Australia, Canada & NZ Immigration News - October 2020 Issue #7

Australia, Canada & NZ Immigration News

October 2020 Issue #7

In this issue:

·  Australian partner visa to require mandatory English test

·  Clipped migration to Australia results in population decline

·   Biometrics waived for selected Canadian PR applications

·    56,000 applications approved for student visas to Canada

·   Express Entry: 4,500 invited to apply for Canadian PR

·   Lockdown hindering processing capability of Immigration NZ

·   Special feature: Recipe – Lamingtons

·    Other global news

Australian Immigration

Australian partner visa to require mandatory English test

The Australian government has proposed a mandatory English language proficiency test for foreign partners of existing Australian residents looking to move to Australia with a partner visa to the country.

Australian Immigration Minister Alan Tudge described the new English language test requirement as a necessary step to ensure better “social cohesion” among Australians. 

Foreign partners who will apply for an Australian permanent visa or Australian citizenship must pass the English language test, as the government aims to make sure that all Australian residents have a functional level of English.

To learn more about this news, please click here.

Clipped migration to Australia results in population decline

A decrease in the number of migrants moving to Australia because of the pandemic has resulted in the lowest population growth Australia has seen in more than 100 years.

According to the 2020-21 Migration Program, net overseas migration to Australia will be significantly lower than 2019-20, which will account for the lowest population growth Australia has had in over a century.

However, as Australia comes to grips with the difficulties created by the pandemic, borders will start to reopen, and migration numbers will increase to around 201,000 in 2023-24 – the silver lining promised by Australia’s Migration Program. 

You can read more about this by clicking here.

Canadian Immigration

Biometrics waived for selected Canadian PR applications

Canadian permanent residence applicants who have submitted their biometrics in the last 10 years no longer have to submit biometrics again when applying to move to Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced.

IRCC said this special measure has been taken to prevent delays in Canadian immigration for applicants, who might be unable to provide their biometrics due to the ongoing pandemic.

Eligible applicants for this waiver must have a pending or new application for Canadian PR, and must have submitted their biometrics within the last 10 years. 

You can read more on this news by clicking here.

56,000 applications approved for student visas to Canada

Canada's immigration minister Marco Mendicino has announced 56,000 first-stage study permits have been approved for international students looking to move to Canada for higher education.

These approvals will allow international students to pursue their studies in Canada from overseas while unable to apply for Canadian immigration during the pandemic.

Canada recently announced a two-stage study permit process to allow international students to begin their studies while unable to travel to Canada due to the ongoing pandemic.

For more on this news, please click here.

Express Entry: 4,500 invited to apply for Canadian PR

4,500 Express Entry candidates have been issued invitations to apply (ITAs) for permanent Canadian immigration in the latest round of Canada's Express Entry draw.

This round of the draw is the joint-biggest ever held by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), with the last draw of this magnitude being held in February this year.

With these 4,500 ITAs issued to Canadian PR applicants, IRCC has now invited a total of 82,850 applicants to move to Canada this year.

Please click here to read more about this news. 

New Zealand Immigration

Lockdown hindering processing capability of Immigration NZ

New Zealand’s immigration ministry, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has seen its visa application processing capabilities severely reduced by the coronavirus lockdown. 

Because of delayed processing, around 51,000 people have been left waiting on decisions regarding their New Zealand visa and residence applications.

Lockdown in New Zealand and overseas visa services offices being closed means that at least 10,000 more New Zealand visa and residence applications compared to last year are currently awaiting decisions, as an increasing number of NZ immigration applications continue to pour in.

You can read more about this news here.

Indulge in local delicacies – Australia!

Popular Australian treat – Lamingtons

Lamingtons, the traditional Australian chocolate delicacy, are cubes of sponge cake covered in chocolate and coated in desiccated coconut. These are a must-try for every dessert lover, and to help you experience it we are going to walk you through the authentic recipe of lamingtons! 

Ingredients

To prepare lamingtons you will need:

·         Fresh butter sponge cake (20cm x 30cm or 8”x12”)

·         Icing sugar (4 cups)

·         Cocoa powder (1/3 cups)

·         Unsalted butter (1 tbsp)

·         Water (150 ml)

·         Desiccated coconut (3-4 cups)
 

Procedure

1.       Start off by mixing the icing sugar, cocoa powder and butter in a bowl of water and heat it. 

2.       Stir the mixture until you get a smooth syrupy consistency. 

3.       Take the icing off the heat and let it sit while you cut up the cakes in 5cm cubes. 

4.       The next step is to dip the cake cubes into the chocolate icing using two forks. Make sure the whole cake is covered. 

5.       Now the messy part, spread the desiccated coconut on a shallow plate and lightly roll the chocolate-covered cake in it. 

6.       Place the lamingtons on a cooling rack and let it sit for an hour. 

7.       Voila! Your scrumptious lamingtons are ready to be served!

Bonus tips

·         If the butter sponge cake is prepared beforehand you can make the lamingtons without breaking a sweat.

·         Freeze the sponge cake before working with it. This will prevent the cake cubes from getting all crumbly while making the lamingtons!

·         You can have your freshly baked lamingtons with a steaming cup of tea! You can also add some freshly whipped cream and jam as toppings on your lamingtons.

Other Global News

France

France urges Middle Eastern countries to end boycotts of goods

France has urged Arab nations to stop boycotts of French-made products after President Emmanuel Macron defended the rights to show cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. 

Shops in Kuwait, Qatar and Jordan have already stripped their shelves of French-made products after tensions arose following a French teacher showing cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in class. 

Political leaders in Turkey and Pakistan have accused Mr Macron of marginalizing millions of French Muslims, and protests have also been seen in Syria, Libya and the Gaza Strip. 

Spain

Spain announces national state of emergency to curb Covid-19 infections

The Spanish government has declared a national state of emergency and imposed a night-time curfew to curb a second wave of coronavirus infections.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said inter-district movement restrictions would be determined by regional leaders and be dependent on work and medical needs.

Mr Sanchez called the situation the “most serious Spain has faced in the last 50 years.”

Spain has had more than one million confirmed cases of coronavirus infections, with nearly 35,000 people losing their lives. 

United Kingdom

England forward Marcus Rashford leading charge against child poverty

England and Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford has set an example to follow after leading a campaign to ensure free meals for vulnerable school children.

The 22-year old professional footballer campaigned to the British government to allow about 1.3 million children to get free school meal vouchers over the summer holidays during the pandemic. 

Following his campaign, local restaurants, cafes and chip shops have also risen to the occasion and promised to provide meals during the school holidays for children who come from low-income families and are dependent on their free school meals as their only source of nutrition every day.

Rashford’s exemplary actions led him to becoming an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List, as well as being named an honorary doctorate from the University of Manchester. 

eduaid’s word of the week: Client Service

eduaid is synonymous with the highest client service. One of our key principles is that all members of our staff must embed the philosophy of client services in their mindset. We provide one-to-one confidential consultations and services to each of our clients, as we strongly believe that migration, being a life-changing event for everyone, requires a high level of care. We have dedicated a number of talented teams to serve each of our valued clients quickly and efficiently, to ensure the highest service which they deserve. 

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