Canada

Since 2006, there have been 56,000 new immigrants from India to Canada, which has a relatively liberal immigration policy. According to a new programme, international students would be able to obtain open work permits with no restrictions on the type of employment and no requirement for a job offer.

European Union

Faced with a rising shortage of highly qualified professionals, the EU has proposed an ‘EU Blue Card’ providing for residential and work permits to third country nationals on the lines of the ‘Green Card’ in the United States. The proposal was introduced by the European Commission in October 2007 and is being negotiated by the member-states. To get a blue card, qualified workers need to prove they have been offered a job lasting at least one year and with a salary at least three times the legal minimum wage applicable in the country they are heading for.