 309 visa, you must: Be a genuine spouse or de facto partner of an Australian citizen, pe...

Australia speeds up subclass 189 visa processing times

by eduaid

Jan 12, 2023

Australia has sped up the processing times for the Points-tested stream of the permanent Skilled Independent (subclass 189) visa. Applications for the Points-tested stream of the subclass 189 visa will now take as little as 74 days to be processed by the Australian government. Previously, applications for the permanent subclass 189 visa needed as much as two years to be processed by Australia’s Department of Home Affairs. This lengthy processing period led to significant backlogs of...

Australia assessing visa applications for teachers, nurses in 3 days

by eduaid

Jan 7, 2023

Australia is assessing skilled visa applications for teachers and healthcare workers in just three days after changing skilled visa priorities. The ‘three-day visa for teachers and nurses’ approach comes after the Department of Home Affairs stopped using the Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List (PMSOL) to rank skilled visa applications. The occupations now being prioritised for skilled migration to Australia include school teachers, childcare centre managers, health and w...

Australiaâ€™s skills shortages nearly double from 2021

by eduaid

Dec 6, 2022

Australian jobs experiencing labour shortages have nearly doubled from 2021, data from the National Skills Commission has shown. According to the National Skills Commission’s 2022 Skills Priority List Key Findings Report, 286 occupations were dealing with skills shortages at a national level compared to 153 occupations in 2021. The report also showed that Australia had almost 310,000 job advertisements in August 2022 – a 42 per cent increase compared to last year. Australian...

Western Australia eases requirements for skilled workers

by eduaid

Nov 20, 2022

Western Australia has relaxed visa conditions for skilled workers in its migration program for 2022-23. The state government has eliminated English language requirements for professional and managerial occupations, reduced the required funds applicants need to show, and lowered work experience requirements to six months. Western Australia introduced the changes to its 2022-23 migration program to attract more skilled migrants and address critical workforce shortages in the state economy an...

Australia extends post-study work permits for international students

by eduaid

Nov 15, 2022

Australia has announced extensions to post-study work permits for international students with in-demand skills. Under the new changes, international students with in-demand skills for the workforce will be able to stay and work in Australia for longer. Post-study work rights for international students in select degrees will be increased by two years across all levels of higher education in Australia: Bachelor’s degrees will have post-graduate work permits increased from two to...

New Zealand launches new Active Investor Plus visa

by eduaid

Nov 8, 2022

New Zealand has launched the new Active Investor Plus visa for business migration with a pathway to permanent residency. Experienced and high-value investors can now apply for business migration to New Zealand with direct investments of $5 million. Business migration applicants will also be able to live, work and study in the country indefinitely and apply for permanent residence after keeping their funds in New Zealand for four years. Direct investments will have the highest weighting,...

Australia considers boosting temporary skilled migrantsâ€™ pay

by eduaid

Nov 7, 2022

Australia is considering boosting the incomes of temporary skilled migrants as the country works on tackling worker shortages. Brendan O’Connor, Australia’s Skills and Training Minister, said that the government would look at lifting the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold, which has been fixed at A$53,000 since 2013. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also urged employers and unions to find compromises to address the country’s key economic challenges fol...

Immigration New Zealand speeds up visa processing times

by eduaid

Nov 1, 2022

New Zealand has set up an incident management team to speed up skilled and visitor visa application processing. Employer Accreditation applications are now being processed in as little as ten days, and Job Checks are also expected to have similar processing times. New Zealand’s Minister of Immigration, Michael Wood, said the incident management team would help get the resources in to try and clear up any points clogging up the application processing times. Immigration New Zealand...

Express Entry score requirement drops under 500 points

by eduaid

Oct 27, 2022

Canada’s Express Entry score requirement dropped below 500 points for the first time in almost two years. The latest all-program Express Entry invitation draw, held on October 26, had a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score threshold of 496 points. 4,750 candidates from the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) were invited to apply for Canadian immigration in this round of the draw. The CRS cutoff s...

Australia lifts migration ceiling to 195,000 places

by eduaid

Oct 26, 2022

Australia will lift its migration cap to 195,000 places for 2022-23 as part of the Federal Budget 2022. The Australian government will increase migrant intake by 35,000 from the previous ceiling of 160,000, with priority given to offshore applicants and New Zealanders. Australia will also reduce the skilled worker visa backlog to help employers facing critical labour shortages across the country. Skilled migrants will be allocated 90 per cent of the 35,000-place increase in migration, a...

eduaid wins Best Migration Agent of the Year award in Australia

by eduaid

Oct 12, 2022

eduaid Immigration Services was named the Best Migration Agent of the Year at the South Asian Entrepreneur Summit 2022 in Australia. eduaid was awarded the Best Migration Agent of the Year 2022 award in a day-long business summit held at the Crown Conference Centre in Melbourne, Australia, on Saturday, 8th October. The revolutionary business summit was held to connect South Asian entrepreneurs with their Australian counterparts to promote innovation in digital economy and exchange and...

Ten in-demand jobs for skilled migrants in Canada

by eduaid

Sep 25, 2022

Skilled immigrants have been in high demand in every part of Canada for the past few years to boost the country’s workforce. With both the demand and intake of skilled migrants constantly on the rise, several key industries are providing job opportunities for skilled workers moving to Canada. Industries such as science and technology, IT, health care and transportation, among others, are all providing career advancement opportunities for skilled migrants. Newcomers to Canada are a...

Australia announces list of most in-demand jobs seeking workers

by eduaid

Sep 22, 2022

Australia has released a list of the most in-demand jobs in the country looking for skilled workers. Labelled the ‘jobs of the future’, the list consists of ten jobs in Australia that are set to be in high demand over the next five years. According to the Australian government’s Skill Priority List, the most in-demand jobs are: Software and Applications Programmers; ICT (Information and Communications Technology) Business and Systems Analysts; Civil Engineering...

Australia considers boosting temporary skilled migrantsâ€™ pay

by eduaid

Sep 22, 2022

Saskatchewan holds largest PNP invitation round of 2022

by eduaid

Sep 15, 2022

Saskatchewan held its largest Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) invitation round of 2022 on 1 September. The province invited 941 immigration candidates from the Express Entry and Occupations-In-Demand categories of the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP). The minimum Expression of Interest score required in this invitation round was 61 points, and all invited candidates had Educational Credential Assessments. Of the 941 candidates invited in this invitation round, 312 applican...

Eligible occupations for New Zealandâ€™s Work to Residence visa

by eduaid

Sep 15, 2022

New Zealand recently announced three new residence categories for skilled migrants: ‘Straight to Residence’, ‘Work to Residence’ and ‘Highly Paid’. The new categories will allow accredited employers in New Zealand to hire skilled workers from overseas for specific high-skilled and hard-to-fill occupations. Foreign nationals can apply for New Zealand immigration with the Work to Residence category if they belong to New Zealand’s Green List Tier 2 oc...

Study in Australia - AU extends post-study work permits

by eduaid

Sep 6, 2022

Skilled Migration to Australia - AU announces 2022-23 Program

by eduaid

Aug 25, 2022

The Australian government has announced the 2022-23 Migration Program Planning Levels. The 2022-23 Migration Program will consist of 160,000 places, with two-thirds allocated for the Skilled Visa stream and one-third for the Family visa stream. The 2022-23 Migration Program was designed to ease Australia’s chronic skills shortages and boost economic recovery following the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition to alleviating Australia’s workforce shortages, the 2022-23 Migration Pro...

Canada invites 2,250 Express Entry candidates for PR

by eduaid

Aug 23, 2022

Canada invited 2,250 Express Entry candidates to apply for permanent residency in its latest invitation round on August 17. This round of the draw, conducted by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), had a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cutoff score of 525 points. There was no specified program for this invitation round, meaning candidates from the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) were eligible to be invited. Since all-progr...

Eligible occupations for New Zealandâ€™s Straight to Residence visa

by eduaid

Aug 21, 2022

New Zealand recently announced three new residence categories for skilled migrants: ‘Straight to Residence’, ‘Work to Residence’ and ‘Highly Paid’. Employers in New Zealand will be able to hire skilled workers from overseas for specific high-skilled and hard-to-fill occupations. Foreign nationals belonging to New Zealand’s Green List occupations will be eligible for skilled migration via the new residence categories. For the Straight to Residenc...

Australia planning to increase skilled migration intake

by eduaid

Aug 21, 2022

Australia is planning to increase its annual skilled migration intake to combat critical labour shortages in the country. The federal government could allow between 180,000 to 200,000 skilled migrants into Australia every year. The changes to Australia’s skilled migration intake cap are expected to be formally revealed in the October 25 Budget. The current migration cap is set at 160,000 places, which has prompted widespread calls from businesses and industries for increasing skil...

Victoria opens its 2022-23 Skilled Migration Program

by eduaid

Aug 14, 2022

Victoria has opened its Skilled Migration Program for 2022-23 to applicants looking to apply for skilled migration to Australia. Onshore and offshore applicants can now apply for a state nomination from Victoria by submitting Registrations of Interests (ROIs) with more lenient criteria than before. Skilled migrants can apply for a state nomination from Victoria for the Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) visa and the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (subclass 491) visa for Australian immig...

Australia to prioritise 60,000 permanent skilled visa applications

by eduaid

Aug 4, 2022

Australia will prioritise 60,000 permanent visa applications from offshore skilled migrants to tackle workforce shortages. Australia is facing a backlog of almost one million visa applications across several visa categories, with the problem stemming from Covid-19 border closures and lockdowns. New government figures revealed Australia currently has a backlog of 961,016 visa applications across all visa categories, more than half of which were submitted by skilled migrants outside Australi...

Meet Mr Kazi AHS Ahsan, Australian Immigration Consultant in Dhaka

by eduaid

Aug 2, 2022

Meet the Australian Immigration Specialist Consultant in Dhaka, Bangladesh from August 4 to August 7, 2022. Secure your spot for a One-on-One consultation with Mr Kazi AHS Ahsan, Regulated and Licensed Australia & New Zealand Immigration Specialist Consultant (MARN 0641338 I IAALN 201002327). Don't miss the opportunity. Seats are limited. Contact eduaid now! Book an appointment at https://www.eduaid.net/meet-immigration-consultant Call eduaid (Direct/Viber/What...

New Zealand opens skilled visas for offshore applicants

by eduaid

Jul 20, 2022

New Zealand Immigration Minister Michael Wood announced the country has opened skilled visa applications for offshore migrants. Migrant workers from overseas will now be able to apply for a skilled visa to travel to and work in New Zealand for an accredited employer. According to Mr Wood, opening skilled visas for offshore applicants is the third and final stage of New Zealand’s new simplified Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) policy and marks another significant step forward in t...

Canada invites FSWP candidates for first time since 2020

by eduaid

Jul 20, 2022

Canada has invited Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) applicants for the first time since December 2020 in the Express Entry invitation draw held on July 6th, 2022. Canadian Experience Class (CEC) applicants were also invited in this invitation round – the first time CEC applicants were included in an Express Entry draw since September 2021. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) invited 1,500 Express Entry candidates to apply for Canadian permanent residency in this...

Australia facing shortage of almost 500,000 skilled workers

by eduaid

Jul 20, 2022

Australia is facing skilled worker shortages that almost reach 500,000 in numbers, new data by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has shown. The data underscores that critical worker shortages of almost half a million are holding back Australia’s economic recovery following the Covid-19 pandemic. According to Business Council chief executive Jennifer Westacott, the lack of critically skilled workers is punishing Australia’s small businesses and customers who want to trav...

Australia to expand Skilled Independent visa category

by eduaid

Jul 20, 2022

Australia is set to drive up the number of places available in the Skilled Independent (subclass 189) visa category in 2022-23. The Albanese government will add 16,652 places to the Skilled Independent (subclass 189) visa program in 2022-23, with the skill stream getting an overall increase of 30,000 places. The number of additional places in the Skilled Independent visa program could increase even further if there are not enough successful applicants in other parts of Australia’s sk...

Australia set to fast-track skilled visa applications

by eduaid

Jun 23, 2022

Australia’s immigration Minister has ordered the Department of Home Affairs to fast-track visa applications to address critical skills shortages in the country. Andrew Giles, Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services, and Multicultural Affairs in the new Australian government, said clearing visa application backlogs was of primary concern to counter the shortfall of skilled workers. He also said processing outstanding visa applications was a priority for the federal gov...

New Zealand records highest border crossings in two years

by eduaid

Jun 23, 2022

New Zealand recorded more than a quarter of a million border crossings in April 2022 – the highest for a month since the pandemic started. According to Stats NZ, there were 266,700 border crossings in New Zealand in April, which is the highest number recorded since border closures and travel restrictions were introduced in March 2020. The 266,700 border crossings consisted of 125,100 arrivals and 141,600 departures from New Zealand, with the previous highest border crossing count rec...

Quebec adds nearly 60 jobs to Facilitated LMIA process list

by eduaid

Jun 23, 2022

Quebec has added nearly 60 occupations to its list of high-demand jobs with an easier process of hiring temporary foreign workers. The list of occupations that are eligible under the Facilitated Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) will now include entry-level jobs for temporary skilled migration to Canada. The expanded list of occupations targeted for 2022-23 will include level C job titles of the National Occupational Classification (NOC), such as administrative staff, sales representa...

New Zealand eases migration rules for high-skilled workers

by eduaid

Jun 22, 2022

New Zealand has eased immigration rules to attract highly skilled workers following the pandemic. Jacinda Ardern’s government said that it would lift restrictions from July 31, 2022, to ease the return of skilled workers in sectors including engineering, healthcare and tech. Skilled migrants will also benefit from a faster and more streamlined route to permanent residency in New Zealand. The federal government also announced that entry requirements would be eased for international...

WA nomination program to include offshore migrants and international students

by eduaid

Jun 22, 2022

Western Australia has included offshore skilled migrants and international students in its 2022-23 state nomination program. Skilled migrants living outside Australia can now apply for a state nomination from Western Australia. International students can also apply for permanent residency in Australia through Western Australia’s skilled migration pathway. Offshore migrants and international students have been included in the state nomination program as part of Western Australia&rsquo...

Canadian job vacancies exceed 1 million: Statistics Canada

by eduaid

Jun 22, 2022

Canadian employers were actively looking to fill more than one million job vacancies at the start of March 2022, a report by Statistics Canada has revealed. According to the report on Canadian job vacancies, payroll employment and earnings, job vacancies are reaching all-time highs in the country. Job vacancies in Canada reached a record-high of 1,012,900 in March 2022, surpassing the previous highest count of 988,300 vacancies in September 2021. The number of job vacancies increased by...

AU Premiers and sectors urge improved skilled migration

by eduaid

Jun 22, 2022

Australian business leaders have joined the premiers of New South Wales and Victoria in calling for improved skilled migration to Australia. Businesses and understaffed sectors such as health and tourism have urged the Australian federal government to speed up approvals of skilled visas, which can have five-month waiting periods. Groups such as the Business Council of Australia have also pushed for increased migration levels over the next two years to offset the slow arrival of foreign wor...

Western Australia adds 194 occupations to skilled occupation list

by eduaid

Jun 8, 2022

Western Australia has updated its skilled migration program by adding 194 new occupations to its skilled occupation list (SOL). The Australian state announced the changes to the 2022-23 skilled migration program for the Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) and the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491). After the addition of the new occupations, the SOL now consists of more than 300 eligible occupations for Western Australia’s skilled migration program for 2022-23....

Australia lost 500,000 temporary migrants during pandemic

by eduaid

May 24, 2022

Australia lost around 500,000 temporary migrants over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a new report by the Grattan Institute. The report, titled Migrants in the Australian workforce, shows there were about 1.5 million temporary migrants in Australia as of January 2022. In 2019, the number of temporary migrants in Australia reached almost 2 million. The 500,000 migrants who are no longer in Australia are mostly international students and working holiday makers. At presen...

SA expands skilled migration opportunities for offshore graduates

by eduaid

May 7, 2022

South Australia has opened up its Skilled and Business Migration program for eligible offshore applicants. The South Australia state government has added more than 30 new eligible occupations – mostly in medical and technical fields – to provide more skilled migration opportunities for eligible graduates who live overseas. This will allow offshore eligible skilled graduates to apply for the state-nominated Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491). The new occu...

Canada draws 1 million weekly travellers for first time since pandemic

by eduaid

May 7, 2022

Canada welcomed more than one million travellers in a single week for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic. According to official data by Canada Border Service Agency, over one million travellers entered Canada during the week of April 11. With Canada heading into its peak summer holiday season, Canadian tour operators are expecting an even greater number of travellers arriving in the country. Canada’s tourism industry began to see an increase in the number of travellers and...

AU businesses urge faster visa processing for skilled workers

by eduaid

May 7, 2022

Australian businesses and industries have urged the government to speed up visa processing times for skilled migrants. Business owners in Australia say labour shortages will take two to three years to overcome unless the migration process is expedited. Welcoming more skilled migrants has become a necessity for Australia amidst continuing labour shortages following the pandemic. Australia’s current skilled migration levels are similar to the depleted 2020-21 levels, with a backlog...

NZ welcomes working holidaymakers for first time since pandemic

by eduaid

May 7, 2022

New Zealand has reopened working holiday visa applications for the first time since the pandemic started. Working holidays allow people – usually between 18 to 30 years of age – to travel to New Zealand and work whilst in the country. New Zealand’s Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi said the return of skilled migrants and working holidaymakers in the coming days is a priority for the New Zealand government, as it would accelerate economic recovery following the Covid-19 pan...

Australiaâ€™s migrant population falls for the first time in 20 years

by eduaid

May 7, 2022

Australia recorded a decline in its overseas-born population for the first time in over 20 years. According to a report released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Australia’s estimated migrant population dropped to 29.1 per cent (7.5 million immigrants) in 2021, down from the 29.8 per cent (7.7 million immigrants) recorded in 2020. The report also cites the Covid-19 pandemic and resulting border closures and travel restrictions as the leading causes behind the first decli...

Quebec workforce left ailing by Covid-19 pandemic

by eduaid

May 7, 2022

Quebec’s workforce is left hurting following the devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a study. The report, conducted by the Institute du Quebec, tries to determine the current state of Quebec’s labour market by posing key questions that emerged during the pandemic. The report suggests Quebec’s demand for skilled workers will continue to grow in 2022, particularly in the health care, information technology, educational services, social assistance and c...

NZ reopens borders to travelers from 60 visa waiver countries

by eduaid

May 7, 2022

New Zealand reopened its international borders to travellers from visa waiver countries after almost 800 days. The visa waiver allows passport holders and permanent residents from 60 countries and territories to travel to New Zealand without having to apply for a visa. However, travellers from the visa waiver countries must hold an NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority). The 60 visa waiver countries include: Andorra; Argentina; Austria; Bahrain; Belgium; Brazil;...

Quebec seeking skilled migrants for record job vacancies

by eduaid

Apr 23, 2022

Quebec is looking for skilled workers to alleviate record job vacancies in the province. According to a study by the Institute du Quebec, the pandemic transformed the provincial labour market, with public health measures further exacerbating previous workforce shortages. Quebec’s provincial government and the Canadian federal government have put forth a number of measures, such as increasing immigration to support skilled migrants to move to Quebec and fill job vacancies. The repo...

New Zealand allocates 5,000 places for international students

by eduaid

Apr 23, 2022

New Zealand has allocated 5,000 places for international students to schools, universities and other educational institutions in the country. The New Zealand government announced the 5,000 international student allocation as part of its five-part plan to reopen borders following the pandemic. Students from other countries will be able to enter New Zealand with special permission for border exceptions and start their studies from mid-2022. The 5,000 student places have been broken down a...

South Australia skilled migration program

South Australia launches 2021-22 skilled migration program

by eduaid

Apr 23, 2022

South Australia has opened its 2021-22 skilled migration program for both onshore and offshore applicants. Skilled migrants who are currently residing in South Australia and meet the State Government and Department of Home Affairs requirements can now apply for a state nomination in the following categories: Talent and Innovators Program; International Graduate of South Australia; Currently working in South Australia (including long-term residents). The Talent and Innovators Pr...

Australiaâ€™s eligible occupations for priority skilled migration

by eduaid

Apr 20, 2022

Australia’s Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List (PMSOL) consists of 44 occupations that are eligible for priority skilled migration to Australia. The PMSOL identifies occupations that are deemed critical to support Australia’s economic recovery following the Covid-19 pandemic. PMSOL applicants can apply for skilled migration to Australia and benefit from their applications being processed with higher priority. Eligible visa subclasses for PMSOL occupations include:...

AU State and Territory nomination breakdown for 2021-22

Australia State and Territory nomination breakdown for 2021-22

by eduaid

Apr 9, 2022

When Australia announces its Migration Program planning levels every year, Australian States and Territories are also allotted nominations. Australian State and Territory governments can use these allocations to nominate skilled migrants who can move to Australia and boost the local workforce of the nominating State or Territory. Under its 2021-22 Migration Program settings, Australian States and Territories were able to nominate skilled migrants in three visa categories: Skilled &nd...

NZ to gain 60,000 more residents than government forecast

by eduaid

Apr 9, 2022

New Zealand is set to gain thousands more migrant residents than originally forecast under the government’s “fast-track” residency visa. In September 2021, New Zealand’s Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi announced the Residency visa – a fast-track pathway to residency for migrants who were already in New Zealand on temporary work visas last year. Although a total of 165,000 migrants were expected to be granted New Zealand Residency via this pathway, the actual...

Canada eases access rules for temporary foreign workers

by eduaid

Apr 9, 2022

Canada has introduced measures to make it easier for Canadian employers to hire temporary foreign workers. The Canadian government introduced the new measures to address labour shortages, with the country facing a low unemployment rate and high job availabilities at the same time. The new measures will allow Canadian employers to hire skilled migrants under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) in situations where no Canadians are available to do the work. According to a media rel...

Australia announces 2022-23 Migration Program planning levels

by eduaid

Apr 9, 2022

Australia has announced its 2022-23 Migration Program planning levels for the upcoming migration year. The 2022-23 Migration Program will have a planning level of 160,000 places in three categories: Skill, Family and Special Eligibility. Skilled migration will have 109,900 places, Family migration will have 50,000 places, and Special Eligibility will have 100 places for a total of 160,000 places for Australian migration in 2022-23. The eligible visas for each migration stream are outlin...

NZ eases border restrictions to attract ICT Tech workers

by eduaid

Mar 23, 2022

New Zealand has announced border exceptions for tech workers in a bid to attract the best Information and Communication Technology (ICT) talents from around the world. The border exceptions include 600 “Critical Purpose Visitor Visas” for eligible tech workers to come in and aid New Zealand’s fast-growing tech industry. In-demand roles that are eligible for the Critical Purpose Visitor Visas include software developers, security specialists, ICT managers and multimedia sp...

Canada invites 924 candidates to apply for PR in EE draw

by eduaid

Mar 23, 2022

Canada invited 924 candidates to apply for Canadian immigration in the latest Express Entry invitation round. This iteration of the invitation draws, conducted by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on March 16, invited only Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates to apply for permanent residency. Candidates who were invited in this round needed to have a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of at least 754 points. However, given that PNP candidates are awarded a...

Skilled migration rules relaxed for Northern Territory

by eduaid

Mar 23, 2022

Australia has relaxed its skilled migration rules for the Northern Territory (NT) to address skilled worker shortages in the region. The relaxed rules will allow employers to fill critical skills shortages in the NT, with the region suffering from an inadequately skilled local workforce. The NT’s Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) will also be updated to increase the number of skilled migrants who can travel to and work in the region. In a statement, Australia’s Immi...

AU urged to reform temporary skilled migration program

by eduaid

Mar 23, 2022

Australia should redesign its temporary skilled migration program to lift the living standards of the Australian population. According to a new Grattan Institute report, the current migration program is unpopular with the Australian public, hinders potential benefits of temporary skilled migration, and allows immoral employers to exploit workers. The report also suggests that Australia should introduce a new temporary skilled migration visa that will lift Australians’ living standard...

NZ removes self-isolation for fully vaccinated arrivals

by eduaid

Mar 9, 2022

New Zealand has removed self-isolation requirements for vaccinated travellers arriving in the country. Previously, travellers entering New Zealand were required to self-isolate for seven days as a public health measure against Covid-19. Experts welcomed the decision to remove self-isolation for fully vaccinated travellers arriving in New Zealand as a practical and sensible move amidst a steady decrease in border Covid-19 cases. Travellers arriving in New Zealand will still be required t...

Saskatchewan launches immigration pathway for tech talents

by eduaid

Mar 9, 2022

Saskatchewan has launched a new Tech Talent Pathway under its Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) for tech workers pursuing Canadian immigration. The new pathway under the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) is designed to attract tech talents to aid critical labour shortages in Saskatchewan’s tech sector. The Tech Talent Pathway will offer tech workers permanent residency in Canada, support Saskatchewan’s growth and increase the province’s global competitiveness....

Australia to extend visas for eligible engineering graduates

by eduaid

Mar 8, 2022

Australia has announced a two-year extension for eligible engineering visa holders who lost time in Australia due to Covid-19 border restrictions. Engineering graduates with the Skilled Recognised Graduate (subclass 476) visa will get their visas extended by 24 months by the Australian government. The extension will allow engineering graduates to live, work and study in Australia with the usual length of the visa and an additional six months. In an official statement, Australian Ministe...

South Australia adds 259 occupations to skilled migration program

by eduaid

Mar 8, 2022

South Australia has expanded its general skilled migration program by adding 259 occupations to its Skilled Occupation List. Offshore skilled migration applicants meeting the minimum requirements can now lodge their Registrations of Interest (ROIs) for receiving an invitation for a state nomination from the South Australia state government. Offshore skilled individuals can apply for temporary and permanent skilled migration to Australia. In a statement, Migration South Australia said th...

INZ to start second round of Resident Visa applications

by eduaid

Feb 22, 2022

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) is set to start processing the second round of the one-off Resident Visa applications at the start of March. After a stuttering phase one due to IT failures, Immigration New Zealand will aim to reduce the pressure on its online system during the second stage of processing residency visa applications. The federal government announced a one-off Resident Visa last year for skilled individuals who met specific criteria such as being in the country for the past thr...

AU business leaders urge skilled migration cap increase

by eduaid

Feb 22, 2022

Australian business leaders have called for the skilled migration cap to be lifted to address acute labour shortages in the country. In its submission to the 2022-23 budget, the Business Council of Australia (BCA) recommended that Australia’s skilled migration cap be lifted to 220,000 places for the next two financial years. The BCA also called for the pre-election budget on March 29 to focus on improving the skill levels of Australia’s workforce. Skilled migration to Austra...

Canada targets 1.3 million immigrants in new Immigration Levels Plan

by eduaid

Feb 20, 2022

Canada has pledged to welcome more than 1.3 million new immigrants under its Immigration Levels Plan 2022-24. Under the new plan, Canada will aim to welcome 431,645 permanent residents in 2022, followed by 447,055 immigrants in 2023 and 451,000 permanent residents in 2024. The 431,645 immigrants targeted for this year exceeds the initial plan to welcome 411,000 new permanent residents outlined in the Immigration Levels Plan 2021-23. As part of the new Immigration Levels Plan, Canada wil...

Canada landed most permanent residents in its history in 2021

by eduaid

Feb 8, 2022

Canada welcomed more than 400,000 new permanent residents in 2021, breaking its all-time record for new permanent resident landings in a single year. It is only the second time in its history since being founded as a country in 1867 that Canada has welcomed over 400,000 new immigrants in a year, after having previously done so in 1913. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) confirmed the intake of 401,000 new permanent residents in 2021 and officially announced that Canada bro...

Australia to reopen borders for tourists on February 21

by eduaid

Feb 8, 2022

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced that Australia will reopen its borders for fully vaccinated tourists from February 21. The reopening of the borders will see international travellers return to Australia after nearly two years of border closures and travel restrictions because of the pandemic. This will mark the end of some of the harshest border control measures implemented globally after Australia shut its borders in March 2020 to protect itself against a surging Cov...

Australians voice support for PR pathway for temporary migrants

by eduaid

Feb 8, 2022

A new study shows Australian citizens and residents overwhelmingly support temporary migrants to obtain permanent residency in Australia. According to the independent survey conducted by Essential Research, the majority of the Australian population believe migrants should have the opportunity to become permanent residents in Australia. 1,095 Australians were interviewed for the survey in December, with 78% of the participants voicing support for temporary migrants who are living and workin...

NZ announces plan to reopen borders to rest of the world

by eduaid

Feb 8, 2022

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced a five-stage plan to reopen the country’s borders to the rest of the world. In the first phase of the border reopening plan, fully vaccinated New Zealanders who are currently in Australia will be allowed to return home starting from midnight on February 27, 2022. Fully vaccinated New Zealanders in other countries will be allowed to return home from March 13, 2022, and borders are expected to be completely opened to all internati...

AU makes major skilled migration and student visa updates

by eduaid

Feb 8, 2022

Australia has announced major visa updates to attract more skilled migrants and international students to the country. Last month, Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke announced extensions for Skilled Regional Provisional Visa (subclass 489, 491 and 494) holders who were impacted by travel restrictions. He also announced that holders of the Temporary Graduate Visa (subclass 485) who have been stuck outside Australia due to the pandemic would be able to return from 18 February 2022 an...

AU urged to up migrant intake for $120B economic boost

by eduaid

Jan 24, 2022

Accounting giant KPMG has urged Australia to increase its annual skilled migrant intake to 350,000 to hasten economic recovery following the pandemic. According to KPMG – a global Audit, Tax and Advisory services provider and one of the Big Four accounting organisations – raising the migration cap to 350,000 skilled migrants per year would inject $120 billion into the Australian economy and increase GDP by 4.4 per cent. Moreover, enabling a mass increase in skilled migrants arr...

Over 1,000 PNP applicants invited to apply for Canadian PR

by eduaid

Jan 24, 2022

Canada invited more than 1,000 Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates to apply for permanent residence in Canada in the latest Express Entry draw. This round of the draw, held on January 19, 2022, by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), saw 1,036 PNP applicants issued invitations to apply (ITAs) for Canadian PR. In the two invitation rounds held so far this year, 1,428 Express Entry candidates have been invited to apply for permanent residency in Canada, with all appli...

Canterbury seeks 10,000 workers annually to curb labour gap

by eduaid

Jan 24, 2022

A study has found that Canterbury will need 10,000 new workers per year to curb the region’s labour shortage following the pandemic. The study, led by Lincoln University researcher Dr David Dyason, assessed Canterbury’s labour market response to the Covid-19 pandemic and ensuing border closures implemented by New Zealand. The paper states that border restrictions that were put in place in March 2020 significantly impacted Canterbury’s workforce and population growth, desp...

AU advised to lure skilled migrants targeted by UK, Canada

by eduaid

Jan 24, 2022

Australia should target skilled migrants headed towards UK and Canada, KPMG chief economist Brendan Rynne has said. According to Mr Rynne – a leading economist in Australia – attracting new skilled migrants would help the whole economy. The best way to do that would be to proactively target more skilled migrants from source countries such as the United States, Germany, China, India, Poland and Ireland, Mr Rynne suggested. Australia’s biggest sources for skilled migrant...

Calls grow for audit of slow Immigration NZ processing times

by eduaid

Jan 9, 2022

New Zealand’s immigration industry has called for an audit of Immigration New Zealand’s lethargic processing of the 2021 residence programme applications. Exasperated members of the immigration industry also urged a root-and-branch probe of Immigration New Zealand’s operations, which has been dogged by IT troubles. Immigration New Zealand’s operations and slow processing times were also labelled as ‘shambolic’ by migrants and members of the immigration i...

Canada boosts economy with 55,000 new jobs in December

by eduaid

Jan 9, 2022

Canada added 55,000 new jobs to the economy in December, a Labour Force Survey by Statistics Canada has found. According to the survey that studied economic conditions during the week of December 5 to 11, more core-aged newcomers were employed in Canada than before the pandemic started. Most new skilled migrants to Canada were employed in full-time jobs in December, with significant rises in employment in two critical sectors – professional, scientific, and technical services, and wh...

NSW accepting nomination applications for skilled migration

by eduaid

Jan 5, 2022

New South Wales is accepting applications from individuals seeking nominations for skilled migration to Australia with the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491). The subclass 491 visa allows skilled individuals to apply for skilled migration to Australia and live, study and work in a designated regional area in the country for five years. New South Wales adopted a selection-based invitation process to recruit skilled migrants, as it would ensure that nominated skilled mig...

NSW updates occupations list for Skilled Nominated visa

by eduaid

Jan 5, 2022

New South Wales has updated its eligible occupations list for skilled migration to Australia with the subclass 190 visa. According to NSW’s new update, offshore candidates in several eligible occupations will be considered for permanent Australian skilled migration in invitation rounds for the Skilled Nominated (Permanent) visa (subclass 190). Moreover, both onshore and offshore applicants for the subclass 190 visa must have three years of work experience in some eligible occupations...

New Zealand approves MIQ exceptions for targeted migrant workers

by eduaid

Dec 22, 2021

New Zealand has granted border class exceptions to let more migrant workers enter the country to relieve the labour shortage gripping the primary sector. The federal government has allowed border class exceptions for skilled migrants in sectors such as the dairy industry as part of Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ). Exceptions granted by the New Zealand government include 200 mobile plant and machinery operators, 40 shearers, and 50 wool handlers. Agriculture Minister Damien O&rsqu...

Ontario offering PR pathway for immigrant entrepreneurs

by eduaid

Dec 21, 2021

Ontario is seeking 100 immigrant entrepreneurs through its entrepreneurship project in a bid to generate $20 million into the province’s economy. The Canadian province will be accepting applications from immigrant entrepreneurs over the next two years through the Entrepreneur Stream of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP). Entrepreneur applicants may be eligible for a provincial nomination from Ontario for Canadian immigration after operating their business for 18 to 20 month...

Analysing the benefits of resuming Australian skilled migration

by eduaid

Dec 21, 2021

On December 15, 2021, Australia reopened borders for fully vaccinated skilled migrants and international students after almost two years of pandemic-inspired border closures. With the arrival of skilled migrants and international students, many benefits are expected to follow, such as growing wages and filling skills shortages. Here, we take a look at three ways in which the Australian economy will benefit from the return of skilled migrants and international students to Australia: Grow...

Australia reopens borders for skilled migrants and students

by eduaid

Dec 19, 2021

Australia reopened its borders for the return of vaccinated skilled migrants and international students after nearly two years on December 15, 2021. Fully vaccinated skilled migrants and international students will now be able to enter Australian states that have opened their doors for international travellers. In addition to skilled migrants and international students, provisional family, working holidaymaker, and humanitarian visa holders can now enter Australia without applying for a tr...

Migrants contribute more to budgets than general population: Treasury

by eduaid

Dec 9, 2021

New research by the Treasury has found that migrants contribute $127,000 more to Australian federal and state budgets than the general population. According to the research, permanent migrants in Australia contribute more financially to the Australian economy than Australian residents, which boosts the budget bottom line. The findings of the Treasury’s research also add weight to calls by Australian business leaders for the resumption of skilled migration to Australia following borde...

Employment rises in Canada with 154,000 new jobs in November

by eduaid

Dec 8, 2021

Canada added 154,000 new jobs in November as the country took a significant step towards economic recovery. The addition of 154,000 new jobs exceeded the expectations of analysts, who predicted that 38,000 new jobs would be added to the Canadian economy in November. The 154,000 new jobs raised Canada’s employment by a full percentage point over the pre-pandemic levels while also dropping unemployment in the country down to 6 per cent. Adding such a large number of new jobs comes a...

Australia pauses border reopening process amid Omicron fears

by eduaid

Nov 30, 2021

Australia has paused its planned border reopening for the next cohort of foreign workers and students due to rising fears over the new Omicron Covid variant. The pause will see Australia delay its border reopening by two weeks and push it back to December 15, 2021. Earlier, four confirmed Omicron cases were identified in New South Wales, and one in the Northern Territory. Due to the delayed lifting of border restrictions, Australian visa holders will have to apply for a travel exemption...

New Zealand to reopen borders for returnees and visitors

by eduaid

Nov 28, 2021

New Zealand has announced plans to reopen borders from next year for fully vaccinated returning residents and foreign visitors. In the first phase of the three-part border reopening plan, New Zealand will allow citizens and residents who are currently in Australia to return from January 16, 2022. The second phase of the plan will see fully vaccinated New Zealand citizens and residents living in all other countries apart from Australia returning to their homeland from February 13, 2022....

Closed parent residency pathway threatens NZ migrant exit

by eduaid

Nov 23, 2021

Long term migrants in New Zealand have said they may have to consider leaving the country if the parent residency pathway remains closed. The parent residency pathway, which grants residency to parents of immigrants living in New Zealand, has been suspended for six years and remains closed. Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has suspended residency applications since 2016, leaving more than 3,000 applications without a decision. This has resulted in widespread dissatisfaction and concern amo...

Canada tops immigration and investment in Nations Brand Index

by eduaid

Nov 23, 2021

Canada ranked first for governance, people, and immigration and investment in the Anholt-Ipsos Nations Brand Index 2021. The Nations Brand Index, which measures the reputations of nations worldwide, ranked 60 countries based on survey results from 60,000 interviews. Canada moved up to second place in the Index for the first time in its history and ranked first for governance, people, and immigration and investment. The Nations Brand Index ranks countries based on their perceived quality...

Australia to open borders on December 1 for skilled and student visa holders

Australia to open borders on December, 2021

by eduaid

Nov 22, 2021

Australia will open borders for fully vaccinated skilled migrants and international students from December 1, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced. Fully vaccinated eligible visa holders under 28 Australian visa subclasses will be allowed to enter Australia without applying for a travel exemption. Fully vaccinated travellers, including skilled migrants, international students, working holidaymakers, tourists and refugees, must also return a negative PCR test result within three days...

Australia issued 9,584 global talent visas in 2020-2021

by eduaid

Nov 22, 2021

Australia granted 9,584 Global Talent visas for skilled migration applicants in the 2020-2021 migration year. In its 2020-21 Migration Program Report, Australia revealed that 79,620 migration places were allotted to the Skill stream out of the 160,052 places for Australian migration. Of the 79,620 Skill stream migration places, 9,584 visas were granted to Global Talent Program applicants, making up 12 per cent of the total Skill stream visas. Digitech was the most popular sector in the...

Skills shortage threatens Australian infrastructure projects

by eduaid

Nov 10, 2021

Australian advisory group Infrastructure Australia has said that severe skills shortages in the country could undermine public infrastructure projects. According to Infrastructure Australia’s first Infrastructure Market Capacity report, Australia is likely to face shortages in the number of skilled individuals ranging from engineers, architects and geologists to electricians and painters. The report found that skill shortages in Australia could lead to one in three industry jobs bein...

NZ Productivity Commission calls for higher immigration rate

by eduaid

Nov 10, 2021

New Zealand’s Productivity Commission has called on the government to increase its immigration rate amid a reduced number of migrant arrivals during the pandemic. The commission also called New Zealand’s pre-pandemic immigration rates “unsustainable” and criticised the government’s “inability or unwillingness” to build an infrastructure to support prospective migrants. Moreover, the Productivity Commission urged the New Zealand government to remove...

Canada welcomed record 45,000 new immigrants in September

by eduaid

Nov 10, 2021

Canada welcomed a record 45,000 new immigrants in September, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has confirmed. This number of new immigrants is the highest Canada has welcomed in its modern history and one of the biggest in all of Canadian history. Welcoming such a large number of new immigrants to the country has allowed Canada to be firmly on track to meeting its immigration target of landing 401,000 new permanent residents this year. Welcoming 45,000 new immigrants i...

ACCI urges increasing skilled migration to 200,000 per year

by eduaid

Nov 9, 2021

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) has urged the government to increase its annual skilled migration intake to 200,000 people. The ACCI suggested that such a revamp to Australia’s migration program is necessary in order to address the severe skill shortages in the country. The ACCI also said that nearly doubling the skilled migration program intake would allow Australia to secure its economic recovery following the Covid-19 pandemic. In its “Better Austra...

NZ businesses hail â€˜biggest immigration change in decadesâ€™

by eduaid

Oct 24, 2021

New Zealand businesses welcomed the new resident visa as the ‘biggest immigration change New Zealand has seen in decades.’ Business leaders and the community in New Zealand celebrated the government’s decision to allow critical workers and their families a pathway to permanent residency in the country, following the announcement of the new, one-off residency visa by Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi. As part of the new visa, an estimated 165,000 temporary work visa holders...

Manitoba invites 464 PNP applicants for Canadian immigration

by eduaid

Oct 24, 2021

Manitoba invited 464 candidates under the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) for Canadian immigration in its latest invitation round. This iteration of the periodic invitation rounds was held on October 21, when immigration candidates were invited under three categories of the MPNP – Skilled Workers in Manitoba, Skilled Workers Overseas, and International Education Stream. In the Skilled Workers in Manitoba category, 388 applicants were invited to apply for Canadian immigrati...

NSW to remove quarantine for international travellers

by eduaid

Oct 24, 2021

New South Wales has announced that it will abolish quarantine requirements for international travellers arriving in the State from next month. Speaking to reporters, New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet announced that fully vaccinated migrants will be allowed entry to the Australian State without having to quarantine themselves upon arriving in the country. During the first phase of the plan, returning Australian citizens, permanent residents and their families will be exempted from h...

Recent News

Free Consultation

Contact Info