Many employers sponsor H-1B holders to have them fill temporary posts, not to become full-time residents of the U.S., according to a study released last week by the Economic Policy Institute, a Washington-based nonprofit think tank. The differences in the ways companies use H-1B visas can be stark, according to the study, which was authored by Ron Hira, an associate professor of public policy at the Rochester Institute of Technology and a longtime critic of the H-1B visa program.

Australia's immigration minister, Chris Evans, has announced policy changes to attract more highly skilled workers. He criticised the current trend for new arrivals to sign up for cookery or hairdressing courses to gain residency. Mr Evans said Australia would abolish the current list of 106 skills in demand and review a points test used to assess migrants.

At least 20,000 applications from foreign students for permanent residence have been cancelled because of their poor English and qualifications considered no longer in demand. In the biggest shake-up of what had become an education-migration industry, Immigration Minister Senator Chris Evans last week announced an overhaul of Australia's independent skilled migration system. Evans said the aim was to break the link between students studying a trade in short supply and remaining in the country.

Findings from a recent BlueSteps survey show that senior executives around the world are equally as willing to relocate overseas (70%) for a new career opportunity as nationally (74%), indicating an increased interest in and importance of global opportunities. The willingness of BlueSteps members to relocate has stayed constant over the past 2 years (a 2008 survey showed that 78% would consider relocation), but their equal interest today in international career progression is particularly striking. With the recession taking its toll on executive opportunities, it appears these senior candidates have realized it is essential to cast a wider net when searching for and considering their next career move.

Australia’s second largest city, Melbourne is an extremely popular destination for expatriates from all over the world. The state capital of Victoria in south eastern Australia, Melbourne enjoys a mild, temperate climate with four distinct seasons. The city of Melbourne is located just a few kilometres inland from Port Phillip Bay, with the main part of the city on the northern bank of the Yarra River, with its historic Victorian bridges.

U.S. immigration officials are taking H-1B enforcement from the desk to the field with a plan to conduct 25,000 on-site inspections of companies hiring foreign workers during the government's current fiscal year. That would mark a nearly fivefold increase in inspections over the previous year, when U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officials conducted 5,191 site visits. The federal fiscal year begins Oct. 1.

Almost half of new expatriates leave China early because they have difficulty adjusting to the lifestyle, a consultancy firm said. China Transition Institute (CTI) president David Israel-Rosen said most foreigners are unprepared for what life will be like when they arrive in China. It was moving from the West to the East, it is not like moving from Chicago to Denver.

The UK and Ireland are the worst places in Europe to live, according to the latest uSwitch.com Quality of Life Index. While the UK enjoys the highest net household income in Europe, quality of life is the poorest, proving that there is more to good living than money. Long working hours, lower holiday entitlement and a high cost of living all contribute to a poor quality of life in the UK – and it’s not much better for the Irish either:

Do you wonder what Christmas is like in Japan? It is estimated that less than 1% of Japan's population is Christian. Also, December 25th is not a Japanese national holiday. Unless it is on weekend, Japanese people work and go to school on the day. Christmas is mostly a commercial event in Japan. Many people don't know exactly what the origin of Christmas is. The big corporations do the main decorating. They light their buildings and the trees.

A programme that allows international students to work for up to three years after graduation just might increase Canada's recruitment competitiveness. Employment of that duration puts them on an immigration fast track.

Looking to work overseas? Head to Canada, Australia or Thailand, according to an annual global survey which found recession-hit Britain was one of the worst locations to live for expatriates.

Thousands of foreign workers living in India were required to leave the country by November 7as part of that country’s government crackdown on tax-dodging expatriates and unskilled labor, according to an Agence France-Presse story.

With the nation's unemployment rate at a 26-year-high of 10.2%, more Americans are hunting for, and landing, work overseas, according to staffing companies and executive search firms.

Maintaining a comfortable lifestyle while working in Russia is difficult for many foreigners, but the ease of making new friends among the locals could sweeten the pill for many. According to HSBC’s expat experience report, Russia ranks two points from the bottom in terms of quality of life among the 26 countries surveyed, but it places fourth in terms of making new friends, especially among locals.

A recent survey of multinational companies found that the use of short-term expatriate assignments is increasing among 46.8% of respondents. ORC Worldwide’s 2009 Survey of Short-term International Assignment Policies found that Asia-Pacific is the region experiencing the highest increase in the number of short-term (3-12 months) assignees, followed by Western Europe, North America and Central/Eastern Europe.

We have become a nation of nomads. Figures from the Office of National Statistics show that over half a million UK citizens have emigrated since 2006, with 158,000 of us packing up last year alone. Should it continue, migration on this scale won't have been seen since the period after the First World War, when the British government assisted migration of its citizens to the countries of the Commonwealth.

Employees in Europe receive the most generous statutory holiday allowances in the world according to data released by Mercer. However, taking public holidays into account, employees in Lithuania and Brazil have the potential to access the most time off work. The data comes from Mercer’s 2009 Worldwide Benefit and Employment Guidelineswhich provides data about global working practices and regulations. The report analyzes both the minimum number of days for statutory holiday that companies must provide to staff, as well as the number of public holidays in over 40 countries. The following comparison is based on statutory entitlements for an employee working five days a week, with 10 years’ service.

Ever wondered what it would be like to live in Paris? Immersing yourself in an expat blog is one of the best ways to find out. It seems that every year a fresh crop of bloggers has arrived on the electronic scene to share the ecstasies and agonies of life abroad. Because their lives often include a lot of food and fun, expat blogs are also a great way to learn about the local happenings. I've selected my current favorites (not including my own), and invite you to add your personal picks in the comments.

As many companies in Russia have resorted to job cuts over the past twelve months to stay afloat, foreign workers were hit hard. More than two thirds of expats who came to Russia to work have lost their jobs.

Despite the global financial crisis, research conducted by DSL Exhibitions found that 62 percent of property buyers in the UAE were positive about the region's economic future over the next 20 years.

When applying for a visa, you will do it through the country of your destination and not through the United States, so this process may be your first introduction into the new culture that you are visiting or moving to. The laws, organization of paperwork, etc. can be confusing and hard to work with. To avoid frustrations start as early before your departure as possible and a Diet Coke (or the stress-reliever of your choice).

Immigrants are overwhelmingly choosing to stay put in their adopted countries, rather than return home, despite the impact of the economic downturn on employment, a new report by the Migration Policy Institute for BBC World Service, published today, reveals. Migration and the Global Recession reports that some migration flows, particularly illegal migration, are also down as would-be migrants are being deterred by reduced job prospects in countries that would previously have offered them better opportunities.

Competition between employer-based health insurance plans and a government-sponsored public plan will not fix the U.S. health care system, according to the majority of employers responding to a Health Care Reform Survey, conducted by Aon Consulting, the global human capital consulting organization of Aon Corporation. What will help fix the system is a focus on wellness programs, evidence-based medicine guidelines, improving quality of care and increasing the ability of patients to be better health care consumers, the survey found.

Tokyo has knocked Moscow off the top spot to become the world’s most expensive city for expatriates, according to the latest Cost of Living Survey from Mercer.

Established as a British trading colony in 1819, the history and fortunes of Singapore, an island-state located between Malaysia and Indonesia, have been closely intertwined with migrants and migration. Today, Singapore's population of almost 4.5 million includes citizens of Malaysian, Chinese, and Indian descent as well as thousands of foreign workers from across Southeast and South Asia. Not surprisingly, the country has four official languages: English, Mandarin, Malay, and Tamil.

The U.A.E government is considering implementing new employment legislation that will improve foreign workers’ labor conditions and protect their rights.

Westerners in Japan do not tend to assimilate to anywhere near the degree that foreigners do in the West. There are two predominant reasons why. The first is that because of the culture of social obligation, the joys of mainstream Japanese life are felt to be less than totally enviable. The second is that the negative forms of discrimination that exist for the noncitizen population are more than compensated for by an impressive array of positives.

A May 25, 2009 ruling by the European Union Council has eased the conditions of entry and residence in the European Union (EU) for third-country employees with high qualifications.

Brookfield Global Relocation Services, an industry leader in corporate and government relocation services, just released their 14th annual Global Relocation Trends Survey.

The quality of living rankings are based on a point-scoring index, which sees Vienna score 108.6, and Baghdad 14.4. Cities are ranked against New York as the base city with an index score of 100. Mercer’s Quality of Living ranking covers 215 cities and is conducted to help governments and major companies place employees on international assignments. In 2008, the quality of living in many regions has been affected. This is demonstrated by serious political turmoil, increasing unrest and instability, health and climatic concerns. The global financial crisis has intensified in 2008, becoming an area of increasing international concern. The effects of various rescue plans being implemented are yet to be known.

A foreign or indigenous-sounding name gives people less chance of landing a job in Australia, a study has found. Unless your name sounds Italian and you're in Melbourne, in which case it can be an advantage.

On June 10, 2009, the House of Lords published a ruling that concludes the issue of whether there is a requirement for employees on long-term sick leave to continue to accrue paid time off during their period of absence. This final ruling may have important implications for employers, as workers can now potentially file a claim under the Employment Rights Act (1996) for any statutory holiday accrued during the long-term sick leave period. The decision may also have implications for long-term absences arising for reasons other than sickness.

Workers who make the 11,500-mile journey said the combination of low property prices, a favourable taxation system, a healthy lifestyle and the natural environment made it the best place to live.

A recently released report on sex discrimination by the Centre for Women's Law and Legal Services at Peking University has revealed the extent of sex-based discrimination in the workplace in China. The report is based on a survey of 3,000 respondents (divided into four categories – currently employed, laid off and unemployed, retirees, and job seekers) on five major topics: recruitment, salaries and welfare, promotion, sexual harassment and retirement.

The Netherlands are part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and are also called Holland, while their people are called the Dutch. Located in Northwestern Europe, the Netherlands are bordered by the North Sea, by Belgium and by Germany. The capital is Amsterdam and the government is based in Den Haag. With Belgium and Luxembourg it forms the economic union Benelux.

Fewer employees will be given international assignments than in past years thanks to the recession, and those employees who do get the assignments are more likely to be older and more experienced workers, according to a recent survey.

(by Lance Castille) Have you been posted abroad by your organization or company? Or maybe you have decided to follow a dream or work for a cause outside your homeland? Whether you’re living and working overseas by choice or by assignment, you will at times experience some form of stress from culture shock or adjustment to the new culture. Cycles of stress can start with the process of packing and shipping household belongings as you begin to leave the familiar behind. When arriving at your overseas destination you may experience stress when you find yourself surrounded by unfamiliar sights, sounds, smells, new ways of thinking, and new rules of the foreign land.

Adventure and experience of other cultures are the main motivators for New Zealanders moving overseas, rather than earning more money, a new study has found.

Effective June 1, 2009, eligibility requirements for work permits and Green Card applications in Ireland are being revised.

Three new labor regulations passed on May 1, 2009 extend employers’ responsibilities to their workers in Bolivia.

The latest Economist Intelligence Unit global liveability survey places London (51st) and Manchester (46th) in the top tier of places to live, although their positions in the global ranking reflects the challenges faced by many large urban centres. Vancouver remains top of the league table, benefiting from strong Canadian infrastructure and Harare sits at the bottom thanks to the unfolding crisis in Zimbabwe.

Parking in Australia is free in most places, barring airports and Hospitals. All you have to do in Australia is observe the clearly marked signs that tell you how long you can park - and on which days. Car park bays are spacious and you no longer have to squeeze carefully out of your car to avoid banging into the car next to you with your door. The child parking bays are ridiculously oversized and you feel unworthy of using them unless you have a minimum of three children, a dog, two goats and a couple of loose chickens.

HR leaders are seeing more highly qualified senior executives turn down international assignments because of potential pension losses. In addition, some long-term expats are demanding that their retirement benefits be "fixed."

French-speaking Switzerland has an attractive infrastucture, an international airport, public transport, good hospitals, top universities and on top of that multinationals that are highly qualified, multilingual and productive.

Mumbai and New Delhi are in the world’s top 10 costliest locations for expatriate rental property, according to a study by Mercer of housing costs and practices for employees sent on overseas assignments.

In case you hadn’t already realised the enormity of what you are about to do, ponder this question; how many other times in your life have you packed up your entire existence and shipped yourself off, lock, stock and barrel to the other side of the world? If the answer is, not many, then read on to discover what you need to check when moving abroad, based on my experiences moving abroad to teach in China and Brunei.

Moving home abroad is exciting, whilst organising and packing all of your things is a time consuming and tiring! Choosing a removal company is inevitable for most long distance moves abroad. To help you feel settled when you arrive, you want to be safe in the knowledge that all of your stuff has got there safely too. So what should you keep in mind when choosing a removal company?

The Expat Focus Guide to Moving Abroad is an invaluable resource for anyone moving to any country. Start planning your relocation properly!

A recent article in the Washington Post alleges that some American companies may be reducing their H-1B visa hiring in response to a growing backlash against the program that allows them to hire foreign professionals in the U.S. The article states that analysts said it was part of a wave of mounting anger in the United States over work visas, especially at a time when more than half a million Americans were being laid off every month.

Just think what it would be like to get up on a winter morning if it was light outside. And just imagine not having to wrap up head-to-toe in your winter woollies every time you left the house.The prospect of swapping our traditional wet and windy winters for the Costa Brava or a land down under is very appealing. And if you are considering moving overseas, either temporarily or permanently, there are many questions that you will need to address before doing so. Part of this equation is to have the right financial products and services in place before embarking on such a journey. This will provide a firm foundation for your finances.