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Europe's largest economy is on target to grant 200,000 visas for skilled job seekers by the end of the year, a 10% jump compared to last year, when immigration reforms were first rolled out.

The number of skilled worker visas issued by Germany is on course to rise 10% in 2024 compared to last year, the government said on Sunday, a year after immigration rules were eased to boost the labor market.

Germany continues to face chronic labor shortages, with around 1.34 million jobs currently vacant.

Berlin last year adopted a points-based system inspired by Canada known as the Opportunity Card, which makes it easier for professionals and university graduates to enter the country, study and search for work.

Skilled workers from non-European Union states are now allowed to enter Germany without first having their qualifications recognized.

How have the reforms worked out?

A joint statement from three German government ministries said by the end of the year, some 200,000 professional visas will have been awarded.

"This represents an increase of over 10%" compared to 2023, the statement said.

The statement added that there was "great interest" in visas to study in Germany, complete vocational training here, or have foreign qualifications recognized.

The number of visas issued to students from non-EU states rose by over 20%. For vocational trainees, the rise was even steeper — around two-thirds — and the number of people seeking to have their foreign professional qualifications recognized jumped by almost one-half.

"Talented young people can more easily complete their training and studies in Germany," Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said. "Thanks to the Opportunity Card, people with experience and potential can now find a suitable job more quickly and easily," she added.

The reforms were also hailed by Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who highlighted the country's continued labor shortages.

"Every year, Germany lacks 400,000 bright minds and even more hands that make our country strong ... This is slowing down our economy ... With the Skilled Immigration Act, we have created the most modern immigration law in Europe and finally turned the visa process on its head."

How does the Opportunity Card work?

A points system is used to determine whether someone is eligible for the Opportunity Card, based on qualifications, knowledge and experience.

There are extra points for qualifying for an occupation listed as having a shortage of workers, partial recognition of foreign qualifications, age, German and English language skills and a previous connection to Germany.

Those applying must show funds of about €1,000 ($1,050) per month for the duration of their stay.

Germany has created around 1.6 million jobs over the past five years — with 89% of positions taken by foreigners. 

But immigration remains a hot-button issue, with critics complaining that the country has struggled to integrate more than a million migrants, many fleeing the Syrian civil war, who were welcomed in 2015/6 by then-Chancellor Angela Merkel. Another wave of immigration has also reached Germany since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine in early 2022.

Currently polling with about 19% support nationwide, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is hoping toboost its following in the snap election scheduled for February by focusing on curbing immigration.

Europe's largest economy is on target to grant 200,000 visas for skilled job seekers by the end of the year, a 10% jump compared to last year, when immigration reforms were first rolled out.

The number of skilled worker visas issued by Germany is on course to rise 10% in 2024 compared to last year, the government said on Sunday, a year after immigration rules were eased to boost the labor market.

Germany continues to face chronic labor shortages, with around 1.34 million jobs currently vacant.

Berlin last year adopted a points-based system inspired by Canada known as the Opportunity Card, which makes it easier for professionals and university graduates to enter the country, study and search for work.

Skilled workers from non-European Union states are now allowed to enter Germany without first having their qualifications recognized.

How have the reforms worked out?

A joint statement from three German government ministries said by the end of the year, some 200,000 professional visas will have been awarded.

"This represents an increase of over 10%" compared to 2023, the statement said.

The statement added that there was "great interest" in visas to study in Germany, complete vocational training here, or have foreign qualifications recognized.

The number of visas issued to students from non-EU states rose by over 20%. For vocational trainees, the rise was even steeper — around two-thirds — and the number of people seeking to have their foreign professional qualifications recognized jumped by almost one-half.

"Talented young people can more easily complete their training and studies in Germany," Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said. "Thanks to the Opportunity Card, people with experience and potential can now find a suitable job more quickly and easily," she added.

The reforms were also hailed by Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who highlighted the country's continued labor shortages.

"Every year, Germany lacks 400,000 bright minds and even more hands that make our country strong ... This is slowing down our economy ... With the Skilled Immigration Act, we have created the most modern immigration law in Europe and finally turned the visa process on its head."

How does the Opportunity Card work?

A points system is used to determine whether someone is eligible for the Opportunity Card, based on qualifications, knowledge and experience.

There are extra points for qualifying for an occupation listed as having a shortage of workers, partial recognition of foreign qualifications, age, German and English language skills and a previous connection to Germany.

Those applying must show funds of about €1,000 ($1,050) per month for the duration of their stay.

Germany has created around 1.6 million jobs over the past five years — with 89% of positions taken by foreigners. 

But immigration remains a hot-button issue, with critics complaining that the country has struggled to integrate more than a million migrants, many fleeing the Syrian civil war, who were welcomed in 2015/6 by then-Chancellor Angela Merkel. Another wave of immigration has also reached Germany since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine in early 2022.

Currently polling with about 19% support nationwide, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is hoping toboost its following in the snap election scheduled for February by focusing on curbing immigration.

Housing affordability in Canada improved for the third straight quarter, according to an analysis by National Bank of Canada economists, though most indicators remain far above their historical averages.

Although the median Canadian home price rose 0.5 per cent compared to the second quarter, median incomes rose and mortgage rates have come down, the analysis says. As a consequence, mortgage payments as a percentage of Canadians' income (a measure known as the MPPI) have gone down to their lowest point in a little over a year.

Housing prices remain in prohibitively high territory across much of the country, however. The economists, Kyle Dahms and Alexandra Ducharme, note that “the MPPI remains well above its historical average and the recent rise in five-year government bond yields since September could mean that the brightening may be short-lived.”

In the third quarter, MPPI for a median-priced Canadian home ($795,540) was 56.6 per cent, the analysis says. That's down 1.3 percentage points from the second quarter, and is down 3.4 percentage points from the third quarter last year, but still well above the average MPPI since 2000 of 40.7 per cent.

Furthermore, it would take almost six years of saving 10 per cent of median pre-tax income to make the $54,554 down payment on the median-priced Canadian home — far higher than the average since 2000 of 3.3 years.

In recent years, housing affordability has become a dominant concern for Canadians and a thorny political issue. Consumer surveys typically show large proportions of the public either worried about being able to afford a home or experiencing stress because of high payments.

Vancouver, Toronto unaffordability: The numbers

The National Bank analysis shows the affordability situation improved in nine of 10 markets, with only Quebec City seeing a small (0.2 percentage point) annual change in MPPI. But at 32 per cent, Quebec City’s third-quarter MPPI remains among the lowest of the 10 cities covered (alongside Winnipeg and Edmonton) and far below the values for Toronto, Vancouver and Victoria.

The data lay bare Vancouver’s ongoing affordability crisis. The MPPI for a typical Vancouver home (median price $1,280,656) dropped 5.9 percentage points since last year, to 92.3 per cent — meaning nearly all of the median Vancouver income. Saving for a down payment at 10 per cent of pre-tax median Vancouver income would take almost 28 years, around triple the average for the city since 2000 of around 9.6 years.

Toronto is not much better, with an MPPI of 78.4 per cent (the average since 2000 is 53.2 per cent) and around 23.5 years required to save for a down payment (the average since 2000 is 7.2 years).

(These figures refer to median prices for all dwellings and skew higher due to the typically higher prices for houses. The values for condos are significantly lower — saving for a down payment on a median condo in Toronto and Vancouver would take 4.5 years and 5.5 years, respectively, for example.)

Short-term factors

Dahms and Ducharme note that the impending change to federal housing regulations allowing 30-year amortization periods for first-time homeowners could give “upward momentum” to home prices.

“There are grounds for questioning whether such a measure really contributes to affordability when a mortgage will need to be paid for an additional five years,” they added.

On the other hand, sharp curbs to immigration announced throughout 2024 should “relieve some of the pressure,” they say — though they note new housing starts remain out of sync with recent population gains.

In an email to Yahoo Finance Canada, Dahms and Ducharme acknowledge the recent surge in real estate activity, which they say “will likely have some impact on home prices” in the shorter term. But they say a weaker labour market and slowing population growth could keep things in check. RBC analysts have also speculated that Canadian banks may compete aggressively for mortgage renewals in the months ahead.

“All told, we believe home prices should rise next year, but they may only slightly outpace headline inflation," the National Bank economists wrote. "Mortgage rates should continue to moderate, but perhaps not as quickly for fixed rates as the transmission of monetary policy may not be full reflected in five-year bond yields due to U.S. influence. As such, assuming incomes keep rising, affordability may continue to improve in the coming quarters but should remain worse than the pre-pandemic level.”

John MacFarlane is a senior reporter at Yahoo Finance Canada. Follow him on Twitter @jmacf.

By Ben Westcott

(Bloomberg) -- Australia’s plan to cap international student numbers looks set to be blocked after opposition politicians decided to vote against the proposed laws, even after they had repeatedly urged cuts to migration. 

The Australian parliament was expected to debate the legislation in the coming two weeks, the final sitting period for the year. The government said it would limit foreign student commencements at 270,000 for 2025 under the new laws.

The plan comes as the center-left Labor government seeks solutions to a surge in immigration and an unprecedented housing crisis ahead of a federal election due by May.

Sarah Henderson, education spokesperson for the center-right Liberal-National coalition, said Monday that the bill is “chaotic and confusing” and fails to address “the structural issues” the government has created.

“We cannot support measures which will only serve to compound this crisis of the government’s making. Based on their record so far we have absolutely no confidence the government is capable of fixing its immigration mess,” Henderson said in a statement. The Greens Party has also rejected the proposed laws, leaving the government without the numbers in the Australian Senate to pass the legislation.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has previously said he would limit net international migration, including students, to 160,000, without specifically outlining how the numbers would be achieved.

The proposed law would bring the number of new international students across higher education and vocational training back to pre-pandemic levels, the government has said.

“You can’t talk tough on immigration and then vote against putting a limit on the number of people that come to this country every year,” Education Minister Jason Clare told Parliament on Monday, responding to the Opposition’s policy shift.

Speaking after the announcement, Universities Australia Chief Executive Officer Luke Sheehy said the decision to block the law merely lengthened “a phony war blaming international students on the migration and housing issue.”

“Both sides of politics need to get real about investing in Australia’s world-class university sector that relies so much on international student revenue,” he said.

(Updates with further details, comments)

The National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), called on the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to stop foreign airlines from selling air tickets in foreign currencies.

This is as the airlines in the Nigerian aviation industry have been told to comply with Part 19 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs) 2023 in passenger compensation.

Participants at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Consumer Protection National Stakeholders’ Summit, held at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos on Tuesday, observed that some foreign airlines had continually violated the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) arrangements signed with Nigeria by selling air tickets in foreign currencies.

However, apart from the United States carriers, which had an Open Skies agreement with Nigeria that enables its carriers to sell tickets in dollars, other airlines are required to sell tickets in naira for flights emanating from the country.

But, over time, some of the foreign carriers had consistently violated this agreement with Nigeria, while no major punitive measures had been taken against them.

Speaking at the summit during the panel of discussants, a member of NANTA, observed that some international carriers were selling air tickets in foreign currencies in Nigeria.

This was further collaborated by Yinka Folami, President of NANTA. Folami in his comment, said that NANTA had already petitioned the NCAA on the violation, hoping that the regulatory agency would address the issue.

Also, Michael Achimugu, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, at NCAA, confirmed the submission of the letter by NANTA but said the issue would be addressed by the appropriate department.

Besides, airlines in the Nigerian aviation industry have been told to comply with the Part 19 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs) 2023 in passenger compensation.

Participants observed that airlines hardly complied with Part 19 Nig.CARs when flights are either delayed, cancelled or overbooked.

The summit with the theme: ‘Achieving Increased Adoption of Digital Technology in Air Travel Customer Complain Managememt: The Regulatory Perspective,’ drew participants from aviation agencies, Nigeria Police, Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), among others.

First Baba Isa, a lawyer, in his keynote address, regretted that airlines, both local and international have continually treated air travellers without much deterrent.

According to him, no fewer than seven cases of poor passenger handling, especially physically challenged were being pursued in different courts across the country by its chambers.

He said: “Airlines should address the issue of refund to air travellers. There are no fewer than seven cases that I am attending in the courts against some local and foreign carriers, especially the poor way they handle disabled passengers

“It is essential to make the airlines accountable to air passengers in case of flight cancellations, delays and overbooking. Adequate compensations in line with the NCARs 2023 must be paid to the affected passengers.”

George Uriesi, the Chief Operating Officer (COO), Ibom Air, in his presentation, canvassed for investment in human capital through training, re-training, re-orientation and strict adherence to the industry-recommended practices as set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

Uriesi who was represented at the occasion by Mrs Amaka Echetabu, Director, Airline Services, Ibom Air, insisted that for technology to work seamlessly in the sector, human capital development must be taken with all the seriousness it deserved, adding that this would also boost tourism growth.

By Olasunkanmi Akinlotan

The Director-General of the International Air Transport Association, Willie Walsh, had expressed satisfaction with the progress African airlines have made in safety, stressing that the continent has made significant safety improvements.

This is coming as the IATA chief admitted that the continent’s carriers are faced with enormous challenges, including high costs and taxes, jet fuel prices which he said are about the highest in the world, low safety standards, and airport infrastructure that needs investment.

He this during an address delivered on Monday at the African Airlines Association Annual General Assembly in Cairo, Egypt.

Commending the continent over the impressive safety record between 2020 and 2023 which shows that there were no losses or fatal accidents during that period, he lamented that the region took a step backward from this in 2024.

He said, “Africa has enormous potential. You know the statistics. It is home to 18 per cent of the world’s population but accounts for just 3 per cent of global GDP. And it accounts for an even smaller share of global air transport just 2 per cent.”

“As Africa’s airline leaders, I know that you are ready to take advantage of this potential to grow your airlines and connect the continent. I also understand the enormous challenges you faceamong these, high costs and taxes, including the highest in wing jet fuel prices in the world, low adoption of global safety standards, and airport infrastructure in need of investment.”

On how to further improve air safety in Africa, Walsh stated that the IATA Safety Leadership Charter provides eight principles aimed at standardising a global approach to safety culture in each airline.

Some 118 airline CEOs he said have signed, noting that fourteen of these are in Africa.

While that is a significant number, with 37 IATA members and 65 IOSA airlines in the continent, he said there is scope for more to join, urging them to sign if they have not done so.

“Along with encouraging you to sign the Safety Leadership Charter, I also ask that airlines that have not yet contributed their data to the Global Aviation Data Management initiative do so. GADM has become a powerful analytical tool to improve safety. And if you participate—at no cost—you will also get access to rich data that can enhance your safety performance”.

“With such actions, our call on governments to adopt and effectively implement global safety standards grows stronger. That is important in Africa where the AFCAC website shows that some 20 AFCAC states have not met AFCAC’s own 60 per cent implementation threshold for ICAO SARPS. That’s not good enough.

“And it is also not good enough that we are still waiting for final reports from 38 accidents in Africa investigated under Annex 13. We cannot let governments in Africa—or anywhere for that matter, forget their crucial responsibilities to implement ICAO SARPS and complete accident reports promptly,” he added.

Walsh equally dwells on sustainability for global airlines, saying, “By 2050 we must be at net zero carbon emissions. This is existential to our future growth, the health of our planet, and the prosperity of people everywhere who depend on aviation.”

“There will be many political twists and turns on the way to 2050. But in 2021 we set the course to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and reversing course is not an option.

“For Africa, aviation’s energy transition is a big development opportunity. SAF will contribute more than 60 per cent of the mitigation needed for aviation’s decarbonization. But only a few per cent of our fuel needs can currently be met with SAF and there is no production in Africa.”

The Nigerian Senate has been seized on a matter relating to unpaid arrears of Front-End Partners (FEPs) working with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) on digital ID enrollment, and the NIMC Director General, Bisoye Coker-Odusote, is expected to answer questions in this regard in front of a senate committee in the days ahead.

According to Vanguard, the Senate recently received many petitions from some of the FEPs, one of which was filed by the CEO of one partner organisation, Files Solutions, Senator Ayodele Arise.

FEPs have been raising concerns over the non-payment of their money for work they have delivered in the last two years.

In August last year, some of the private partners, who refused to be named, penned an open letter to President Tinubu, expressing their frustration and pleading for his intervention to find a solution to the matter.

Indeed, the ID authority has acknowledged that there are pending financial issues with its enrollment partners. Early this year, the NIMC boss had promised to clear two years of the arrears in the first quarter of 2024. It is not expressly clear if that tranche of payment was actually made.

In one of the petitions submitted to the Senate Committee on National Identity and National Population, the contractors are claiming unpaid debts of about 2.4 billion Naira (approximately US$1.4 million) for conducting enrollment for the National Identification Number (NIN).

They say the agreement was for the NIMC to pay them one Naira (US$0.00059) per enrollment, but some of them say the cost per enrollment eventually went up as they incurred other unforeseen expenses. The arrears are owned from 2022.

The Committee Chairman, Senator Abdul Ningi, is quoted as confirming that they have received a petition involving the NIMC DG and that she will be summoned to the floor of the upper chamber of parliament when business resumes this week. Coker-Odusote was invited by the same Senate Committee in March to discuss challenging confronting the NIMC and efforts to improve digital ID coverage in the country.

File Solutions CEO told Vanguard they provided many services to NIMC including ID’ing internally displaced persons in camps and enrollment in at least a thousand ID centers.

The petitioners have prayed the senate to cause the NIMC to get the money paid to them as soon as possible. They have also called for the disbursement of more funds as part of the efforts to modernize Nigeria’s identity infrastructure.

By Gift Habib

Nigeria has solidified its position as a leading source of international students in the United States, ranking seventh globally and first in Africa, according to the 2024 Open Doors Report on International Education Exchange.

The US Embassy disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.

For the 2023/2024 academic year, 20,029 Nigerian students enrolled in US colleges and universities, marking a 13.5 per cent increase from the previous year.

The report, released during International Education Week, revealed that US institutions now host a record-breaking 1,126,690 international students, the highest in history.

Nigerian students represent a significant share of this population, known for their academic excellence and commitment to higher education.

Canada has increased the permissible work hours for eligible international students during academic terms from 20 to 24 hours per week.

This adjustment aims to provide greater opportunities for students to gain work experience while maintaining their focus on academics.

Marc Miller, Canada’s Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Minister, stressed the intent behind this policy change, saying, “This change will give students more flexibility to manage their time and gain practical experience.”

The decision builds on remarks Miller made in October 2022 when he emphasized the importance of work experience for international students.

At the time, he stated: “With the economy growing at a faster rate than employers can hire new workers, Canada needs to look at every option so that we have the skills and workforce needed to fuel our growth.

“Immigration will be crucial to addressing our labour shortage. By allowing international students to work more while they study, we can help ease pressing needs in many sectors across the country, while providing more opportunities for international students to gain valuable Canadian work experience and continue contributing to our short-term recovery and long-term prosperity.”

Key Changes to the International Student Program

Full-Time Work During Academic Breaks

International students can now work full-time during designated academic breaks, such as summer and winter holidays. These periods allow students to increase their earnings without interfering with class schedules, bolstering their financial stability while continuing their education.

Increased Weekly Work Limit

The updated regulations permit students to work up to 24 hours per week during academic terms. This increase offers greater employment opportunities while ensuring students can maintain a sustainable study schedule.

Enhanced Reporting by Institutions

Designated Educational Institutions (DLIs) are now required to submit reports twice yearly to Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). These reports will confirm students’ enrollment status and academic progress, ensuring compliance with study permit requirements and upholding the integrity of the International Student Program.

Approval for Institution Transfers

Under the new rules, international students must obtain approval before transferring to a different DLI. This requirement ensures adherence to permit conditions and maintains academic standards across Canada’s institutions.

Special Provisions for Quebec Students

In Quebec, eligible international students can work off-campus without a separate work permit, provided they meet specific criteria. Students must be enrolled full-time in post-secondary, vocational, or professional training programs, or vocational training at the secondary level. These courses must be at least six months long and lead to a recognized degree, diploma, or certificate.

By introducing these measures, Canada aims to enhance opportunities for international students while addressing labour shortages in key sectors, ensuring a balance between work experience and academic success.

The cold spell is set to continue until the weekend, with temperatures reaching minus 7.5C (19F) last night.

More snow is set to fall over the weekend with the Met Office issuing several new weather warnings. 

A yellow warning for ice with sleet or snow showers is in place for most of Scotland, the East and West Midlands, the east, northeast and northwest of England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Yorkshire until Thursday morning.

A second yellow weather warning for frequent snow showers and possible hail is in place in many parts of north and west Scotland until midday on Thursday.

Up to 10cm of snow is forecast in some parts of northwest Scotland, with higher ground seeing up to 20cm, the Met Office said.

Parts of southwest England have also received a separate yellow warning for snow between 5am and 3pm on Thursday, with up to 10cm predicted in higher parts of Dartmoor.

Heavy snow is also expected on Saturday followed by a "rapid thaw" and rain on Saturday night in northeast and northwest England, the West Midlands, Yorkshire, and much of Scotland.

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for this weather event and said there is a chance floodwater could cause danger to life, and result in travel disruption and some rural communities to be cut off.

New yellow warnings for rain have also been published over the weekend for southwest England and Wales.

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Met Office spokesperson Andrea Bishop said: "A deep area of low pressure is expected to bring a spell of prolonged and, at times, heavy rainfall across a large part of the UK this weekend.

"Across southwest England, rain is expected to develop during Saturday morning with heavier rain likely later in the day and overnight into early Sunday morning.

"Fifty to 75mm of rain is expected to fall fairly widely during this time with a chance that some places over Dartmoor could see 100 to 125mm. Strong southerly winds will accompany the heavy rain and may locally exacerbate impacts."

A Met Office spokesperson added on Wednesday morning: "Rain, snow and ice continue to be potential hazards through this week as an Arctic air mass continues to influence the UK's weather, bringing potential ongoing disruption for some.

"It will be feeling very cold for most, with daytime temperatures in the low single figures, with a wind chill meaning it will be feeling even cooler." of freezing conditions.

The lowest temperature recorded on Tuesday night was minus 7.5C (19F) in Warcop, Cumbria.

The RAC said it has seen a sharp rise in vehicle breakdowns as drivers' batteries failed on Wednesday morning due to cold weather.

The AA has also predicted "a major increase in workload" due to sub-zero temperatures, snow and ice, and it urged drivers to check forecasts before travelling and to do so with "extreme caution" in the hardest-hit areas.

RAC spokesperson Rod Dennis called on motorists to properly de-ice vehicles and ensure the entire windscreen is clear.

The UK Health Security Agency has also issued the first amber cold weather health alert of the season, warning conditions could be dangerous for vulnerable people, including the elderly.