While the present state of the global economy has had a clear negative impact on the number of Brits who are emigrating, the fact remains that the ‘Emigrate Four’ (Australia, America, Canada and New Zealand) are still keen to attract skilled, moneyed and educated migrants who meet their needs. Why? Well, strengthening families, and attracting suitably skilled workers, entrepreneurs and investors from overseas are considered to be society-enhancing endeavours. Read on to find out how similar yet different the four immigration systems in question are:
Skilled workers
All four Emigrate countries are keen to attract the best and brightest talent from across the world, and offer visa categories designed to supplement their workforce. Canada, Australia and New Zealand all have similar skilled migration programmes. Priority is given to those with a job offer and substantial experience in their field. All three countries award potential migrants points towards their visa based on factors such as qualifications, level of experience and age. However, in July 2012, Australia will be overhauling its current skilled migration programme.
The US has four separate immigrant employment visas, as well as two visas which support intra-company transfers. However, unless you have an exceptional skill, it can be difficult to secure an immigrant visa directly as the prospective employer must demonstrate that no suitably qualified American resident is available to take the job.
Regional options
Employment-focussed regional visas are offered by the states of Australia and most provinces and territories in Canada. As the criteria for these regional options differ from the requirements for the federal skilled visas of these countries, those struggling to qualify for the latter should definitely look to the former for a possible migration solution: some regions even have their own skills list.
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