Many companies are characterized by an open dialogue between employees and management. Danish business culture is quite informal, and in comparison to other countries we do not have very hierarchical structures. Thus, you find a fairly relaxed atmosphere in Danish work places – somewhat like you may already have experienced at DTU in your relations with your teachers.
Most tasks in Danish companies are performed through cooperation between colleagues and departments. Team work is very important in the Danish job market.
Danes also tend to get more out of their working lives than just work: many companies have a cultural club, a sports club and a couple of social events a year for their employees (Christmas lunch and a summer outing).
Equal opportunities
In Denmark, women have the same career opportunities as men. As for equality of wages the level is by law required to be equal for men and women performing the same job. Employers are not allowed to refuse applicants on grounds of gender, religion, race or sexual preferences.
Some useful information
Many things will be new to you if you choose to stay in Denmark. Some things you may already have come across while taking your Msc. in Denmark. But you may well find useful information on these websites:
http://ida.dk/english
This site contains information about social security, taxes, living expenses and much else.
lifein.dk
A website written by and for expats, it contains lots of information about settling and working in Denmark.
New rules for Turks and Caicos Islands visas
The visa application system in the Turks and Caicos Islands will undergo a major overhaul and changes will include a new requirement that all applications must be made at UK posts overseas.
This was announced in a Government press release which stated that applications will be decided by a visa referral unit in the TCI. Further work will be done to expand the countries whose nationals will require a visa to enter the TCI, and to improve security features.
The press statement, which outlined a number of changes in the Immigration Ministry, said that the Employment Services Department will launch new job placement services in November. The Department will publish on its website and in leaflets clear guidelines on the process for registering as unemployed, and the services offered to employers and employees to match people to vacant posts. The Employment Officers will be located downstairs in Sam’s building on Provo.
The Department will also streamline labour clearance and work permit procedures through the setting up of a single front office and a new back office function. Customers and staff will be able to continue to feed in their ideas for improvements to policies and processes, which will be published. The structure and arrangements for collecting work permit fees will be reviewed.
Conciliation and arbitration services are being enhanced and a guide to procedures will be published shortly. It was also noted that the Borders are being strengthened with clear published entry criteria, a stronger intelligence base, enhanced passenger profiling and improved partnership with police and customs. The recently launched National Contingency Plan for Irregular Migrants will remain in place, and work will continue to get the coastal radar system fully operational by April next year.
Enforcement and compliance are being improved with comprehensive training for officers based around new written procedures and guidance. The Ministry’s enforcement and compliance staff are being brought together into a single unit, and they will place renewed emphasis on compliance activity with employers and develop a planned and systematic approach to the deportation of people who are in the islands illegally.
Options for a long term multi-purpose detention centre are being looked at. In the meantime a new security contract for the existing centre is being procured and discussions are being held with the owner to ensure compliance with minimum standards.
The issue of trafficking in human beings is also being tackled through the drafting of an Ordinance which will make trafficking a specific criminal offence with stringent penalties, the release added.
Meantime, the Border Control Ministry is also developing a paper for the Advisory Council, drawing together for a wider public consultation, the options for new criteria for PRC and a fair and transparent process for acquisition of Turks and Caicos Islander status. There will also be discussions with other government departments, the Human Rights Commissioner and community groups about which documentary evidence is acceptable to confirm the facts in order for births outside hospital to be registered.
The Change Programme is led by Permanent Secretary Clara Gardiner, Under Secretaries Sharon Taylor and Willette Swan, and the Commissioner of Labour Michelle Fulford-Gardiner. It is supported from the UK by a Senior Immigration Adviser, Lorraine Rogerson and two recently arrived Change Managers; Simon Excell, Border Control and Enforcement; and Kerstin Thompson, Policy and Casework, both of whom provide advice, mentoring and training.
The change programme is being carried forward within the context of the wider public service reform agenda.
This was announced in a Government press release which stated that applications will be decided by a visa referral unit in the TCI. Further work will be done to expand the countries whose nationals will require a visa to enter the TCI, and to improve security features.
The press statement, which outlined a number of changes in the Immigration Ministry, said that the Employment Services Department will launch new job placement services in November. The Department will publish on its website and in leaflets clear guidelines on the process for registering as unemployed, and the services offered to employers and employees to match people to vacant posts. The Employment Officers will be located downstairs in Sam’s building on Provo.
The Department will also streamline labour clearance and work permit procedures through the setting up of a single front office and a new back office function. Customers and staff will be able to continue to feed in their ideas for improvements to policies and processes, which will be published. The structure and arrangements for collecting work permit fees will be reviewed.
Conciliation and arbitration services are being enhanced and a guide to procedures will be published shortly. It was also noted that the Borders are being strengthened with clear published entry criteria, a stronger intelligence base, enhanced passenger profiling and improved partnership with police and customs. The recently launched National Contingency Plan for Irregular Migrants will remain in place, and work will continue to get the coastal radar system fully operational by April next year.
Enforcement and compliance are being improved with comprehensive training for officers based around new written procedures and guidance. The Ministry’s enforcement and compliance staff are being brought together into a single unit, and they will place renewed emphasis on compliance activity with employers and develop a planned and systematic approach to the deportation of people who are in the islands illegally.
Options for a long term multi-purpose detention centre are being looked at. In the meantime a new security contract for the existing centre is being procured and discussions are being held with the owner to ensure compliance with minimum standards.
The issue of trafficking in human beings is also being tackled through the drafting of an Ordinance which will make trafficking a specific criminal offence with stringent penalties, the release added.
Meantime, the Border Control Ministry is also developing a paper for the Advisory Council, drawing together for a wider public consultation, the options for new criteria for PRC and a fair and transparent process for acquisition of Turks and Caicos Islander status. There will also be discussions with other government departments, the Human Rights Commissioner and community groups about which documentary evidence is acceptable to confirm the facts in order for births outside hospital to be registered.
The Change Programme is led by Permanent Secretary Clara Gardiner, Under Secretaries Sharon Taylor and Willette Swan, and the Commissioner of Labour Michelle Fulford-Gardiner. It is supported from the UK by a Senior Immigration Adviser, Lorraine Rogerson and two recently arrived Change Managers; Simon Excell, Border Control and Enforcement; and Kerstin Thompson, Policy and Casework, both of whom provide advice, mentoring and training.
The change programme is being carried forward within the context of the wider public service reform agenda.
Spend $500,000 or more on a residential property and get a visa to live in US
The news in the Wall Street Journal on 20 October, under the header “Foreigners' Sweetener: Buy House, Get a Visa,” came as something of a surprise. The body of the piece said two senators, New York’s Charles Schumer (D) and Utah’s Mike Lee (R), were preparing to introduce a bill that would grant foreigners who spend $500,000 or more on a residential property a visa effective for as long as you own such property. These lucky people would be allowed to bring along spouses and any children under the age of 18. There would be no cap on the number of visas granted.
The reason behind the proposed bill was contained in the following paragraph of the WSJ article: “Foreigners have accounted for a growing share of home purchases in South Florida, Southern California, Arizona and other hard-hit markets. Chinese and Canadian buyers, among others, are taking advantage not only of big declines in US home prices and reduced competition from Americans, but also of favorable foreign exchange rates.” Without such buyers, said real-estate agents interviewed for the piece, the US housing market would be stagnant. It was hoped by a mortgage-bond pioneer that the bill would help turn around general buyer psychology.
But the 669 comments under the article have shown there are some Americans who don’t think the bill is such an excellent idea. Like Mike Scott, who wrote: “For all the talk about ‘affordable housing’ that comes from the Democratic party, they sure like to implement policies that make housing about as unaffordable as possible. Price drops are great. We should be embracing them and allowing the poor and middle-class to get deals that won't enslave them to debt for years.”
The same argument was made by Robert Reich, who served as secretary of labour under Clinton, in an opinion piece published in the Christian Science Monitor on 25 October. Still, it wasn’t the affect of the bill on first-time and middle-class American homebuyers that Reich was lamenting as much as the hypocrisy contained in its objectives. The visa-for-home swap proposal, he wrote, comes at a time when the nation is making it harder than ever for foreigners of modest means to get a visa. With student visas and green cards in increasingly limited supply, and states like Alabama and Arizona demanding “papers” from anyone they regard as suspicious (that is, of Latin American origin), the system is effectively deporting 400% more people a year than 15 years ago.
Reich suggested, as a consequence, that the immortal words of Emma Lazarus beneath the Statue of Liberty should be changed to read: “Give us your richest, fattest cats/ Your highest net-worth, seeking pleasure domes/ Your wealthy heirs and pampered brats./ Send these, with a half-million to buy our homes.”
The reason behind the proposed bill was contained in the following paragraph of the WSJ article: “Foreigners have accounted for a growing share of home purchases in South Florida, Southern California, Arizona and other hard-hit markets. Chinese and Canadian buyers, among others, are taking advantage not only of big declines in US home prices and reduced competition from Americans, but also of favorable foreign exchange rates.” Without such buyers, said real-estate agents interviewed for the piece, the US housing market would be stagnant. It was hoped by a mortgage-bond pioneer that the bill would help turn around general buyer psychology.
But the 669 comments under the article have shown there are some Americans who don’t think the bill is such an excellent idea. Like Mike Scott, who wrote: “For all the talk about ‘affordable housing’ that comes from the Democratic party, they sure like to implement policies that make housing about as unaffordable as possible. Price drops are great. We should be embracing them and allowing the poor and middle-class to get deals that won't enslave them to debt for years.”
The same argument was made by Robert Reich, who served as secretary of labour under Clinton, in an opinion piece published in the Christian Science Monitor on 25 October. Still, it wasn’t the affect of the bill on first-time and middle-class American homebuyers that Reich was lamenting as much as the hypocrisy contained in its objectives. The visa-for-home swap proposal, he wrote, comes at a time when the nation is making it harder than ever for foreigners of modest means to get a visa. With student visas and green cards in increasingly limited supply, and states like Alabama and Arizona demanding “papers” from anyone they regard as suspicious (that is, of Latin American origin), the system is effectively deporting 400% more people a year than 15 years ago.
Reich suggested, as a consequence, that the immortal words of Emma Lazarus beneath the Statue of Liberty should be changed to read: “Give us your richest, fattest cats/ Your highest net-worth, seeking pleasure domes/ Your wealthy heirs and pampered brats./ Send these, with a half-million to buy our homes.”
Australia cancels visas of 15,066 student for violation of rules
MELBOURNE: Australian authorities have cancelled 15,066 student visas of foreign nationals for breaching visa conditions, reports said.
The Immigration Department has already cancelled 15,066 foreign student visas in the past year, a 37 per cent spike from the previous year.
About 3,624 students are facing deportation for flunking subjects or missing classes and a further 2,235 visas were cancelled on students who quit their original courses and were either working illegally, in some cases in brothels, 'The Daily telegraph' reported.
The report said that Indian students have been hit the hardest where as Chinese students were fared better as they were less likely to be studying for a trade.
Under the new rules, University graduates will have the right to work here for two years after they graduate, leaving vocational training students to wait on a second tranche of changes, due next year, to find out where they stand.
Of the 332,709 international students in Australia in June, more than half were studying at university, while a third were on vocational training visas studying diploma courses.
The report said that one in every five international students is Chinese, while one in every six is Indian. The majority of international students were placed in New South Wales and Victoria.
To receive a visa students must be enrolled in a course and show they can pay tuition and living costs and meet health and English language tests.
Immigration Department offers eight kinds of student visas - including vocational training, university, English language courses or school education visas.
The department's annual report said that 8,309 student visa holders became "unlawful" in the past year because their student visa expired and they did not apply for a new one, such as a bridging visa.
In some cases, foreigners were not genuine students and use the work rights of a student visa as a back door to higher wages and working conditions in Australia.
Some women have come to Australia on student visas to work in illegal brothels.
The Immigration Department has already cancelled 15,066 foreign student visas in the past year, a 37 per cent spike from the previous year.
About 3,624 students are facing deportation for flunking subjects or missing classes and a further 2,235 visas were cancelled on students who quit their original courses and were either working illegally, in some cases in brothels, 'The Daily telegraph' reported.
The report said that Indian students have been hit the hardest where as Chinese students were fared better as they were less likely to be studying for a trade.
Under the new rules, University graduates will have the right to work here for two years after they graduate, leaving vocational training students to wait on a second tranche of changes, due next year, to find out where they stand.
Of the 332,709 international students in Australia in June, more than half were studying at university, while a third were on vocational training visas studying diploma courses.
The report said that one in every five international students is Chinese, while one in every six is Indian. The majority of international students were placed in New South Wales and Victoria.
To receive a visa students must be enrolled in a course and show they can pay tuition and living costs and meet health and English language tests.
Immigration Department offers eight kinds of student visas - including vocational training, university, English language courses or school education visas.
The department's annual report said that 8,309 student visa holders became "unlawful" in the past year because their student visa expired and they did not apply for a new one, such as a bridging visa.
In some cases, foreigners were not genuine students and use the work rights of a student visa as a back door to higher wages and working conditions in Australia.
Some women have come to Australia on student visas to work in illegal brothels.
Scandal-hit UK University closes down
London: The 120-year-old University of Wales, which was recently in news for validating degrees at colleges where controversial practices were revealed affecting many students from India, among others, has been abolished.
An Indian-origin lecturer at the Rayat London college was recently filmed in an undercover investigation advising students on how to cheat Britain's immigration officials while securing a work visa. Its degrees were validated by the University of Wales. Many Indian students were stranded when the Tasmac London School of Business, which also offered degrees validated by the University of Wales, closed down. Efforts were made to accommodate the stranded students in other colleges.
The University also received criticism for the working of two institutions in Malaysia and Thailand where its degrees were offered without the necessary clearances or standards. Now the scandal-hit university has been abolished after it merged with two colleges to form the new University of Wales Trinity St David university. University of Wales council chairman Hugh Thomas resigned after the merger decision. Medwin Hughes, the vice-chancellor of the merged university, said it was a 'strong brand'. Hughes said students in the UK and beyond would still be able to finish a University of Wales degree. Once the merger has taken place, new degrees would bear the name of the new university, he said.
An Indian-origin lecturer at the Rayat London college was recently filmed in an undercover investigation advising students on how to cheat Britain's immigration officials while securing a work visa. Its degrees were validated by the University of Wales. Many Indian students were stranded when the Tasmac London School of Business, which also offered degrees validated by the University of Wales, closed down. Efforts were made to accommodate the stranded students in other colleges.
The University also received criticism for the working of two institutions in Malaysia and Thailand where its degrees were offered without the necessary clearances or standards. Now the scandal-hit university has been abolished after it merged with two colleges to form the new University of Wales Trinity St David university. University of Wales council chairman Hugh Thomas resigned after the merger decision. Medwin Hughes, the vice-chancellor of the merged university, said it was a 'strong brand'. Hughes said students in the UK and beyond would still be able to finish a University of Wales degree. Once the merger has taken place, new degrees would bear the name of the new university, he said.
Career-changing strategies that worked
Today's job market is full of experienced candidates. Are you one among them? The answer may be no, especially when you are changing a career to a new field.
It's not at all unusual for a hiring manager to be looking at a pile of 200 resumes for each opening. Some of those candidates are going to have exactly the industry experience they're looking for. So if yours doesn't, why shouldn't they throw it out?Wait! Before you throw in the towel on trying to change careers, consider these tried-and-true methods. One of them, or some combination, might get you where you want to go.
Try temping. Since you're at a disadvantage without industry experience, an obvious solution is to get some. Sign on with a temp agency that specializes in the field you want to enter. You'll probably have to take a step down in pay, but it gives you the chance to prove yourself. The important thing is to get a foot in the door.
Be ready to talk up your portable skills. What have you done well that a different type of employer might be able to use? If you've succeeded in sales, customer service, or business analysis in any industry, you can do it almost anywhere else.
Go back to school. Taking courses in your chosen field not only teaches you the business and introduces you to new people, but "the classes count as experience on your resume, since you're learning the business.
Smart. But don't forget to look close to home as well. Do you have the wrong personality for sitting in front of a computer all day? You need to like human interaction!
Look for the right match. Big-company denizens looking to change careers often overlook smaller firms, including startups. That's a mistake. Big companies usually have more rigid job descriptions. Your best bet might be companies with between 100 and 300 employees, which are big enough to have opportunities but small enough that individual roles are more broad, fluid, and flexible.
Keep trying. Don't be afraid to knock on doors and tell people why you would be valuable in their company.
It's not at all unusual for a hiring manager to be looking at a pile of 200 resumes for each opening. Some of those candidates are going to have exactly the industry experience they're looking for. So if yours doesn't, why shouldn't they throw it out?Wait! Before you throw in the towel on trying to change careers, consider these tried-and-true methods. One of them, or some combination, might get you where you want to go.
Try temping. Since you're at a disadvantage without industry experience, an obvious solution is to get some. Sign on with a temp agency that specializes in the field you want to enter. You'll probably have to take a step down in pay, but it gives you the chance to prove yourself. The important thing is to get a foot in the door.
Be ready to talk up your portable skills. What have you done well that a different type of employer might be able to use? If you've succeeded in sales, customer service, or business analysis in any industry, you can do it almost anywhere else.
Go back to school. Taking courses in your chosen field not only teaches you the business and introduces you to new people, but "the classes count as experience on your resume, since you're learning the business.
Smart. But don't forget to look close to home as well. Do you have the wrong personality for sitting in front of a computer all day? You need to like human interaction!
Look for the right match. Big-company denizens looking to change careers often overlook smaller firms, including startups. That's a mistake. Big companies usually have more rigid job descriptions. Your best bet might be companies with between 100 and 300 employees, which are big enough to have opportunities but small enough that individual roles are more broad, fluid, and flexible.
Keep trying. Don't be afraid to knock on doors and tell people why you would be valuable in their company.
US evangelist held for visa violation
Kochi: American evangelist and preacher William Lee who allegedly violated visa norms by conducting a musical convention here has been arrested.
Police had issued lookout notices at all airports in India for the detention of the US evangelist allegedly after he tried to flee the arrest.
Lee's arrest came after the Faith Leaders Church of God, a Christian congregation instrumental in bringing Lee to India informed of the police of his decision to surrender.
The Palarivattam police had registered a case against Lee for for conducting faith music convention at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here despite possessing only a tourist visa.
Police had issued lookout notices at all airports in India for the detention of the US evangelist allegedly after he tried to flee the arrest.
Lee's arrest came after the Faith Leaders Church of God, a Christian congregation instrumental in bringing Lee to India informed of the police of his decision to surrender.
The Palarivattam police had registered a case against Lee for for conducting faith music convention at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here despite possessing only a tourist visa.
Finding motivation in your career - Randall Craig
Practical suggestions on how to avoid procrastination, make tough decisions, or finding the energy to exercise after a tough day.
Russian Parliament clears easy visa pact with India
Cementing ties with India, Russian Parliament today ratified a bilateral visa simplification pact to boost business, scientific and cultural exchanges and tourism between the two strategic partners.
The nod by the Federation Council, the upper house of Russian Parliament, came days after the lower house State Duma overwhelmingly approved the inter-governmental agreement on simplification of requirements for mutual travels of certain categories of citizens.
Inked in Delhi on December 21, 2010, the pact provides for simplified visa process for members of the official delegations, businessmen, representatives of the industry and commerce chambers, persons involved in scientific, cultural and creative professions, sister city exchanges, school kids, other students, their group leaders, research scholars and tourists, the Federation Council said in a release.
The bill will now go for signing into law by President Dmitry Medvedev.
The individual citizens and organisations will not any more need an invitation or a tourist voucher to travel to Russia or India and will be able to directly apply for visas.
For the first time since the Soviet collapse, the two sides are also considering the issuance of one-year and five -year multi-entry visas allowing their citizens holding valid national passports to stay on the territory of the other country for up to 90 days within a period of 180 days from their first entry.
This limit is explained by the international practice that after staying in a foreign country for more than 180 days, a person becomes the tax resident of that country.
The nod by the Federation Council, the upper house of Russian Parliament, came days after the lower house State Duma overwhelmingly approved the inter-governmental agreement on simplification of requirements for mutual travels of certain categories of citizens.
Inked in Delhi on December 21, 2010, the pact provides for simplified visa process for members of the official delegations, businessmen, representatives of the industry and commerce chambers, persons involved in scientific, cultural and creative professions, sister city exchanges, school kids, other students, their group leaders, research scholars and tourists, the Federation Council said in a release.
The bill will now go for signing into law by President Dmitry Medvedev.
The individual citizens and organisations will not any more need an invitation or a tourist voucher to travel to Russia or India and will be able to directly apply for visas.
For the first time since the Soviet collapse, the two sides are also considering the issuance of one-year and five -year multi-entry visas allowing their citizens holding valid national passports to stay on the territory of the other country for up to 90 days within a period of 180 days from their first entry.
This limit is explained by the international practice that after staying in a foreign country for more than 180 days, a person becomes the tax resident of that country.
Oz state to push for reforms in education market
Australian state of Victoria is all set to push for easing visa restrictions to boost its USD 5.8 billion international education market, particularly vocational sector which has been recording severe drop in enrollments.
According to 'The Age' newspaper report, Premier of Victoria Ted Baillieu has blamed Canberra of "effectively strangling" the international student market.
He said that he was now like to push for wider changes to visa restrictions.
Baillieu along with New South Wales premier are expected to use the next Council of Australian Governments meeting to challenge Prime Minister Julia Gillard to further ease visa restrictions, with Victoria arguing the changes should be based on the type of qualification students get, not just that it comes from a university.
"The Victorian government is concerned that the Commonwealth have effectively strangled the international education market with a knee-jerk reaction that is threatening a USD 5.8 billion industry in Victoria," Baillieu's spokeswoman was quoted by the report.
"Victoria is developing a number of initiatives to grow our international student market, particularly from key countries such as China and India," she said.
However, the Commonwealth's actions have been inadequate and are threatening this important economic sector," she said.
Recently, the federal government announced changes to the visa rules where in it would fast-track student visas and give foreign students the right to two years of post-study work provided they graduate with a university degree.
Under the Commonwealth's changes, adopted from the Knight review into student visas, foreign students who undertake a university bachelor degree will have access to a streamlined visa system and the right to two years' work after graduating, without a restriction on the type of job.
They would no longer have to prove they have more than USD 75,000 in their bank account, bringing Australia's system into line with other countries such as the US, where students simply declare they have the means to support themselves.
However, vocational training colleges will have to wait on a second review due next year before they see major changes to processing arrangements for their own international students.
Figures from the Immigration Department show offshore grants (visa approvals) for the vocational education and training sector fell by 44.6 per cent between June 2009- 0 and June 2010-11, including a 64 per cent decline from China, and a 90.1 per cent fall from India.
University offshore grants fell by 18.3 per cent over the same period, it said.
According to 'The Age' newspaper report, Premier of Victoria Ted Baillieu has blamed Canberra of "effectively strangling" the international student market.
He said that he was now like to push for wider changes to visa restrictions.
Baillieu along with New South Wales premier are expected to use the next Council of Australian Governments meeting to challenge Prime Minister Julia Gillard to further ease visa restrictions, with Victoria arguing the changes should be based on the type of qualification students get, not just that it comes from a university.
"The Victorian government is concerned that the Commonwealth have effectively strangled the international education market with a knee-jerk reaction that is threatening a USD 5.8 billion industry in Victoria," Baillieu's spokeswoman was quoted by the report.
"Victoria is developing a number of initiatives to grow our international student market, particularly from key countries such as China and India," she said.
However, the Commonwealth's actions have been inadequate and are threatening this important economic sector," she said.
Recently, the federal government announced changes to the visa rules where in it would fast-track student visas and give foreign students the right to two years of post-study work provided they graduate with a university degree.
Under the Commonwealth's changes, adopted from the Knight review into student visas, foreign students who undertake a university bachelor degree will have access to a streamlined visa system and the right to two years' work after graduating, without a restriction on the type of job.
They would no longer have to prove they have more than USD 75,000 in their bank account, bringing Australia's system into line with other countries such as the US, where students simply declare they have the means to support themselves.
However, vocational training colleges will have to wait on a second review due next year before they see major changes to processing arrangements for their own international students.
Figures from the Immigration Department show offshore grants (visa approvals) for the vocational education and training sector fell by 44.6 per cent between June 2009- 0 and June 2010-11, including a 64 per cent decline from China, and a 90.1 per cent fall from India.
University offshore grants fell by 18.3 per cent over the same period, it said.
Swedish work permit rules 'misused': minister
Some 200 Bangladeshi migrants have recently arrived in Sweden, holding work permits from a Swedish firm to enable them to work as berry pickers but they never worked in the country, and instead flew straight out of Arlanda Airport, according to a report in the Svenska Dagbladet (SvD) daily.
"The government’s position is clear - it is absolutely intolerable if the rules are being misused," Migration minister Tobias Billström told The Local on Monday.
Billström observed that while "we can discuss how well the control system works", he pointed out that the Migration Board (Migrationsverket) is responsible for the assessment of visa applications and that in this case the applications were in fact revoked.
"The Migration Board is in constant contact with the border police," he said as part of the agency's responsibility for tackling the problem of bogus contracts.
Almost since its introduction in 2008 the law allowing for labour migration has come under criticism with some arguing that it has allowed for a new major area of human trafficking.
Detective inspector Per Englund, who is tasked with investigating human trafficking at the Sweden's National Bureau of Investigation (Rikskriminalpolisen), told SvD that the law was being exploited.
"There is a gap in the law. If you travel into Sweden with a valid permit, a valid paper, then it is not considered human trafficking," he said.
Border police at the airport confirmed the situation to the newspaper and explained that there is little they can do when the migrants arrive with valid work permits.
The firm which submitted the applications for the work permits is a Swedish registered subsidiary of a Finnish recruitment company and according to the newspaper the Bangladeshis have paid significant sums to the firm for their visas.
Tobias Billström told The Local that the government is satisfied that existing legislation is sufficient with regards to both human smuggling and labour migration.
“Human trafficking is already regulated within the Aliens Act. One has to be clear that the present rules are working as intended,” he said.
“The law is not being used, it is being misused. There is a clear difference,” he said.
"The government’s position is clear - it is absolutely intolerable if the rules are being misused," Migration minister Tobias Billström told The Local on Monday.
Billström observed that while "we can discuss how well the control system works", he pointed out that the Migration Board (Migrationsverket) is responsible for the assessment of visa applications and that in this case the applications were in fact revoked.
"The Migration Board is in constant contact with the border police," he said as part of the agency's responsibility for tackling the problem of bogus contracts.
Almost since its introduction in 2008 the law allowing for labour migration has come under criticism with some arguing that it has allowed for a new major area of human trafficking.
Detective inspector Per Englund, who is tasked with investigating human trafficking at the Sweden's National Bureau of Investigation (Rikskriminalpolisen), told SvD that the law was being exploited.
"There is a gap in the law. If you travel into Sweden with a valid permit, a valid paper, then it is not considered human trafficking," he said.
Border police at the airport confirmed the situation to the newspaper and explained that there is little they can do when the migrants arrive with valid work permits.
The firm which submitted the applications for the work permits is a Swedish registered subsidiary of a Finnish recruitment company and according to the newspaper the Bangladeshis have paid significant sums to the firm for their visas.
Tobias Billström told The Local that the government is satisfied that existing legislation is sufficient with regards to both human smuggling and labour migration.
“Human trafficking is already regulated within the Aliens Act. One has to be clear that the present rules are working as intended,” he said.
“The law is not being used, it is being misused. There is a clear difference,” he said.
U.S. economy: 103,000 jobs added but unemployment still at 9.1%
The Obama administration dodged a bullet today when the United States Bureau of Labour Statistics announced in its jobs report for September that non-farm payroll employment edged up by 103,000 although the unemployment rate held at 9.1 per cent.
However the BLS poured cold water on the ostensible pause in the economy’s downward slide when it pointed out that the increase in employment partially reflected the return to payrolls of about 45,000 telecommunications workers who had been on strike in August.
Even as markets continued to be roiled in the wake of uncertainty regarding the pace of the recovery, the BLS however underscored some stability in unemployment numbers, noting that the number of unemployed persons, at 14.0 million, was essentially unchanged in September.
However some worrisome trends persisted beneath the aggregate figures as the number of long-term unemployed, that is those jobless for 27 weeks or more, was 6.2 million in September and they accounted for whopping 44.6 percent of the unemployed.
In a further indication that business hiring and employment were far from brisk the number of persons employed part time for economic reasons, sometimes referred to as involuntary part-time workers, reportedly rose to 9.3 million. “These individuals were working part time because their hours had been cut back or because they were unable to find a full-time job,” the BLS said.
Describing the unemployment rate of 9.1 per cent as “unacceptably high,” Katherine Abraham, Member of the Council of Economic Advisors, however lauded the private sector for adding 2.6 million jobs for 19 straight months, with a total of 137,000 jobs added last month.
Arguing that there was a clear need for faster economic growth to put Americans back to work, Ms. Abraham said that the BLS report underscored President Barack Obama’s call for Congress to pass the American Jobs Act “to put more money in the pockets of working and middle class families; to make it easier for small businesses to hire workers; to keep teachers in the classroom; to put construction crews to work rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure; and other measures that will help the economy grow while not adding to the deficit over ten years.”
In terms of specific sectors that added jobs last month, employment in professional and business services increased by 48,000; in health care it continued to expand with an increase of 44,000; in construction employment increased by 26,000 jobs; and employment in the information sector rose by 34,000. Among the sectors that shed jobs was retail trade, in which employment declined in electronic and appliance stores by 9,000 jobs.
However it was principally in the public sector that the largest declines in employment levels occurred, with government employment continuing to trend down by 34,000 jobs. The U.S. Postal Service also continued to lose jobs and was down by 5,000, while local government employment which had fallen by 535,000 since September 2008, declined by 35,000.
The BLS said that the average hourly earnings for all employees on private non-farm payrolls increased by 4 cents, or 0.2 per cent, to $23.12.
However the BLS poured cold water on the ostensible pause in the economy’s downward slide when it pointed out that the increase in employment partially reflected the return to payrolls of about 45,000 telecommunications workers who had been on strike in August.
Even as markets continued to be roiled in the wake of uncertainty regarding the pace of the recovery, the BLS however underscored some stability in unemployment numbers, noting that the number of unemployed persons, at 14.0 million, was essentially unchanged in September.
However some worrisome trends persisted beneath the aggregate figures as the number of long-term unemployed, that is those jobless for 27 weeks or more, was 6.2 million in September and they accounted for whopping 44.6 percent of the unemployed.
In a further indication that business hiring and employment were far from brisk the number of persons employed part time for economic reasons, sometimes referred to as involuntary part-time workers, reportedly rose to 9.3 million. “These individuals were working part time because their hours had been cut back or because they were unable to find a full-time job,” the BLS said.
Describing the unemployment rate of 9.1 per cent as “unacceptably high,” Katherine Abraham, Member of the Council of Economic Advisors, however lauded the private sector for adding 2.6 million jobs for 19 straight months, with a total of 137,000 jobs added last month.
Arguing that there was a clear need for faster economic growth to put Americans back to work, Ms. Abraham said that the BLS report underscored President Barack Obama’s call for Congress to pass the American Jobs Act “to put more money in the pockets of working and middle class families; to make it easier for small businesses to hire workers; to keep teachers in the classroom; to put construction crews to work rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure; and other measures that will help the economy grow while not adding to the deficit over ten years.”
In terms of specific sectors that added jobs last month, employment in professional and business services increased by 48,000; in health care it continued to expand with an increase of 44,000; in construction employment increased by 26,000 jobs; and employment in the information sector rose by 34,000. Among the sectors that shed jobs was retail trade, in which employment declined in electronic and appliance stores by 9,000 jobs.
However it was principally in the public sector that the largest declines in employment levels occurred, with government employment continuing to trend down by 34,000 jobs. The U.S. Postal Service also continued to lose jobs and was down by 5,000, while local government employment which had fallen by 535,000 since September 2008, declined by 35,000.
The BLS said that the average hourly earnings for all employees on private non-farm payrolls increased by 4 cents, or 0.2 per cent, to $23.12.
US Labor Department launches economic and employment statistics app
WASHINGTON, Oct. 6, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The most up-to-date employment data and economic news releases from the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics and its Employment and Training Administration now can be viewed using a new mobile application.
The free app displays real-time updates to the unemployment rate, Unemployment Insurance initial claims, the Consumer Price Index, payroll employment, average hourly earnings, the Producer Price Index, the Employment Cost Index, productivity, the U.S. Import Price Index and the U.S. Export Price Index as they are published each week, month or quarter. News releases providing context for the data are also available through the app and can be viewed within a mobile browser or as PDF documents.
"We know that people around the world are interested in labor statistics," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "The Labor Department is continuously exploring how to share important information using the fastest, simplest, most wide-reaching means available, and this app allows us to increase the accessibility of our statistical data."
The new app is currently available for the iPhone and iPod Touch as well as Android phones. The Labor Department is working to develop versions for BlackBerry and iPad devices. Visit http://www.dol.gov/dol/apps to download this and other mobile apps.
U.S. Department of Labor news materials are accessible at http://www.dol.gov. The information above is available in large print, Braille, audio tape or disc from the COAST office upon request by calling 202-693-7828 or TTY 202-693-7755
The free app displays real-time updates to the unemployment rate, Unemployment Insurance initial claims, the Consumer Price Index, payroll employment, average hourly earnings, the Producer Price Index, the Employment Cost Index, productivity, the U.S. Import Price Index and the U.S. Export Price Index as they are published each week, month or quarter. News releases providing context for the data are also available through the app and can be viewed within a mobile browser or as PDF documents.
"We know that people around the world are interested in labor statistics," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "The Labor Department is continuously exploring how to share important information using the fastest, simplest, most wide-reaching means available, and this app allows us to increase the accessibility of our statistical data."
The new app is currently available for the iPhone and iPod Touch as well as Android phones. The Labor Department is working to develop versions for BlackBerry and iPad devices. Visit http://www.dol.gov/dol/apps to download this and other mobile apps.
U.S. Department of Labor news materials are accessible at http://www.dol.gov. The information above is available in large print, Braille, audio tape or disc from the COAST office upon request by calling 202-693-7828 or TTY 202-693-7755
The Career Engineer: Resumes
The Career Engineer Francina Harrison shares her tips on how to clean up that resume.
India, Pak to issue multiple-entry visas to traders: Fahim
Islamabad: India and Pakistan have agreed to solve visa problems faced by businessmen of both countries by issuing multiple-entry visas valid for a year, Pakistani Commerce Minister Makhdoom Amin Fahim said Thursday.
Both countries had agreed on issuing multiple-entry visas to traders during his recent visit to India, Fahim told the media.
All controversial issues between the two countries will be discussed one by one, he said. It had also been agreed during his visit that India will not oppose the World Trade Organisation waiver sought by the European Union for granting duty-free access for certain goods from Pakistan, Fahim said.
Asked about Pakistan's invitation to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to visit the country, Fahim said the invitation had been accepted but dates for the visit will be decided later. Foreign Minister spokesperson Tehmina Janjua, speaking during a weekly news briefing, said Commerce Minister Fahim had concluded a "good visit" to India during which the two countries agreed that their Commerce Secretaries would meet again in November to discuss ways to enhance trade.
"It is our hope that India's decision not to raise any further questions in WTO will smooth the way for early agreement on the EU waiver on a specific list of goods in the WTO for Pakistan," Janjua said.
In response to a question, Janjua said there had been no change in Pakistan's decision not to allow Indian goods to be transported to Afghanistan under a transit trade agreement signed by Islamabad and Kabul.
Both countries had agreed on issuing multiple-entry visas to traders during his recent visit to India, Fahim told the media.
All controversial issues between the two countries will be discussed one by one, he said. It had also been agreed during his visit that India will not oppose the World Trade Organisation waiver sought by the European Union for granting duty-free access for certain goods from Pakistan, Fahim said.
Asked about Pakistan's invitation to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to visit the country, Fahim said the invitation had been accepted but dates for the visit will be decided later. Foreign Minister spokesperson Tehmina Janjua, speaking during a weekly news briefing, said Commerce Minister Fahim had concluded a "good visit" to India during which the two countries agreed that their Commerce Secretaries would meet again in November to discuss ways to enhance trade.
"It is our hope that India's decision not to raise any further questions in WTO will smooth the way for early agreement on the EU waiver on a specific list of goods in the WTO for Pakistan," Janjua said.
In response to a question, Janjua said there had been no change in Pakistan's decision not to allow Indian goods to be transported to Afghanistan under a transit trade agreement signed by Islamabad and Kabul.
Skilled Indians face a 70-year green card wait!
Washington: A highly skilled Indian national sponsored today for the most common skilled employment-based immigrant visa could wait 70 years to receive a green card, conclude two new reports by a US policy research group.
The reports by the National Foundation for American Policy conclude that exempting from green card quotas international students with an advanced degree in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) would keep talented individuals from leaving the United States.
This would "reap significant benefits to the competitiveness of U.S. companies and to the economy overall" suggests the reports - "Keeping Talent in America" and "Waiting and More Waiting: America's Family and Employment-Based Immigration System."
The majority of employer-sponsored immigrants tend to be from India and China, but the wait times are longest for such foreign nationals because of the per country limit, which restricts the number of green cards awarded to any one country to 7 percent of a preference category.
By establishing that fewer than 3,000 Indians are permitted green cards annually in the employment based third preference (EB-3) and estimating a backlog of 210,000 among Indian professionals in the category, the report is able to conclude an Indian sponsored today could wait 70 years for a green card.
The report concludes that even if the backlog of Indians in EB-3 were half as large, the wait time would still exceed 30 years for Indians sponsored today in the category.
A Chinese immigrant sponsored today in the EB-3 category could wait two decades. Immigrants from other countries would likely wait 5 years or more.
In the EB-2 (second preference) category the wait times are 6 to 8 years for a newly sponsored Indian or Chinese immigrant, but there is no wait for those from other countries.
"It is not in our interests to have the most important characteristic of an immigrant to America be the ability to wait a long time," said NFAP's executive director Stuart Anderson, who authored the two reports.
"Absent action by Congress the situation will grow worse, creating great hardship and weakening the competitiveness of US companies," he said.
A key part of any solution to reducing wait times is to eliminate the per country limit for employment-based immigrants, the reports say noting the step would reduce the typical wait for Indians applying today in the EB-3 category from 70 to 12 years.
While 12 years is still too long, it would be a welcome reform for longest waiting Indian and Chinese professionals, the reports said.
The reports by the National Foundation for American Policy conclude that exempting from green card quotas international students with an advanced degree in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) would keep talented individuals from leaving the United States.
This would "reap significant benefits to the competitiveness of U.S. companies and to the economy overall" suggests the reports - "Keeping Talent in America" and "Waiting and More Waiting: America's Family and Employment-Based Immigration System."
The majority of employer-sponsored immigrants tend to be from India and China, but the wait times are longest for such foreign nationals because of the per country limit, which restricts the number of green cards awarded to any one country to 7 percent of a preference category.
By establishing that fewer than 3,000 Indians are permitted green cards annually in the employment based third preference (EB-3) and estimating a backlog of 210,000 among Indian professionals in the category, the report is able to conclude an Indian sponsored today could wait 70 years for a green card.
The report concludes that even if the backlog of Indians in EB-3 were half as large, the wait time would still exceed 30 years for Indians sponsored today in the category.
A Chinese immigrant sponsored today in the EB-3 category could wait two decades. Immigrants from other countries would likely wait 5 years or more.
In the EB-2 (second preference) category the wait times are 6 to 8 years for a newly sponsored Indian or Chinese immigrant, but there is no wait for those from other countries.
"It is not in our interests to have the most important characteristic of an immigrant to America be the ability to wait a long time," said NFAP's executive director Stuart Anderson, who authored the two reports.
"Absent action by Congress the situation will grow worse, creating great hardship and weakening the competitiveness of US companies," he said.
A key part of any solution to reducing wait times is to eliminate the per country limit for employment-based immigrants, the reports say noting the step would reduce the typical wait for Indians applying today in the EB-3 category from 70 to 12 years.
While 12 years is still too long, it would be a welcome reform for longest waiting Indian and Chinese professionals, the reports said.
Sectors of Growth in the Job Market
It can often seem as though there are no jobs out there, especially in the wake of the recent recession. While it is true to say that hunting for a job is harder now for many than it might have been a few years ago, there are definitely still signs of hope and many sectors where the job opportunities are growing.
The UK job market stayed relatively static over the past year, with figures for the second quarter of 2011 roughly corresponding with those for the same period in 2010. This might seem disheartening, but there have been quite a few areas of growth and so people who are currently looking for jobs might want to consider extending their searches to incorporate a wider range of sectors in order to give themselves the best possible chance of finding suitable employment.
For instance, construction jobs are up by 22% year on year and they were up by 1% on quarter 1 of 2011, suggesting that growth in the sector is still continuing. This could be good news for quite a large number of job hunters, especially as construction is a diverse field and so it looks to employ a wide variety of people, depending on the location, company and project involved.
Another area that grew was the aerospace industry. The Barometer Survey, which began in 2009 to report on trends in the job market, found that aerospace jobs were up by a massive 22% year on year to a level never before seen on the survey. This also amounts to a 1% increase on Q1 2011 figures, and suggests that if you have the necessary skills to make a career in aerospace, now is definitely a very good time to be job hunting within that sector.
There was also good news from the area of electronics, which reported a 20% year on year increase, although the figures were down 11% in Q2 2011 in comparison to the record figures in the last quarter. However, the general growth in the sector is still a good sign. Also, engineering jobs are significantly up year on year, by as much as 20%. This is the second largest sector in the UK and it has now grown to record levels in Q2 2011, up slightly on the previous quarter.
All of this shows that there is definitely still considerable life in the economy as well as jobseekers can still look for jobs north east or many other places within growing sectors of industry.
The UK job market stayed relatively static over the past year, with figures for the second quarter of 2011 roughly corresponding with those for the same period in 2010. This might seem disheartening, but there have been quite a few areas of growth and so people who are currently looking for jobs might want to consider extending their searches to incorporate a wider range of sectors in order to give themselves the best possible chance of finding suitable employment.
For instance, construction jobs are up by 22% year on year and they were up by 1% on quarter 1 of 2011, suggesting that growth in the sector is still continuing. This could be good news for quite a large number of job hunters, especially as construction is a diverse field and so it looks to employ a wide variety of people, depending on the location, company and project involved.
Another area that grew was the aerospace industry. The Barometer Survey, which began in 2009 to report on trends in the job market, found that aerospace jobs were up by a massive 22% year on year to a level never before seen on the survey. This also amounts to a 1% increase on Q1 2011 figures, and suggests that if you have the necessary skills to make a career in aerospace, now is definitely a very good time to be job hunting within that sector.
There was also good news from the area of electronics, which reported a 20% year on year increase, although the figures were down 11% in Q2 2011 in comparison to the record figures in the last quarter. However, the general growth in the sector is still a good sign. Also, engineering jobs are significantly up year on year, by as much as 20%. This is the second largest sector in the UK and it has now grown to record levels in Q2 2011, up slightly on the previous quarter.
All of this shows that there is definitely still considerable life in the economy as well as jobseekers can still look for jobs north east or many other places within growing sectors of industry.
What is a transcript?
A transcript is an official copy of a student's academic record. It records all courses successfully and unsuccessfully completed by the student.
You would use an Official Transcript if you need to provide evidence of your University or College academic record to another educational institution, for employment or to apply for scholarships or bursaries.
An Unofficial Transcript may be obtained from your University which can be submitted along with your applications for employment.
United States
In United States education, a transcript (Cumulative Record File, CRF, Permanent Record, or simply Record) is a copy of a student's permanent academic record which usually means all courses taken, all grades received, all honors received and degrees conferred to a student.
European Union
In the European ECTS system, transcripts are called Transcript of Records (ToR), and are used to document the performance of a student over a certain period of time by listing the course units or modules taken, the credits gained, and the grades awarded. The Transcript of Records provides a standard format for recording all study activities carried out by students.
Transcripts for Employment
Some employers may request that you submit a transcript along with your résumé or will ask that you bring one with you to the interview. Unless specified, this always means an unofficial transcript. An unofficial transcript for recruitment purposes is a copy of your current transcript, as opposed to an official transcript in its sealed envelope from the University Registrar.
You would use an Official Transcript if you need to provide evidence of your University or College academic record to another educational institution, for employment or to apply for scholarships or bursaries.
An Unofficial Transcript may be obtained from your University which can be submitted along with your applications for employment.
United States
In United States education, a transcript (Cumulative Record File, CRF, Permanent Record, or simply Record) is a copy of a student's permanent academic record which usually means all courses taken, all grades received, all honors received and degrees conferred to a student.
European Union
In the European ECTS system, transcripts are called Transcript of Records (ToR), and are used to document the performance of a student over a certain period of time by listing the course units or modules taken, the credits gained, and the grades awarded. The Transcript of Records provides a standard format for recording all study activities carried out by students.
Transcripts for Employment
Some employers may request that you submit a transcript along with your résumé or will ask that you bring one with you to the interview. Unless specified, this always means an unofficial transcript. An unofficial transcript for recruitment purposes is a copy of your current transcript, as opposed to an official transcript in its sealed envelope from the University Registrar.
Immigration is key for Canada’s economy
The Government of Canada views immigration as one of the most important factors in strengthening the economy following the recession and has noted that changes may come to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney told media that although the Canadian economy has emerged from the recession relatively unharmed, immigration is still the key to further economic growth.
Consultations regarding the Temporary Foreign Worker Program will be held over the next month.
Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney told media that although the Canadian economy has emerged from the recession relatively unharmed, immigration is still the key to further economic growth.
Consultations regarding the Temporary Foreign Worker Program will be held over the next month.
USCIS Seeks Public Comments on Proposed Rule Impacting Certain Pending Immigrant Investor (EB-5) Applications
WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) seeks public comments on a proposed rule published in the Federal Register today that would enable USCIS to process certain applications approved between 1995 and 1998 by immigrant investors under the fifth preference employment-based immigrant visa classification, also known as EB-5.
The proposed rule would implement provisions of the 21st Century Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization Act. These provisions apply to a group of immigrant investors who had a Form I-526, Immigrant Petition by Alien Entrepreneur, approved between Jan. 1, 1995, and Aug. 31, 1998.
Specifically, the rule would enable USCIS to process cases for approximately 580 principal immigrant investors and their dependents whose Forms I-526 were approved during the period described above and who, prior to Nov. 2, 2002, sought to:
* Register for permanent residence or adjust their status (using Form I-485); or
* Remove conditions on permanent residence obtained as an alien entrepreneur (using Form I-829).
The processes outlined in the proposed rule would provide an additional two-year period for most of these immigrant investors to meet the EB-5 investment and job-creation requirements. This rule would not impact any other applications or petitions filed under the EB-5 program.
EB-5 visas are available to immigrants seeking to enter the United States to invest capital in a commercial enterprise that will create at least 10 full-time jobs for qualifying U.S. workers.
The public has 60 days—from Sept. 28 to Nov. 28, 2011—to submit comments on this proposal, which is available for review at www.regulations.gov.
For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit www.uscis.gov
The proposed rule would implement provisions of the 21st Century Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization Act. These provisions apply to a group of immigrant investors who had a Form I-526, Immigrant Petition by Alien Entrepreneur, approved between Jan. 1, 1995, and Aug. 31, 1998.
Specifically, the rule would enable USCIS to process cases for approximately 580 principal immigrant investors and their dependents whose Forms I-526 were approved during the period described above and who, prior to Nov. 2, 2002, sought to:
* Register for permanent residence or adjust their status (using Form I-485); or
* Remove conditions on permanent residence obtained as an alien entrepreneur (using Form I-829).
The processes outlined in the proposed rule would provide an additional two-year period for most of these immigrant investors to meet the EB-5 investment and job-creation requirements. This rule would not impact any other applications or petitions filed under the EB-5 program.
EB-5 visas are available to immigrants seeking to enter the United States to invest capital in a commercial enterprise that will create at least 10 full-time jobs for qualifying U.S. workers.
The public has 60 days—from Sept. 28 to Nov. 28, 2011—to submit comments on this proposal, which is available for review at www.regulations.gov.
For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit www.uscis.gov
Mission Possible: Get Your US Student Visa
If you've decided to study in the United States you need a student visa. This video explains how to apply.
395 000 jobs lost in 2010: Stats SA
About 395 000 jobs were lost in 2010 compared to the previous year, Statistics SA said on Wednesday.
Around 13.1 million people were employed in 2010 compared to 13.5 million in 2009.
"This indicates the country has not yet fully recovered from the economic downturn in 2009," Stats SA deputy director-general for population and social statistics Kefiloe Masiteng told reporters in Pretoria.
However, the level of employment in 2010, at 13.1 million, was still higher than that of 2005, when it was 12.8 million.
Jobs in the formal sector shrunk by 3.5% in 2010 compared to the previous year. Employment in the informal sector grew by 1.4%.
Of those people in jobs, the median monthly earnings were R2 900.
A third of workers - excluding agriculture - earned less than this.
The age profile of the working population showed the labour market was struggling to absorb young people, Masiteng said.
About one in four working age people was between the ages of 25 and 34.
People of this age made up 41% of unemployed people, while more than half of the not economically active category were aged between 15 and 24.
The figures were contained in the labour market dynamics report for 2010.
Around 13.1 million people were employed in 2010 compared to 13.5 million in 2009.
"This indicates the country has not yet fully recovered from the economic downturn in 2009," Stats SA deputy director-general for population and social statistics Kefiloe Masiteng told reporters in Pretoria.
However, the level of employment in 2010, at 13.1 million, was still higher than that of 2005, when it was 12.8 million.
Jobs in the formal sector shrunk by 3.5% in 2010 compared to the previous year. Employment in the informal sector grew by 1.4%.
Of those people in jobs, the median monthly earnings were R2 900.
A third of workers - excluding agriculture - earned less than this.
The age profile of the working population showed the labour market was struggling to absorb young people, Masiteng said.
About one in four working age people was between the ages of 25 and 34.
People of this age made up 41% of unemployed people, while more than half of the not economically active category were aged between 15 and 24.
The figures were contained in the labour market dynamics report for 2010.
Hong Kong: Filipino maid wins landmark ruling on residency
Hong Kong: A Filipino maid in Hong Kong won the opening legal battle in her fight for permanent residency after a court ruled Friday that an immigration provision excluding the city's hundreds of thousands of foreign maids was unconstitutional.
It was a major legal victory in a case that has divided the city with accusations of ethnic discrimination against the foreign maids, most of whom are from the Philippines or Indonesia.
Justice Johnson Lam, ruling in the Court of First Instance, said the immigration provision denying the maids the right to gain permanent residency after seven years – as other foreign residents can – was inconsistent with the Basic Law, Hong Kong's mini-constitution.
The government is likely to appeal the ruling.
The case was launched by Evangeline Banao Vallejos, a longtime foreign domestic helper, who sought a judicial review after her bid for permanent residency was rejected.
''To be clear, Ms. Vallejos won on the unconstitutionality of the provisions,'' said Mark Daly, one of the lawyers handling her case.
Vallejos, who did not attend court because she was busy working, ''said thank God'' after learning the outcome, Daly said.
The case has divided opinion in Hong Kong, with some arguing that immigration provisions barring maids from applying amounts to ethnic discrimination. The vast majority of the city's 292,000 foreign domestic helpers – most of whom are women – are from the Philippines or Indonesia, but some also come from Thailand, Nepal, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. About 95 per cent of Hong Kong's 7.1 million people are ethnically Chinese.
The maids are a big source of help to the middle and upper classes of Hong Kong, where it's common for families to employ one or more to live with them to do household chores and look after children.
But many complain that giving the maids permanent residency would result in an influx of their family members, which would put a strain on the densely populated city's housing, schools and other resources.
Several dozen people protested outside the courthouse against the maids and their supporters as the ruling was released. They carried placards and chanted ``Civic Party betrayed Hong Kong!'' _ a reference to pro-democracy legislators who backed the maids.
As of Dec. 31, 2010, 117,000 of the city's foreign maids had been in Hong Kong for more than seven years, Lam's ruling said, citing government figures.
Last year, about 120,000 of Hong Kong's foreign maids were from the Philippines, according to Philippine government figures. Indonesians account for much of the rest, but exact figures weren't available.
The money sent home by the maids is a big source of income for their families. According to the Philippine government, workers in Hong Kong accounted for $312 million of the $18.8 billion sent home by expatriate workers last year, or about 10 percent of the country's annual gross domestic product.
Vallejos has worked as a maid in Hong Kong since 1986. She applied last year for the judicial review after the immigration department rejected her permanent residency application in 2008.
Daly said he expected the government to appeal within the 28-day deadline.
The case will resume Oct. 26, when the court is to decide how to practically implement Vallejos' application.
Two similar cases involving five Filipino helpers are set to go before the courts in October.
It was a major legal victory in a case that has divided the city with accusations of ethnic discrimination against the foreign maids, most of whom are from the Philippines or Indonesia.
Justice Johnson Lam, ruling in the Court of First Instance, said the immigration provision denying the maids the right to gain permanent residency after seven years – as other foreign residents can – was inconsistent with the Basic Law, Hong Kong's mini-constitution.
The government is likely to appeal the ruling.
The case was launched by Evangeline Banao Vallejos, a longtime foreign domestic helper, who sought a judicial review after her bid for permanent residency was rejected.
''To be clear, Ms. Vallejos won on the unconstitutionality of the provisions,'' said Mark Daly, one of the lawyers handling her case.
Vallejos, who did not attend court because she was busy working, ''said thank God'' after learning the outcome, Daly said.
The case has divided opinion in Hong Kong, with some arguing that immigration provisions barring maids from applying amounts to ethnic discrimination. The vast majority of the city's 292,000 foreign domestic helpers – most of whom are women – are from the Philippines or Indonesia, but some also come from Thailand, Nepal, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. About 95 per cent of Hong Kong's 7.1 million people are ethnically Chinese.
The maids are a big source of help to the middle and upper classes of Hong Kong, where it's common for families to employ one or more to live with them to do household chores and look after children.
But many complain that giving the maids permanent residency would result in an influx of their family members, which would put a strain on the densely populated city's housing, schools and other resources.
Several dozen people protested outside the courthouse against the maids and their supporters as the ruling was released. They carried placards and chanted ``Civic Party betrayed Hong Kong!'' _ a reference to pro-democracy legislators who backed the maids.
As of Dec. 31, 2010, 117,000 of the city's foreign maids had been in Hong Kong for more than seven years, Lam's ruling said, citing government figures.
Last year, about 120,000 of Hong Kong's foreign maids were from the Philippines, according to Philippine government figures. Indonesians account for much of the rest, but exact figures weren't available.
The money sent home by the maids is a big source of income for their families. According to the Philippine government, workers in Hong Kong accounted for $312 million of the $18.8 billion sent home by expatriate workers last year, or about 10 percent of the country's annual gross domestic product.
Vallejos has worked as a maid in Hong Kong since 1986. She applied last year for the judicial review after the immigration department rejected her permanent residency application in 2008.
Daly said he expected the government to appeal within the 28-day deadline.
The case will resume Oct. 26, when the court is to decide how to practically implement Vallejos' application.
Two similar cases involving five Filipino helpers are set to go before the courts in October.
Remove visa hurdles for IT professionals: India to Canada
New York: Indian IT professionals are facing visa problem not only in the US, but also in the neighbouring Canada.
The issue was taken up between by the Indian and Canadian trade ministers here today.
Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said at a meeting with the Canadian Minister of International Trade and Asia-Pacific, Gateway Edward Fast "to sensitise the Canadian authorities to remove impediments to the movement of IT professionals from India to Canada".
Fast, however, said that his government had recently changed policy, under which multiple entry visas are being given.
India is currently the second largest source of immigrants to Canada, with a rapidly growing Indo-Canadian community estimated at one million.
In 2009 alone, Canada issued Indian nationals 145,835 visas. Of those, 31,090 were permanent resident visas, 6,964 related to studies, 98,545 were temporary resident and 9,235 were temporary work permits.
The issue was taken up between by the Indian and Canadian trade ministers here today.
Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said at a meeting with the Canadian Minister of International Trade and Asia-Pacific, Gateway Edward Fast "to sensitise the Canadian authorities to remove impediments to the movement of IT professionals from India to Canada".
Fast, however, said that his government had recently changed policy, under which multiple entry visas are being given.
India is currently the second largest source of immigrants to Canada, with a rapidly growing Indo-Canadian community estimated at one million.
In 2009 alone, Canada issued Indian nationals 145,835 visas. Of those, 31,090 were permanent resident visas, 6,964 related to studies, 98,545 were temporary resident and 9,235 were temporary work permits.
Magsaysay awardee Neelima Mishra's US visa rejected
The American Consulate in Mumbai has rejected the application for visa by Magsaysay award winner Neelima Mishra, invited to the US to speak on rural development in India.
According to Secretary to the social activist who is based in Jalgaon, Mishra was handed over a letter rejecting her application when she went to the Consulate yesterday, which said the decision to deny her visa had been taken on the grounds of her unsound "social and economic" status and the possibility of her continued stay in the US.
However, apparently realising the mistake, the Consulate officials telephoned her in the evening asking her to come back on Monday, October 3, with the letter of rejection.
Mishra, winner of the 2011 Magsaysay award for her work in rural India, is scheduled to leave for the US on October 12 to address the 9th international conference organised in Chicago by 'India Development Coalition of America', being held on October 15 and 16 in which she is expected to explain her vision of a "model village".
According to Secretary to the social activist who is based in Jalgaon, Mishra was handed over a letter rejecting her application when she went to the Consulate yesterday, which said the decision to deny her visa had been taken on the grounds of her unsound "social and economic" status and the possibility of her continued stay in the US.
However, apparently realising the mistake, the Consulate officials telephoned her in the evening asking her to come back on Monday, October 3, with the letter of rejection.
Mishra, winner of the 2011 Magsaysay award for her work in rural India, is scheduled to leave for the US on October 12 to address the 9th international conference organised in Chicago by 'India Development Coalition of America', being held on October 15 and 16 in which she is expected to explain her vision of a "model village".
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