The Securities Daily reported that in March of this year, the Australian government "refused" foreign skilled immigrants for the first time in a decade. The federal government announced that the skilled immigration quota for the 2009-2010 fiscal year would be reduced from 133,500 to 115,000, a decrease of up to 14%. By May 12, the skilled immigration quota was further reduced to 108,000.
"Due to the lagging effects of the financial crisis, Australia's unemployment rate remains high. To ensure priority employment for local residents, the Australian government has repeatedly lowered the skilled immigration quota. At the same time, the government has also raised the threshold for applicants in skilled occupations, increasing the English language requirement for skilled occupation applicants from a minimum score of 5 in each section of the IELTS to a minimum score of 6 in each section. This change will take effect for domestic applicants starting January 1, 2010. If there are no relatives to provide sponsorship, it is becoming increasingly difficult to immigrate to Australia through skilled migration," said an immigration consultant specializing in Australian immigration.
Immigrating to Canada is another option for many domestic immigrants. "Overall, while the safety of investment funds in Canada is more secure than in the United States, the requirements for proving the source of funds are very strict. Many domestic immigration applicants find it difficult to prove the legality of their assets, mainly because many entrepreneurs do not have complete receipts and tax documents, and many businesses are involved in complex asset issues such as restructuring. Although the province of Quebec recognized gifted assets last year, the process remains somewhat difficult, requiring applicants to prove the legality of the donor's source of funds.
In comparison, the United States does not emphasize proving the source of funds, as long as there are complete documents proving the company's revenue. In this regard, the United States is more attractive to Chinese immigration applicants.
In terms of immigration time, it takes about 10 months to obtain a conditional green card in the United States and 21 months to obtain citizenship; immigration to Quebec in Canada takes about a year and a half, while federal immigration takes 2 to 2.5 years. Comparatively, immigration to the United States takes less time. Regarding issues of women's education and climate that immigration applicants are concerned about, the United States has 4,180 colleges and universities, while Canada has 80. In terms of conditions for children's education, the United States is superior to Canada. In terms of climate, the United States has a temperate and subtropical climate, which is more comfortable compared to Canada's climate, most of which is within the Arctic Circle," said a senior consultant from WorldWay Immigration in an interview.
