The Migration Leaders
The UK Government has launched the first phase of their new points-based system for non EU immigrants. Currently, the system only applies to highly-skilled workers who are already residing in the country and who wish to extend their visas.
Low skilled workers who reside outside of the EU have been barred.
According to a recent article by SkyNews, some houses in the UK have almost halved in value as markets plummet because of the global financial crises. For instance, a flat in Folkestone, Kent, sold for £125,000on January 28 this year. This amount has now been reduced to a staggering £75,000.
The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) sold an average of just 11.5 homes three months ago until the end of September. This is the lowest on record since 1978.
A London Agent commented on the situation,
We’re 20% down. There are some very very keen sellers out there.
$21,000 in a new government grant lured first-time home buyers in search of bargains. Dozens of agencies have been recieving inquiries about homes, especially at the lower end of the market.
Robert Sullivan, Landcom marketing general manager confirms that they will continue to offer up to
$16,000 worth of rebates on new house and land packages on top of the increased first home owner grants. Thus giving up to $37,000 extra cash to new buyers.
In order to stimulate the market, developers have been offering their own cash rebates to home buyers.
The Cornish Group has been offering 1200 house and land packages in Camden’s new Spring Farm estate.
Colin Lake, sales manager at Cornish Group said they have been flooded by approaches from first-time buyers. “First-time home buyers have been coming into our office, which is unusual as it’s usually only second and third home buyers who can afford a new home. But the $21,000 is effectively the full 5 per cent deposit on a $420,000 package,” establishes Lake.
Sale volumes and auction clearance rates have been well down over the past few months.
According to Tourism Research Australia, Australians prefer to spend their vacations in other countries than explore and discover their own country. Over the past year, the number of Australians choosing domestic travel decreased by 2 percent.
Interestingly, most Australians listed New Zealand as their first choice.
The report shows that the majority of Australians choose to spend their holidays in foreign countries because the Australian Dollar is stronger than previous years. The report also indicates that approximately 5 million Australians have travelled internationally since 2007 to 31 March 2008 (500,000 more than previous year).
New Zealand proved the favourite for at least 17 percent of those 5 million Australian travellers. Eleven percent of these travellers chose to travel to America or Canada. Eight percent of Aussies chose to spend their holiday in the UK.
According to The Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2009 Guide, a guide directed at travellers and backpackers worldwide, Canada is the place to be. The guide includes a list of countries to visit and Canada secured a position within the top ten.
The write-up mentions Canada’s serene atmosphere and natural environment. Currently, Canada’s oil and natural gas reserves are contributing positively to the economy - Canada’s economy is booming! Perhaps it’s the perfect time to immigrate to Canada. The guide features world famous festivals and must-do activities while travelling or living in Canada.
A Canada Working holiday Visa can enable backpackers or young graduates to work, earn and supplement travel around Canada.
According to a recent report, 76,923 Australians left the country permanently in 2007/2008. This statistic is considered Australia’s biggest emigration rate on record. As a matter of fact, this mass emigration has been dubbed ‘Aussies Mass Exodus’.
Almost two thirds of those who left Australia permanently were aged between 25 and 54 years of age. Most of these migrants occupied skilled or specialised jobs. As a further 102,066 Aussies have left the country for over a year with more than 55 percent in professional occupations or trades, Australia’s need to fill positions has become urgent.
Australia has topped more than 100 countries in relation to its quality of life and economic strength, and has secured a comfortable number one spot. The Legatum Institute’s Prosperity Index measures the health of a country, wealth, quality of life and life satisfaction. The Index includes 104 nations. Australia topped the 2008 index on all accounts.
According to the World Economic Forum, Canada has the world’s soundest banking system. Australia followed closely in fourth, according to a recent survey conducted by the World Economic Forum. New Zealand also ranked highly, occupying 8th position. There’s never been a better time to move abroad.-. Or would you consider to immigrate to Canada?
Britain has dropped to a whopping 44th place, once ranked in the top five. This comes after British banks recently received a massive bail out.
Will your resume get you the interview?
By Michael Hoskins
In today’s fast paced world it’s more important than ever to have your resume not only up to date, but up to standard as well. When employers and recruiters alike have less time to read through resumes it’s important that you get it right so that you stand out from the crowd and secure an interview.
I’ve briefly outlined some of the dos’ and don’ts of writing your resume to make sure you properly represent yourself.
People on the Move/Success Stories
*John Davies
“I was 23 living at home with my parents, finishing up my apprenticeship as a heavy duty mechanic and trying to gain entry into the police force in Ireland. My life was planned out until I met a girl from Vancouver B.C. Life was good until the time came for her to go home. There were tears but Ireland was where I belonged, or so I thought. We kept in touch and found it difficult being apart. We decided that it was for the best until we found out we were pregnant. What was important before was not so important now. My feelings of where I belonged changed.”
Immigration Unit
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