More Kiwis than Brits move to Oz
(no pictures)The number of New Zealanders crossing the Tasman increased by nearly 5000 in the past year, outstripping the United Kingdom as the largest source of permanent migrants to Australia. Department of Immigration statistics released today show 23,906 New Zealanders migrated to Australia in the 2006-07 financial year, up from 19,033 the previous year. The number of UK migrants remained steady at 23,223 in 2006-07, having topped New Zealand for the previous three years. Numbers of New Zealanders migrating to Australia annually has almost doubled in the past four years, with just 12,366 Kiwis crossing the Tasman in 2002-03. The biggest trans-Tasman drain happened in 2000-01 when 26,106 New Zealanders migrated to Australia, before a pronounced dip in the next two years in the wake of the terrorist attacks in the United States. A study of more than 300 New Zealand migrants this year by PhD graduate Dr Alison Green, of Queensland's Bond University, cited economic benefits, a better climate, wanting a change, and a sense of adventure as factors in their move. But while Kiwis generally said they were "highly satisfied" with their new lives in Australia, they retained a strong sense of loyalty, Dr Green's study found. "They largely consider Kiwi culture to be distinctly different from Aussie culture, are fiercely patriotic, and often view New Zealand as better," she said. In releasing the statistics from a report documenting settler arrivals between 1996 and 2007, Australian Federal Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Kevin Andrews, said New Zealand and the UK accounted 33.6 percent of all settler arrivals in the past year. The report said the next largest source countries were India (13,496 settlers, up from 11,286 the previous year), China (12,009, up from 10,581) and the Philippines (5561, up from 4871). - stuff.co.nz Visa for Australia and Australia Visa Application made easy! Australian Working Visa made possible to easily have one! Visit Australia Immigration at http://www.nationalvisas.com.au/parent/parentvisas.htm --- http://www.nationalvisas.com.au http://www.nationalvisas.com.au/blog

Contributed by: amerie

Helsinki and Tallinn

I spent a total of seven days in Helsinki each side of my Arctic trip and this included a day trip to Tallinn in Estonia.

Contributed by: aussie

Aussies find love in global market
(no pictures)TENS of thousands of Aussies are finding love overseas each year and bringing their partners home, new figures show. The Immigration Department issued about 40,000 spouse visas last year, up 7000 on 2004-05. The size of the intake is staggering when it is noted that the total number of marriages conducted in Australia annually is little more than 100,000. The top source country for spouses in 2006-07 was Britain with 5085 visas, down by about 400 on the previous year. Next were China (4124) and India (3095), which recorded big increases on the numbers in 2004-05, according to data obtained by the Herald Sun. The spouse intake, which rose by 4000 during the last year, comprises about 80 per cent of family migration. Like so many others, Indian migrant Arun Bopaiah, 32, returned to his homeland two years ago and married Divya. Mr Bopaiah, a technician who lives in Keysborough, said it was important to find a partner from India. "I'm born and brought up in India. I had no one here," he said. "My parents live in India. It's good to have all the families together when you get married. That's the reason we go back to India." Mr Bopaiah said his wife, an electronic engineer, came to Australia in January and now works in research and development. A spokeswoman for Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews said the increase in partner visas was driven by demand from young, skilled professionals who found love while they were travelling or working overseas. "This is perhaps a result of the affordability of airfares and in the increased opportunities to work in regional offices overseas," she said. "We know that many of the spouses/partners are also skilled." But Monash University demographer Bob Birrell said this explanation mainly applied to spouses from countries like Britain. Dr Birrell said most of the growth in partner visas came from developed nations where the urge to migrate was strong. "There is enormous pressure to get out of countries like China and India," he said. "Young people of marriagable age are going back to their country of origin and getting the pick of the crop." The total migrant intake for 2007-08 is expected to reach 166,000, the highest figure since the huge migration waves of the late 1960s. It will include 102,500 skilled arrivals, 50,000 family reunion and 13,000 humanitarian. - John Masanauskas, Herald Sun Visa for Australia and Australia Visa Application made easy! Australian Working Visa made possible to easily have one! Visit Australia Immigration at http://www.nationalvisas.com.au/parent/parentvisas.htm --- http://www.nationalvisas.com.au http://www.nationalvisas.com.au/blog

Contributed by: amerie

16,000 Indians seek to make Australia home
(no pictures)As many as 15,865 Indians sought permanent residence in Australia under the skilled migration programme in 2006-2007, making them the second largest group in the category after Britons. The figure seems to belie fears that freed terror suspect Muhammad Haneef's case would deter prospective Indians from making Australia their home. Partha Mukherjee, an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, and Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, came to Australia three years ago with his wife under the skilled migrant programme. He says, "I had power, position and wealth in Mumbai, but chose to migrate to Sydney for the quality of life this country offers. I wanted a balanced work and family life." Mukherjee works as an engineering consultant and teaches international business at the university. However, his three children are doing their schooling and college in India. He says, "I feel if you really want to achieve high, India and the United States offer more opportunities for success." India ranks second amongst the top five countries of origin for skilled stream entrants. Britain leads the way with 24,800 skilled migrants coming Down Under, followed by India (15,865), China (14,688), South Africa (4,293) and Malaysia (3,838). Despite steady economic growth for the last decade or so, Australia is facing a serious skills shortage with the ageing workforce retiring in greater numbers. The top occupation for skilled stream entrants is accountancy (10,688), followed by computing professionals (4,044) and registered nurses (2,088). Other top professions included mechanical engineers, civil engineers, marketing specialists and general managers. A growing number of people also want to bring their spouses back to Australia and form a family and live here. A total of 50,079 family stream visas were granted for the year, representing 33 percent of the total migration programme. For instance, Mamta, 29, came to Australia last year on a spouse visa, which she got six months after getting married. Her husband, an electrical engineer, had come to Sydney four years ago under the skilled migrant programme. India ranks third with 3,634 migrants coming here under the family stream. Britain once again leads with 6,540 family stream entrants followed by China (6,037), Philippines (3,098) and Vietnam (3,040). Joe Hockey, the federal minister for employment and workplace relations noted, "The inclusion of architects and quantity surveyors among Migration Occupations in the Demand List (MODL) will be welcomed by employers, particularly those in the resources and construction industries. "Changes to the MODL will also benefit Australia's international competitiveness as a provider of high quality aircraft maintenance and servicing." The MODL includes 38 managerial and professional occupations, one associate professional occupation, 10 computing specializations and 46 trade occupations. Occupations and specializations identified on the MODL gain extra points for people applying for a points-tested General Skilled Migration visa. The average age of skilled stream entrants (primary) is 31 years. Out of a total of 148,200 permanent visas granted during 2006-07, 97,920 were permanent skilled visas, representing 66 percent of the total migration programme. Australia is competing for skilled workers with other developed countries in Europe, the US, Canada and New Zealand. Visa for Australia and Australia Visa Application made easy! Australian Working Visa made possible to easily have one! Visit Australia Immigration at http://www.nationalvisas.com.au/parent/parentvisas.htm --- http://www.nationalvisas.com.au http://www.nationalvisas.com.au/blog

Contributed by: amerie

Capping of Contributory Parent category visas
(no pictures)The Department of Immigration and Citizenship today announced the capping of a series of Contributory Parent visa categories in light of continued high demand for these visas. Caps are determined by the minister and used to ensure that the planning levels for various components of the migration program are not exceeded. The numbers for particular subclasses were determined by the relative demand for each visa subclass as a proportion of the total planning level. Once a specified visa class cap is reached, no more visas can be granted for the remainder of the migration program year, which in this case is the end of June 2008. It is important to note the capping power does not affect visa grants for applicants who have previously been granted a temporaryContributory Parent visa and who are now applicants for the corresponding permanent Contributory Parent visa. The total planning level for Contributory Parent visas for 2007-08 is 3500. The visa subclasses and the new caps are as follows: Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) (Class UU(T)) (Subclass 884): 29 Contributory Aged Parent (Class DG (P)) (Subclass 864): 300 Contributory Parent (Temporary) (Class UT (T)) (Subclass 173): 650 Offshore Subclass 143 – Contributory Parent (Class CA (P)): 2521 Source - http://www.immi.gov.au/media/media-releases/2008/d08036.htm Visa for Australia and Australia Visa Application made easy! Australian Working Visa made possible to easily have one! Visit Australia Immigration at http://www.nationalvisas.com.au/parent/parentvisas.htm --- http://www.nationalvisas.com.au http://www.nationalvisas.com.au/blog

Contributed by: amerie

My fun-filled time in USA

Earthquakes,The Flu, fun, drama, cold, meeting lovely people....what more can I say.... It was great.

Contributed by: dede

Mcdade Park

Coal Mine site, PA

Contributed by: tuco928

Sanya Reservation
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Contributed by: jason

Trip in Sanya
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Contributed by: jason

cooperation
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Contributed by: jason