Degree list expanded by ICE dept--Foreign students can stay longer

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has published an expanded list of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) degree programs that qualify eligible graduates on student visas for an Optional Practical Training (OPT) extension-an important step forward in the Obama administration’s continued commitment to fixing the broken immigration system and expanding access to the nation's pool of talented high skilled graduates in the science and technology fields. The announcement follows President Obama's recent remarks in El Paso, Texas, where he reiterated his strong support for new policies that embrace talented students from other countries, who enrich the nation by working in science and technology jobs and fueling innovation in their chosen fields here in the United States, as a part of comprehensive reform.

By expanding the list of STEM degrees to include such fields as Neuroscience, Medical Informatics, Pharmaceutics and Drug Design, Mathematics and Computer Science, the Obama administration is helping to address shortages in certain high tech sectors of talented scientists and technology experts-permitting highly skilled foreign graduates who wish to work in their field of study upon graduation and extend their post-graduate training in the United States.

Under the OPT program, foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges and universities are able to remain in the U.S. and receive training through work experience for up to 12 months. Students who graduate with one of the newly-expanded STEM degrees can remain for an additional 17 months on an OPT STEM extension.

USCIS centralizes filing of Form I-130

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that effective August 15, 2011, petitioners residing in countries without USCIS offices will be able to file a Petition for an Alien Relative (Form I-130), with the USCIS Chicago Lockbox facility.

This will increase the efficiency of the relative petition filing process and give USCIS more flexibility in managing its workload. Previous regulations permitted these petitioners, who comprise about 5 percent of all I-130 petitioners, to file with USCIS or the U.S. Department of State at their local U.S. embassy or consulate. Under the new regulation, published today in the Federal Register, petitioners residing in countries without USCIS offices may file a Petition for an Alien Relative based on the addresses provided in the revised form instructions.

Petitioners residing in a country with a USCIS office have the option of sending their I-130 forms to the Chicago Lockbox, or they may file their Forms I-130 at the international USCIS office having jurisdiction over the area where they live.

To enable a smooth transition, petitioners should continue to file at their local U.S. embassy or consulate through August 14, 2011. Beginning August 15, 2011, petitioners residing abroad must file according to the new instructions.

Huge opportunity for Indian restaurants abroad

Indian cuisine continues to increase in popularity around the world. Good opportunities exist for entrepreneurs and established Indian-based restaurant chains to establish themselves abroad in countries such as Canada and Australia. There is also demand closer to home in countries such as Malaysia and Singapore which have large Indian populations. A 2010 National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) report said that many Indian companies are looking to expand abroad. There is considerable demand for Indian food in countries such as the US, Canada, the UK, and Singapore.

“There's a huge opportunity to be tapped there,” said the president of the NRAI. For many people thinking of starting a restaurant abroad, immigration is likely to be an issue. Countries such as the UK have made immigration more difficult, partly as a result of the financial crisis of 2008.

However, some economies are recovering quite well. Countries such as Australia and Singapore are ramping up efforts to recruit skilled workers and entrepreneurs and provide special immigration schemes which allow people to immigrate for the purpose of work and business.

For example, Singapore, a major financial centre has the Landed Permanent Residence scheme which allows immigration of foreign professionals to Singapore. Australia has its General Skilled Migration program a points based scoring system which enables immigrants to gain a residence visa as long as they gain enough points under the points system.

Australia wants Indian immigrants to fill labor gaps

Australian and Indian officials are working with Australian educational institutions and training organizations on opening up the country's training system to Indian students.

Tens of thousands of Indians would be trained under the plan to work in both countries, with up to 30,000 Australia-trained Indians being recruited to work in Australia. India prompted the initiative after realizing that it needs about a million skilled workers to help develop its own mining industry. Australia is also experiencing a lack or workers as its economy heats up and demand for resources increases.

According to Peter Linford, Australia’s senior trade official in India, the skills training program will offer enormous opportunities for the education sector and mining industry. Linford told the Australian Financial Review that the scheme could become a model for other to follow in industries in other countries. Indians would be trained to Australian standards and employed on the same conditions as Australians under existing immigration schemes.

European Union needs skilled workers

New research shows that the European Union risks being left behind in the global competition for skilled engineers and scientists.

The study by BusinessEurope states that the inflow of graduates in science and technology is falling across the 27-member bloc. According to the research Germany is suffering from a shortage of 117,000 skilled workers. Austria reported a 77 percent shortage of skilled labor in 2010.

The European Commission has stated that the EU needs millions of skilled migrants by 2050 to remain competitive. This has been the driving force behind the blue card initiative, a one-stop shop for non-EU skilled migrants that will enable them to gain work and residence permits in EU member states.

The EU has also put forward an intra-company transfer scheme which will allow multinational firms to bring overseas workers into the EU.

“The challenge ahead of us is immense,” said Philippe de Buck, BusinessEurope's director- general. “The position of Europe in today’s world economy is under pressure.” “Emerging economies are pushing hard,” he added.

[ BY YOGESH KARIKURVE ]