US President Obama announced yesterday that “America is open for business” and detailed a new approach the country is planning to take in order to make it easier for foreign visitors from certain Countries to travel to the US in an effort to boost tourism and create jobs.

“I want America to be the top tourist destination in the world,” said Obama who announced the news at Walt Disney World in Florida, a huge tourist attraction for millions of people each year. “The more folks who visit America, the more Americans we get back to work. It is that simple.”

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A new immigration group was launched in Canada last week comprising of local service providers, health care representatives, business people and politicians. The new Immigration Partnership Council will help immigrants and refugees integrate into Canadian life.

The group brainstormed ideas on how to best assist new immigrants and refugees to become part of the community for two years. Last Friday, the group officially launched their immigration council in Kitchener, Ontario.

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The “Down Under Live” and “Canada Live” expos will be held next month in the UK providing detailed information of immigration and employment opportunities for Australia, New Zealand and Canada and will take place in three different cities across the UK. If you are interested in immigration to Australia, New Zealand, and Canada you should seriously consider visiting an Immigration Expo.

Recent government statistics have shown that Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are the top destinations for people migrating from the UK. Importantly, Australia and New Zealand have been experiencing extreme skills shortages in various industries. There are plenty of opportunities for new immigrants with the right skills and qualifications.

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With this month marking the two year anniversary of Haiti’s massive earthquake, members of the US Congress along with Haitian-American community leaders are urging the Obama administration to expedite US visas for more Haitians to live and work in the US.

Specifically, they are asking to fast-track visas for tens of thousands of Haitians whose applications have already been approved but could take many more years for a visa to be issued. This is due to a cap on the number of visas that the US grants each year.

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The US Travel Association is pushing Congress to pass new legislation to ease US visitor visa restrictions in the hope that tourism to the US will increase. International visitors are expected to spend more than $152 billion in the year 2012, but tourists could offer an even larger boost to the US economy if the current bill before Congress passes so that it is easier to obtain visitor visas.

The bill is designed to stimulate international tourism to the US; Supporters believe it will help the US economy and create more jobs. The proposed overhaul of the US visa system has been endorsed by the National Retail Federation, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.

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The Australian Defence Force is trying to recruit laid-off soldiers, sailors and air crew from the UK in order to fill their quota of new recruits. Those chosen will gain preferential treatment when it comes to Australian Immigration and Citizenship. The Australian Navy has sent a delegation to the UK to recruit some of the 5,000 Royal Navy staff due to lose their jobs over the next four years.

Many Australian engineers have been lured away from the military by the mining industry, which offers better pay and conditions. The UK’s Royal Navy has already announced plans to lay off about 1,020 sailors, a third of who are being made redundant compulsorily. The Australian Navy directly contacts redundant UK sailors and offer them “career transition options” for those interested in immigration to Australia.

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New relaxed visa rules in Indonesia for four Middle Eastern countries could trigger an influx of people trafficking to Australia. Indonesia plans to relax visa rules for nationals of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan; The changes have raised concerns with Australian Immigration authorities that the new laws could cause a rise in people smuggling operations to Australia. This year, Australian immigration authorities have already intercepted two vessels trying to smuggle people into Australia.

Indonesia has typically been the main transit point for asylum seekers heading to Australia. Additionally, Afghanistan and Pakistan are two of the main sources of asylum seekers. The changes to the Indonesian immigration laws are aimed at promoting Indonesian tourism and come despite the four nations being listed on Indonesia’s so-called “red list” due to security fears.

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Beginning 1 January 2012, Taiwanese youth can apply for the UK’s Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme visa. The UK visa enables young people from participating countries to come and experience life in the UK under the Tier 5 visa of the points-based system.

Taiwan will join the list of countries and territories that participate in the UK’s youth mobility scheme. The other Countries on the scheme are Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Japan and Monaco. Every year, the UK government allocates a number of visas to be distributed under the Tier 5 youth mobility scheme for each country and territory.

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There has been a decline in the approval rate for US L-1 visas for Indian professionals. New data shows that the US L-1 visa denial rate is higher in India than in any other country.

The National Foundation for American Policy has released data showing the number of L-1 visas issued to Indian nationals fell by 28 percent in the period 2010 to 2011. The data shows that L-1 visa approvals went from 35,896 in 2010 to 25,898 in 2011, a drop of approximately 10,000 visas. At the same time L-1 visas issued to employees from other countries rose by 15 percent.

“This shows an enormous gap in visas issued as well as approval/denial rates between posts in India and the rest of the world, raising policy questions as to whether this great disparity is the result of a conscious policy at US posts in India,” the National Foundation for American Policy wrote in its report.

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The UK’s North East Chamber of Commerce (NECC) have called for a relaxation of UK immigration controls in the North East region arguing that businesses are being held back by a lack of skilled labour.

NECC is a business organization in the UK that represents more than 4,000 companies in the North East of England. They are seeking changes in UK immigration legislation that takes into account regional labour market needs and available skills. This follows a study they conducted which shows the importance of foreign workers to large businesses in the region. The NECC Workforce Survey said that many businesses with more than 50 employees are reliant on overseas workers.

“With unemployment expected to peak in 2012, business is expected to play its part in creating growth and jobs. The research shows that many firms are unable to find the skilled workers they need in the UK,” said NECC chief executive James Ramsbotham.

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