Ongoing slowdown in global economy will not adversely affect the business of immigration, experts have opined.

Chairman and managing director of World Wide Immigration Consultancy Services (WWICS) BS Sandhu told FE that most Indians were immigrating to countries like Canada and Australia where aging population was increasing. He said these countries needed young professionals to run their economies.

He claimed that WWICS was top immigration company of the country, which has already immigrated more than 30,000 families or more than 2.5 lakh people to different countries. He said on the contrary, the business of immigration was going to boom in the near future in view of major shift in immigration laws in Canada.

He said ?immigration to Canada was now all set to shift in a top gear mode with the latest fast-tracked immigration processing of visa applications in the federal skilled worker category that ensures a Canadian visa in 6 to 12 months? incredibly shorter period of time?.

While informing about this latest development, which is likely to put immigration processing for Canadian visas to a remarkably fast paced trajectory, Sandhu said this major change is a part of the vital paradigm shift in Canadian immigration policy, which facilitates faster processing of all applications in economic class, investor, live in care givers, economic applicants and provincial nominees.

Applicable with retrospective effect from February, 2008, the new action plan for faster immigration is likely to benefit prospective immigrants and professionals in 38 high demand occupational categories including health sector, finance, resource extraction and other skilled trades.

Sandhu said skilled worker class applicants seeking federal visas would be especially benefited even as legal workers on temporary foreign work permits and international students stand to benefit as well. ?Aimed at significantly reducing the processing time in bringing newcomers and their families to Canada, the new immigration system is a giant leap forward in clearing backlog of immigration applications worldwide? remarked Sandhu.

He claimed that the federal investor category for permanent residency was fast emerging as a key area where Indian immigrants were mainly seeking immigration.

With a meagre investment of Rs 50 lakh and without any IELTS pre-condition, investors can relocate in Canada under Canadian Investor Program. Barely two years experience is all what is required. He said that European nations like Czech Republic, Ukraine, Bulgaria and Denmark offer a window of opportunities to investor and business-class categories. Ukraine with its large tracts of fertile lands and opportunity to take these lands for a lease of up to 15 years offers a truly advantageous proposition to agriculturists who can afford to invest. He said that Indian immigrants, known for their hard work and hassle-free conduct world over were also a sought-after workforce in Czech Republic, which seeks huge labour force in the face of an aging local working population, a prospect, which promises massive immigration to that nation in the coming few years, added Sandhu.

Head of Global Placement Services, Curtis Panke observed that workforce was needed in many areas in Canada in particular and liquidity crunch or currency rates volatility would not have any adverse effect on business of immigration.

World unbound

• Most Indians immigrate to countries like Canada and Australia where aging populationis increasing

• Immigration business will boom in the near future in view of major shift in immigration laws in Canada

• Indian immigrants, known for their hardwork and hassle-free conduct world over are also a sought-after workforce in Czech Republic