Getting permanent resident visa of popular immigration destinations has, perhaps, never been tougher for the IT professionals! Here is some highly valuable and updated information for such professionals, as on November, 2011.
USA: Getting H-1/L-1 gets tougher and expensive; even where one can get or already has H-1/L-1 visa, the road to converting this status into Green Card is rather long and uncertain. At times, one has H-1 visa but no local (read US) employer sponsorship. And remember that the H-1/L-1 does not offer US residence status!
Canada Federal: Federal skilled worker (FSW) program to Canada was the most popular choice for the IT professionals. But since June 2010, the news flow on that front is not very encouraging. In permitted occupation lists announced by the Citizenship and Immigration Canada on June 26, 2010 and June 26, 2011, the IT professionals figured nowhere.
And thus they might have to wait for one more year - till June 2012 - for new list to open up. And, what if the list on 2012 also does not find mention for the IT professionals? Also, most of the IT professionals who filed earlier are still waiting in the queue with no clear indication on when, and if, their application will be picked up for processing.
Canada Quebec: Quebec Skilled Worker Program is the best possible option for applicants to immigrate to Canada. All you need to have is the time, and the inclination, to learn the French language. One can file the application and learn the French language while the interview is being scheduled. Quebec offers one of the best employment options for the IT professionals in Canada. So, learn a foreign language as a skill and get immigration to Canada - all at the same time! ABHINAV has been filing applications under Quebec Skilled Immigration since the last 10 years and it provides services of a Quebec authorised representative while filing your application under the program. What's more, the overall application processing time currently stands at around the predictable 18-24 months from the date of filing of the application. Further, the Quebec Skilled immigration program requires no high IELTS score and very limited financial settlement funds as part of the application. Interested, send details (mentioned at the bottom of the page) to ajay@abhinav.com right now!
Australia: Outside of Canada, Australia is the best and the most definite option for the IT professionals. Major IT occupations -- like Database Administrator, Systems Administrator, Systems Analyst, Computer Network and Systems Engineer, ICT Business Analyst, Network Analyst, Software Engineer, Developer Programmer, Analyst Programmer, Software Tester, ICT Security Specialist, Software and Applications Programmers -- are open for immigration.
What is more, the application processing time can be as less as just one year! Australia is just unmatchable when it comes to available employment opportunities for the IT specialists. IT professionals with excellent English communication skills should go for Australia as option one. Interested, send details (mentioned at the bottom of the page) to ajay@abhinav.com right now!
New Zealand: A young Engineering degree holder with just 3 years of experience in the IT is hardly likely to be qualified for many countries. And even applicants with many years of IT related work experience may not qualify for Australia or Canada if his IELTS score is just 6.5 overall. Well, good news is that qualified IT professionals with IELTS score of 6.5 can apply under the NZD skilled Migrant Program. They can migrate to New Zealand, work for few years, get international experience, save some money and then - if they still wish to do that - migrate to another major country, say, Canada or Australia or the UK. Interested, send details (mentioned at the bottom of the page) to ajay@abhinav.com right now!
Denmark: Possibilities exist for restricted category of professionals. But uncertainty also exists, at the same time, about application processing time frames. Much more importantly, the visa one gets is not a Permanent Resident Visa but more of a Work Visa for 18 months. One is not successful in settling and he needs to leave the country. Interested, send details (mentioned at the bottom of the page) to ajay@abhinav.com right now!
Hong Kong: Not a very well-known immigration destination, Hong Kong offers excellent job opportunities and a shorter application processing time frames of around only 12 months. Just a short flying time from India, Hong Kong is a major financial and business hub and next to China - one of the fastest growing economies across the world. Only negative aspect is that one can, at maximum, become a resident and not a citizen of Hong Kong. But still it is a good option to consider. Interested, send details (mentioned at the bottom of the page) to ajay@abhinav.com right now!
UK: With tier 1 program closing, the options to migrate to the UK for the IT professionals are also limited or almost non-existent.
European Blue card: Application is only possible if a confirmed job offer is available from an employer based in EU. There are consultants who are misleading clients by promising them a successful search but all are aware of European job situation at this stage! So your guess is as good as ours whether you should be paying such consultants for a highly unlikely cause. Rest assured, as and when the employment situation improves in EU and such offers will be easily available, ABHINAV will be providing the related service.
Singapore: Singapore Landed Permanent Resident Program is suspended till further notice and the application under the program cannot be filed at this stage.
Singapore EPEC program: Singapore Employment Pass Eligibility Certificate (EPEC)visa carries validity 6 to 12 months and permits the holder to stay in Singapore and look for a job. Even if you find an employer, he will need an assurance that you will be issued an employment pass if they decide to hire you. So do you wish to take a visa that requires you to leave you current job, go to Singapore at your expense and look for a job at your costs for months? What if you do not get a job? You are neither here nor there and are out with all your savings. Keep in mind as well that even if a Singapore employer hires you, it will just be work permit with PR application being filed at a much later stage. How do you know whether you will be meeting the PR application filing requirement at that stage? Still, if you are interested, we can readily file your EPEC application for Singapore.
Austria Red While Red Card: This is just like Singapore LPR with almost same features and disadvantages. You just get a 6 months residence permit in Austria to look for a job. The RWR card will be issued for 12 months after finding a Job which is relevant to your qualifications. After 5 years of Residence Status, you get Permanent Residency and eventually Citizenship at a later date. Austria is amongst one of the most expensive countries in the world to live in! So you want to leave you current job and spend your life's' savings (some of you even take loans) to take a visa that is just offering you permission to look out for a job? And what are the chances of you landing a relevant job without knowing the Local language? And should you apply for such a job search visa when you can get a full-fledged resident visa with all related for Canada (Quebec), Australia or New Zealand skilled program from day one of landing? Ask your-self all these queries before paying the misguiding consultants.
Norway's Skilled Jobseeker Residence Permit: This permit is valid only for six months and permits you to look for jobs and be interviewed by local employers. Check our comments listed under Austrian and Singapore program before taking a final decision on whether this is an appropriate program for you.
Send the following details for free of charge assessment by none other than Ajay Sharma, Principal Consultant, ABHINAV and pioneer of Immigration consultancy in India:
- Latest updated resume of self and if married, spouse. The resume should provide description of your duties and responsibilities during employment.
- If applicable, number and age of children
- Information on whether you have ever learned any foreign language at any point of your studies and professional experience
Summary: What's really the point in waiting for a positive change in programs for UK/USA/Canada federal in future which may or may not happen in the first place? Go for Canada Quebec/Australia/New Zealand/Hong Kong - countries that you may qualify for. Look at personal limitations - be it the IELTS score, the number of years of experience or limited financial settlement funds, and opt for a program that you may really be qualified for.