Archive for the 'Australia' Category

The Rise and Fall of the Australian Dollar

On Friday, 24th October, the Australian dollar closed down in US trade at a lowly US61.78 cents – down US4.5 cents and 37 percent from the high of US98.49 cents that it attained three months ago.

According to London’s Financial Times, the Aussie dollar has become a “whipping boy” after noting that the currency was “once the darling of the foreign exchange market”.

Economist Chris Gaton is surprised by the dollar’s performance. Gaton was quoted by Fairfax saying “There’s no rational reason for us to be at 62 cents”. Gaton also confirmed that approximately a third of the drop could be due to the recent surge in US dollar, which has risen against major currencies such as the euro and the British pound.

However, the drop is not all doom and gloom. Some Economists say it would provide a much needed boost to exports and a slowing domestic economy. How will this influence Australian Immigration and the property market? For example, if you sold your home at the height of the housing market in March 2007 for £250,000 and transferred the money when the rate was 2.1, you’d have received $525,000 AUD. If you sold your house now, and the value of your home has gone down 15% you would now sell your home for £212,500. However, when you buy Australian dollars at the current rate (say $2.6 to the £) you would now have $552,500. Exactly $27,500 MORE than in 2007 or £10,000 more than you would have received in 2007.

For a free professional assessment of your circumstances, fill out our free assessment form or call 0845 2 606030. Want to know more about emigrating to Australia, Canada and New Zealand? Visit our website: www.immigrationunit.com.

To see our disclaimer, click here.

Australia May Implement Migrant Cuts

According to a recent news article on www.news.bbc.co.uk, Australia may limit the number of immigrants allowed into the country, depending on whether the global financial crises raises unemployment levels. Immigration Minister Chris Evans confirmed that a decision on reducing numbers would be taken after mid-year financial data is published next month.

Approximately 190,300 immigrants are predicted to arrive in Australia during 2008/2009.

Australia’s current migrant programme is aimed at skilled workers and was designed when Australia was forecasting good economic growth and a skills shortage. As a result, the demand for migrants was high.

As the system has become more stringent, it’s imperative to use professionals to increase your chances of being selected for migration to Australia. Using a professional service is extremely important as valuable knowledge and know-how is needed to help find the best possible pathway to migrate. As Australia may be limiting the amount of migrants they allow into Austalia, it would be a wise move to make use of specialised skills.

For a free professional assessment of your circumstances, fill out our free assessment form or call 0845 2 606030. Want to know more about emigrating to Australia, Canada and New Zealand? Visit our website: www.immigrationunit.com.

To see our disclaimer, click here.

First-time Home Buyers In Search Of Bargains

$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.

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Aussies Rate New Zealand As Their Favourite Destination

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.

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Australian Emigration Hits An All-time High

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.

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Australia Secures Number One Spot On Prosperity Index

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.

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Will Your Resume Get You The Interview?

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.

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Australia Tourism’s ‘Come Walkabout’ Campaign directed by Baz Luhrmann (Boab)

Australia’s latest tourism campaign, ‘Come Walkabout’, has received mixed reviews so far from Australians. According to Tourism Australia, Baz Luhrmann (film-maker) created a new campaign to make Australia an essential destination for visitors all around the world.

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Can Immigration Affect Your Family?

Guest Columnist
What About Us? – How immigration can affect the family
By Louise Green

One of the biggest motivations for emigrating is to provide a better standard of living for you and your family. Not only will it change the lives of everyone who goes but also the family members left behind. It’s the children and elderly relatives, who generally have the least influence and control over the decision to emigrate, who are affected most by the move.

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Ask Our Experts

Do you have questions about the migration process? Keen for specialist advice? Drop us an email at askus@immigrationunit.com and we’ll post the best questions each month along with an answer from one of our professionals.

Q. I want to immigrate to Canada. I’m 28 yrs old and married with one child. I’m fairly fluent in English but I don’t speak French. I have more than 10 years experience as a Student Counselor. I lack money and don’t have a sponsor in Canada. I haven’t been offered a job in Canada. What’s the cheapest and easiest way to migrate to Canada from Pakistan?

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