The Critical Skills List (CSL) has now been published by the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship. The modified list was published on the 6^th March on the DIAC website http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/pdf/critical-skills-list.pdf.

When significant changes to Australian immigration conditions were announced in February, it was stated that the Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL) would be removed. This left many potential migrants whose skills had been listed on the MODL, anxiously waiting to see if their trade or profession would be listed on the CSL.  

The issue was particularly problematic for computing professionals who had previously needed their occupation to be listed on the MODL in order to qualify for the CSL. When it was announced that the MODL would be removed, this left many computing professionals in a dilemma. The revised CSL now includes many IT professions so this problem has now been resolved.

The CSL is due to be replaced with a new Skilled Occupations List which is due to be published later in the year.

Other professions in demand according to the new CSL include engineers and healthcare workers.

If you are moving to Chile, you may be worried about the effect of the earthquake and how it will affect the future of the country. Despite the crisis, economists have predicted that the earthquake will not have a major long-term impact on the economy. Initially GDP will be affected due to transport and energy problems but analysts forecast that the economy will bounce back after this lapse. This is due to the fact that Chile has one of the strongest and wealthiest economies in South America, mainly supported by the strong copper export industry.

The 8.8 magnitude earthquake was one of the strongest on record. The crisis has devastated the regions near to the epicentre of the earthquake. Buildings have been destroyed, thousands of people are homeless and the death toll has now reached over 300 with many people still reported missing. The country’s capital, Santiago, has also been affected as infrastructure collapsed, including an elevated motorway although public transportation has now been restored.

John Mason’s official company charity is the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), a UK charitable organisation which aims to protect children from cruelty, support families in need, raise awareness of child abuse and campaign for UK law changes.

For the last six years, John Mason have organised an annual charity golf tournament in aid of the NSPCC. The tournaments are fully sponsored by John Mason and all proceeds go direct to the charity. The company was recently recognised for its fundraising efforts when Company Director, Vivien Mason, was presented at a charity concert with a certificate for outstanding contribution.

John Mason has many links with the NSPCC. Firstly, Vivien Mason, is a member of the Liverpool NSPCC committee and is actively engaged in fundraising activities for this very worth cause.

Secondly, a more historic link: the NSPCC was founded in Liverpool in 1884, the same location and year as John Mason was established. The charity was established by Liverpool banker Thomas Agnew. After witnessing a similar set up in New York, he was inspired to create the Liverpool Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. The London Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children then followed and gradually other towns and cities began to introduce their own branches.  In 1889, the trust changed its name to the NSPCC. It is now one of the largest charities in the UK.

The third links is more recent. When John Mason moved to larger premises in 1989, the NSPCC took over John Mason’s vacated offices in Wavertree, Liverpool. This remained the NSPCC headquarters until 2008 when they moved into a new purpose built building, the Hargreaves Centre.  

John Mason continues to support this charity as well as other national charity events such as Children in Need and Red Nose Day.

If you are moving to New Zealand, you may be interested to know that the average house price in New Zealand has fallen by NZD 10,000 in January to NZD 350,000 from December 2009 to January 2010 according to the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ). This is, however, an increase of NZD 25,000 over the last year.

According to the latest statistics, the most expensive house prices are in the Auckland region and the lowest house prices are in Southland. The area with the biggest change in house prices since January 2009 was Taranaki which has seen a 12.5% difference in house prices over the year.

If you are considering relocating to South Africa, you may be interested to know that the South African government have announced that they expect the economy to enlarge by 2.3% in 2010. The government predict that this growth will stem mainly from football fans visiting South Africa for the World Cup this summer. It has been estimated that the major sporting event will attract over half a million tourists.

South African Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan announced the results of the budget last month and also stated intentions to improve youth unemployment.

Despite this economic growth prediction, South Africa still suffers from high unemployment and polarisation between rich and poor societies. Unemployment currently stands at 24.3%.

The Expat section of the British newspaper, the Telegraph, has revealed the winners in the first round of its ‘Best of British’ competition. The competition aims to highlight and promote British establishments which cater for expat communities around the world. The voting has been taking place online for the past ten weeks. The results of the final round of voting are still to be announced.   

British citizens moving to Australia, Canada, Cyprus or the United States may be interested to know some of the winners of the first round:

Best British Restaurant in Canada: The Brit Café, Winnipeg

Best British Bar in Australia: Pig N Whistle, Brisbane

Best British Pub in Cyprus: Nelson’s Pub

Best Social Club in the United States: Brits International

Earlier this year, archives containing details of the Ten Pound Poms passengers were released online on the National Archives of Australia website.

The ‘Ten Pound Poms’ scheme, also known as the assisted passage scheme, was an Australian initiative to populate the country with British families and skilled workers for the new booming industries such as mining. The programme, which operated from 1945 to 1972, was part of the ‘Populate or Perish’ philosophy of the Australian government at the time.  The term ‘Ten Pound Poms’ is a colloquial term widely used in Australia to describe residents who arrived under this scheme.

Under the scheme, an individual could travel the passage from the UK to Australia for £10 and children were able to travel for free. The only stipulation was that the family or individual remained in Australia for two years. If migrants did decide to move back to the UK before then, the high price to make the return journey meant that it was not an affordable option to most. Over 700,000 British citizens emigrated to Australia after the Second World War under this scheme. Upon arrival, most new migrants were put up in basic hostels and left to fend for themselves.

A UK Newspaper, the Daily Mail, revealed that Kylie and Danni Minogue’s mother was a Ten Pound Pom. Carol Jones, originally from Wales, made the journey to Australia with her family in 1995. She settled in Melbourne where she met Ron Minogue.  

More information can be found on the website of the National Archives of Australia.

A special citizenship ceremony was held in Canada last month to mark the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. 45 people from 24 different countries were awarded Canadian citizenship in a special ceremony held during the games. The migrants taking the oath pledged to follow Canadian laws and to be responsible Canadian citizens.

Minister Jason Kenney, Canada’s Minster for Immigration and Citizenship stated:

‘Each year, approximately 170,000 people from around the world become new Canadian citizens,” the Minister said. “Every time Canada welcomes a new citizen, another page of our country’s story is written. Just as Canada’s athletes are making their mark during the Olympics, the individuals celebrated here today will become part of Canada’s vibrant history and culture’.

If you are moving to Canada, you may want to look into eventually obtaining Canadian citizenship. The guide to Canadian citizenship ‘Discover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Canadian Citizenship’ is available on the Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s (CIC) website www.cic.gc.ca.

It has been announced by the Australian government that the New South Wales New Home Buyers Supplement has been extended until the 30^th June 2010.

The supplement is a grant which Australian residents can apply for if they meet the eligibility criteria. The grant of AUD 3000, is to be used for the building or buying of a new home. It can be applied for in addition to the nationwide First Home Owner Grant of AUD 7000. 

The First Home Owner Grant scheme was introduced on the 1st July 2000 as a one-off grant to offset the GST on home ownership. In October 2008, in response to the global financial crisis, the Australian government launched the First Home Owners Boost in order to stimulate housing sales and construction. This scheme came to an end in September last year but the First Home Owner Grant scheme continues.

FAIM is the only quality standard for the international moving industry. Removal companies are independently audited by management consultants Ernst & Young on a set of 16 parameters in order to achieve this certification. Compliance procedures take place on-site every two years or every four years if a company qualifies for a desktop compliance procedure.

The 16 parameters include financial security, facilities and equipment, staff competence, management standards, documentation, legal compliance, risk management and customer performance survey reports.

FAIM is the sole criteria for joining FIDI, the international network of moving companies. FIDI aims to develop and promote best practice among members and also to promote excellence within the international moving industry.

Customers who choose a FAIM accredited mover have the knowledge that every aspect of the mover’s business reaches the highest standard, providing peace of mind throughout an overseas move.

John Mason International are proud holders of the FIDI FAIM qualification, continuously scoring highly in the compliance procedures. The company continues to adhere to the programme’s strict quality standards.