Abid Ismail [Al-Hamza Consulting]

Canada Investor Immigration Program

2012-01-31T12:06:00.000-08:00

Overview Canada Immigrant Investor program
Immigrant Investors have a plethora of options in front of them. Then why choose Canada Immigrant Investor program? Read on…

Canada Immigrant Investor program surely holds an added advantage over the investor and business programs offered by other countries. Businessmen can have an alternate residency status, while continuing with the already existing business.

Immigration to Canada under the Investor Category allows an applicant to use financing facility offered by an authorized financial intermediary while paving way towards getting Permanent Resident status in Canada.

With Al-Hamza Consulting’s Investor immigration visa specialists, every step can be honey for our clients, provided they keep the facets of transparency and authenticity amidst both the sides.

Canada Immigrant Investor Program has been further categorized into two classes: Canada Federal Immigrant Investor program (FIIP) and Canada Quebec Immigrant Investor program (QIIP).

The Immigrant Investor Program has been established to attract prospective investor immigrants with desired personal net worth and managerial experience.

Let us discuss the advantages of a PR status under the Canada Immigrant Investor Program in details:

The immigrant investor program offers unconditional Canada Permanent Residency and an option to apply for Citizenship in Canada in future. You as a permanent resident visa holder under this program would have no conditions attached with regard to any minimum post landing investment commitment or hiring of minimum number of local residents or doing business in any designated areas or for that matter even do business! The holder has a choice to even live of passive investments. There are not post landing pre-conditions attached on doing an active investment or active management of a Canadian business.

Canadian charter of rights and freedom permits you as a permanent resident visa holder to live and work anywhere in the country.

With Canada permanent resident visa rights in your hands, you would be able to make Canada as your business base and in the process enjoy the benefits of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) too. This will help in growing the business interests in whole of North America, which in turn becomes possible only because you are holding a Canada Permanent Resident Visa.

You as the applicant would have the liberation to use Canadian financial and banking system and make its use further for the expansion of your worldwide business interests including the current business. Additionally, you would have the right to enhance your personal international credit rating and that of your venture.

With the status, comes the liberty to take up employment anywhere in Canada.

As a resident, you and your family become entitled to superior quality highly subsidized education in some of the best Canadian education institutions, in addition to brilliant health care facilities from ace health care organizations – for self and children.

The plus point lies in having the liberty with children to manage the Canadian business in future.
Interested applicants can fill our Online Assessment Form and we shall get back to you ASAP.

Also, visit our website www.alhamza.pk for further information.

Malaysia Company or Business Setup - through Licensed Malaysian Sponsor.

2012-01-08T05:00:00.000-08:00

100% Business / Company Setup in Malaysia through Government of Malaysia's Licensed Company

We work with the professional team of Malaysian Licensed Company to setup a business with 100% ownership of our clients. Company formation is done in just 10 days (approx)

Our associated licensed company in Malaysia can also help you find cheapest office around Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Visit our official website www.alhamza.pk for further details. Also email us your information on info@alhamza.pk or aabid.ismail@gmail.com for evaluation.

We do not charge any hidden fee and we always offer competitive rates.

What is included in the package:

Government Fee
Stamp Duty
Counter Charges
Secretarial Charges
Case Presentation & Consultancy Charges

New Canadian Immigration Policy 2012

2011-12-26T10:02:00.000-08:00

CANADIAN IMMIGRATION POLICY 2012

2011 is approaching its end and those who are interested in Immigration to

Canada

are asking about the new Canadian immigration policy for 2012. There are couple of reasons behind this question. They either missed the chance to submit their Federal Skilled Worker application in 2011 and their occupation got capped in the skilled occupations list of 2011. Some people, who did not see their occupation in the previous FSW list, are wondering whether they would be able to apply under FSW in 2012.

This post will work as a placeholder and as soon as the hints of new Canadian immigration policy 2012 are received, it will be updated with details. The new FSW policy will be implemented from July 1, 2012, however, we might be able to have some glimpses in the changes proposed, if any.

Canadian Immigration Points Calculator 2012

Points calculator does not seem to be changing any soon and the Canadian immigration points calculator 2012 would most likely NOT bring any changes. However, if any change happens, it will be updated here.

Canadian Immigration Skilled Occupations List 2012

FSW Occupations list for 2012 seems like the largest issue among the aspiring migrants to

Canada

. Any changes in the Canadian immigration skilled occupations list 2012 will either bring positive changes for applicants in shape of increase in the number of occupations eligible for Canadian immigration or it will reduce the number of occupations.

The backlog of the immigration cases submitted has already been slashed by 50% due to efficiency of CIC and we hope thhat it will allow CIC to get more applications for federal skilled worker immigration.

ALHAMZA CONSULTING

Stay updated by visiting our website www.alhamza.pk and also join our Fan Page on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/abidismail.immigrationconsultant1998

Understanding HONG KONG IMMIGRATION - Quality Migrant Admission Scheme

2011-12-24T09:22:00.000-08:00

Hong Kong's Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS)

Entrant Scheme to attract highly skilled or talented people to enter & remain in HK
Applicants need to meet set Pre-requisites
Pass Points test-either General OR Achievement
High scoring applications are selected in a selection exercise by the HK Department of Immigration within a quarterly quota
Approval-in-Principal Letter given for Interview in HK
Attend Interview with original documents
Entry Visa / Work Permit granted for one year initially and extendable
Permanent Residency after 7 years
Can bring spouse & children under 18 to HK

Career Strategy: Why Hong Kong?

Hence, a stint in Hong Kong will add a lot of mileage to your career that very few of your colleagues will be able to boast of.

A job abroad can give your career a big boost. Foreign experience shows bosses that you're unusually adaptable and versatile. It can put you on a fast track for advancement.

Working in Hong Kong adds great value to your resume as you would have interacted with China, Pakistan, Asia Pacific, and the Gulf in some way or the other.

Job Opportunities

Hong Kong is the leading financial centre of Asia and is one of the top sources of outward direct foreign investment in Asia

Logistics and trade-supporting services, such as Product testing and inspection, Arbitration and mediation, Trade finance documentation and Insurance

As China liberalizes its markets due to its WTO membership commitments, Hong Kong firms are increasingly active in connecting suppliers in other countries with consumers in the Chinese Mainland and elsewhere in Asia.

Eligibility

All applicants must satisfy all of the following prerequisites:

Age-18 or above
Financial requirement-He/she is capable of supporting and accommodating himself / herself and his/her dependents, if any, on his/her own financial resources without relying on public assistance during his/her stay in Hong Kong
Good character-No criminal record or adverse immigration record in Hong Kong or elsewhere
Language proficiency- The applicant should be proficient in written and spoken English or Chinese
Basic educational qualification-Good education background, normally a first degree from a recognized university or a tertiary educational institution

Points Based Test

In addition to meeting all Pre-Requisites, applicants have to pass any one of the points based test:

General Points Based Test is based on

Age
Academic Qualifications
Work Experience
Language Proficiency
Family Background

Minimum pass mark: 80 points out of 165

We at Al-Hamza Consulting, have expert team who can handle Hong Kong Immigration applications efficiently and professsionally. Please email us your updated CV on info@alhamza.pk or aabid.ismail@gmail.com

Visit www.alhamza.pk for further information

NEW ZEALAND Immigration for IT Professionals

2011-12-11T08:14:00.000-08:00

New Zealand welcomes everyone with relevant qualifications, skills and experience that can contribute to the development of the New Zealand economy. If your occupation appears on theEssential Skills in Demand List for New Zealand occupations, you must not delay to immigrate to New Zealand.

Skilled Migrant Category is the most suitable immigration category that gives you the freedom to live and work in New Zealand permanently. We can help this dream come true for you in the easiest way possible. Given below is the detailed procedure that we follow to help our clients get approval under the skilled migrant category:

Meeting the basic requirements - We assist you in submitting the Expression of Interest (EOI) to enhance your chances of acceptability for minimum NZ immigration requirements. Points at this level are awarded on the basis of your qualification. Besides, some other basic requirements for occupational registration, health, English language ability and character must also be fulfilled.

Selecting EOI - EOIs that successfully claim over 100 points are submitted into the pool. EOI that claimed 140 or above points are selected automatically from this pool, whereas those that have points between 100 and 140 are selectively picked up according to the demands of NZ. Sometimes EOI may remain in the pool for six months. In that case, your EOI is withdrawn from pool and you are notified about the same and we can then assist you in applying with an EOI again. But if Immigration New Zealand did not select any EOIs from the pool at all, your EOI may stay in the pool itself even after six months until the next lot of EOIs is selected.

Official request to apply for residence - In case, you have been lucky enough to get your EOI drawn by INZ (Immigration New Zealand) and your claims are successfully verified, you are then sent an official request to apply for residence. The invitation mentions a period of four months, before which you must apply under the New Zealand`s Skilled Migrant category. We guide you according to the checklist about necessary documents, such as passport, certifications and qualifications that are to be provided, along with duly filled application forms and the applicable fees. We help you in filling the form correctly and assure hassle-free approval of your application.

Complete assessment - Once your application for residence is received, your claims as well as your suitability to stay in NZ are assessed. Sometimes, INZ may also wish to interview you and your dependants. At this time, they may ask about your current support networks, employment prospects and familiarity with the country. Contact us today to know more about the probable interview questions in your case. If INZ is satisfied with your interview, approval to your application is granted. But in case, the officials are not completely satisfied, they may give you a resident permit or visa to come to NZ and see if you could get a skilled job. Your residence application is approved as soon as you get the job. The time period allowed to get a job in NZ is nine months.
Qualifying Criteria

Skilled migrant category enjoys the utmost popularity among all visa classes to get the Permanent Residency status in NZ. NZIS (The New Zealand Immigration Service) currently deals in visas for the skilled migrant category for New Zealand immigration. Skills of the applicant in accordance with their nominated occupation are taken into consideration along with the points that are awarded for several factors.
Applicants must be below 56 years and should earn at least 100 points each in order to be eligible for NZ immigration. However, meeting the prerequisites of the English language, character certificate and health is also mandatory before we lodge your Expression of Interest.

Applications then enter a pool, where the needed number of candidates is selected by NZIS, on the basis of demand of skilled workers in NZ. Aspiring NZ immigrants must be aware of the key selection criteria in order to gain maximum points possible. We can help you a great deal in this regard. Being the industry leaders, we stay updated and work in tandem with the regulations laid by the New Zealand Immigration authorities.

We can help you in New Zealand Immigration Application process. Please contact us now. Visit our website www.alhamza.pk and fill up Online Assessment Form for evaluation.

Australian Immigration to evaluate Professional Year visa program

2011-12-11T03:40:00.000-08:00

The Australia Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) announced they will perform an evaluation of the Professional Year visa program in 2011-2012. The evaluation will assess if the Professional Year visa is achieving its original objectives and also identify potential improvements to the immigration program.

The Professional Year visa program has been available since 2008 and is a structured development immigration program, available to Engineers, Accountants and IT Professionals immigrating to

Australia

. The program helps graduates to find employment and successful completion provides 5 points towards meeting the Points Based Skilled Migration pass mark.

The Professional Year visa program is a structured professional development program combining formal learning and workplace experience. A Professional Year will:

familiarise participants with the norms and values in the Australian workplace as well as the Australian employment market and workplace culture
teach participants how to communicate effectively and professionally in the Australian workplace with colleagues, managers and clients
include an internship (work experience) to educate participants about all aspects of work practices in an Australian company.

Australian immigration has also said that current and past Professional Year visa program students will be requested to anonymously complete a survey which collects basic demographic information and seeks specific input regarding each student's Professional Year. The survey results will be part of a discussion paper expected to be finished in 2012.

Please visit www.alhamza.pk for further details.

If you would like to apply for an Australian visa, we can help. Please feel free to contact us for further details.

Immigration Options for IT Professionals - Canada, Australia, New Zealand & Hong Kong

2011-12-04T04:04:00.000-08:00

Getting permanent resident visa of popular immigration destinations has, perhaps, never been tougher for the IT professionals! Here is some highly valuable and updated information for such professionals, as on November, 2011.

Canada Quebec: Quebec Skilled Worker Program is the best possible option for applicants to immigrate to Canada. All you need to have is the time, and the inclination, to learn the French language. One can file the application and learn the French language while the interview is being scheduled. Quebec offers one of the best employment options for the IT professionals in Canada.

Australia: Outside of Canada, Australia Immigration is the best and the most definite option for the IT professionals. Major IT occupations -- like Database Administrator, Systems Administrator, Systems Analyst, Computer Network and Systems Engineer, ICT Business Analyst, Network Analyst, Software Engineer, Developer Programmer, Analyst Programmer, Software Tester, ICT Security Specialist, Software and Applications Programmers are open for immigration.
What is more, the application processing time can be 12 months to 16 months approximately. Australia is just unmatchable when it comes to available employment opportunities for the IT specialists. IT professionals with excellent English communication skills should go for Australia as option one.

New Zealand: A young Engineering degree holder with just 3 years of experience in the IT is hardly likely to be qualified for many countries. And even applicants with many years of IT related work experience may not qualify for Australia or Canada if his IELTS score is just 6.5 overall. Well, good news is that qualified IT professionals with IELTS score of 6.5 can apply under the New Zealand Skilled Migrant Program.

Hong Kong: Hong Kong Immigration offers excellent job opportunities and a shorter application processing time frames of around only 12 months. Just a short flying time from India, Hong Kong is a major financial and business hub and next to China - one of the fastest growing economies across the world. Only negative aspect is that one can, at maximum, become a resident and not a citizen of Hong Kong. But still it is a good option to consider.

Quebec (Canada) Pictures

2011-12-03T17:07:00.001-08:00

Quick Facts about Quebec

2011-12-03T17:06:00.000-08:00

Quebec is the largest Canadian province in area, and the second largest in population. Quebec is a mainly French-speaking society, and the defence of its language and culture colours all politics in the province.

Location of the Province of Quebec:

between Ontario, James Bay and Hudson Bay on the west and Labrador and the Gulf of St. Lawrence on the east, and between Hudson Strait and Ungava Bay on the north and New Brunswick and the United States on the south

Area of Quebec:

1,542,056 sq. km (595,391 sq. miles) (Natural Resources Canada, 2001)

Population of Quebec:

7,546,131 (Statistics Canada, 2006 Census)

Capital City of Quebec:

Quebec City, Quebec

Date Quebec Entered Confederation:

July 1, 1867

Government of Quebec:

Liberal

Last Quebec Provincial Election:

December 8, 2008

Main Quebec Industries:

Agriculture, manufacturing, energy, mining, forestry, transportation

Many Good Reasons For Choosing QUEBEC

2011-12-03T17:03:00.001-08:00

Extensive potential markets

Québec is an ideal location for companies seeking to conquer North American markets. Within a perimeter of 1,000 km, lies a market of more than 130million consumers awaits you. In addition, thanks to free trade agreements with the United States and Mexico, this market can potentially expand to more than 413 million.

Quality labour force

Québec’s large labour pool is distinctive for its training, availability, multilingualism and highly affordable remuneration scales.

Competitive operating costs

Labour and electricity costs are particularly advantageous and so are those associated with the rental or construction of commercial space.

Efficient transportation network

Québec’s intermodal transportation system affords easy access to North American markets. Its international, regional and local airports, 70,000 km of highways, 6,600 km of railways, 10 ports and 40 maritime routes, and vast state-of-the-art telecommunications network all serve to facilitate trade with partners around the world.

Considerable venture capital

For a number of years now, Québec has been the Canadian centre for venture capital.

Advantageous corporate tax system

Québec’s tax system is based on a tax rate on profits that is among the most advantageous in North America. This modest tax rate, combined with tax measures intended to support new businesses and investments, makes Québec’s system highly competitive.

Flexible administrative procedures

Procedures for registering or incorporating a business in Québec are rapid, streamlined and inexpensive.

Registered company: approximately C$35
Corporation: approximately C$800

Business support programs

Several support programs are available to meet the needs of Québec small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Intended to encourage growth, they may be in the form of loan guarantees, repayable contributions, tax credits or subsidies:

Technical support and guidance in developing business plans, site searches, prospecting and partnership.
Financial support for business start-ups and expansion, export, design, innovation, research and development.

Australia & Canada still the best place to live

2011-11-30T14:48:00.000-08:00

Australia has four cities in top 10
Vancouver the best city to live
Harare the worst

AUSTRALIA and Canada dominate the top ten most liveable cities in the world, according to a new index revealed today.

Vancouver, host of the Winter Olympics, topped the latest annual survey by The Economist.

It scored 98 out of 100 on a comparison of stability, healthcare, education, infrastructure, culture and environment.

Canada

's Toronto and Calgary also scored, while

Australia

had four cities in the top 10 - Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Adelaide.

The Economist Intelligence Unit survey ranked 140 cities on 30 factors - such as healthcare, culture and environment, and education - using research involving resident experts and its own analysts.

Los Angeles ranked at 47, New York at 56 and London took 54th position.

Zimbabwe

's capital Harare scored as the world's worst city, with a rating of 37.5.
Top ten cities were: 1. Vancouver 2. Vienna 3. Melbourne 4. Toronto 5. Calgary 6. Helsinki 7. Sydney 8. Perth 9. Adelaide 10. Auckland
Bottom ten cities were: 1. Harare 2. Dhaka 3. Algiers 4. Port Moresby 5. Lagos 6. Karachi 7. Douala 8. Kathmandu 9. Colombo 10. Dakar

Australia Immigration - What’s it like working in Australia?

2011-11-26T09:51:00.000-08:00

The economy of Australia continues to from strength to strength and obviously have enjoyed the boom times over the last decade. Australian economy was one of the first to leave the worldwide recession and continues to attract overseas skilled workers to fill new positions which are becoming available on a regular basis.

Australian migration may be a dream for most of the people who want to work in Australia as there many working conditions as a consequence of wanting to take job opportunities in this country. If you want to take part with the boom of economy which Australia creates, you must obtain a visa first.

Average working hours: the average working week is 37 hours per week, generally Monday to Friday (depending on the occupation and your employer). As in the UK, hours worked above the standard working week are paid at overtime rates.
Holidays: all permanent employers in Australia are entitled to four weeks paid annual leave per year and ten days paid personal leave (including sick leave and carer’s leave).
Average graduate starting salary: $45,000 (approximately £22,500).
Tax rates: as a permanent Australian resident, you will be expected to make standard tax contributions. However, if you are a non-resident, you will pay a considerably higher amount. Non-residents during 2008 - 09 were taxed at a rate of 29c in every dollar you earn to $34,000, with increasing tax rates for earnings above $34,000.
Working practices and customs: Australians are generally laid back and casual in social situations, however in business contexts they value punctuality, professionalism, directness and brevity. Professional business attire and handshake greetings are expected in most workplaces.

Mr. Abid Ismail and Al-Hamza Consulting Team are expert in handling Australian Immigration applications under skilled worker categories (subclass 175, 176 and 475).

In order to check your eligibility, please fill up Online Assessment Form or email us your updated CV on info@alhamza.pk or aabid.ismail@gmail.com

Upcoming Advertisement in DAILY JANG, LAHORE (Sunday, 20 Nov 2011)

2011-11-18T04:52:00.000-08:00

Looking for Hong Kong Immigration Consultant in Pakistan? Highly Recommended

2011-11-12T14:33:00.000-08:00

By the grace of Almighty ALLAH, at Al-Hamza Consulting, we have been providing Immigration Consultancy for Hong Kong (Skilled Worker Category) since 1998 under the supervision of Mr. Abid Ismail (the most trusted and renowned name in Immigration Consultancy, famous of handling genuine cases only) and feeling honoured to have trust by people from various cities of Pakistan specially:

Karachi
Hyderabad
Sukkur
Rahimyar Khan
Multan
Narowal
Lahore
Faisalabad
Rawalpindi
Islamabad
Quetta
Peshawar

These clients got satisfied with our reliability and professionalism, they are now referring their friends, colleagues, family etc to contact us for legal processing.

First of all, we assess clients' chances by assessing their CVs / Resumes and if we think that the clients are meeting the criteria then we quote our fee which is the lowest in Pakistan.

Please visit our website www.alhamza.pk for further information and also fill up Online Assessment Form for evaluation.

We are looking forward to serving you

Announcement: Mr. Abid Ismail plans to meet clients in Lahore and Islamabad

2011-11-10T01:00:00.000-08:00

The Team of Al-Hamza Consulting feels honoured to announce the upcoming visit of Mr. Abid Ismail (Senior Immigration Consultant & CEO) to Lahore for holding meetings with interested individuals for Canadian, Australian, Hong Kong Immigration or Business Setup in Hong Kong and Malaysia via company formation.

Type: Conferences / Seminar
Time: 11 am To 6 pmDate: 19 November 2011 To 23 November 2011
Registration: Required (Call us or email us)

Please email us on info@alhamza.pk or aabid.ismail@gmail.com and fix your appointment. You can also call us on (021) 3-4233623, 3-4233626 or 0313-8998756 to book your appointment.

Meetings in Islamabad (15 October 2011 to 18 October 2011)

2011-10-19T23:41:00.000-07:00

Pictures with clients in Islamabad

Report says "More skilled workers choosing Hong Kong for Migration"

2011-07-31T02:36:00.000-07:00

A new report says that more skilled Asians are choosing to emigrate to other Asian countries such as Hong Kong rather than Western Countries such as the UK, Australia, and Canada.

The study, Change of Migration Patterns in Asia: Towards Regional Economic Integration, found that Hong Kong had the highest rate of East Asian immigration, with 2.74 million migrants, followed by

Malaysia

Japan

Singapore

, and

Thailand

. Approximately 5.3 million people migrated internally within Asia in 2008.

Dr. Sakkarin Niyomsilpa of the Institute of Population and Social Research, of Mahidol University, Bangkok says that East Asia's rapid economic development has caused rapid growth of its labour markets. Dr. Sakkarin is the author of the study.

"Asian professionals, who had aimed for labour markets in Western countries, have instead begun to emigrate in large numbers to East Asia due to the prosperity in these Asian economies," Dr. Sakkarin said.

Dr. Sakkarin said that many Asian countries have relaxed their immigration requirements. In contrast, Western nations such as the

have recently introduced stricter immigration controls.

After the Global financial crisis of a few years ago there was a significant reduction in skilled immigration to

Australia

. This was caused by the general economic situation and tougher immigration requirements.

Australia

is now having to deal with skills shortages. Asian Countries have probably benefited from this. Highly skilled asian immigrants unable or unwilling to go to

Australia

have instead gone to Asian Countries.

If you are interested to grab this opportunity without loosing a single minute, please Fill Up our ONLINE ASSESSMENT FORM on our website www.alhamza.pk

Migrating to Australia - An attractive option for IT professionals.

2011-06-26T15:44:00.000-07:00

Australia wants skilled IT professionals to move down under and promises to fast-track them through the immigration process as the country experiences high demand for technology staff.

IT professionals are at an advantage when it comes to the visa system, which is points-based and uses criteria including age, language, experience etc. Applicants whose skills are found on a list of occupations in demand are eligible to apply and are given fast-track visa processing.

IT Occupations in demand:

- Systems Analyst

- IT Business Analyst

- Programmers

- Software Engineers

- Computer Systems Engineer / Network Engineer

- Database Administrator

- IT Consultant / IT Manager

Please send your updated CV on info@alhamza.pk or aabid.ismail@gmail.com for evaluation and further processing. You can also fill in our online assessment form http://alhamza.pk/assessment.html

Canada introduces new policy - No change in Skilled Occupation List (29 Occupations)

2011-06-26T03:35:00.000-07:00

Ottawa, June 24, 2011 — Canada is adjusting its intake of applications from economic immigrants to further reduce the backlog and improve wait times while meeting the country’s labour market needs, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced today.

“The backlog of federal skilled worker applications is now half of what it was when we announced the Action Plan for Faster Immigration in 2008,” said Minister Kenney. “These measures will help us to continue that progress.”

Canada receives many more immigration applications than can be accepted every year. As part of ongoing efforts to better align application intake with priorities for immigration, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is limiting the number of new applications it will consider in certain categories of the federal economic immigration stream.

Effective July 1, 2011, the changes will affect new applicants to the federal Skilled Worker, federal Immigrant Investor and federal Entrepreneur programs. The changes will not affect the number of permanent resident admissions in 2011 in these three categories.

“Canada continues to welcome historically high numbers of new immigrants each year, but the Government continues to receive applications that far exceed this number,” said Minister Kenney. “If we don't keep putting reasonable limits on new applications, backlogs and wait times will grow.”

In November 2008, the government first took steps to identify for processing those federal skilled worker applications that responded to Canada’s labour needs, such as applicants with arranged employment offers from Canadian employers or with experience in an occupation in high demand. In June 2010, the government released an updated list of 29 priority occupations and introduced a global cap of 20,000 for federal skilled workers, as well as a sub-cap of 1,000 under each occupation. Over the past year, CIC has received approximately 13,800 federal skilled worker applications under the priority occupations list (figure accurate as of June 24, 2011).

Now, for applicants who do not have an offer of employment in Canada, the government will further limit the number of new federal skilled worker applications that are considered for processing to 10,000 a year, beginning July 1. This limit will help better align the number of applications with labour market demand. Within the 10,000 limit, a maximum of 500 new applications in each of the current 29 priority occupations will be considered.

In addition, the Minister is introducing a cap of 700 on new federal investor applications. Although last year, CIC made changes that raised the minimum net worth and investment requirements, it continues to receive applications in excess of what is required. An annual cap on new applications will allow for progress on backlog reduction while ensuring that the Department has a sufficient volume of new files to meet its commitments.

The Minister is also introducing a temporary moratorium on new federal entrepreneur applications. Wait times for this program currently stretch to eight years in some visa offices. By ceasing to accept new applications as of July 1, the government will prevent further processing delays. The federal Entrepreneur Program will undergo a review in the coming months to ensure that Canada is better able to attract and retain innovative entrepreneurs.

Our Advertisement in Daily Jang 05 June 2011 (Sunday)

2011-06-04T03:17:00.000-07:00

Australia Immigration System to change in July 2012

2011-06-01T08:54:00.000-07:00

Australian Immigration Minister Chris Bowen MP announced this month a new Skilled Migrant Selection Model to be introduced in July 2012. When introduced this will represent the biggest change to the Australian immigration system for many years.

From July 2012 to apply for an Australian skilled immigration visa you will firstly need to register an online Expression of Interest (EOI). You may then be invited to make an immigration application. This is similar in some respects to the New Zealand Expression of Interest immigration system which has been in existence for many years. In the current Australian immigration system, as long as you meet the requirements, you can submit an immigration application right away.

Immigration Minister Chris Bowen

The Immigration Minister had the following to say:

"It is critical that Australia's skilled migration program is driven by Australia's skills needs, rather than the desires of prospective migrants. That's why the government will introduce a new model for selecting skilled migrants to better target Australia's future skill needs, expected to come into effect on 1 July 2012." "The new system will be fair and equitable for people wishing to migrate to Australia, and will deliver strong outcomes for local employers who demonstrate they are unable to fill their skilled positions locally."

The following Australian immigration visa categories will be affected by the new Skilled Migrant Selection Model:

Skilled – Independent (Migrant) subclass 175

Skilled – Sponsored (Migrant) subclass 176

Skilled – Independent (Residence) subclass 885

Skilled – Sponsored (Residence) subclass 886

Skilled – Regional Sponsored (Provisional) subclass 475

Skilled – Regional Sponsored (Provisional) subclass 487

The new immigration system will be less convenient for prospective migrants to Australia. You will have to wait probably about six months to find out if you are allowed to make an immigration application. If you wish to come under the current immigration system it may be worth making an immigration application soon.

Please send your updated CV on info@alhamza.pk or aabid.ismail@gmail.com for evaluation and further processing. You can also fill in our online assessment form http://alhamza.pk/assessment.html

ABOUT US:

We are proudly providing honest, sincere and experienced Immigration consultancy (for skilled workers & Businessmen) at an unbelievable "Low Charges" in Pakistan. We always suggest within the limitation of Immigration Law & Selection Criteria and advise in the best interest of the applicant. We never want our client to waste his / her valuable money and time, rather we want them to be successful in their efforts to settle in world's best countries like UK, Australia, Canada & Hong Kong.

Al-Hamza Consulting is being run and supervised by Mr. Abid Ismail who has more than 13 years of experience in handling Immigration cases for Skilled Workers / Professionals and Businessmen.

Mr. Abid Ismail is the most trusted name in Immigration Consultancy industry and most reliable, honest person who genuinely wants to help people in migrating abroad with very reasonable and affordable service charges. Read more about Mr. Abid Ismail.

By hiring Al-Hamza Consulting, You will not only get high quality services but you can save thousands of Dollars also. Give us a try and contact now.

The Most Reliable & Successful Hong Kong Immigration Consultant in Karachi, Pakistan

2011-04-17T08:30:00.000-07:00

We have been providing Immigration Consultancy for interested applicants since 1998 and we are specialized in Hong Kong Immigration process. We always suggest within the limitation of Immigration Laws & Selection Criteria and advise in the best interest of the applicant.

Al-Hamza Consulting is being run and supervised by Mr. Abid Ismail who has more than 13 years of experience and has the most trusted name in Immigration Consultancy industry. He is the most reliable and honest person who genuinely helps people in migrating abroad with very reasonable and affordable consultancy charges.

By hiring Al-Hamza Consulting, you will get High Quality Services with minimum charges.

Evaluation
Please email us your updated CV on info@alhamza.pk or aabid.ismail@gmail.com for evaluation. You can also visit our website www.alhamza.pk and fill up our Online Assessment Form.

Looking for Australian Immigration Consultant in Pakistan?

2011-04-14T13:44:00.000-07:00

Yes? Then look no further. Contact Mr. Abid Ismail, the most reliable, honest and professional Immigration Consultant in Karachi, Pakistan serving since 1998.

About Us

We are proudly providing honest, sincere and experienced Immigration consultancy (for skilled workers Businessmen) at an unbelievable "Low Charges" in Pakistan. We always suggest within the limitation of Immigration Law & Selection Criteria and advise in the best interest of the applicant. We never want our client to waste his / her valuable money and time, rather we want them to be successful in their efforts to settle in world's best countries like UK, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong.

Al-Hamza Consulting is being run and supervised by Mr. Abid Ismailwho has more than 12 years of experience in handling Immigration cases for Skilled Workers / Professionals and Businessmen.

By hiring Al-Hamza Consulting, You will not only get high quality services but you can save thousands of Dollars also. Give us a try and contact now.

AL-HAMZA CONSULTING

Office # 3, Third Floor, B.B Shopping Mall, Opposite NED University,

Main Road, Block 1, Gulistan e Johar, Karachi, Pakistan.

Tel # (+9221) 34233623, 34233626 (2 Lines)

Cell Numbers: 0333-3690593, 0313-8998756

Web: www.alhamza.pk

Blog: www.abid-ismail.blogspot.com

Emails: info@alhamza.pk or aabid.ismail@gmail.com

PROFILES:

- LINKEDIN Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/abidismail
- FACEBOOK Profile: http://www.facebook.com/aabid.ismail

LIVE CONSULTANCY / SUGGESTIONS
You can get Live Consultancy / Suggestions by adding Mr. Abid Ismail's IDs in the following messengers:
(Google Talk): aabid.ismail@gmail.com
(MSN Messenger): consultant.abid@hotmail.com
(Yahoo Messenger): abidismail@ymail.com

Canada / UK Visit Visa Consultation Available

2011-02-26T03:40:00.000-08:00

[News Release ]Government of Canada consults on immigrant skilled worker program

2011-02-25T02:28:00.000-08:00

Ottawa, February 17, 2011 — Citizenship and Immigration Canada is proposing changes to the Federal Skilled Worker Program to help Canada select immigrants who have the best chance of integrating and making a better contribution to the Canadian economy. CIC will be consulting with stakeholders and the public on the proposed changes beginning today.

The consultations follow the release of an evaluation of the program, which found that skilled workers are faring far better in Canada than their predecessors, thanks to their stronger language skills and arranged employment. The evaluation does show, however, that there is room for improvement.

“To stay competitive globally, we have to make sure the skilled immigrants we choose are the ones that we need, and the most likely to succeed when they get here,” said Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism. “Research points to some key changes that will help us meet those goals.”

The input received through the consultations process will be taken into account in the development of new regulations. The proposed changes could place more emphasis on youth and language ability, and are expected to increase the number of skilled tradespeople.

CIC will consult on:

requiring federal skilled workers to have a minimum level of language proficiency;
making the program more accessible to skilled tradespeople, technicians and apprentices;
placing greater emphasis on younger immigrants who will adapt more easily and be active members of the work force for a longer time frame;
redirecting points from work experience to other factors that better contribute to success in the Canadian work force; and
reducing the potential for fraudulent job offers.

The current Federal Skilled Worker Program was introduced in June 2002 with the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. The program is based on an objective and transparent points system, which considers factors such as language skills, age and education in the selection of immigrants. The system aims to be more effective at selecting those who will succeed economically.

- Courtesy Canadian Immigration Official Media Release Centre

Malaysia Pictures

2011-01-23T03:23:00.000-08:00

Malaysia My Second Home - Statistics of Successful Applications from Top 10 Countries (from 2002 to 2010)

2011-01-23T03:11:00.000-08:00

TOP 10 COUNTRIES FROM 2002 - 2010

NO	COUNTRY	MM2H
		2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010 (Nov)	TOTAL


1	CHINA (PRC)	241	521	468	502	242	90	120	114	120	2418
2	BANGLADESH	0	32	204	852	341	149	68	86	67	1799
3	UNITED KINGDOM	108	159	210	199	209	240	208	162	129	1624
4	JAPAN	49	99	42	87	157	198	210	169	189	1200
5	IRAN	0	2	8	7	9	59	227	212	200	724
6	SINGAPORE	96	143	91	62	94	58	48	61	70	723
7	TAIWAN	38	95	140	186	63	31	16	36	45	650
8	INDIA	45	123	118	80	51	46	32	35	44	574
9	INDONESIA	88	118	104	54	63	25	27	53	24	556
10	PAKISTAN	9	55	82	104	36	31	65	103	70	555
11	OTHERS	144	298	450	482	464	576	491	547	400	3852
TOTAL		818	1,645	1,917	2,615	1,729	1,503	1,512	1,578	1,358	14,675

Fast Facts about Malaysia

2011-01-23T03:02:00.000-08:00

Country The Federation of Malaysia comprises of Peninsular Malaysia, and the states of Sabah and Sarawak on the island of Borneo.



Geographic Location Situated between 2º and 7º to the North of the Equator line, Peninsular Malaysia is separated from Sabah and Sarawak by the South China Sea. In the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia lies Thailand, and in the south, neighbouring Singapore. Sabah and Sarawak are bounded by Indonesia while Sarawak also shares borders with Brunei.



Area 329,758 square km



Population 27.56 million



Capital City Kuala Lumpur



People Malays comprise 57% of the population, while the Chinese, Indian and Bumiputeras and other races make up the rest of the country's population.



Language (Bahasa Melayu)Malay is the national language in use, but English is widely spoken. The ethnic groups also converse in the various languages and dialects.



Religion Islam is the official religion of the country, but other religions are widely practised.



Government Malaysia follows the bicameral legislative system, adopting a democratic parliamentary. The head of the country is the King or the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong, a position which is changed every five years among the Malay Sultanates. The head of government is the Prime Minister.



Weather The country experiences tropical weather year-round. Temperatures are from 21ºC (70ºF) to 32ºC (90ºF). Higher elevations are much colder with temperatures between 15°C (59° F) to 25°C (77°F). Annual rainfall varies from 2,000mm to 2,500mm.



Main Holidays New Year, Hari Raya Aidiladha, Federal Territory Day *, Chinese New Year , Awal Muharam, Maulidur Rasul, Labour Day, Wesak, King's Birthday, National Day Deepavali# Hari Raya Aidilfitri* Christmas* Note: () - National Holidays (*) - Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur & Labuan only (#) - except Labuan & Sarawak



Economic Profile Manufacturing constitutes the largest single component of Malaysia's economy. Tourism and primary commodities such as petroleum, palm oil, natural rubber and timber are major contributors to the economy.



Distance to Malaysia London, United Kingdom to Kuala Lumpur : 6,557 miles (10,552 km) Paris, France to Kuala Lumpur 6,483 miles (10,432 km) Rome, Italy to Kuala Lumpur : 6,038 miles (9,716 km) Stockholm, Sweden to Kuala Lumpur : 5,812 miles (9,353 km) Berlin, Germany to Kuala Lumpur : 5,979 miles (9,622 km) Madrid, Spain to Kuala Lumpur : 6,885 miles (11,079 km) New York, USA to Kuala Lumpur : 9,400 miles (15,126 km) Los Angeles, USA to Kuala Lumpur : 8,790 miles (14,144 km) Vancouver, Canada to Kuala Lumpur : 7,944 miles (12,783 km)



Currency The monetary unit of the country is Ringgit Malaysia and is written as RM. The exchange rate is valued at USD1 = RM3.15. Foreign currencies can be exchanged at banks and money changers.



Banking Hours Most states: Monday- Friday: 9.30 am to 4.30 pm. Saturday & Sunday: Closed (Some banks and its branches are opened Saturdays). Kelantan & Terengganu: Sunday - Wednesday :9.30 am to 4.30 pm. Thursday :9.30 am to 4.00 pm. Friday/Saturday*/Public holiday: Closed



Post Office Opening hours from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm daily, except for the first Saturdays of the month, Sundays, and public holidays when it is closed. In Kelantan and Terengganu the post office operates at the same time, but is closed on Fridays and public holidays.



Time Eight hours ahead of GMT and 16 hours ahead of U.S Standard Time.



Electricity Voltage is 220 - 240 Volt AC at 50 cycles per second. Standard 3- pin square plugs and socket.



Measurement and Weight Malaysia follows the metric system for weight and measurement.



Telephone Local calls can be made from public phones using shillings or prepaid cards. International calls can also be made using card phones or at any Telekom office.



Accommodation Malaysia has a wide range of accommodation at competitive rates. International standard hotels, medium and budget hotels, youth hostels are just some of the types of accommodation available.

Our upcoming Advertisment in Daily Jang on 16 January 2011

2011-01-14T06:37:00.000-08:00

Our Advertisment in Jang 02 Jan 2011 on 10th Page

2011-01-02T00:25:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR - 2011 to all our Respectable Clients in Pakistan and Abroad

2010-12-31T01:08:00.000-08:00

Canada Visitor Visa

2010-12-17T07:44:00.000-08:00

Do you want to VISIT Canada for Vacation or seeing Family / Friends?

If YES, please read the below important information about eligibility and take an appointment time to visit our office with supporting documents.

Visiting Canada: Who is eligible

To visit Canada, you must:

have a valid travel document, such as a passport;

be in good health;

satisfy an immigration officer that you have strong ties, such as a job, business, home and family, that will take you back to your country of origin;

satisfy an immigration officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your visit; and

have enough money for your stay. The amount of money you will need can vary with the circumstances of the visit, how long you will stay and whether you will stay in a hotel or with friends or relatives.

a letter of invitation from someone who lives in Canada.
How your application is processed
After you send your application, it will be reviewed at the visa office to ensure it has been completed correctly and that it contains all the required documents. A visa officer will decide if an interview with you is necessary. If an interview is required, you will be notified of the time and place.

If your application is refused, your passport and other documents will be returned to you. You will also receive an explanation why your application was refused. If you sent fraudulent documents, they will not be returned.

If your application is approved, your passport and documents will be returned to you with your visa.

Types of Temporary Resident Visas

A visa may be for single entry or multiple entries purpose.

A Single entry visa allows you to enter Canada only once.

A Multiple entry visa allows you to enter Canada from any country as often as you wish during the validity of the visa.

How to proceed

Please call us on (021) 34233623 or 34233626 or Cell 0313-8998756 between 11am to 6pm for taking an appointment time. You can also email us on info@alhamza.pk and CC to aabid.ismail@gmail.com for confirmation of the appointment.

Coming to Hong Kong - The Facts

2010-12-12T07:15:00.000-08:00

Hong Kong, with a population of about 7.00 million in mid- 2009, is a small but dynamic city which has earned an international reputation as a leading commercial and financial centre as well as a highly efficient entrepot. Hong Kong has also seen a rapid expansion of its services sector in the past two decades, contributing up to 92 per cent of Hong Kong’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in recent years.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region: The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) was established on July 1, 1997. Under the principle of “One Country, Two Systems”, Hong Kong’s previous capitalist system and
way of life shall remain unchanged for 50 years and the HKSAR will be run by Hong Kong people. The HKSAR enjoys a high degree of autonomy except for the foreign and defence affairs.

The Basic Law: The Basic Law is a constitutional document for the HKSAR. It enshrines within a legal document the basic policies of the PRC regarding Hong Kong and prescribes the various systems to be practised in the HKSAR. It prescribes the relationship between the
Central Authorities and the HKSAR; the fundamental rights and duties of Hong Kong residents; the political structure of the HKSAR; the economic and social systems of the HKSAR; the conduct of external affairs by the HKSAR as well as the interpretation and amendment of the Basic Law.

The Government: The Chief Executive (CE) is the head of the HKSAR. According to the Basic Law, the CE shall be selected by election or through consultations held in Hong Kong, and be appointed by the Central People’s Government. At present, the Election Committee which is
responsible for selecting the CE is composed of 800 members. Most members of the Election Committee are returned by election.

The courts of justice in the HKSAR comprise the Court of Final Appeal, the High Court (which includes the Court of Appeal and the Court of First Instance), the District Court (which includes the Family Court), the Lands Tribunal, the Magistrates’ Courts (which include the Juvenile Courts), the Labour Tribunal, the Small Claims Tribunal, the Obscene Articles Tribunal and the Coroner’s Court.

Public Finance: As at end-March 2010, the Government’s fiscal reserves stood at $520.3 billion. Estimated government revenue for 2010-11 amounts to $292.0 billion.

About 42 per cent of the revenue comes from direct taxes and 25 per cent from indirect taxes. Other sources of revenue include land premium, investment income and fees and charges.

Estimated public expenditure for 2010-11 amounts to $337.8 billion, representing about 19.8% of GDP. This includes government expenditure of $317.2 billion and expenditure by the Housing Authority and the Trading Funds of $20.6 billion. The major areas of public expenditure in the year are: education (18.9%), social welfare (12.9%) and health (12.0%).

Economy: The success of Hong Kong as a leading trade, finance and business centre stems from a policy of free enterprise and trade, industrious workforce, well-developed infrastructure and excellent telecommunications. Over the past 20 years, the Hong Kong’s GDP has grown by an average annual rate of 3.8 per cent per annum in real terms. In 2009, GDP at current
market prices amounted to $1,633.5 billion, while per capita GDP has reached $233,239.
Trade: The value of total trade (including merchandise imports, domestic exports and re-exports) in 2009 was $5,161.4 billion, 11.8 per cent lower than that of 2008. The principal market for Hong Kong’s total exports was the mainland of China which took 51.2 per cent of Hong Kong’s total export value in 2009, followed by the United States of America (11.6%), Japan (4.4%), Germany (3.2%) and the United Kingdom (2.4%). The main suppliers of imports were the mainland of China (46.4%), Japan (8.8%), Taiwan (6.5%), Singapore (6.5%) and the
United States of America (5.3%).

Housing: One of the key objectives of the Government’s housing policy is to help families and persons in need gain access to adequate and affordable housing. The Government provides housing assistance to eligible families and persons through the public rental housing
programme. Our target is to maintain the average waiting time for public rental housing at around three years. The Government also strives to maintain a fair and stable operating environment to facilitate the sustained and healthy development of the private housing market.

As at March 31, 2010, over half of Hong Kong's families lived in self-owned accommodation. About 30 per cent of the population (2.06 million people) lived in public rental housing.

Health: Hong Kong is, on the whole, a healthy place. The general health indices compare favourably with those in Western countries. The hospitals are among the finest and
best equipped in the world. Comprehensive medical facilities and specialist services are available throughout Hong Kong. There is no National Health Service and medical advice and treatment have to be paid for.

However, government medical services are available to all residents at a nominal charge.
As at end-December 2009, the total number of hospital beds were 35 062, distributed in 38 public and 13 private hospitals as well as 37 nursing homes and 23 Correctional Services Department hospitals. The bedpopulation ratio was 5.0 beds per thousand population. At
the same time, there were 12 424 registered doctors, 6 048 registered Chinese medicine practitioners and 2 786 listed Chinese medicine practitioners in Hong Kong, equivalent to 1.8 registered doctors, 0.9 registered Chinese medicine practitioners and 0.4 listed Chinese
medicine practitioners per thousand population respectively.

Education: In 2009-10 school year, there were 950 kindergartens, 582 primary schools and 523 secondary schools. Enrolment in kindergarten was 140 502, with another 344 748 and 469 466 in primary and secondary schools respectively. The enrolment of the University
Grants Committee (UGC) funded programmes offered by the eight UGC-funded institutions in 2009-10 was 74 146 students.

The Government has introduced a New Academic Structure (NAS) that covers three yeas of junior secondary education, three in senior secondary and four at university. The 3-year senior secondary education under the NAS was implemented in S4 in September 2009 and the 4-year university courses will be implemented in September 2012.

Social Welfare: The Social Welfare Department and nongovernmental organisations (including 171 subvented welfare organisations) provide a full range of welfare services through about 2 800 service units. Services include social security, family and child welfare, medical
social work, group and community work, services for young people, services for the elderly, rehabilitation services for the disabled, and services for offenders. The department operates a 24-hour hotline providing information on social welfare services. Social workers are also available round the clock to provide immediate telephone counselling, support and referral services.

Transportation: Sea: In 2009, 33 160 ocean-going ships and 172 350 river-trade cargo vessels arrived at the port of Hong Kong – one of the busiest container ports in the
world. During the year, about 10.3 million passengers came from the Mainland and Macau on board jetfoils and catamarans to disembark at the China Ferry Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui, the Macau Ferry Terminal in Central or the Tuen Mun Ferry Terminal in Tuen Mun. About 11.6 million
passengers made outbound ferry trips from the three terminals.

Road: In 2009, there are 2 050 kilometres of roads with a total number of 584 070 licensed vehicles and government vehicles, a density of 285 vehicles per kilometre. Three cross-harbour tunnels link Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. As at December 2009, some 5 786 franchised buses and more than 3.81 million daily passenger journeys were recorded during the year. There were large fleets of minibuses and taxis, and 164 tram cars.

Railways: The railway system in Hong Kong is operated and managed by the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) Corporation Limited. It consists of Kwun Tong Line (Tiu Keng Leng – Yau Ma Tei), Tsuen Wan Line (Tsuen Wan –Central), Island Line (Chai Wan – Sheung Wan), Tung
Chung Line (Hong Kong – Tung Chung), Tseung Kwan O Line (Po Lam/LOHAS Park – North Point), East Rail Line (Hung Hom – Lo Wu/Lok Ma Chau), West Rail Line (Tuen Mun – Hung Hom), Ma On Shan Line (Wu Kai Sha – TaiWai) and Disneyland Resort Line (Sunny Bay –
Disneyland Resort). There are over 80 stations along the 174.7 kilometre route. The MTR also operates a 35.2 km Airport Express Line. The above lines carry an average of about 3.7 million passengers per weekday.

The MTR operates the Light Rail Transit system with feeder bus routes in the northwest New Territories, embracing the new towns of Tuen Mun, Yuen Long and Tin Shui Wai. About 393 000 passengers travel daily on the Light Rail system.

Air: Hong Kong International Airport is among the busiest in the world. There are more than 96 airlines providing about 5 700 scheduled passenger and freight flights each week. In 2009, it handled over 46.2 million international passengers and 3.35 million tonnes of air cargo.

Telecommunications: As at March 2010, the fully digitalised telephone systems serve nearly 4.2 million telephone exchange lines. The mobile telephone systems serve over 12.48 million subscribers (as of January 2010), a penetration rate of about 178 subscribers per 100 inhabitants, which is one of the highest in the world. With 4.16 million subscribers, the third generation (3G) mobile service continues to grow, enabling consumers to enjoy high-speed mobile multi-media services. Other than basic voice services, data services are becoming popular among consumers. As at January 2010, local mobile data usage recorded a remarkable surge to 731 Terabytes (i.e. 730 749 Gigabytes), or an average of 138.5 Mbytes per 2.5G/3G mobile user. This represents 5.0 times and 19.9 times the mobile data usage over the same period in 2009 and 2008 respectively.

The local broadband Internet service market has also been growing rapidly in recent years by having more than 2.07 million of subscribers as at February 2010. The household broadband penetration rate has reached almost 82%. With nearly 1.2 million subscribers as at December 2009, Hong Kong has also become the most advanced IP television service market in
the world. Hong Kong has also developed into a leading wireless city with 9 060 hotspots (as of May 2010) covering over 4 800 locations which enable the public to access the Internet via Wi-Fi.

Banks: Hong Kong is an international banking centre. As at the end of May 2010, there were 146 licensed banks, 24 restricted licence banks and 27 deposit-taking companies in Hong Kong, together with 70 local representative offices of overseas banking institutions. These institutions come from 33 countries and include 70 out of the world’s largest 100 banks.

Together they operated a comprehensive network of 1 388 local branches, excluding their principal place of business in Hong Kong.

Exchange Rate: Since October 1983, Hong Kong has been adopting the linked exchange rate system under which the Hong Kong dollar is linked to the US dollar at the fixed rate of HK$7.80 to US$1.

Taxation: Under the territorial source concept of taxation, only income arising in or derived from Hong Kong is chargeable to tax. Profits from any trade, business or profession carried on in Hong Kong are chargeable to profits tax. For the year of assessment 2009-10, the profits
tax rate for corporations is 16.5 per cent and that for other businesses is 15 per cent. Income from employment is charged with salaries tax which is calculated at progressive rates after deducting various deductions and allowances.

Salaries tax is however limited to the standard rate of 15 per cent on the net income before deduction of allowances. Property tax is charged on the owner of any properties in Hong Kong at the standard rate of 15 per cent on the annual rent receivable less a deduction of 20
per cent for repairs and outgoings.

Mass Media: Hong Kong has one of the highest newspaper readerships in Asia. It is also one of the world’s largest centres for Chinese-language publications. There were a total of 697 publications registered as at May 2010, 47 of which were newspapers including 22 Chineselanguage dailies and 13 English dailies. There were 650 periodicals covering a wide variety of subjects from public affairs/politics to technical matters and entertainment.

Hong Kong’s television viewers can access to over 370 domestic and non-domestic television programme service channels broadcast by local licensees. These include 15 free-to-air channels provided by two domestic free television programme service licensees, about 320
pay TV channels provided by three domestic pay television programme service licensees, and about 50 non-domestic television programme service channels.

The three radio stations in Hong Kong have 13 channels in Chinese and English and broadcast more than 2 000 hours of programmes a week.

Courtesy: Information Service Department, Hong Kong

Australian Immigration through ACT State Nomination

2010-11-21T03:39:00.000-08:00

Make Australian Capital Territory (ACT) your Home !

Here is a state that has an unemployment rate of hardly 3% which is the lowest in Australia. It has a lifestyle of big cities at affordable living costs. The state offers the highest average income among all Australian states. Thus, you earn more, spend less and save more. Being the national capital, excellent quality of life can be taken for granted.

Canberra has world class educational facilities, dependable Medicare, clear and healthy environment, small commuting distances and safety. It is a world class events city with great lifestyle amenities.

If you’re considering a move to Canberra (ACT) from overseas, MR. ABID ISMAIL can help you with advice on Immigration and settlement.

One can migrate to Australia among other options – General Migrant and State Nomination routes. ACT has come out with State Nomination List which can be considered as liberal and welcoming to most occupations. However, just like all good things in life, the number of immigrants to be welcomed is very small in number. The visas issued are on first come first serve basis. So send your resume to info@alhamza.pk or aabid.ismail@gmail.com right away!

The below mentioned occupations are among those where in the professionals are offered a unique opportunity under ACT. At the same time, these occupations might not qualify for immigration to other destinations.

- Almost all Engineering streams – Civil Engineer, Geotechnical Engineer, Structural Engineer, Transport Engineer, Electrical Engineer, Electronic Engineer, Industrial Engineer, Production Engineer, Mechanical Engineer, Aeronautical Engineer, Agricultural Engineer, Biomedical Engineer, Environmental Engineer, Telecommunications Engineers, Telecommunications Network Engineer, Aircraft Maintenance Engineers
- Almost all Information Technology professionals including ICT Business Analyst, Systems Analyst, Analyst Programmer, Developer Programmer, Software Engineer, Software and Applications Programmers, Database Administrator, ICT Security Specialist, Systems Administrator, Computer Network and Systems Engineer, Network Analyst.

- Marketing and Advertising Professionals including Advertising Specialist, Market Research Analyst, Marketing Specialist, Public Relations Professionals
- Business and Organisational Analysts including Management Consultant, Organization and Methods Analyst, Information and Organisational professionals
- Financial Institution Branch Manager such as Bank Branch Manager and Insurance Company Branch Head
-Human Resource Professionals such as Human Resource Adviser, Recruitment Consultant, Workplace Relations Adviser, Training and Development Professionals
-Librarian
-Designers and Illustrators such as Fashion Designer, Industrial Designer, Graphic Designer and Illustrator
-Interior Designer
-Office Manager
-Make-up Artist
-Technical Sales Representatives such as professionals involved in Sales and Marketing of computer products.

Above is just an indicative list.

It has to be noted that ACT has a limited state quota for skilled migrants. So apply and be the first one in the queue.

Please contact us now www.alhamza.pk

IELTS Preparation Classes - Specially for Immigration & Study Abroad Purpose

2010-11-12T05:10:00.001-08:00

New Australian visa points test to be introduced on 1 July, 2011

2010-11-11T23:14:00.000-08:00

AUSTRALIAN IMMIGRATION - NEW POINTS TEST

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) has released preliminary information of the new points test which is currently scheduled to be implemented on 1 July, 2011.

The points test is a critical part of the Australian General Skilled Migration (GSM) process, as in order to lodge an Australian visa application, applicants must be able to demonstrate that they both meet the basic requirements and are able to pass the points test at the time of lodging their visa.

IELTS:

It is proposed that applicants must have IELTS with 7.0 or 8.0 bands. No points will be awarded for IELTS bands less than 7.0.

Occupation Points:

It is also proposed to remove Occupation points under the new Points Test.

It's important to understand that there is still some degree of uncertainty attached to this announcement, as DIAC have yet to commit to certain aspects of the points test. For example, they say that "it is expected that the pass mark will be set at 65 points" but have not committed to this as the pass mark.

Additionally, they say that applicants with a Bachelor's degree will be awarded a specific number of points, but it isn't yet clear whether individuals with equivalent professional membership qualifications will also be awarded these points (as they are currently deemed comparable to a Bachelor's according to the country education profiles) or if it will be very strict that only applicants with a Bachelor's degree will be eligible to receive these points.

What should visa applicants do now?

Without knowing a visa applicant's specific details, it's very difficult to provide any guidance as what the best steps to take will be. For the timebeing though, I am advising that visa applicants continue to work on their application as normal, taking into consideration that all applications lodged before 1 July, 2011 will be accepted under the current points test.

In other words, one must get his case prepared and filed immediately under the current points test system as tougher criteria will be enforced on 1 July 2011.

Please send me your updated CV on info@alhamza.pk and CC to aabid.ismail@gmail.com for evaluation and further processing.

Australian Visa Update: Australian Capital Territory (ACT) reveals State Migration Plan

2010-11-08T23:31:00.000-08:00

Today, the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) became the second Australian state to reveal their approved State Migration Plan. The ACT has now confirmed a new list of occupations the ACT government is offering to sponsor.

What are State Migration Plans?

State Migration Plans (or SMPs) are set to play a critical part in the future of the Australian General Skilled Migration (GSM) program, as they have been developed by State/Territory governments to essentially determine which applicants will be eligible for state sponsored visas on the basis of their occupation.

What will the benefits be to being sponsored under a State Migration Plan?

One of the main benefits of being sponsored under a State Migration Plan is how it will affect Australian visa processing timeframes. Applicants who appear on the ACT's new list of occupations will be moved to Priority Group 2, according to the current processing directive. This means that these applicants should see their applications finalised within 12 months.

When can applications for sponsorship under the ACT's State Migration Plan be made?

Applications for sponsorship with the ACT will be accepted immediately.

Eligible Occupations:

Managers:

Sales & Marketing Manager
Human Resource Manager
Finance Manager
Production Manager (Manufacturing)
Supply & Distribution Manager

Information Technology:

IT Manager
ICT Business Analyst
Systems Analyst
Analyst Programmer
Developer Programmer
Software Engineer
Software and Applications Programmers nec
Database Administrator
ICT Security Specialist
Systems Administrator
Computer Network and Systems Engineer
Network Analyst

Engineers

Electronics Engineer
Electrical Engineer
Mechanical Engineer
Civil Engineer

Please send us your updated CV on info@alhamza.pk or aabid.ismail@gmail.com for evaluation and further processing.

Australian Visa Update: Victoria announces Skill Occupations List for State Migration

2010-11-08T03:17:00.000-08:00

Today, Victoria became the first Australian state to reveal their approved State Migration Plan. The Victorian state government has announced the Skilled Occupation List which the Victorian government is offering to sponsor along with associated eligibility requirements.

What are State Migration Plans?

However, as each SMP has been needed to be approved by the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship before it can be implemented, there has been a considerable wait for them to come into action, and as of 1 November, 2010, Victoria's is the only one to have been announced as approved.

How many sponsorship places will be available under Victoria's State Migration Plan?

Details of Victoria’s cap of allocated sponsorship places have been made public, with the state allocated a total of 4,500 sponsored visa grants by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC). The state government has also indicated that within this cap is a quota limiting the number of sponsorship grants to be given to each occupation on their occupation list. However, there are already certain occupations for which the planning level has been already reached for the 2010/11 program year.

What will the benefits be to being sponsored under a State Migration Plan?

One of the main benefits of being sponsored under a State Migration Plan is how it will affect Australian visa processing timeframes. Applicants who appear on Victoria's new list of occupations will be moved to Priority Group 2, according to the current processing directive. This means that these applicants should see their applications finalised within 12 months.

When can applications for sponsorship under Victoria's State Migration Plan be made?

Applications for sponsorship will be accepted from 3 November, which could be taken as an indication that other SMPs may be revealed on or before that date.

Eligible Occupations:

Financial Services Professionals:
- Human Rescourse Managers
- Accountants (General)
- External Auditors
- Chemists

Information Technology Professionals:

- ICT Business Analysts
- Systems Analysts
- Software Engineers
- Developer Programmers
- Analyst Programmers
- Software Testers
( Minimum of 2 years experience. prefered specialization in one of these fields: CISSP, Oracle, SAP, C++/C#/C, Java, J2EE, SIEBEL, Network Security / Firewall Security)

Engineers:
- Engineering Managers
- Civil Engineers
- Electrical Engineers
- Mechanical Engineers
- Building Associates

Educational Professionals:
- Primary Teachers
- Secondary Teachers
- Vocational Teachers

Please send us your updated CV on info@alhamza.pk or aabid.ismail@gmail.com for evaluation and further processing.

Hong Kong Immigration for Skilled Workers

2010-11-02T23:11:00.000-07:00

Another Great Option for Pakistani Skilled Workers to get Permanent Residence of one of the best Asian Country - Hong Kong !

Introduction of the Immigration Scheme:

The Scheme is an entrant scheme. It is quota-based and seeks to attract highly skilled or talented persons who are fresh entrants not having the right to enter and remain in Hong Kong to settle in Hong Kong in order to enhance Hong Kong's economic competitiveness in the global market. Successful applicants are not required to secure an offer of local employment before their entry to Hong Kong for settlement. All applicants are required to fulfill a set of prerequisites before they can be awarded points, minimum 80 points are required out of 165 points.

Successful applicants under the Scheme may bring their spouse and unmarried dependent children under the age of 18 to Hong Kong provided that they are capable of supporting and accommodating their dependants on their own financial resources without relying on public assistance in Hong Kong.

Prerequisites:

All applicants must satisfy all of the following prerequisites:

- Age

The applicant must be aged 18 or above when lodging an application under the Scheme.

- Financial requirement

The applicant must be able to demonstrate that he/she is capable of supporting and accommodating himself/herself and his/her dependants, if any, on his/her own financial resources without relying on public assistance during his/her stay in Hong Kong.

- Good character

The applicant should not have any criminal record or adverse immigration record in Hong Kong or elsewhere.

- Language proficiency

The applicant should be proficient in written and spoken English.

- Basic educational qualification

The applicant must have a good education background, normally a first degree from a recognized university or a tertiary educational institution. In special circumstances, good technical qualifications, proven professional abilities and/or experience and achievements supported by documentary evidence may be considered.

If the applicant fails to provide satisfactory supporting documents showing that he/she meets all the above prerequisites, his/her application will not be processed further and will be refused immediately.

- Working Experience

Atleast 2 years graduate level / specialist level work experience.

Documentary Video:

| Watch a Short Documentary Video on Hong Kong |

Click Here for Pictures (Hong Kong)

ELIGIBLE OCCUPATIONS:

- Business Support & Human Resources

HR Managers
Recruitment Consultants
Company Secretaries
Business Development Managers
Advertising Professionals
Administrative Support Professionals

- IT / Telecommunication

IT Managers / IT Project Managers
Software Engineers
Software Developers
Software Testers
Network Engineers
Database Administrators
IT Consultants
IT Security Specialists
Telecommunication Engineers
Telecommunication Network Engineers / Technicians

- Commerce & Trade

Professionals working in Import / Export field

- Financial & Accounting

Accountants
Auditors
Finance Managers
Financial Controllers
Bankers
Investment Analysts
Professionals in Insurance sector

Please send us your updated CV on info@alhamza.pk or aabid.ismail@gmail.com for evaluation and further processing. You can also fill in our ONLINE ASSESSMENT FORM on www.alhamza.pk

Hong Kong Pictures

2010-11-02T23:09:00.000-07:00

Apply now or you will be no longer qualify for UK Immigration - Tier 1 (previously known as HSMP)

2010-10-20T21:31:00.000-07:00

21 October 2010: It seems likely that there will be changes some time soon on the salary multipliers used to calculate previous earnings points under Tier 1 (General) visa category. This will affect visa applicants many of whom will no longer qualify for the Tier 1 (General) visa.

UK immigration changes result in tougher requirements for the Tier 1 visa category and other categories as well. If you wish to apply for a UK visa, if you can, it is better to apply now.

You can either send us your CV on aabid.ismail@gmail.com or fill in our Online Assessment Form

"We have been serving since 1998 and proudly claim maximum successful and satisfied clients in Pakistan and Middle East Countries"

Why Move to South Australia State in Australia?

2010-10-20T00:49:00.000-07:00

Why move to South Australia State in Australia?

South Australia offers a brilliant blend of work and lifestyle opportunities.
Our capital city, Adelaide, is one of the most liveable cities in the world, and our regions offer a range of job opportunities in some of the world’s cleanest and most beautiful natural environments.
There's never been a better time to make the move to South Australia.

South Australia offers space, fresh air and sunshine – and time in which to enjoy them with family and friends.
the South Australian economy has emerged from the global financial crisis in better shape than most other developed economies
South Australia’s population is growing, largely due to migrants who choose to live here
South Australians appreciate the contribution migrants make to their welcoming, culturally diverse and prosperous community
Adelaide is ranked eighth among world cities in the Economist Intelligence Unit's 2010 Liveability Survey
South Australia has a world-class education system for students from pre-school to post-graduate level. Carnegie Mellon and Cranfield universities and University College of London have chosen Adelaide as the base for their Asia Pacific campuses.
Adelaide housing is more affordable than that found in any other mainland capital
South Australia has activities to satisfy every interest – more than 400 festivals each year, a wide range of international and national sporting events, and more restaurants and cafes per capita than any other city in Australia.

Canadian Immigration Minister Kenney issues statement recognizing Eid al-Fitr

2010-09-11T01:27:00.000-07:00

Ottawa, September 10, 2010 — The Honourable Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, issued the following statement recognizing Eid al-Fitr:

“For Muslims in Canada and around the world, today is a significant day marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

“Known as the Festival of the Breaking of the Fast, Eid al-Fitr is a time marked by special congregational prayers, charity and gift-giving. It is also time of great joy and celebration during which Muslims visit family and friends and gather for festive meals.

“For all Canadians, this important Islamic holiday provides an excellent opportunity to reflect on the tremendous contributions that the Muslim community has made to this country’s rich and diverse heritage.

“As Eid al-Fitr is also a time of compassion, I would like to take a moment to remember the victims of the flood-affected populations in Pakistan. The Government of Canada has committed up to $33 million to help with priority needs such as food, water, sanitation, emergency medical care and shelter.

“We have also announced the Pakistan Floods Relief Fund, whereby all eligible contributions will be matched, dollar for dollar, effectively doubling the power of donations to support humanitarian assistance, early recovery, and reconstruction in Pakistan. We encourage all Canadians to donate to this worthy cause.

“As Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, I extend my best wishes for a happy and healthy Eid al-Fitr to all Muslims.

“Eid Mubarak.”

Western Australia Facts

2010-09-05T12:47:00.000-07:00

Western Australia facts

The state of Western Australia, is Australia’s face on the Indian Ocean. Its capital Perth is closer to Singapore and Jakarta than it is to Canberra. The majority of people live in and around Perth.

Western Australia is the largest Australian State. With an area of more than 2 500 000 sq km, a 12 500 km coastline and spanning 2 400km from north to south, it occupies a third of the continent.

Only the narrow Timor Sea separates its northern coastline from equatorial islands of the Indonesian Archipelago and to the south is the Southern Ocean and Antarctica.
Climate

From its tropical north, to temperate areas in its south-west corner, Western Australia experiences a variety of climatic conditions.

With distance from the coast, rainfall decreases and temperature variations are more pronounced.

Perth averages eight hours sunshine per day and 118 clear days per year. Mean monthly maximum temperatures range from 17ºC in July to 30ºC in February. Even in the coldest months, minimum temperatures rarely fall below 5ºC. Most of its 802mm annual rainfall occurs in the winter months.
Primary industries

Agriculture is Western Australia’s second major export industry. The State’s vast area provides soils and climates suited to a variety of agricultural production from open range grazing and broad acre cereal cropping to irrigated pastures and horticulture, orchards and vineyards.

Wheat, wool, beef and lamb are its main products. Tropical and temperate horticultural products and stockfeed are also important.

Farmers and investors are identifying new specialised markets in Asia and taking advantage of seasonal differences with the northern hemisphere.

A diverse and efficient agriculture sector provides the raw material for a rapidly growing range of processed exports. These include wine, ice cream, barley malt, noodles and fine leather.

Western Australia’s fisheries are major world suppliers of lobsters, prawns and pearls. A steadily growing aquaculture industry is successfully providing high value products to specialist markets.

A well-managed forestry industry produces hardwood and softwood timbers and woodchips from natural forests and plantations. Sufficient sustainable resources have been identified to support a paper pulp mill.
Mineral and energy resources

Extensive natural gas reserves ensure Western Australia will be an important source of energy well into the next century. The State supplies liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Japan, and is developing markets in Taiwan and Korea.

With more than 270 operating mines, Western Australia is a leading supplier of many commodities including alumina, diamonds, iron ore and mineral sands, - monazite; ilmenite; rutile/synruite and zircon.

The State also produces 70 per cent of Australia’s gold and significant exports of salt, nickel, tantalum and numerous other metals.

New projects established in recent years include a silicon smelter, titanium dioxide plants and a fused alumina plant. The State is poised to supply an important share of the world market for new materials such as rare earth chemicals, fused alumina, zirconium compounds and specialty alloys.
Manufacturing

Processed mineral and agricultural products are the State’s major manufacturing exports. Local firms have also achieved success with more elaborately transformed products. Recent major investments have established facilities producing chemicals, mining and electronic equipment and pharmaceuticals.

Western Australia’s shipbuilding industry has built more than 60 per cent of the nation’s civil craft. It has also supplied 10 per cent of the world’s lightweight passenger ferries. Local firms have adopted new designs, materials and technology to capture an important share of a growing market.

Research and development activities by local and international companies have produced internationally competitive innovations in engine technology, building products, reagents for bio-technology and electronics.
Transport

Sealed highways link regional centres to Perth and two national highways, one in the north and one in the south, provide for interstate traffic.

A major east-west rail line carries freight and passengers between Western Australia and other Australian States. An extensive public rail network services agriculture and industry in the State’s south-west. In the north-west, private rail lines carry ore from inland mines to coastal ports.

Perth’s international airport handles flights servicing Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. Numerous daily air services carry passengers and freight between Perth, the State’s regional centres and other state capitals, especially Sydney and Melbourne.

International shipping can be accessed at Fremantle, the State’s main port and eight regional ports linked to major agricultural and mineral producing areas.
Education

Five universities, a state-wide technical and further education system, private vocational colleges and dual public and private school systems cater for more than 500 000 students each year. There are 9 500 students from overseas.

In addition to formal courses, post-secondary and tertiary institutions provide management and workforce training tailored to meet the needs of individual employers or industry organisations. Universities regularly participate in collaborative research activities with private sector and government bodies, sharing staff, equipment and information.
Tourism

A range of experiences, from wilderness adventures in the arid outback or diving on coral reefs, to fine dining in world-class restaurants or a night at a casino, attract a wide variety of visitors to Western Australia. Many of these visitors come from Asia, the balance from Australia.

The numbers of international and interstate visitors, as tourists, students, conference delegates or business people, are projected to increase significantly over the next 5-10 years. A sound domestic tourism market underpins this growth.

As much of this growth reflects the State’s strengthening links with Asia, there is considerable room for specialised new services and facilities such as resorts, golf courses, hotels and conference facilities. The State encourages investment in the tourism sector.

Moving to Australia - When you arrive

2010-09-01T11:26:00.000-07:00

The day you come to Australia can be very full and a load to cope with because so much is new and different. You have just had a long journey along and with many other people; you must now complete some important tasks. Here is some information that will help you with these tasks.

On arrival

The first step to enter Australia is at the immigration desk. You will need your passport with visa and Incoming Passenger Card. The official there records your arrival and returns your papers to you. You then collect your baggage, which Australian Customs and Border Protection Service officers may check. They look for prohibited goods or items that have not been declared.

This is the end of official checks and you are now in the arrivals hall. This is where your family, friends or sponsor can greet you. This is where you can also change money, get transport and arrange short-term accommodation. There may be an arrivals information desk to provide answers to your questions.

You will need local cash soon so this is a good time to change money. Common usage is $20, $10 and $5 notes and $2 and $1 coins. The exchange rate varies often and you will pay a commission.

Travel from arrival point

If you are travelling on to another destination on the same day, you may want to transfer to a domestic air terminal or to a train/coach terminal. Airline staff members can assist you with transfer to a domestic terminal but you will need to get to the train/coach terminus by public transport.

You may wish to hire a car. You will need a driver's licence and there may be other restrictions. Talk to the staff at car rental booths for more help. The location of public transport such as taxi, bus and maybe train, will be signposted and a worker may be on duty to help with directions.

Accommodation

If you have not already booked somewhere to stay, you can do so at the airport. The cost and quality can vary greatly. Some accommodation places will provide a transfer for you. Seek help from staff at the arrivals information desk.

- If you are also interested to get your case filed through most reliable and affordable services, please contact Mr. Abid Ismail who has more than 12 years of in-hand experience of handling Immigration cases.

Perth [ The Fastest Growing City in Australia ]

2010-08-10T21:55:00.000-07:00

New data by the Australian Bureau of Statistics show Perth’s metropolitan area’s population grew by 3.2 per cent in the year 2008-09, making it the fastest growing metropolis in Australia.

Combined with this, the City of Perth -which includes the CBD, East and West Perth and Northbridge – was the fastest growing local authority area in Australia.

The report Regional Population Growth, Australia 2008-09 showed that 12.8 per cent more people called the 12.7 square kilometre municipality home than the year before.

Most of the state’s growth was due to Australia immigration, followed by natural birth increase, then interstate migration.

Perth was closely followed by Darwin’s 3.1 per cent population growth.

In related news. The headline on the front of the local ‘Western Australian’ newspaper this morning was “Perth Average House Price Hits $500,000″

This and the strong Aussie Dollar probably won’t make good reading to those looking to call Perth their new home. It’s not as cheap as it used to be in the ‘good old days’ thats for sure!

Eligible Occupations for State Nomination (Australian Immigration under subclass 176)

2010-07-23T08:40:00.000-07:00

Below are the most common occupations which are eligible for State Nomination (Australian Immigration under subclass 176)

The complete list of Occupations can be read from the Australian Immigration Official website.

Managers:

- Corporate General Manager

- Sales & Marketing Manager

- Human Resource Manager

- Importer or Exporter

- Supply and Distribution Manager

- Financial Institution Branch Manager

- Laboratiory Manager

- Quality Assurance Manager

- Recruitment Consultant

- Management Consultant

- Advertising Specialist

- Marketing Specialist

- Company Secretary

Accounts / Finance / Audit:

- Finance Manager

- Accountant

- Management Accountant

- Corporate Treasurer

- External Auditor

- Internal Auditor

IT / Telecommunication:

- ICT Business Analyst

- Systems Administrator

- Computer Network and Systems Engineer

- Network Analyst

- Analyst Programmer

- Developer Programmer

- Database Administrator

- ICT Security Specialist

- Software Tester

- Software Engineer

- Software & Applications Programmers

- Chief Information Officer / IT Manager / Project Manager

Education:

- School Principal

- Faculty Head

- Regional Education Manager

- Education Manager

- Pre-primary School Teacher

- Primary School Teacher

- Secondary School Teacher

- University Lecturer

- University Tutor

- Vocational Education Teacher

- Education Adviser

- Art Teacher

- Private Tutors and Teachers

- Teacher of English to Speakers of other Languages

Engineers:

- Engineering Manager

- Chemical Engineer

- Materials Engineer

- Civil Engineer

- Electrical Engineer

- Electronics Engineer

- Industrial Engineer

- Mechanical Engineer

- Production or Plant Engineer

- Petroleum Engineer

- Aeronautical Engineer

- Agricultural Engineer

- Biomedical Engineer

- Engineering Technologist

Sales / Marketing:

- Sales Representative (Information & Communication products)
- Sales Representative (Industrial Products)
- Sales Representative (Medical & Pharmaceutical Products)
- Advertising Specialist
- Market Research Analyst
- Marketing Specialist

Australian Immigration Under General Skill Migrant – Subclass 176

2010-07-22T06:39:00.000-07:00

About this visa
This visa allows you to migrate to Australia if you have good English language skills and have skills and qualifications in an occupation in need in Australia.

This visa uses a points test to select visa applicants with characteristics needed in the Australian labour market.

You must be sponsored by an eligible relative living in Australia or obtain nomination from a participating State or Territory government agency.

What does this visa let me do?
This visa allows you and any secondary applicants included in your visa application to live as permanent residents in Australia.

Australian permanent residents can:

Live and work in Australia on a permanent basis

Study in Australia at school or university

Receive subsidized healthcare through Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)

Access certain social security payments (subject to waiting periods)

Be eligible for Australian citizenship (subject to the residency eligibility criteria)

Sponsor people for permanent residence.

Basic Requirements:

Age - you must be under 45 when you apply.

English language – you should have sufficient ability in the English language to work in Australia.

Qualifications – you must have post-secondary qualifications and your skills must be assessed by the relevant assessing authority as suitable for your nominated occupation.

Nominated occupation - when you apply you nominate a skilled occupation, which fits your skills and qualifications. Your nominated occupation must be found on the Skilled Occupations List.

Recent work experience - the period of work experience required will vary depending on the number of points you may be granted for your nominated occupation.

Australian qualification exemption – you do not need to meet the work experience requirement if you have completed an Australian qualification less than 6 months before lodging your visa application.

Skills assessment – before you apply, you must have your skills assessed by the Australian assessing authority designated to assess your nominated occupation.

Click here to read the Eligible Occupations for State Nomination

Please email your updated CV on aabid.ismail@gmail.com for evaluation

Country Overview : Canada

2010-07-22T03:22:00.000-07:00

Geography

Full country name: Canada
Population: 33.5 million, and nearly 90% live within 200km of the southern border with the United States
Border countries: United States
Climate: temperatures vary widely by location in the country, and can range from a continental climate with harsh winters in the interior provinces to more temperate weather with mild, rainy winters in south-western areas.
Terrain: Canada is the world’s second largest country, and encompasses a variety of terrains including extensive flat prairies, mountainous and coastal areas, and frozen landscapes.

Living in Canada

Cost of living: the cost of living in Canada is cheaper compared to the UK and many other western countries. Education in Canada has estimates of costs for typical items and services that can act as useful guidelines. As in the UK, there are considerable differences between living costs in different regions, and particularly between the large cities and the rural areas.
Utilities: utilities that often have to be paid for on top of the rent bill include hydro, gas, water and phone. The cost of utilities depends on a number of factors, such as which services are included, how many people split the costs and the size of the house.
Internet domain: .ca
Health: Canada’s health care system, commonly known as Medicare, is funded through taxes and provides access to medically necessary hospital and primary care. Canadian citizens and permanent residents are eligible for coverage, though they may be a three month waiting period upon arrival, during which it is recommended to buy private health insurance. Non-residents are advised to apply for travel health insurance if their regular policy does not cover them when abroad, as paying for services at the point of delivery can be prohibitively expensive.
Laws and customs: Canada is a proudly multicultural society, and all newcomers are expected to abide by its laws and respect the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which prohibits discrimination based on ethnic origin, religion, colour, sex, age, and mental and physical disabilities.

Economy and finance

Currency: Canadian dollar = 100 cents
Type of economy: mixed market economy and one of the world’s top 10 trading nations
Health of economy: one of the world’s wealthiest nations and a member of OECD, Canada has enjoyed steady economic growth between 1997 and 2007. However, growth has slowed sharply in 2008 as a result of the global economic downturn and tight global credit conditions are further constraining business and housing investment (CIA, 2009)
Unemployment rate: 8.6% (Statistics Canada, 2009)
Main exports: motor vehicles and parts, industrial machinery, aircraft, telecommunications equipment, electronics, chemicals, plastics, fertilizers, wood pulp, timber, crude petroleum, natural gas, electricity, aluminium

Culture

People: one in five Canadians are foreign born. Ethic origins include: British (28%), French (23%), other European (15%).
Major religion: Roman Catholic (42.6%), Protestant (23.3%) other Christian (4.4%), Muslim (1.9%), other and unspecified (11.8%), no affiliation (16%) (2001 census).
Local etiquette: important Canadian social practices include being on time, queuing according to the principle of 'first-come, first-served', not smoking in private homes, respecting the environment and avoiding littering. Bargaining for a better price is not common but there are some exceptions, such as when buying a house or a car. The price on marked goods in stores does not usually include the federal and provincial sales taxes, which add from 7% to 15% to the cost of an item depending on the province in which it is sold.

Politics

Type of government: Parliamentary democracy and federation, with Queen Elizabeth II - represented by the Governor General - as the head of state
Major political parties: Liberal Party, Conservative Party, New Democratic Party, Bloc Quebecois, Green Party

Australia : Country Overview

2010-07-22T03:11:00.000-07:00

Geography

Full country name: Australia
Population: 21,807,000
Border countries: none
Climate: varies greatly - large areas of desert, tropical and sub-tropical and temperate climes
Terrain: varies greatly - desert, tropical rainforest, coast and bush
Natural hazards: Certain areas of Australia can be dangerous due to extreme weather and natural conditions, caution should be taken when visiting remote areas out of major cities. Hazards include bushfires, cyclones, earthquakes, floods and severe weather. Australia is also home to some deadly plants and animals.

Living in Australia

Cost of living: differs between major cities and regional centres, and relative cost will depend on the exchange rate of the pound/euro to Australian dollar. If you are living in Australian capital cities and earning Australian dollars, you will find rent, entertainment and food to be similar to living in smaller UK and European cities, yet cheaper than London.

Utilities: there are many companies offering water, gas, electricity and telecommunication services to Australian homes. It is worth getting a quote from a few providers to ensure you get the best deal.
Internet domain: .au
Health: healthcare in Australia is of a similar standard to the UK, and is both public (through Medicare) and private (health insurance).
Laws and customs: the legal age for consumption of alcohol is 18, fines and penalties apply for the possession of illicit drugs, smoking is banned in most indoor spaces including restaurants and pubs, theatres, shopping centres and some outdoor public spaces and littering is illegal.

Economy and finance

Currency: Australian Dollar (AUD)
Type of economy: western-style, capitalist economy
Health of economy: Australia has had one of the strongest economies in the world, experiencing two decades of growth until 2008. The global economic crisis of that started in 2008 has had an impact on the economy of Australia, dramatically reversing the economic growth associated with the mining boom period of 2003 - 2008.
Unemployment rate: Prior to the global economic crisis, Australia experienced a sustained period of low unemployment rates. The impact on the resources sector in particular has led to an increase in unemployment to 5.8% in June 2009
Main exports: coal, iron ore and concentrates, education services, gold, personal travel (excluding education) services, crude petroleum, natural gas, aluminium ores (including alumina), professional technical and other business services, aluminium

Culture

People: Australia is a modern, multicultural society with a diverse population from over 190 countries. The majority of Australians are from an Anglo Celtic origin, the 2006 census revealed the most common ancestry as Australian (37.13%) followed by English (31.65%), Irish (9.08%), Scottish (7.56%), Italian (4.29%), German (4.09%), Chinese (3.37%) and Greek (1.84%).
Major religion: Given the multicultural nature of Australia, most world religions are practiced. Christianity is the most common religion in Australia, followed by Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam. There is no state religion, and many Australians identify themselves as having no religion.
Local etiquette: Australia is a friendly and informal society based on social equality, respect and fairness. You will need to sign a Values statement on your visa application, which identifies the key aspects of Australian society and culture

Politics

Type of government: The Commonwealth of Australia is a constitutional democracy with three levels of government - the Australian government (federal), state and territory government and local government (councils).
Major political parties: The Australian Labor Party, the Coalition (the Liberal Party and the National Party)

Excellent Opportunity for Telecom Engineers to get Australian Immigration

2010-07-22T03:01:00.000-07:00

Telecom professionals are now eligible to apply for Australian Immigration under the new Skilled Migration Program 2010. They are also in great demand in the rapidly growing Telecommunication industry in Australia.

Don't miss this chance to apply and settle permanently in Australia for your career growth.

Our service charges are Client-Friendly.

Remember, This opportunity will remain opened for 1 year so better apply now.

The following Occupation Titles are eligible to apply:

- Telecommunications Engineer

- Telecommunications Network Engineer

- Telecommunications Field Engineer

Telecom Job Prospects in Australia: "Excellent"

Major industries: Agriculture, Mining, Tourism and Manufacture.

Recent growth areas: Tourism, Telecommunications, IT, Mining, Services.

Major companies: Commonwealth Bank, National Australia Bank, Westpac Banking Group, ANZ Banking, Telstra, Wesfarmers, Woolworths, QBE Insurance Group, AMP, Macquarie Group, Suncorp-Metway, Qantas Airways, Origin Energy, Woodside Petroleum, Westfield Group.

Major cities: Sydney (largest), Melbourne, Queensland, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra (Capital), Darwin.

Please email your updated CV on aabid.ismail@gmail.com for evaluation and further processing through our success consultancy firm which provides services in amazingly LOW COST.

Also, visit our official website www.alhamza.pk for further information.

Expected Changes in UK Immigration - Tier 1 from 19 July 2010

2010-07-07T10:13:00.000-07:00

Immigration limit for Tier 1 (General) of the points-based system - UK

From April 2011, the UK government will introduce an annual limit on applications for Tier 1 (General) of the points-based system.

An interim limit will be introduced from 19 July 2010 until the long-term limit is introduced in April 2011. Until the interim limit is implemented on 19 July 2010, applications will continue to be assessed as normal.

The Investor, Entrepreneur and Post-study work categories of Tier 1 will not be included in the interim limit. In-country extensions under Tier 1 (General) will also be excluded.

What is the interim limit?

From 19 July 2010, UK Home Office will introduce a limit on the number of applications to Tier 1 (General) that they will consider in any one month. They will also increase the pass mark for Tier 1 (General), from 95 points to 100 points.

Applications will be dealt with on a first-come, first-served basis. If you apply after the limit for one month has been reached, your application will be held and considered under the limit for the following month.

What To Do NOW:

Since we have a little time to prepare the application, I strongly suggest the interested Highly Skilled candidates to apply now so that your applications will be received before 19 of July 2010. We have capability to finalize the applications within 2 working days.

Act Now before this tough requirement takes place

Australian Immigration Authorities introduce ANZSCO on 1 July 2010

2010-06-29T10:26:00.000-07:00

Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) is a system developed to collect, publish and analyse occupation statistics across government agencies, and is being introduced by the department as the new standard to capture occupation information in all visa, settlement and citizenship programs.

ANZSCO will also be used within skilled visa programs, where it is a requirement for visa eligibility, as the standard by which a visa applicant's skills to undertake a specific occupation in Australia are assessed.

Migration Amendment (Visa Capping) Bill 2010

2010-06-10T11:43:00.000-07:00

On 26 May 2010 the Migration Amendment (Visa Capping) Bill 2010 (the 'Bill') was introduced into the Parliament. The legislation seeks to fine tune existing laws to provide the Government with a tool for the targeted management of all aspects of the migration program.

The Migration Act 1958 currently provides the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship with the power to cap and terminate all applications for a certain class or subclass of visa. The new Bill proposes to allow the Minister to cap and terminate applications based on certain objective characteristics, rather than having to cap an entire subclass or class of visas.

Example: The Minister could limit the number of General Skilled Migration visas that may be granted in a financial year to applicants who have nominated particular occupations, to ensure the General Skilled Migration program is able to deliver the broad range of skills the Australian economy will need in the medium to long-term.

The Bill is not currently operative and no actual cap is being considered at present. This Bill seeks only to give the Minister the power to implement a cap in future if necessary.

Note: Under the Bill it is proposed that if a student visa holder lodges an application for a General Skilled Migration visa and their General Skilled Migration visa application is subsequently subject to a decision to cap and terminate, this will not affect any student visa that is still in effect.

Bogus Job Offers Warning by UK Border Agency Officials

2010-06-05T11:15:00.000-07:00

25 May 2010: The UK Border Agency has today issued a warning over bogus job offers targeting foreign nationals seeking work in the UK. Several cases have been reported of bogus offers where the names and titles of real UK Border Agency officials are used to add authenticity to apparent email scams.

Rob Yeldham, director of communications advised:

'My name has been used in several apparent attempts to scam foreign professionals looking for work in the UK. We have referred cases to our security unit, but at this stage it is unclear what the nature of the scam is, or where in the world it is based. The best advice is to be careful of any unsolicited offers.'

What to look out for:

Anything implying endorsement by an official - UK Border Agency staff never act on behalf of employers.
Incorrect agency email addresses, for example, co.uk, or .com endings.

[ Australian Immigration] New List of Skilled Occupations

2010-05-17T01:43:00.000-07:00

New List of Skilled Occupations Intended to Replace the Current Skilled Occupation List:

It is intended that this list of occupations will form the new Skilled Occupation List, proposed to come into effect from 1 July 2010. The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship will be recommending that the Governor-General in Council make amendments to the Migration Regulations 1994 to give effect to the framework in which this new list would be applied.

ANZSCO Code Corresponding occupation
133111 Construction project manager
133112 Project builder
133211 Engineering manager
134111 Child Care centre manager
134211 Medical administrator
134212 Nursing clinical director
134213 Primary health organisation manager
134214 Welfare centre manager
221111 Accountant (general)
221112 Management accountant
221113 Taxation accountant
221213 External auditor
221214 Internal auditor
224111 Actuary
224511 Land economist
224512 Valuer
231212 Ship's engineer
231213 Ship's master
231214 Ship's officer
232111 Architect
232112 Landscape architect
232211 Cartographer
232212 Surveyor
232611 Urban and regional planner
233111 Chemical engineer
233112 Materials engineer
233211 Civil engineer
233212 Geotechnical engineer
233213 Quantity surveyor
233214 Structural engineer
233215 Transport engineer
233311 Electrical engineer
233411 Electronics engineer
233511 Industrial engineer
233512 Mechanical engineer
233513 Production or plant engineer
233611 Mining engineer (excluding petroleum)
233612 Petroleum engineer
233911 Aeronautical engineer
233912 Agricultural engineer
233913 Biomedical engineer
233914 Engineering technologist
233915 Environmental engineer
233916 Naval architect
234111 Agricultural consultant
234112 Agricultural scientist
234113 Forester
234211 Chemist
234611 Medical laboratory scientist
234711 Veterinarian
241111 Early childhood (pre-primary school) teacher
241411 Secondary school teacher
241511 Special needs teacher
241512 Teacher of the hearing impaired
241513 Teacher of the sight impaired
241599 Special education teachers nec
251211 Medical diagnostic radiographer
251212 Medical radiation therapist
251213 Nuclear medicine technologist
251214 Sonographer
251411 Optometrist
251412 Orthoptist
252111 Chiropractor
252112 Osteopath
252311 Dental specialist
252312 Dentist
252411 Occupational therapist
252511 Physiotherapist
252611 Podiatrist
252711 Audiologist
252712 Speech pathologist
253111 General medical practitioner
253211 Anaesthetist
253311 Specialist physician
253312 Cardiologist
253313 Clinical haematologist
253314 Clinical oncologist
253315 Endocrinologist
253316 Gastroenterologist
253317 Intensive care specialist
253318 Neurologist
253321 Paediatrician
253322 Renal medicine specialist
253323 Rheumatologist
253324 Thoracic medicine specialist
253399 Internal medicine specialist nec
253411 Psychiatrist
253511 Surgeon (general)
253512 Cardiothoracic surgeon
253513 Neurosurgeon
253514 Orthopaedic surgeon
253515 Otorhinolaryngologist
253516 Paediatric surgeon
253517 Plastic and reconstructive surgeon
253518 Urologist
253521 Vascular surgeon
253911 Dermatologist
253912 Emergency medicine specialist
253913 Obstetrician and Gynaecologist
253914 Ophthalmologist
253915 Pathologist
253916 Radiologist
253999 Medical practitioners nec
254111 Midwife
254411 Nurse Practitioner
254412 Registered nurse (aged care)
254413 Registered nurse (Child and Family Health)
254414 Registered nurse (community health)
254415 Registered nurse (critical care and emergency)
254416 Registered nurse (development disability)
254417 Registered nurse (disability and rehabilitation)
254418 Registered nurse (medical)
254421 Registered nurse (medical practice)
254422 Registered nurse (mental health)
254423 Registered nurse (perioperative)
254424 Registered nurse (surgical)
254499 Registered nurse
261111 ICT business analyst
261112 Systems analyst
261311 Analyst programmer
261312 Developer programmer
261313 Software engineer
263311 Telecommunications engineer
263312 Telecommunications network engineer
272311 Clinical psychologist
272312 Educational psychologist
272313 Organisational psychologist
272314 Psychotherapist
272399 Psychologists nec
272511 Social worker
312211 Civil engineer draftsperson
312212 Civil engineer technician
312311 Electrical engineer draftperson
312312 Electrical engineer technician
313211 Radiocommunications technician
313212 Telecommunications field engineer
313213 Telecommunications network planner
313214 Telecommunications technical officer or technologist
321111 Automotive electrician
321211 Motor mechanic (general)
321212 Diesel motor mechanic
321213 Motorcycle mechanic
321214 Small engine mechanic
322211 Sheetmetal trades worker
322311 Metal Fabricator
322312 Pressure Welder
322313 Welder (first class)
323111 Aircraft maintenance engineer (avionics)
323112 Aircraft maintenance engineer (mechanical)
323113 Aircraft maintenance engineer (structures)
323313 Locksmith
324111 Panelbeater
324311 Vehicle painter
331111 Bricklayer
331112 Stonemason
331211 Carpenter and Joiner
331212 Carpenter
331213 Joiner
332211 Painting trades workers
333111 Glazier
333211 Fibrous plasterer
333212 Solid plasterer
333411 Wall and floor tiler
334111 Plumber (general)
334112 Airconditioning and mechanical services plumber
334113 Drainer
334114 Gasfitter
334115 Roof plumber
341111 Electrician (general)
341112 Electrician (special class)
341113 Lift mechanic
342111 Airconditioning and refrigeration mechanic
342211 Electrical linesworker
342212 Technical cable jointer
342313 Electronic equipment trades worker
342314 Electronic instrument trades worker (general)
342315 Electronic instrument trades worker (special class)
411211 Dental Hygienist
411212 Dental Prosthetist
411213 Dental technician
411214 Dental therapist

Message for Interested Applicants:

I encourage the Interested Applicants whose occupations are in the new Skilled Occupations List to get their cases prepared immediately through our reliable and award-winning services (with Lowest Consultancy Charges in Pakistan) in order to submit their applications in the first week of July 2010.

Please send your updated CV on info@alhamza.pk and CC to aabid.ismail@gmail.com for Free of Cost evaluation of your success chances.

[Australia Immigration] Minister's announcement of new Skilled Occupations List

2010-05-17T01:32:00.000-07:00

On 17 May 2010, the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, announced the list of occupations included in the new Skilled Occupation List (SOL). The introduction of a new list of occupations is part of a package of reforms that reflects the Government's commitment to a labour market demand-driven Skilled Migration Program.

The current SOL has more than 400 occupations. The new list of occupations, which was announced by the Minister on 17 May 2010, includes 181 occupations.

It is intended the new list of occupations would deliver a general skilled migration (GSM) program more tightly focused on delivering high-value nation building skills. The new list is intended to align the GSM program with Australia’s overall workforce development strategy, also developed by Skills Australia. The new list is focused on targeting specialised occupations that require a long lead time of formal education and training. It includes managerial, professional, associate-professional and trade occupations. The list of occupations will be reviewed annually but it is expected that it will be relatively stable over time. The Minister will be recommending that the Governor-General in Council make amendments to the Migration Regulations 1994 to give effect to the framework in which this new list would be applied. The new SOL is proposed to commence on 1 July 2010.

Please see the new Skilled Occupations List here

Announcement of New Skilled Occupations List - Australia Immigration

2010-05-05T01:40:00.000-07:00

The Government is considering the report from Skills Australia containing their Skilled Occupation List. An announcement and publication of the new Skilled Occupation List for Migration purposes will be made in May 2010.

I encourage the prospective clients who are interested to apply for Australian Immigration under Skilled Visa category to get their cases / applications ready and apply immediately after the announcement of the new Skilled Occupation List (SOL). Since the Visa Quota is always limited, I recommend people to act fast and grab the opportunity.

Please send us your updated CV for Free-of Cost evaluation on info@alhamza.pk and CC to aabid.ismail@gmail.com.

Also, log on to our website www.alhamza.pk

I will be looking forward to serving you.

UK Immigration for Highly Skilled (Tier 1) General

2010-04-07T00:17:00.000-07:00

What is Tier 1 (General)?
The Tier 1 (General) category allows highly skilled people to come to the UK to look for work or self-employment opportunities.

Who can apply as a Highly Skilled Worker?
you do not need a job offer if you are applying as a highly skilled worker. When you apply, you are awarded points based on your qualifications, your previous earnings, your UK experience, age, your English language skills and your maintenance (funds).

What Points you have to score to apply as a Highly Skilled Worker?

To apply under our points-based system and be accepted into the highly skilled worker category, you must pass a points-based assessment.

You must score:

75 points for your attributes (age, qualifications, previous earnings, and experience in the United Kingdom); and
10 points for English language; and
10 points for available maintenance (funds).

If you do not score a minimum of 75 points for your attributes and 10 points for English language and 10 points for available maintenance (funds), your application will be refused.

~ Contact us now for award-winning services with minimum consultancy charges ~

Settling in Australia

2010-03-27T07:03:00.001-07:00

Having arrived as a skilled or family migrant, or a refugee or humanitarian entrant, there may be many new things for you to adjust to in your new country. 'Settlement' is the process of adjustment you experience as you become established and independent in Australia.

Some migrants feel settled quite quickly, perhaps within six to 12 months. For others it may take some years. How quickly you settle into your new environment may depend on a range of factors, such as your English ability and your level of health, and whether you came as a skilled or family migrant or as a refugee. If you have visited Australia in the past and you are familiar with this country and society or if you join the work force quickly, you may settle quite quickly.

Most of you will need some help to settle successfully. As soon as you arrive, you will need somewhere to live, money to live on and information on services available to help you get started, such as schools, transport and health services. Shortly after you arrive, you will also need access to employment and education. You may also need access to English language classes and help to form individual and family social networks.

Things to do First

Below is a list of 7 important things that you should do as soon as possible after arriving in Australia.

1. Apply for a Tax File Number (TFN)

Do this first. To receive an income in Australia, you need a Tax File Number (TFN).

2. Register with Medicare

The Australian Government provides help with basic medical expenses through a scheme called Medicare.

3. Open a Bank Account

In Australia, most income including salary or wages and government benefits are paid directly into a bank account.

4. Register with Centrelink

Centrelink is a government agency which delivers a range of services to the community.

5. Register for English Classes

Communicating in English is very important and the key to your successful settlement.

6. Enroll Your Children in School

Under Australian law, children must attend school until they are 15 years old.

7. Apply for a Driver's License

Good News ! Changes will come into Effect on 6 April 2010 for UK Immigration (Tier 1 / HSMP)

2010-03-20T05:45:00.000-07:00

On 6 April the government will make significant changes to Tier 1 and Tier 2 of the points-based system. It will also amend the Immigration Rules covering asylum seekers, English language qualifications and marriage visas for members of the Armed Forces.

The government has accepted changes to Tier 1 recommended by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), and has set out details of how it will implement the MAC's recommended changes to Tier 2.

The changes include new points criteria for both tiers, a simpler route for very highly skilled workers without Master's degrees, greater flexibility for short-term transfers by multinational companies, and more protection against the use of such transfers to fill long-term vacancies that should go to resident workers.

The changes were announced today by Borders and Immigration Minister Phil Woolas, who said:

'We've always said that we would run our immigration system for the benefit of the UK, and that is what we are doing.
'The changes that we are making today will build on an already robust system which is now the envy of the world. A strength of the points-based system is the flexibility to predict and respond to events.
'By utilising the flexibility of the points-based system, we are now ensuring that only those that we need to come to the UK to work can do so.
'I will continue to ensure that immigration does not act as a disincentive for employers to employ and improve the skills of the British workforce.'

The changes are included in the latest Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules, which was laid before Parliament today.

The other changes to the Immigration Rules include:

revised provisions governing English language qualifications for migrants who are applying for permanent residence, to ensure that those relying on qualifications in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) will study at accredited colleges, and to clarify the progression that migrants are required to demonstrate before they can apply for permanent residence;
changes to prevent asylum applicants from claiming humanitarian protection if there are serious reasons for considering that they have engaged in undesirable behaviour;
clarified interview procedures for unaccompanied children seeking asylum;
removal of a requirement for asylum seekers to be asked to sign the interview record, as other safeguards are in place;
lowering the marriage visa age to 18 for serving members of the Armed Forces and their partners, recognising partners' role in supporting those on the front line and reflecting the unique circumstances in which the Armed Forces operate; and
adding Monaco to the Youth Mobility Scheme.

The Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules will be incorporated into a consolidated version of the Immigration Rules.

The changes will come into effect on 6 April and 7 April 2010. Applications that are made before the new rules come into effect will be considered under the rules in place on the date of the application.

Migrants who want to apply in person should note that the date of their application is the date when they go to the public enquiry office. Applicants should consider this when they book an appointment.