The Immigration Blog

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2011-05-07T01:31:00.001-07:00

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UK suspends accepting student visa applications in N India

2010-01-30T07:39:00.001-08:00

NEW DELHI: Facing an unprecedented increase in the number of student visa-seekers from north India, Britain has temporarily suspended accepting such applications as it suspects that there may be attempts to abuse the system.

The UK Border Agency, which enforces immigration and customs regulations and considers applications for permission to enter or stay in Britain, on Saturday announced the suspension in taking visa applications at its centres in New Delhi, Chandigarh and Jalandhar from Monday.

"We took this decision in response to unexpectedly high numbers of student visa applications in these areas at this time of year. The temporary suspension will allow the UK Border Agency to continue to scrutinise applications thoroughly and to manage the visa process efficiently for all our customers in north India," Deputy High Commissioner Nigel Casey said.

These three centres had received nearly 1000 student visa applications from October to December 2007. This number increased to 1,800 in the same period in 2008 while the number climbed to 13,500 in the corresponding period last year.

"Some applicants are trying to abuse the visa procedure to get entry into UK for purpose other than studies. We cannot allow this to happen," UK Border Agency's Regional Director Chris Dix said.Asked what kind of abuse the authorities have come across, Dix said probably certain education agents in north India were misleading the students by telling them that they can get entry to the UK for other purposes by using the student visa route.

"We want to ensure that student visa system attracts bona fide students," he said.

The suspension may continue till the last week of February, Casey said. During this period, the visa centres will not accept applications from customers. However, visa application centres in west and south India will continue their operations as usual.

During this period, the UK Border Agency will undertake thorough scrutiny of the applications to ensure that the applicants are bona fide students and they have the financial backing to continue their studies in Britain.

The authorities will also ensure that the education providers in the UK are following rules.

The rise in number of applications has affected the customer service also, Casey said.

Asked the reason for such unprecedented increase in visa applications, Casey said education in the UK is more preferred by the Indian students. The decline in number of student visa applications to a few other countries could have contributed to the rise, he said.

140 colleges suspended over immigration

2010-01-28T16:09:00.001-08:00

Inspectors have suspended 140 colleges and shut down 15 in the past six months under new immigration rules, the Government said today.

Since last March, all education institutions which want to bring non-EU students into the country need to be approved by the UK Border Agency and granted a "tier four" licence.

Security minister Lord West of Spithead said a previous list held by the former Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills had a record of 4,000 colleges that regularly had foreign students but the official list now stood at 2,000.

Lord West told peers at question time: "In the last six months we have carried out around 600 inspections, suspending 140 and revoking 15 tier four licences."

But Tory Lord Naseby demanded: "Why is it still so easy for these bogus colleges to operate and bring in illegal immigrants?"

Lord West replied: "I don't accept that we have not got a handle on these various colleges."

He added: "We have a team that go and inspect them. They look at whole areas of the quality of the courses they are doing, we make sure they are aware of what they have to do in terms of if students leave that college where they go.

"There have been bogus ones but we are taking enforcement action."

He said a report into the tier four issue ordered by Gordon Brown in November last year would report back "shortly".

UKIP leader Lord Pearson of Rannoch asked: "Is there any truth in the suggestion that of the 66,000 people who came to this country from Pakistan in the nine months to last September, only 29 were interviewed by British immigration officials and the rest by contracted interviewers in Pakistan or elsewhere?"

Lord West replied: "The system is very much that we look at documentation before any of the people come in to give their biometrics and when we have looked at that documentation we assess whether we need to talk to and have a face-to-face interview. We are actually very content that we are achieving good results."

Wishes Galore

2009-12-30T06:24:00.001-08:00

click the picture to see it in full size & splendour!

Happy New Year,

Prabhjot Bedi

Immigration officers takeaway burger bar staff

2009-12-21T01:50:00.001-08:00

11 arrested in illegal worker raids

Burger bar workers were grilled and removed from the UK after a series of raids at fast food outlets.

UK Border Agency officers swooped during a busy lunchtime at Burger King on Portway on Saturday, December 5, prompting the arrest of eight people for alleged illegal working.

Three Pakistani men, three Indian men and one Indian woman – all in their 20s – were suspected of breaking their visa conditions.

During a subsequent search at a Springfield house another Indian woman in her 20s was arrested for alleged violation of her visa.

After investigation, four of the Indian nationals were removed from the UK and of the remaining, three are in custody pending their removal while one other has been granted immigration bail.

The Agency's raid this month follows another Burger King swoop at the Midsummer Place branch in Central Milton Keynes.

Three employees were arrested; two Pakistani men and one Nigerian woman. All three were found to be working in breach of their visas. One was deported and two are on immigration bail.

Inspector Dick Stratton from the UK Border Agency said: "These arrests are part of an ongoing clampdown on illegal working in Milton Keynes and across the south east to reduce the attractiveness of the area to illegal immigrants. More operations are planned in the future."

Both Burger King branches are franchises of Milton Keynes-based ADIL catering.

The UK Border Agency warned the franchisee they face a maximum fine of £10,000 for each employee found to be working illegally, unless they can prove they carried out the correct right-to-work checks.

Citizen First yesterday contacted ADIL catering manager Bahir Mahmood who declined to comment on the arrests.

Indians arrested for working illegally in UK

2009-12-17T13:15:00.001-08:00

LONDON: A west London-based company faces a potential fine of up to 170,000 pounds after 17 illegal workers from Indiaand Sri Lanka werarrested during a raid by British immigration officials.

Acting on intelligence, officers targeted the premises of a company called Only 4U Ltd on December 10.

The operation was part of an ongoing clampdown on illegal working in the west London area, and coincides with a large-scale advertising campaign warning companies of heavy fines if they are caught employing illegal foreign labour.

The 17 men, all Indians and Sri Lankans aged between 22 and 49, were arrested for a variety of immigration offences. Ten were failed asylum seekers. The UK Border Agency will now seek to remove all of them from the country.

The employers have been told they will face a fine unless they can prove that they carried out the correct right-to-work checks on staff.

Inspector Dick Stratton of the UK Border Agency said, "Illegal working has a serious impact on communities, taking jobs from those who are genuinely allowed to work".

He added, "My officers will continue to target illegal working to reduce the attractiveness of the area to illegal immigrants, and more operations are planned in the future."

Civil penalties for companies that fail to carry out proper checks when employing migrant workers from outside Europe were introduced by the government in February 2008, allowing fines of up to 10,000 pounds per illegal employee.

Immigration rules result in flood of bogus students

2009-12-07T13:31:00.001-08:00

Our undercover reporters have exposed a host of scams offered to foreign nationals desperate to come to Britain as bogus students.

New Home Office immigration rules, which ministers promised would reduce the number of new arrivals, have actually led to a surge in applications and prompted immigration officials to voice their concerns.

Thousands of bogus students are being handed British visas after the Government's much-heralded reform of the immigration system created a major loophole, an investigation by The Sunday Telegraph can disclose.

Whistleblowers within the immigration service have revealed for the first time that rising numbers of student visa applications have created a big global backlog because new Home Office rules left officials powerless to refuse fraudulent applicants.

Undercover reporters in three foreign countries have also exposed a host of fraudulent methods used in attempts to exploit weaknesses in the Home Office's new "points-based" immigration system.

These include:

:: Fake "relatives" in Britain offered at $1,000 (£610) each, to make visa applications look more impressive.

:: Under-the-counter loans organised for foreigners to "prove" they can pay course fees and support themselves, although the money is handed back to the lender once it has appeared on bank statements.

:: Immigrants being advised to apply to a legitimate university and then switch to a bogus college once on British soil.

Last week, Professor David Metcalf, the chairman of the Home Office's Migration Advisory Committee, said he was "stunned" by the number of colleges allowed to bring students into the country on degree courses despite them being "not proper universities", and called for the scope of student visa sponsorship to be reviewed. A separate review is already under way after Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, last month called for a rethink of the student visa system.

The situation has worsened to such an extent, and created such a rush of applications, that one foreign government has already raised "concerns" about the points-based system with Home Office ministers, The Sunday Telegraph can reveal.

Government officials in the Philippines alerted British consular staff to the large number of poorly-educated citizens who were heading for Britain on study visas.

Theresa Dizon-de Vega, Consul-General at the Philippine Embassy in London, said: "The Ambassador had a very productive discussion recently with minister Phil Woolas and officials of the UK Home Office.

"The Philippine Embassy and the UK Home Office agreed to co-ordinate closely and exchange information and views on various immigration-related concerns including the implementation of the new points-based system of migration."

It is a major blow for the points-based system (PBS) which was meant to "raise the bar" and reduce the number of immigrants coming to Britain from outside Europe.

Devised by Liam Byrne, the former immigration minister who has since promoted to the Cabinet as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the PBS came into force for overseas students in March.

It requires students to have 40 points to come to Britain. Applicants receive 30 points for holding a course offer from a college or university, and 10 points for proving they can pay the fees and support themselves while in the country.

Sources within the UK Border Agency claim the PBS removed the discretion of entry clearance officers in British embassies around the world, who are now forced to approve applications if candidates demonstrate they have 40 points, even if they suspect the applicant is a fraud.

An investigation by this newspaper has exposed widespread abuse by visa agencies in India, China and the Philippines which are advising customers on how to get around the British Government's requirements, with some admitting that most "students" were simply coming here to work.

One agency in Fazilka, in Punjab, India, made an extraordinary pledge, telling our reporter: "We guarantee an applicant a student visa within a month."

At another agency based in a cramped, stinking building in Fazilka, close to the Pakistan border, an adviser told our reporter that students in Britain always find a way to work more than the permitted 20 hours a week.

In the Philippines, one agency offered to bolster a visa application by arranging for Filipinos already living in Britain to pose as members of the applicant's family for $1,000 and also promised that course records could "be arranged" for a fee, even if the student had failed their exams.

The applicant would then be able to secure a place in a British college – winning 30 points required under the PBS – on the basis of fraudulent paperwork.

Agencies in China advised applicants to register with a bona fide language school or university, and then switch to a bogus college once on Britain soil, to make it easier to extend their visa.

Li Wiuling, an agent in Beijing, said: "You can change after you arrive, because the formal ones are expensive."

She offered a "guaranteed" visa for 40,000 yuan (£3,500) and promised that anyone who failed to attend their classes in Britain faced little prospect of being discovered.

"There are so many people doing the same thing, they are all fine. There won't be one risk out of 100," she said.

Sources in the immigration service estimate that there are 5,000 immigrants in the London area alone who arrived here as bogus students and are working in the black economy, possibly with little intention of ever returning home.

Awareness of the Home Office's new rules in countries such as China, Pakistan and India has led to student visa applications quadrupling in some areas, generating a global backlog running into tens of thousands, The Sunday Telegraph discloses today. Applications in Sri Lanka and Nepal are also believed to be increasing.

As consular staff struggle to process the mountain of paperwork, the backlog has reached 10,000 applications in Beijing and 6,000 in Bombay, sources told this newspaper.

The Home Office had already acknowledged a backlog of 14,000 applications from Pakistan which Alan Johnson, the Home Secretary, officially blamed on computer problems earlier this year.

One source said: "Before the points-based system, Bombay was getting 150 applications a day in the peak application season but now it is getting 600 a day, which is why the backlog has gone up and up.

"At the moment there is massive abuse. The points-based system is utter nonsense and an utter farce.

"Without a shadow of a doubt you are talking about thousands of visas being issued to people who are not legitimate students and simply want to come to Britain and work."

Insiders estimate that the visa section at the British Consulate in India has received 15,000 to 20,000 extra applications this year while in China there have been an extra 10,000.

Both the Indian and Chinese missions introduced a moratorium on new student applications eight weeks ago which remains in force in both countries. In an indication of the scale of the problem there are no plans to lift either embargo, sources said.

Last month it emerged that the number of student visas issued at Mumbai and New Delhi in India, and Dhaka in Bangladesh, was 6,771 between June and August last year, but this year the figure was 19,950.

Damian Green, the shadow immigration minister, said: "Ministers should be very worried if the new system is easier to exploit than the old one. They must act to reassure the public, and genuine colleges, that this is not another immigration disaster in the making.

"The borders agency needs to call in all applications that have come through these routes as a matter of urgency."

A source said: "Under the old system under the Immigration Act, immigration officers could reject an application they believed was not legitimate. They don't have that ability any more.

"As long as an applicant gets the points there is no flexibility for the entry clearance officer to reject the visa. It's a terrible loophole.

"The government's spin was that the PBS would make it much quicker and easier to spot false applications, but it has actually made things much worse."

A Home Office spokesman denied there was a moratorium on applications and insisted that the rise in student visa numbers was down to the global recession and not the PBS.

Phil Woolas, the immigration minister, said: "The points-based system ensures that colleges and schools must be licensed to bring in foreign students, inspected by accreditation bodies and the UK Border Agency to ensure they are genuine, and take responsibility for their students.

"Before we tightened controls around 4,000 UK institutions were bringing in international students, this has been reduced to around 2,000.

"We continuously monitor our systems and where improvements can be made we will make them." b

Changes to British Nationality Law from January 2010

2009-10-09T01:32:00.000-07:00

The UK Border Agency in August 2009 announced changes to British Nationality Law under the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009. Some of these changes will take place in January 2010.

The most significant change will be the introduction of "earned citizenship"; This will not come into force until the Summer of 2011. From January 2010 changes will take place which will make it easier for people in a limited number of cases to gain UK citizenship:

Children born to those in the British Armed Forces who would not otherwise qualify for UK Citizenship may be registered. Children born in the UK to a parent who then joins the Armed Forces can also be registered.

Children born outside the UK to British parents who were also born outside the UK, but who have a grandparent born in the UK can currently be registered as British within twelve months of the child's birth. This period will be extended so that the child can be registered at any time before the age of eighteen years.

British Nationals Overseas (people with a connection to Hong Kong) who have not after 19 March 2009, given up or lost an alternative nationality by his or her own action or failure to act may be registered as British Citizens.

Those born overseas to British mothers before 8 February 1961 who would have acquired British citizenship had their father been British will be able to register as British citizens. It should be noted that in some circumstances the children of unmarried British fathers are still being discriminated against.
It is yet to be decided what the requirements will be for "earned citizenship". Probably there will be a probationary period during which time you will have to show that you will be a "good citizen". If you meet the requirements for UK citizenship it may be worth considering making an application sometime in the next twelve months. If you already have a pending application with the Home Office you will be considered under the current rules. You will not come under the new rules.

If you qualify for indefinite leave to remain you should apply sooner rather than later. Those with indefinite leave to remain have until July 2013 in which to apply for UK citizenship under the existing criteria.

USA: DV-2011 green card lottery to start soon

2009-10-08T01:31:00.000-07:00

Starting on 2 October 2009, the United States will begin accepting applications for the Diversity Visa 2011 Lottery, otherwise known as the Green Card Lottery.

For those who wish to live and work in the United States, the Green Card Lottery is a good opportunity as it does not require a sponsor such as a family member or employer. The application deadline is 30 November 2009.

Every Green Card Lottery applicant must have at least a high school education or its equivalent, or -- within the last five years -- have had two years of work experience in an occupation which requires at least two years of training or experience.

Both spouses may submit separate applications which can improve their chances of being selected.

Applying for the Green Card Lottery does not require the services of a migration agent or immigration lawyer. However, it is very important to have all of the details submitted correctly on your application, such as the format of the digital portrait of the applicant(s).

For a small fee, workpermit.com can help you make sure your application is in order. We have a US qualified lawyer on hand for added peace of mind when putting your application together. If you would like to use our services, please see if you qualify today.

The list of eligible of Countries is likely to be similar to last year's list. However, full details are yet to be announced.

Canada invests in helping immigrants learn English and learn about Canada

2009-10-07T01:30:00.000-07:00

A home based program to help parents prepare their children for school and better utilize local community services is expanding its family literacy program in a number of Canadian cities. $3.5 million of funding is being provided by Citizenship and Immigration Canada, which provides the vast majority of the funding, and Human Resources and Skills Development Canada.

The HIPPY (Home Instruction for Parents of Pre–School Youngsters) program this year celebrated its 10–year anniversary. HIPPY Canada helps immigrant families better understand Canadian language, life and culture from home.

Federal funding will help expand services at HIPPY's operations in the Toronto region and at three new sites in Halifax, Red Deer and Ottawa. This will result in family literacy opportunities for an additional 600 newcomer families. In addition, a new curriculum will greatly increase Canadian content in the HIPPY program.

More opportunities for immigrants in Australia as economy improves

2009-10-06T01:30:00.000-07:00

The number of job vacancies in Australia has recently gone up. This is the first increase in sixteen months. Also, the Sensis Consumer Report on consumer confidence is at 39 percent which is the highest level in fifteen months.

Both consumers and businesses feel that the economy will pick up in the next twelve months. Businesses need confidence to invest in their business. Business confidence depends on consumer confidence. Consumer confidence is based largely on job security.

Many indicators of the Australian economy show an improvement . For example the latest GBP figures are positive. The Australian dollar is at a 12 month high against the US dollar and Euro. It is at a thirteen year high against the UK pound; The exchange rate is now about two Australian dollars to one British pound.

The Housing Industry Association and the Australian Industry Group figures show that the building industry is still contracting. However, the decline is at a lower rate than in the past and there are shortages in many tradesman occupations.

There are many skill shortages in Australia as can be seen in the Migration Occupations in Demand List. As the Australian economy continues to improve there will be more and more job opportunities for prospective migrants to Australia.

More Opportunities as World economy recovers

2009-10-05T01:29:00.000-07:00

The world's economy took a hit after the global financial meltdown in 2008. Despite this many countries are still maintaining active immigration policies designed to attract skilled overseas talent.

Economic immigration has slowed down for many nations. More people are either staying home or returning from abroad. Nothing highlights this fact more than the United States H-1B program.

"For the first time in American history, we are experiencing the brain drain that other countries experienced," said Vivek Wadhwa of Duke University, who is researching reverse immigration.

The United States is not alone. Ireland is starting to return to its roots as a nation of emigrants after shooting to the top of the list of booming European Union economies in the late 90s. After 2004, Ireland saw an enormous surge of immigration after 8 Eastern European nations joined the EU.

However, more people are leaving Ireland than immigrating for the first time since 1995.

Despite slowing immigration across the board, nations such as Denmark, Australia, and Ireland are still actively looking for skilled overseas talent.

Denmark's Danish Green Card is an excellent immigration route for skilled people who are ready to immigrate soon without a job offer. The Danish Green Card allows foreign nationals to live in Denmark for a temporary period during which time they are expected to find work, and apply for a residence permit.

For those who want to move Down Under, Australia is still promoting its points-based General Skilled Migration program, arguable one of best opportunities for working abroad for skilled immigrants. If someone has the right skills and/or experience, getting a permanent residence permit without a specific job offer is a reality.

Countries like Canada have been criticised for their long wait times for processing immigration applications, but recent changes to fast-track those people who have the skills Canada needs could help alleviate this problem for some. Canada, like Australia, utilizes a points-based system to assess applicants.

One thing that is likely to mean more skilled immigration in the near future is the brightening economic outlook. The US Leading Economic Index increased by 0.6% in August of 2009. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke recently said that the US recession is most likely over.

This could mean that US employers starting to take advantage of those still-available H-1B visas.

UK Student Tier 4 visa Trial Period about to start

2009-10-04T01:25:00.000-07:00

On 17 September 2009 The UK Border Agency confirmed that phase 3 of the student Tier 4 of the points-based system for immigration will start on 5 October 2009.

Phase 3 is the voluntary trial period of the sponsorship management system for Tier 4 sponsors. Tier 4 sponsors are educational institutions such as schools, colleges and universities who wish to sponsor students for study in the UK. During the trial period educational institutions can continue to issue visa letters.

The Government hopes that educational institutions will increasingly use the sponsorship management system to issue confirmations of acceptance for studies for those applying from within the UK. Until February 2010 students applying for entry from outside the UK will still need visa letters instead of confirmations of acceptance for studies. From February 2010 confirmations of acceptance for studies will become compulsory for all student Tier 4 visa applications.

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2009-10-03T01:20:00.001-07:00

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New Requirements for UK Tier 2 Visas

2009-09-09T13:15:00.001-07:00

The UK Government has announced that from next year there will be tougher requirements to come under Tier 2 of the points based system. This follows recent recommendations by the Migration Advisory Committee.

Alan Johnson the Home Secretary announced that from next year the following changes will take place:

Jobs must be advertised in the Government's Jobcentre Plus for four weeks instead of the current two weeks. This is to give resident workers more time in which to apply.
Overseas workers who are looking to transfer to work in their employer's UK office will need to have worked for the overseas company for twelve months instead of the existing six month period.
The minimum salary to gain entry as a skilled worker to be able to work in the United Kingdom will rise from GBP17,000 to GBP20,000.

Home Secretary Alan Johnson said:

'The introduction of the points-based system has radically improved our ability to respond quickly to changing economic circumstances.

'We have now accepted all of the committee's recommendations and we will continue to work with them to make sure that we use the flexibility in the points-based system to the best advantage of society and the economy.

'These changes will ensure that businesses can recruit the skilled workers that the economy needs, but not at the expense of British workers, nor as a cheaper alternative to investing in the skills of the existing workforce.'

The Government has decided to put into place all of the sixteen recommendations made by the Migration Advisory Committee. The Government says that they have taken into account the opinions of both businesses and key public service organizations and also say that they will continue to work with business to develop a plan for implementing the recommendations.

It should be noted that tougher entry requirements are probably not in the long term interests of the UK. The UK will need immigrants to fully recover from the recent economic downturn

New migrant worker rules outlined

2009-07-29T16:18:00.001-07:00

The list of UK jobs likely to be open to workers from outside the EU has been unveiled as part of a new "points based" migration system.

A panel of experts was asked by ministers to work out which type of jobs had shortages.

The list includes skilled nurses and consultants, some engineering jobs, maths and English teachers.

But the Tories said it was "pointless" without an annual cap on the number of immigrants entering the UK.

The list is likely to come into force in November, after the government have studied the recommendations.

'Sensible'

The government says it wants to cut the number of workers coming to Britain from outside the 30-nation European Economic Area (the European Union plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway).

The new rules are expected to come into force at the end of November and will make it harder to employ skilled workers from outside the EEA in trades not on the list.

Border and Immigration Minister Liam Byrne said: "Our new Australian-style points system is flexible to meet the needs of British business while ensuring that only those we want and no more can come here to work. This tough new shortage occupation list supports that."

But shadow home secretary Dominic Grieve, for the Conservatives, said: "A points-based system without an annual limit is pointless.

"The government need to understand that sound immigration policy is not just about admitting the right type of people to Britain but the right amount."

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Tom Brake said the government's efforts would be undermined by its "persistent failure to reintroduce exit checks"..

Chief executive of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants Habib Rahman said the proposals unfairly discriminated against migrant workers from developing countries.

But Nur-Ur Rahman Khondaker, secretary general of the Bangladesh Caterers Association, welcomed the inclusion of chefs on the list - provided they earn £8.10 an hour or more - as he had feared ethnic restaurants would be permanently barred from hiring staff from nations.

Citizens of other EU states - except Bulgaria and Romania - are already entitled to work in the UK without restrictions.

Unskilled workers from other parts of the world are currently banned but highly qualified migrants or those with substantial sums to invest are allowed to live and work in the UK.

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) list refers to "skilled workers" - those with the equivalent of two A Levels or NVQ Level 3. They must also have a good grasp of English, a job offer with potential earnings of £24,000 and enough money to support themselves until their first pay cheque if they want to work in the UK.

Among the occupations on it are:

    * Consultants and specialist nurses
    * Some engineering jobs, including chemical and civil engineers
    * Quantity surveyors
    * Maths and English teachers
    * Ship and hovercraft officers
    * Veterinary surgeons
    * Sheep shearers
    * Jockeys and horse trainers

Doctors from outside Europe will no longer be able to work in Britain as salaried GP, under the new rules.

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), the panel set up to establish which sectors of the UK job market are short of workers, also said a bar should be imposed on social workers, most skilled construction workers, IT specialists and architects.

It said it did not want to deter firms from training British workers to fill vacancies.

Other jobs such as chefs and care workers would only be allowed if they paid enough.

Inter-company transfers will be exempt from the restrictions and firms will still be able to recruit for jobs not on the list, if there are no suitable applicants when advertised in the EU.

About 700,000 people currently work in the professions listed - less than the million covered by the existing system, of which about 7% are non-EU workers.

MAC chairman, Professor David Metcalf, said an employer would have to clear three hurdles to be able to hire somebody from outside Europe.

The changes will result in a more skilled labour supply, he added.

'Not set in stone'

According to the list, maths and science teachers are still needed, but secondary school teachers in other subjects will face restrictions.

Midwives, social workers and IT technicians from outside the EU are all no longer needed, according to the list.

Professor Metcalf said the list was not "set in stone" and a new one would be published every two years.

For example, he said he would be talking to the energy sector to decide whether nuclear power workers should be included in future, given the government's plans for new plants.

The list for Scotland includes all of the UK-wide professions, plus fish filleters, senior elderly care workers and speech therapists.

Only care workers earning at least £8.80 an hour will be allowed to come to Britain according to the list - a salary level most care-home owners say they will not be able to pay.

"It is so far above what the medium pay levels are within care homes for senior care workers, it is just not going to be achievable," said Mandy Thorn, a board member of the National Care Association.

'Monitoring needed'

Professor Metcalf said that care homes that increased their wages may find their vacancies can be filled from within the UK.

He also said there was evidence in the past the care sector and catering firms had attempted to abuse the system by claiming workers had more skills than they actually possessed to get work permits.

"It is vital the Home Office monitors people and deals with this rigorously," said Professor Metcalf.

On Sunday an all-party group of MPs called for "balanced migration" and four-year limits for foreign workers.

The group said Britain will not be able to cope with an estimated seven million additional migrants forecast to arrive by 2031.

'Bogus' colleges lose visa rights

2009-04-04T15:20:00.001-07:00

A quarter of UK colleges who want to enrol overseas students have been denied a licence by the Home Office.

Institutions have to meet UK Border Agency standards before being allowed to sponsor international students under the UK's new points-based system.

About 460 have so far been rejected as not making the grade, out of 2,100 that accept international students.

Immigration minister Phil Woolas said "bogus" colleges were the "Achilles Heel" of Britain's border controls.

There has been a boom in overseas students coming to the UK in recent years, with tuition fees last year totalling £2.5bn.

The government says students from outside the EU "play a huge part in the UK's cultural and economic wealth".

But it is using its new points-based migration system to shut down "bogus colleges" that are really just a route into low skilled work.

International students will need to be accepted by genuine institutions before they can come here.

Officials estimate up to 2,000 "bogus" colleges will be forced to close because of the changes.

Bureaucracy concern

Speaking on a visit to Imperial College, London, Mr Woolas said he wanted to protect genuine universities and colleges which he said were essential for the economy.

But he added: "We want to expose those who are not genuine students who are using fraudulent college offers to come here.

"In my estimation abuse of the student visa has been the biggest abuse of the system, the major loophole in Britain's border controls.

"I believe that the new system will benefit major institutions, colleges and private universities, but the backstreet bogus college is being exposed."

A cross party group on balanced migration called on the government to reveal how many students were in the UK under false pretences.

'Shambles'

In a joint statement, co-chairmen Tory MP Nicholas Soames and Labour's Frank Field said: "This is a worrying but not totally astonishing revelation.

"Given there are nearly a quarter of a million non-EU students in British higher education institutions, the question this poses is 'how are many are here under false pretences?'"

The launch of Tier 4 of the points-based system means students will also need to prove they have enough money to live on for nine months, down from 12 months in the original proposals.

Dr Sharon Bolton, head of international student support at Imperial, said she was concerned about bureaucracy in the new system.

'Illegitimate' colleges

The 17-page application form for existing students to renew their visas was now 55 pages long, she said.

And she said some scholarship students found the income requirements exceeded the amount they were given by the university.

She said: "The application form for those in the UK is a massive administrative burden for the students themselves, the universities that are dealing with it, and for the Home Office workers who are processing them.

"I don't see how that's not going to cause delays."

But she welcomed the effort to "weed out" colleges that are "illegitimate".

'Play by the rules'

The Association of Colleges said none of its members, which include general further education Colleges, Sixth form colleges and specialist colleges, had been rejected during the screening process.

Robert Russell, Association of Colleges Finance Development Manager, said: "Colleges are hopeful that the new sponsor register will prevent fraudulent institutions from abusing the immigration system in Britain."

Before reaching the UK, students need to prove they have a place at a licensed institution, that they can financially support themselves, and must provide their fingerprints to the UK Border Agency.

Colleges have to prove they are genuine education institutions and they will have to report students who are not attending their courses.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said: "These new measures make sure people who come here to study - and the people who teach them - play by the rules.

"This new tier of the points based system allows us to know exactly who is coming to the UK to study and crack down on bogus colleges.

Hundreds of colleges refused permission to take overseas students

2009-04-04T15:18:00.001-07:00

More than 400 colleges and schools have been refused permission to take overseas students under immigration controls designed to weed out bogus institutions and students.

The UK Border Agency has turned down around 460 of more than 2,100 organisations under new rules intended to ensure that students coming to the UK from beyond the European Economic Area (EEA) abide by the terms of their leave to be here, and that their host institutions monitor this properly.

The home secretary, Jacqui Smith, said: "These new measures make sure people who come here to study and the people who teach them play by the rules.

"I have made clear that I will not tolerate either fraudulent applicants trying to abuse Britain's immigration rules, or dodgy colleges that facilitate them."

Though in favour of the new rules for putting pressure on bogus institutions, college and university administrators are anxious that they may deter international students, who last year paid tuition fees worth a total of £2.5bn.

Institutions wanting to receive overseas students must apply to the UKBA for a licence. So far, more than 165 further education colleges have been licensed.

Before coming to the UK, foreign students need to prove they have a place at a licensed college, university or school and that they can support themselves for nine months. They must also give their fingerprints to the UKBA.

The new points system, organised according to five "tiers" or categories – highly-skilled migrants, skilled migrants, unskilled workers, students and temporary workers – was launched a year ago. Tier 3 – unskilled workers – remains suspended.

Professor Mary Ritter, pro rector of international affairs at Imperial College London, said that overseas students contributed greatly to its being a "dynamic and exciting" place.

"It's vital that while taking appropriate border control measures, we don't make it difficult for these students to come to the UK," she said. Imperial was delighted at the government's decision to extend the maximum length of the Tier 4 student visa from a planned four years to cover the complete duration of an individual's course.

UK Tier 4 Student category about to be introduced

2009-03-27T16:51:00.001-07:00

The United Kingdom's points based system is about to be expanded so that from the end of this month students both adults and children will need to come under Tier 4 of the points based system.

Changes to the Immigration Rules were published on 9 March 2009. From 31 March 2009 all long term students will need to come under the new UK Tier 4. In addition, the relevant University, college or other educational institution will need to be a licensed sponsor to sponsor the student.

Obama and increases in US legal immigration

2009-03-27T16:50:00.001-07:00

The new Obama administration in the US proposed immigration policy which favours an increase in the number of legal immigrants may benefit Indians. Many of the legal immigrants in the US are Indians.
"Fix the dysfunctional immigration bureaucracy and increase the number of legal immigrants to keep families together and meet the demand for jobs that employers cannot fill," according to the White House document that details immigration policy for the new administration.

"Our broken immigration system can only be fixed by putting politics aside and offering a complete solution that secures our border, enforces our laws, and reaffirms our heritage as a nation of immigrants," says Obama.

The agenda document also makes it clear that tougher action will be taken against employers who hire undocumented immigrants.

The Obama Administration supports a policy that will give undocumented immigrants a route to citizenship. Undocumented immigrants in good standing will need to have good English and eventually be in a position to apply for US citizenship.

Previously as an US Senator Obama said in the Senate on May 23, 2007: "The time to fix our broken immigration system is now... We need stronger enforcement on the border and at the workplace.

"But for reform to work, we also must respond to what pulls people to America... Where we can reunite families, we should. Where we can bring in more foreign-born workers with the skills our economy needs, we should."

Obama was sworn in as US President on Tuesday.

New rules for skilled and highly skilled migrant workers

2009-03-25T17:29:00.001-07:00

The Immigration Rules covering highly skilled migrant workers will change on 31 March 2009, raising the academic and financial requirements of two categories in Tier 1 of the points-based system. At the same time, the resident labour market test will be strengthened to ensure that skilled jobs are advertised within the United Kingdom before they can be offered to migrant workers.

Both changes are in line with the Home Secretary's announcement on 22 February of new measures to "raise the bar" for foreign workers wishing to work in the United Kingdom.
Changes to Tier 1 of the points-based system for highly skilled workers

Changes for the T1 (General) and T1 (Post-Study Work) categories will come into effect for all applications submitted on or after 31 March 2009.

The Tier 1 (General) changes will apply to migrants who are applying for permission to enter the United Kingdom in this category for the first time, or who are applying to switch into the Tier 1 (General) category from another category. Anyone applying for an extension of their permission to stay under Tier 1 (General) will not be affected by the changes.

The earnings multiplier for overseas earnings will still apply for initial applications only. There has never been a provision for overseas earnings to be multiplied at extension stage.

The changes to the Tier 1 (Post-Study Work) category mean that applicants will not be awarded points for Postgraduate Diplomas or Postgraduate Certificates other than Postgraduate Certificates in Education.

The UK Border Agency has published revised guidance for Tier 1 (General) and Tier 1 (Post-Study Work) applications - see the links on the right side of this page. This guidance is for applications sent to us on or after 31 March - if you want to apply on or before 30 March, you should continue to use the current guidance.
Changes to the resident labour market test

The resident labour market test prevents employers from offering skilled jobs to migrant workers without first advertising them to workers who are already settled here.

From 31 March 2009, an employer wishing to sponsor a migrant to do a job under Tier 2 (General) will not pass the test unless the job has been:

* advertised to settled workers in Jobcentre plus; and
* advertised using one other method permitted by the relevant code of practice.

Migration adviser says companies should train UK staff

2009-03-25T17:25:00.001-07:00

Employers who bring in migrant labour should be required to provide training for British workers at the same time, one of the government's leading advisers on migration suggested yesterday.

David Metcalf, chair of the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), said the recession was likely to lead to a substantial fall in east European migrants to Britain, which may "smooth the economic cycle a bit".

Speaking at a "migration summit" in London yesterday, Metcalf dismissed recent claims that the UK population, driven by rising immigration, would reach 70 million, saying they used projections from the recent net migration levels which were now very likely to fall.

The chairman of the MAC, which identifies occupational shortages under the new points-based immigration system, said it was looking to tighten up the system in the face of rising unemployment.

As well as removing certain occupations from the shortage lists, he said, other measures could be taken, including a review of "intra-company transfers" under which overseas firms bring staff to Britain. Metcalf noted there were concerns, particularly in the IT industry, that this route was used to undercut British workers.

But he said one idea to deal with the problem of filling shortage occupations with migrants at a time of rising unemployment might be to make the provision of extra training a condition of granting the certificates of sponsorship employers now need to bring in overseas staff.

At the same migration summit, organised by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the communities secretary, Hazel Blears, confirmed that new migrants are to face a £50 levy to finance a £70m two-year "migration impact fund".

She said the fund would be used to provide extra housing officers to enforce regulation of bedsits, additional support teachers for schools with large numbers of migrant children, and interpreters who could work across services such as health and the police. It will also be used to ensure migrants learn English.

The £50 levy will be in addition to the usual visa fees faced by migrants from outside Europe, meaning some immigration fees will break through the £1,000 barrier for the first time.

Universities UK said it was disappointed with the decision that the £50 levy would be applied to overseas students as well, saying they contributed considerably more to the UK economy than they used in public resources.

Jill Rutter, of the Institute of Public Policy Research's migration team, said the levy was a good way of getting money to public services quickly, but warned: "We should remember that most migrants are young and fit and not heavy users of public services.

"Government and local public services must be careful not to fuel anti-migrant sentiments by suggesting that migrants place strains on schools, the police and the NHS. In reality, migrants contribute to public service provision through taxation and as public service workers."

Raids trap 15 illegal immigrants

2009-03-22T02:41:00.000-07:00

Six business have been caught employing illegal workers following immigration raids in Swansea and Neath.

Fifteen people from China, India, Iraq, Bangladesh and Malaysia were found at restaurants and take-aways in the area by UK Border Agency officers.

The businesses now face fines of up to £10,000 for each worker.

The raids were carried out as a result of intelligence gathered by the agency and all 15 workers now face being removed from the UK.

On Monday officials went to the Thye Heng Chinese takeaway at Pontarddulais and found two illegal workers.

The same night they also went to the Ming Kee Chinese takeaway in Ystalyfera and found three people and the Zafran Indian Restaurant in Skewen, near Neath, where there were four.

On Wednesday three more raids at the Penclawdd Tandoori in Penclawdd, BBQ King Diner on Swansea's St Helen's Road and the Oceana Kebabs on the Kingsway caught a further six illegal workers.

Minimum wage

Some were failed asylum seekers, some had stayed in the UK after their papers had expired while others had gained entry illegally.

Eddy Montgomery, the agency's acting regional director for Wales, said: "These operations show that our officers are extremely active across south Wales in cracking down on illegal working.

"We take action against the illegal workers by seeking to remove them from the UK, but we also clamp down on anyone who is proved to have employed them by issuing large fines.

"Businesses which employ illegal workers are able to undercut competitors by paying below the minimum wage and we often find they are also by-passing health and safety laws."

US H-1B visa restrictions to end in two years

2009-03-22T02:35:00.001-07:00

Washington, Mar 22 (PTI) The US government's controversial restriction on companies from hiring skilled foreign workers with non-immigrant H-1B visas will continue for only two years, the immigration department has said. As part of a stimulus package passed last month for revival of the economy, President Barack Obama signed a new law, named "Employ American Workers Act", which makes it difficult for the companies having received government bailout funds to hire H-1B foreign workers.

However, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), in a circular issued with its invitation of H1-B applications for the next fiscal, has now made it clear that the EAWA requirements are not permanent and would "sunset two years from the date of enactment." EAWA, which prevents a company from displacing US workers when hiring H-1B specialty occupation workers if the company received stimulus funds, took effect on February 17, 2009 and it applies to any "hire" taking place before February 17, 2011.

The Act defines "hire" as an employer permitting a new employee to commence a period of employment; that is, the introduction of a new employee to the employer's US workforce. USCIS has said that it would begin accepting H-1B visa applications from April 1 for the next fiscal 1 and would subject the applications to various terms and conditions related to EAWA. PTI.

UK Visa processing fee increases

2009-02-23T14:39:00.001-08:00

The UK Government has recently announced proposed fee levels for all visa, immigration and nationality applications and services for the period 2009/10.

There are very few changes to the Government fees for in-Country applications. For out of Country applications proposed fees such as for certain long term visit visa applications are likely to more than double.

The UK Government says that they are undertaking the biggest shake-up of the immigration system for 45 years, which includes:

• fingerprint checks before people come to the United Kingdom;

• a strong new force at the border;

• counting people in and out of the United Kingdom; and

• introducing identity cards for foreign nationals.

In 2009/10 the UK Border Agency plans to spend over £2.2 billion on border controls and the immigration system. UKBA expects that approximately thirty percent of the costs will be paid for out of Government fees.

Denied Canadian citizenship, NRI commits suicide in Delhi

2009-02-22T10:04:00.001-08:00

NEW DELHI: A 31-year-old non-resident Indian (NRI) allegedly hanged himself at his home here because he was refused Canadian citizenship inspite of having lived in the country for 11 years, police said on Saturday.

Vijay Sherawat, married to a Canadian woman and a father of one-year-old daughter, was found hanging from the ceiling fan of his room Friday, the police said.

Sherawat had gone to Canada 11 years ago. He was asked to return to India on some technical grounds and was unable to go back, according to the police.

The deceased, who held an MBA degree, had returned to Delhi one-and-a-half months ago and was staying at his father Colonel (retd) Karan Sherawat's house in Paradise Apartments of Dwarka's Sector-9.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest Delhi) K. Jagdishan said Sherawat drank heavily Thursday evening and then locked himself in his room. His family members found him hanging from the ceiling fan after they broke open the doors the next morning.

He was rushed to the Deen Dayal Upadhyay hospital where doctors pronounced him dead.

"The deceased was mentally disturbed. In his suicide note, he mentioned that since he can't go back to Canada to his wife and one-year-old daughter and also his citizenship application has been denied, he was taking this extreme step," Jagdishan said.

Marriage visa age to rise later this month

2009-02-09T04:24:00.001-08:00

The age at which someone can apply for a marriage visa will increase from 18 to 21 from the end of this month, the Government announced today.

From 27 November both parties in a marriage will have to be 21 before a marriage visa can be issued. Raising the age is just one part of the Government’s work to crackdown on forced marriage and on those who attempt to abuse the marriage visa route.

Border and Immigration Minister Phil Woolas said:

“It is important that we protect vulnerable young people and this measure will help avoid exploitation”.

The changes being made to the marriage visa route are part of a package of measures being brought in today to deliver the biggest shake-up to immigration and border security in 45 years.

Also today, the Home Office helped businesses to prepare for the go-live of Tiers 2 and 5 of the points system on 27 November by publishing detailed guidance on the two tiers. Under these tiers – which cover skilled and temporary workers – employers will be held accountable for the workers they bring into the country, with a new sponsorship scheme holding businesses responsible for those they employ.

Mr Woolas said:

“The points system means only the migrants with the skills Britain needs can come – and no more. It is also flexible, allowing us to raise or lower the bar according to the needs of business and taking population trends into account.

Had the system been in place last year there would have been 12 per cent fewer people coming in to work through the equivalent work permit route.”

Tier 2 of the points system will ensure that British jobseekers get the first shot at jobs and only those foreign workers we need will be able to come to the UK. Under this tier companies must pass the Resident Labour Market test by proving they cannot fill the post with a resident worker before they can bring in someone from outside the European Economic Area (EEA).

http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/aboutus/newsroom/?view=News&id=8621211

Reminder for UK educational institutions sponsoring international students

2009-01-15T07:48:00.001-08:00

On 19 December 2008 the UKBA made a further announcement regarding the Student Tier 4 of the points system to be introduced in March 2009. Under the new points based system educational institutions will have to be licensed to sponsor students.

UKBA in their announcement said that they have already begun issuing licences for sponsors under tier 4 and would encourage all potential sponsors who have not yet applied for their licence to do so as soon as possible.

The sponsorship management system for tier 4 sponsors from Autumn 2009 will allow institutions to manage their migrants and issue confirmation of acceptance of studies online.

Government plans focus on economy

2008-12-06T10:40:00.001-08:00

Gordon Brown has said new government measures will offer "real help" to homeowners, families and businesses as he focuses squarely on the economy.

He told MPs planned new laws in the Queen's Speech would help the UK "in the downturn and the upturn" to follow.

In a slimmed down programme, ministers will attempt to prevent another banking crisis and protect depositors.

But David Cameron criticised the plans, calling it "last year's Queen's Speech from yesterday's prime minister."

'Not honest'

The Tory leader said the programme of measures - which include forcing long-term jobless to do more to find work and to protect homeowners under threat of losing their homes - was driven by short-term political calculations not the need for long-term change.

The prime minister had failed to "be honest about the state of the country" and its economic position, he added.
"The truth is that he is borrowing so much because he has spent so much," he said.

There was no commitment to public service reform nor any "recognition of how the world has changed" in the past year in terms of the problems facing business and families.

"The prime minister is wrong for a recession and he is wrong for a recovery."

But Mr Brown accused the opposition of failing to support measures to boost the economy and financial system and ignoring the reality that the economic downturn is a global phenomenon which requires global co-operation and solutions.

The Tories had shown they were "uncaring about the difficulties people face", he argued.

"In an era of yes, we can, only the opposition are saying no we won't."

'Meagre'

Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg said the package of measures was "meagre" from a "fag-end government running out of ideas".
The measures were "no use and no help" to people facing "unprecedented" economic worries, doing nothing to cut household fuel bills or get banks to lend more freely.

"People have a right to expect something big from the government," he said.

"Rarely has so much been promised and so little delivered."

Earlier in a speech to MPs and peers, amid the traditional pomp and ceremony of the State Opening of Parliament, the Queen said: "My government's overriding priority is to ensure the stability of the British economy during the global economic downturn.

"My government is committed to helping families and businesses through difficult times."

Bills in the Queen's Speech include:

• Welfare Reform Bill: Plans to make the long-term unemployed in England, Scotland and Wales start training courses or face benefit cuts and to assess skills when people first claim.

• Citizenship, Immigration and Borders Bill: Brings together customs and immigration and introduces a new path to citizenship which rewards good behaviour but holds the process up "if migrants don't make an effort to integrate or commit even minor crimes".

• Banking Bill: Gives Bank of England statutory duty to ensure financial stability and allows the Treasury and FSA to intervene earlier to prevent another bank crisis. Was introduced early and has already started its passage through Parliament.

• Policing and Crime Bill: Increases accountability of police through directly elected representatives on police authorities. Tightens control of lap dancing clubs and cracks down on cheap alcohol sales.

• Equality Bill: for England, Wales and Scotland - Aims to streamline laws on sex, race and religious discrimination, improve enforcement and allow political parties to use all-women shortlists until 2030.

• Health Bill: Establishes an NHS Constitution outlining the rights and responsibilities of staff and patients.

• Child Poverty Bill: Will "enshrine in law the government's commitment to eradicate child poverty by 2020".

• Children, Skills and Learning Bill: New legislation to fulfil the government's pledge to eliminate weak schools by 2011.

There were 18 bills in the draft Queen's Speech, but this has been stripped down to 12, plus two carried over from the previous Parliamentary session, making it the shortest Queen's Speech since Labour came to power in 1997.

Binge drinking

Plans to ban shops from displaying cigarettes in shops have been put on hold for further consultation amid fears they would hit small retailers.

But the Department of Health said new restrictions on the sale of tobacco aimed at protecting children, particularly those from a poor background, would be announced shortly.

Pubs and bars are also likely to face a mandatory code of conduct banning "£10 all you can drink" deals and similar promotions and fines for drinking in public places where it is banned will go up from £500 to £2,500.

Among the bills not included is the Communications Data Bill, thought to include proposals for a giant database of all phone and internet traffic, which has been put out for further consultation.

Gordon Brown's much-vaunted Constitutional Renewal Bill - which would give MPs the final say over war and remove a ban on protests outside Parliament - has also been put on hold, to return when Parliamentary time allows.

Plans to extend the right to request flexible working to many more parents are included despite concerns about the impact on businesses during a likely recession.

Families on lower incomes are to be encouraged to save more through financial incentives.

And a voluntary code of conduct requiring banks to give customers notice if they plan to withdraw or alter credit facilities will be made mandatory, the government said, but this is not part of the Banking Bill.

Among the more eye-catching measures thought to be included in proposed welfare reforms are lie detector tests for people claiming benefits - already used by 25 councils - to try to reduce fraud.

But TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said the proposals looked like a "leftover from pre-recessionary times".

And the SNP said the Queen's Speech showed the "UK government has its head in the sand over the current economic reality".

And Plaid Cymru said there was need for much tougher controls on banks and energy companies to help hard-pressed families and businesses.

"I would like to see the banks coming under some form of regulation, to ensure that they do start lending to each other, but also, crucially, they start lending responsibly to individuals," said Elfin Llwyd, the party's leader at Westminster.

Thousands of jobs could be filled by foreign workers because of loophole

2008-12-06T10:36:00.001-08:00

The Business Visitor Visa allows foreigners coming to the UK for work purposes to stay for up to six months.

It is designed to make it easier for business visitors coming on brief trips or stop-overs.

But a clause in the scheme also allows for "secondees" from overseas companies who have contracts with UK firms providing they are being paid by the overseas company.

Migrationwatch warned that could see foreign companies effectively running a rolling exchange programme of its staff with a British firm, replacing a worker every six months with another, rather than the UK company hiring a local worker.

It warned another potential loophole category is "persons undertaking specific, one-off training in techniques and work practices used in the UK, provided this is not on the job training".

It comes on the day the next two tiers of the new points based system, aimed at restricting the number of migrant workers, come in to effect but those arriving under a business visa would not have to go through the points system.

Business leaders have also warned there could now be a "two-tiered" system of seconded workers coming in under the visa regime and others having to meet the points criteria.

Migrationwatch chairman, Sir Andrew Green, said "The Government scrabbled to produce these rules only days before the system goes live.

"Far from being "tough" the rules for business visitors drive a coach and horses through the entire work permit system. Now any foreign company with a contract with a British company can send as many seconded staff as they wish for periods of six months each.

"This could easily be used to replace more expensive British workers as the recession bites. The Government must think again and take urgent measures to put proper controls in place."

A total of 1.74 million people arrived on the old visitor visa for business purposes last year.

Migrationwatch warned other aspects of the visa system are also impossible to police, including a requirement that the business visitor is self sufficient or being supported by a friend or family.

It said the system was "so full of loopholes as to undermine the entire scheme".

It called for a ban on secondees and for all business visits to be limited to six weeks.

Also coming in to effect today are Tiers 2 and 5 of the points system, which relate to skilled migrants and temporary workers respectively.

The Government claims it will restrict workers under Tier 2, especially through the narrowing of the so-called shortage list of occupations which allow companies to employ from outside the European Economic Area.

But it was exposed earlier this month went it emerged it will only cut numbers by 14,000.

Figures earlier this week showed jobs filled by foreigners in the last two years increased by almost half a million over the period while the number of British-born employees has slumped by 149,000.

Frank Field MP and Nicholas Soames MP, co-Chairmen of the Cross Party Group on Balanced Migration, said: "Today certainly marks a major reconstruction of the immigration system which has been in a state of collapse.

"That is to be welcomed but no amount of spin can hide the fact that the Points Based System will not stop tens of thousands of non-EU migrants coming to the UK and competing with the British unemployed for work."

A Home Office spokesman said: "We will not tolerate abuse of the system – that's why we have tightened our guidelines to ensure business visitors cannot use this route to take British jobs.

"Secondees are paid by their company back home, cannot stay for more than six months, and must prove they can support themselves.

"These new rules safeguard the visitor route into the UK from abuse and keep Britain an attractive place to do business."

John Cridland, CBI Deputy Director-General, said: "We support the business visitors visa scheme, but suggested that safeguards be introduced to prevent it being abused by unscrupulous companies. We therefore look forward to seeing the government's policies soon."

Romanian and Bulgarian work restrictions to stay

2008-12-06T10:22:00.001-08:00

THE GOVERNMENT is expected to impose work restrictions for Eeropean Union citizens from Romania and Bulgaria for at least another three years due to rising unemployment levels in the State.

This is despite lobbying by the Romanian and Bulgarian governments, which say the move is discriminatory and treats them as second-class EU members.

The European Commission has also encouraged member states to lift labour restrictions against the two member states.

The Government decided to impose a two-year work permit requirements on Romanian and Bulgarian nationals when the two countries joined the EU in January 2007.

Under EU law, the Government may impose these "transitional restrictions" for seven years in total. The Government is expected to make a decision on the issue at a Cabinet meeting shortly.

A spokesman for the Romanian embassy confirmed it has been in contact with the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Mary Coughlan in a bid to have the restrictions lifted.

"We are hoping for a revision of the present mechanism and hope we will be treated like other EU countries. If it is not possible to completely lift the restrictions, we are hoping for a more flexible way of dealing with the issue, especially if the economic situation improves," the spokesman said.

However, Government sources say the restrictions will most likely be maintained due to the lack of job opportunities, as well as the significant numbers of EU citizens from Eastern Europe still resident here.

The Romanian Community of Ireland, a representative group for many of the country's citizens, have also called for a change in the Government's stance.

The group's chairwoman, Anca Lubu, says it is very difficult for citizens to get work permits because of delays of up to three months in processing them.

"Very few employers are willing to wait that long. We feel it's not fair and it's creating a second class EU citizen.

"I know there may be economic difficulties in Ireland, but this is about equality and treating EU citizens fairly," she said.

A small number of employment permits have been issued to nationals of Romania (241) and Bulgaria (58) between January 2007 the end of October 2008.

Bulgarian and Romanian citizens are free to travel and live here, even though they may not get a job without a work permit and do not qualify for social welfare.

There are exceptions, such as the self-employed, or those who were resident and held a work permit for a year prior to 2007.

The Government's stance is at odds with that of 2004, when it, along with the UK, allowed citizens from the 10 new EU accession states to work in Ireland without a permit.

Former taoiseach Bertie Ahern at the time accused countries sticking to a policy of keeping closed borders of taking a "negative position".

However, he justified the Government's decision not to extend the same benefits to Romanians and Bulgarians two and a half years later on the basis that Ireland had experienced a very significant inflow of economic migrants since May 2004.

The Government said it was appropriate to be cautious and concentrate on the integration needs of those who had already come to live and work here.

This position was supported by trade unions and the employers' group, Ibec.

The two groups are also understood to support the renewals of labour restrictions on Romanians and Bulgarians.

Romanian and Bulgarian work restrictions to stay

2008-11-19T18:59:00.001-08:00

Five suspected illegal immigrants arrested in raid on Exeter restaurant

2008-11-19T18:57:00.001-08:00

FIVE suspected illegal immigrants have been arrested following a raid on a popular city restaurant.

Immigration officers from the UK Border Agency, supported by Devon and Cornwall police, targeted the Gandhi Indian restaurant in New North Road.

They arrested four men on suspicion of entering the country illegally and a fifth man on suspicion of being in the UK on an expired six-month visa.

The men, aged between 19 and 27, are all from Bangladesh.

A sixth man, aged 23 and from Vietnam, was arrested at UK Nails, in the Harlequin Centre, Paul Street.

He is believed to be a failed asylum seeker.

The men face removal from the UK if they are found to have committed immigration offences.

Six immigration officers from the UK Border Agency's Plymouth office carried out the intelligence-led operation.

The men were still being interviewed yesterday after being arrested on Thursday between 6.45pm and 7pm.

The Gandhi, which opened in 1991, has become one of the city's most prestigious restaurants.

It was extended and underwent refurbishment three years ago.

Owner Mahmudur Rahman was not available for comment yesterday.

The manager of UK Nails, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Echo that the man arrested at the shop did not work there.

A spokesman for the UK Border Agency confirmed: "Six men have been arrested on suspicion of immigration offences after the UK Border Agency carried out two intelligence-led visits to businesses in Exeter.

"All six suspected immigration offenders were taken to Heavitree Road police station in Exeter, where they were detained overnight before being questioned further by officers yesterday.

"If they are found to have committed immigration offences, steps will be taken to remove them from the UK as soon as possible."

The operation comes at a time of huge reform to the UK's immigration system.

From the end of this month, ID cards for foreign nationals are being rolled out, which the Home Office says will help to protect against identity fraud and illegal working.

The Government recently introduced an Australian-style points-based system for managing migration, ensuring that only those with the skills needed in the UK are allowed to work.

The Gandhi could face fines of thousands of pounds if the workers are found to have been working illegally for the restaurant.

New penalties for businesses who fail to carry out proper checks when employing migrants from outside Europe were introduced by the Government in February this year, allowing employers to be fined up to £10,000 per illegal employee.

A police spokesman confirmed officers had assisted in the arrests and that the six men had been detained at Heavitree Road police station for questioning.

Aunt of President-Elect Obama to fight US deportation order

2008-11-13T19:18:00.001-08:00

According to reports, the paternal aunt of President-elect, Barack Obama, is to fight a US Government move to deport her to her native Kenya.

Ms Zeituni Onyango was first ordered to leave the United States in 2004 after her request for political asylum was rejected. Since then she has been living in a public housing estate in Boston from where she fled to Cleveland, Ohio just days before the November 4 election, when her immigration status and relationship to Mr Obama were first revealed by the press.
She has repeatedly declined requests for an interview but her lawyer, Ms Margaret Wong advised that she is considering legal tactics which could enable her to stay. Her original asyulum application is thought to have been based on a claim that she may fall victim to ethnic violence should she return to Kenya.

Even though the situation in Kenya has now eased somewhat, it could probably be argued that her risk of harm in that country is now more elevated as a result of the international attention focussed on her.

An immigration judge might thus look favourably on a request for asylum at this stage.

Mr Obama has said, through his transition team, that he is unaware of the details of his aunt's case and that he expects US law to take its due course.

Canada: Ontario wants more immigration to help food industry

2008-11-06T23:51:00.000-08:00

The Ontario food industry has been lobbying the provincial government to allow them to bring more foreign workers to Canada on work permits.

"We need to stop saying all we need is engineers and doctors," said Justin Taylor, vice-president for labor and taxation at the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association (CRFA). "We don't need doctors working in quick-service restaurants."

According to Taylor, 38 percent of restaurants and fast-food places couldn't fill positions during the summer of 2008.

Two years ago, the CRFA told the federal government that immigration was vital in rescuing the CAD $50 billion food service industry.

Among the recommendations in their report were training temporary workers already in Canada, working on an immigration policy aimed at labor shortages, and increasing the number of temporary foreign workers.

The Canadian government has recognized that there are skills shortages, and that immigration can play a large role in dealing with these shortages.

One such recent attempt is the new Canadian Experience Class, which allows certain temporary workers and foreign graduates of Canadian universities to live in Canada permanently.

In addition, new immigration changes were announced recently that give the immigration minister more powers to fast-track applications for skilled immigration for people who possess skills that Canada needs the most.

Restaurant faces £20,000 fine as police crack down on illegal workers

2008-10-26T00:19:00.001-07:00

A PENZANCE Chinese restaurant may face a civil penalty fine of up to £20,000 after two illegal workers were found employed there.

Officers from the UK Border Agency checked documents at of three staff members at the Chinese Emperor restaurant on the promenade last night (Thursday).

Two of them a 33-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman from China were found to have no legal right to work in the UK.

The pair were arrested and taken to Camborne police station where they remain detained.

A spokesman for the UK Border Agency said: "The man is a failed asylum seeker who had not left the UK after his claim for international protection was turned down.

"The woman is suspected of overstaying her visa and is still being questioned by immigration officers."

The Chinese Emperor was issued at the scene with a Notice of Potential Liability in relation to both illegal workers.

If the employers are unable to provide evidence that proper right-to-work checks were carried out, they could face a fine of up to £10,000 per worker £20,000 in total.

The restaurant was forced to close its doors for the night following the operation after only one member of staff was left on the premises.

The operation in Penzance comes at a time of massive reform to the UK's immigration system.

The Government recently introduced an Australian-style points based system for managing migration, ensuring only those with the skills the UK needs are allowed to work.

Employers unsure of the steps they need to take to avoid employing illegal workers can visit

www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/employingmigrants or they can call the UK Border Agency Employers Helpline on 0845 010 6677.

Anyone who suspects that illegal workers are being employed at a business in Cornwall can contact the UK Border Agency on 01752 275161.

U.K. Says Business Visitors Must Prove Meetings (Update1)

2008-10-24T23:23:00.003-07:00

Oct. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Business visitors to the U.K. will be required to prove they are attending meetings or arranging deals under new rules designed to limit immigration and the ability of criminals to enter the country, the government said.

The Home Office said those wishing to come to the U.K. on business for up to six months must obtain a visa and show they are signing contracts, undertaking fact-finding missions, attending conferences or conducting site visits.

The changes are part of the biggest changes to U.K. immigration rules since the 1960s as the government struggles to stem record flows of migrants. The Home Office has modeled its new visa system for residents on Australia's, one of the most restrictive in the industrial world.

``It makes sense to tighten visit visas at the same time,'' Immigration Minister Phil Woolas said in a statement in London today. ``We are determined to deliver a system of border security which is among the most secure in the world.''

The rules won't apply to visitors who are citizens of the 27-nation European Union, who are free to travel and live anywhere within the bloc.

Earlier this year, the government implemented a new points- based immigration system aimed at awarding visas to highly- skilled workers and reducing the scope for people without training or education to come to the U.K.

Business Concerns

``While we broadly support the new system, we think the limit on business visitors staying should be 12 months rather than six months,'' Katja Hall, director of employment policy at Britain's largest employer organization, the Confederation of British Industry, said in an e-mail. ``This would give more flexibility to business and allow foreign workers to combine business trips with tourism more easily.''

The Labour government is under pressure from the Conservative opposition to limit migration, which is putting a strain on hospitals, schools and police.

The Home Office also set out details of two new visitor routes for ``sportspeople'' and ``entertainers.'' Under those plans, athletes coming to a specific event such as the annual tennis championship in Wimbledon, London or to the 2012 Olympic Games will enter the U.K. using a dedicated visa.

Amateur athletes and entertainers traveling to the U.K. for a specific engagement such as the Edinburgh international arts festival also must seek the new visa.

U.K. Says Business Visitors Must Prove Meetings (Update1)

2008-10-24T23:23:00.001-07:00

New UK immigration minister wants upper limit on immigration

2008-10-23T20:53:00.001-07:00

Phil Woolas, the UK's new immigration minister, said the Government's policy needs to provide confidence to the native population that migration is "under control" by placing an upper limit on migration.

"On a common sense level there has to be a limit to the population," Woolas said. "You have to have a policy that thinks about the population implication as well as the immigration implication."

Woolas' comments come after repeated assertions by previous immigration minister Liam Byrne that the UK's new points based system would be good enough in fulfilling Britain's immigration needs.

However, Byrne's replacement seems to have different ideas on the subject.

"On the one hand is the rationale that we have got to strengthen our economy," he said. "But we have got to provide reassurance to communities that the numbers coming in are not bad for us."

"Community cohesion is crucial. After the economy, this is probably the biggest concern facing the population," Woolas added.

The UK's immigration policy has been changing considerably in recent months, starting with the expiration of the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme in favour of Tier 1 (General), part of the UK's new five-tier points based system.

In November, Tier 2 and Tier 5 will be introduced, which cover employer-sponsored immigration and temporary work, respectively.

The last to follow will be Tier 4 for foreign students, which is expected to come into effect in early 2009. Tier 3, originally planned for unskilled labor, has been suspended indefinitely in favor of workers from within the European Union.

Australia may cut immigration intake next year

2008-10-23T20:51:00.001-07:00

In a Senate budget hearing on 21 October 2008, Australian Immigration Minister Chris Evans said that the country may see a decrease in its migration quota next year.

"I'd envisage certainly that the migration program for next year would be smaller than this year," he stated.

He also said that no decision had been made as of yet. However, Evans feels that the current global financial crisis will force the government to cut immigration numbers.

"What I'm saying to you is that it seems to me, given what the general economic forecasts of the world economy are, that your first starting point is that you'd think it would be lower," he told the hearing.

This is not the first hint that immigration quotas in Australia may get trimmed in future. Two weeks before the hearing, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said that economic circumstances may cause the government to reduce migration quotas, stating that it's normal for governments to curb immigration policies during economic downturns.

"It's been this way since time immemorial and will be this way into the future as well," Rudd said on 09 October 2008.

In any case, Australia depends heavily on skilled immigration. As part if its skilled migration strategy, the country utilizes a successful points based system called the General Skilled Migration program.

People with skills in a large list of occupations may come to Australia -- even without a specific job offer -- and be granted a permanent residence visa.

Australia also has employer-sponsored immigration programs such as the temporary 457 visa.

Australia's recent economic boom led to the government increasing its skilled migration quota by 31,000 places this year. Australia is currently experiencing record immigration levels, but it's unclear whether this will continue.

Results from DV-2009 green card lottery

2008-10-20T01:27:00.001-07:00

With the United States 2010 Diversity Visa Lottery (DV-2010) underway, it's time to take a look at last year's selected applicants.

Every year, the United States Department of State hands out 55,000 permanent residence visas through a random lottery system to citizens of countries with low rates of immigration to America. Also known as the Green Card Lottery, the Diversity Visa program gives people from all over the globe a chance to contribute to the ethnic and cultural diversity of the world's largest melting pot.

Over 9.1 million qualified entries were received by the US Department of State during the DV-2009 submission period (12pm 03 October 2007 until 12pm 02 December 2007).

While the number of immigrant visas available under the Green Card Lottery is limited to 55,000, it is expected that many poeple will not act on their selection under the lottery. Therefore, over 99,000 qualified applicants were selected to apply for an immigrant visa with the expectation that the US Department of State will be able to utilize all of the 55,000 visas from this pool.

Africa, with 53,439 (53 percent), was by far the continent with the largest number of selected applicants. 28 percent of selected applicants (27,875) came from Europe (including Eastern Europe and former Soviet nations). Asia accounted for 14 percent (14,014). North and South America yeilded a total of 1930 selected applicants, with 40 percent of these (772) applying from countries and territories in the Caribbean. Oceania (including New Zealand, Australia, and Pacific Island nations) had 1,803 selected applicants.

The top country of origin for people selected under the DV-2009 drawing to apply for immigrant visas was Ghana (7322). It was followed by Nigeria (6041), Bangladesh (6023), Ukraine (5502), and Ethiopia (5200).

Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Greenland, Nauru, Vanuatu, and Saint Kitts and Nevis were among the smallest countries to have DV-2009 Lottery selectees, at one each.

Currently, the DV-2010 Lottery is underway. Applications for this year's Green Card Lottery may be submitted until the deadline on 01 December 2008.

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United States: Obama would make immigration a 'top priority'

2008-10-09T02:09:00.001-07:00

In a questionnaire to both US Presidential candidates from online immigrant-rights group The Sanctuary, Barack Obama, US Senator and Democratic candidate for President of the United States, stated that he would make immigration one of his 'top priorities' during the first month of his presidency.

The questionnaire, also sent to Republican candidate John McCain's campaign, covered a wide-range of issues central to the topic of US immigration reform. The survey covered issues such as expansion of the H-1B program and the establishment of a guest worker program. McCain's campaign did not answer.
On the topic of H-1B, the survey asked if Barack Obama supported expanding the scheme by raising the limit of 65,000 H-1B visas allowed per year. In recent years -- the survey noted -- all 65,000 standard H-1B visas were snatched up in a matter of days.

Obama replied that he would support "multiple proposals for increasing access to the world's best and brightest to work in America."

However, in response to a later question on reducing family based visas in favor of a merit based system, he stated that he would not support having skilled immigration (similar to existing immigration strategies in the United Kingdom and Australia) take precedence over family-based immigration.

"I do not support the reduction of family based visas in order to create a new points based system," Obama replied. "I would consider supporting such a system outside existing quotas."

Asked on whether he supported a guest worker program, Obama replied that he did, however it would have to meet certain requirements.

"I would support a new guest worker program to meet worker shortages in some sectors of the economy, but it must have strong worker protections and not exclude people from ever becoming Americans," Obama stated. "It must also take into account that some workers will wish to earn a right to stay in the U.S. permanently."

In additions to increasing H-1B quotas and supporting a guest worker program, Obama would like to see increases in low-skilled employment-based green cards from the current annual quota of 5000.

McCain's silence

While McCain chose not to answer the survey, he has gone on record supporting similar immigration reforms that Obama advocates. However, The Sanctuary found his silence in response to their questionnaire disconcerting.

"While our original intent was to present a meaningful side-by-side comparison of the policies and positions of all presidential candidates in order to better inform voters, Senator McCain's unwillingness to answer our questions, or to go on the record with his positions on the specific details covered in the questionnaire, has made this impossible," The Sanctuary's editors noted.

"Senator McCain's reluctance is all the more troubling in light of the fact that his previously published positions, available on his website, appear to directly contradict those in the official platform coming out of the Republican National Convention earlier this month," they added.

Wardens quit as visa checks begin

2008-10-01T12:54:00.001-07:00

Nearly 50 traffic wardens have left their jobs in one London borough after immigration checks were carried out.

NCP Services Ltd took over the contract for wardens in Lambeth in August and examined the backgrounds of 150 staff.

Forty-eight of these then "resigned or just didn't turn up for work", the company's spokesman, Tim Cowan, said.

"We can't say for definite they didn't have the right to work in this country but we did see some passports and documents we were concerned about."

He told BBC London 94.9: "We certainly did feel there was an issue there.

"You have to be very careful and the Home Office has made it perfectly clear that it's the responsibility of the employer to make sure that the people they hire have the right to work in the UK."

And he added NCP Services Ltd used "sophisticated document-checking methods" to ensure staff were employed legally.

Guidelines 'followed'

Businesses can be fined £10,000 for breaking the law by recruiting those without the correct visas or valid passports.

And the UK Borders Agency has warned it makes "no apology for taking tough action against employers who knowingly hire illegal workers, often exploiting them and undercutting the minimum wage".

The 150 staff were previously employed by Apcoa Parking and transferred to NCP Services Ltd when the new contract came into force.

Of these, 100 were wardens, or "civil enforcement officers" as their employer describes them.

Checks had begun on "day one", Mr Cowan said.

'Support' for checks

Asked to respond to the exodus of staff, an Apcoa spokesperson said: "We work closely with the Home Office and confirm that at every stage, Home Office guidelines for the prevention of illegal working have been followed.

"We are unable to comment any further as we no longer operate this particular contract."

Lambeth Council said in a statement that it absolutely supported NCP Services in its efforts "to ensure staff employed in Lambeth have the right to work in this country".

It added: "Lambeth Council is committed to a firm but fair parking system and by appointing NCP Services we are turning a new page in parking in Lambeth.

"We are investigating this, and it would be inappropriate for us to comment on the practices of the previous contractor at this stage."

Canada should focus on permanent skilled migration

2008-10-01T11:45:00.001-07:00

Naomi Alboim, vice-chairperson of the Policy Forum at the Queen's University School of Policy Studies, said that Canada's immigration policy focuses too much on temporary labor migration policies and short-changes the economic benefits of permanent skilled migration.

Talking in front of a Toronto audience of academics, policy makers, and immigration workers on 26 September 2008, Alboim stated that Canada has typically focused on "nation building" rather than short-term labor market needs. However, she feels that this is no longer the case.
The number of temporary foreign workers has increased significantly compared to permanent skilled migration, according to Alboim. Unfortunately, she noted, 40 percent of skilled migrants end up leaving Canada within one year of immigrating to the country.

She blamed the problem on shifts in specific labor markets, such as a recent downturn in the manufacturing sector, that leave temporary workers stranded in Canada without jobs.

She also said the problem with temporary migration is that it is entirely employer-driven. It encourages employers to hire temporary migrants for permanent positions with lower pay, driving down wages and taking jobs away form Canadian citizens.

Alboim noted, that due to falling birth rates, Canada will depend on immigration for 100 percent of its net labor force growth by 2025.

Because of this, Alboim said that federal and provincial governments should work in tandem to create a more structured immigration framework, and that Canadian immigration policy should look beyond the short-term. Alboim also feels that migration policy should focus on better integrating first and second generation immigrants into the economy.

While skilled immigrants are better educated than their native-born counterparts, Alboim said, they are generally underpaid and working in jobs for which they are over-qualified. She said that this is mainly because most immigrants coming to Canada in recent years originate from non-English speaking countries.

Alboim stated that language and communication skills are the most important criteria for immigrants integrating into the Canadian economy.

Efforts underway

The Canadian government recognizes some of the weaker areas of its immigration policy and has been making attempts to solve some of these problems.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) actively funds a number of provincial and local programs aimed at integrating migrants. These programs generally focus on language training and employment related resources such as foreign credential recognition.

In addition, recent changes to Canadian immigration law will allow the Immigration Minister to prioritize applications under its federal skilled worker category. The federal skilled worker category is a points-based permanent immigration scheme similar to those found in the United Kingdom and Australia.

It is hoped that these legislative changes will help Canada reduce immigration application backlogs and help solve labor shortages more efficiently.

Spotlight: The changing face of U.S. immigration

2008-10-01T11:40:00.001-07:00

The United States has always been known to be the world's 'melting pot' of cultures. Since the dawn of its history, America has been a nation of immigrants. Over the course of its existence, the makeup of America's newest citizens has changed -- from European pioneers that forged a new nation in its early days to the recent wave of Hispanic and Asian migrants adding their skills and talents to the world's largest economy.

Each year, hundreds of thousands of immigrants become U.S. citizens, either through family, employment, or military based immigration routes. U.S. citizenship grants a number of benefits to people who have decided to make America there home, including the right to vote, additional government benefits, and priority treatment for bringing relatives to the United States.
Immigration slowly but constantly changes the demographic makeup of the U.S. Since the 1960s, the countries of origin for America's immigrants has shifted from Europe to Asia and Latin America.

Statistics from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) detail this shift and highlight the ever increasing influence immigration and citizenship imparts on the nation.

From 1971 to 1980, the United States naturalized approximately 1.5 million immigrants. The leading countries of origin during this decade were the Philippines, Cuba, and China. This trend represented a major shift from earlier years when European countries were the major source of new U.S. citizens.

During the 80s, almost 2.3 million poeple were granted U.S. citizenship. Nearly half of these new citizens came from Asia. Canada and Mexico accounted for nearly half of the remaining immigrants who became U.S. citizens during this period.

From 1991 to 2000 there was an enormous surge in the number of naturalizations, the greatest number of any decade in the nation's history. During this decade alone, 5.6 million people became U.S. citizens through naturalization. Mexico jumped into the lead as the country of origin, followed by Vietnam and the Phillipines.

Since 2001, more than 4.4 million people have obtained U.S. citizenship through naturalization. In just the first 10 months of fiscal year 2008, three quarters of a million people were naturalized. Since the new millenium, India joined Mexico as one of the leading countries of origin for immigrants.

Immigration will continue to dramatically change the demographic makeup of America in the coming decades. For instance, by 2050, it's expected that 1 in 4 Americans will be Hispanic.

America has one of the most skilled work forces across the globe. As countries around the world assess their immigration priorities, whether it be to fill gaps in the labor market or address aging populations, many nations look to the United States as a model to emulate.

US: Sarah Palin silent on immigration issues

2008-10-01T11:36:00.001-07:00

Republican Presidential hopeful John McCain surprised America by announcing Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his Vice-Presidential running mate -- a virtual unknown in US politics. Since then, McCain's campaign has kept the press from interviewing Palin; her stance on a number of issues is unknown. This especially includes immigration -- a hot topic in today's American political landscape.

Non-partisan political websites such as ontheissues.org mark Palin as having no stance on immigration. However, given John McCain's stated positions on the topic, and the amount of spotlight shining on his young running-mate, the issue is likely to come up before November when the nation chooses the next President.

In an unusual situation in America's two-party political scene, both McCain and his opponent Barack Obama are both on the record as supporting a guest worker program that offers a path to eventual citizenship. They also both support an increase in the nation's H-1B visa quota.

For McCain, his positions on immigration have caused some friction within his party. The topic of immigration was notably absent during the Republican Convention. With Sarah Palin garnering all the attention, the absence of such an important issue during the many speeches went virtually unnoticed.

Governor Palin's background in politics has not given her a much of a foundation to take a stance on this issue -- there is no fence under discussion for her State's border with Canada. However, the press will have their chance to interview Palin soon; it remains to be seen what her position is on issues such as H-1B visas, a guest worker program and other topics that make up the debate on immigration reform.

United States: Obama would make immigration a 'top priority'

2008-10-01T11:20:00.001-07:00

Two US immigration categories to expire; Senate may grant extension

2008-09-26T00:48:00.001-07:00

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) stated that two non-minister categories in the Special Immigrant Religious Worker program will expire on 01 October 2008. The expiration date may be extended if legislation, which has already passed the United States House of Representatives, passes the U.S. Senate.

The two expiring categories within the Special Immigrant Religious Worker program are for religious workers in "professional or non-professional capacities within a religious vocation or occupation". The expiration date of 01 October 2008 will also affect accompanying spouses and children of religious workers.USCIS will continue to accept applications under this program. Individuals applying to serve in these two affected categories must either adjust their status to permanent residence or apply for, and be admitted with, an immigrant visa before 01 October 2008. USCIS stated that it would attempt to fast-track applications for permanent residence to the best of its ability for those affected by the expiration date.

People applying under the Special Immigrant Religious Worker program to work solely as a minister of a religious denomination are not impacted by the expiration date.

On 14 April 2008, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that would extend the expiration date. The U.S. Senate is currently considering similar legislation which, if passed, would allow those with approved Special Immigrant forms (form I-360) to file for permanent residence (form I-485).

If the United States Congress does not extend the expiration date, USCIS will hold all pending applications "in abeyance" on and after 01 October 2008 until further notice. Any Special Immigrant and status adjustment applications that are received on and after 01 October 2008 that are affected by the expiration date will be rejected.

Australia: New seasonal worker program for Pacific Islanders

2008-09-26T00:47:00.001-07:00

The Australian government is introducing new regulations that will allow Pacific Islanders to come to Australia as seasonal guest workers under the subclass 416 visa program.

The subclass 416 visa allows Pacific Islanders to live and work in Australia for seven months out of any 12 month period. There will be no restrictions on the number of times workers may come under the scheme.The program will expand the current subclass 416 (special program) visa to cover workers who have been invited by an approved organization to participate in the new pilot seasonal worker scheme.

The scheme will place workers in regions of Australia that have "unmet demand" for low skilled workers for employment in horticultural occupations.

The test scheme will enable up to 2500 seasonal workers from Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, and Vanuatu to work in the horticultural industry in regional Australia for up to seven months each year.

Australian Immigration Minister Chris Evans praised his government's efforts to fill labor shortage in the horticultural industry.

"The Rudd Government has responded to calls for assistance from the Australian horticulture industry, which says up to $700 million in fresh produce is left to rot because of a lack of reliable workers," Evans said.

"Pacific workers and their communities also stand to benefit from employment experience, remittances and training gained as part of the scheme," he added.

United States welcomes over 39,000 new citizens

2008-09-23T20:59:00.001-07:00

The United States will hold special ceremonies for 39,000 new citizens across the country hosted by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in celebration of Constitution Week. The ceremonies -- held 17 September through 23 September -- will celebrate the signing of the US Constitution on 17 September, 1787.

"This week allows us to focus on the responsibilities of citizenship and the importance of our Constitution," said USCIS Acting Director Jonathan Scharfen. "USCIS will hold more than 177 naturalization ceremonies this week to welcome the many men and women who immigrated to America to become US citizens," he added.

Citizenship Day and Constitution Week have been celebrated in America since the 1950s. In 1952, President Harry Truman issued a proclamation designating 17 September as Citizenship Day. In 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower procaimed 17 September through 23 September as Constitution Week.

The smallest ceremony will welcome 20 new citizens in St. Albans, Vermont. In Fenway Park, Boston, approximately 3,000 immigrants will be granted US citizenship.

According to USCIS, hundreds of thousands of immigrants are naturalized each year. Since 2000, more than 4.4 million immigrants have become US citizens. Most immigrants during this period originated from Mexico and India.

Spotlight: UK Migrant job list gets pruned but visas will continue

2008-09-23T20:55:00.001-07:00

The news that the UK will cut a third of available occupations under the list of jobs considered in shortage is causing a lot of concern for employers and skilled foreign workers looking to take employment in Britain.

In fact, with medical and IT professions getting the cut and occupations such as sheep shearers, skilled balet dancers, and frozen fish filleters being added to the list, some cynicism is surfacing in regards to the UK's immigration priorities. However, a look at the upcoming Tier 2 points based immigration for skilled workers shows that -- while some employers will have to jump through a few more hoops to hire the workers they need -- it is still quite possible to employ foreign skilled workers in occupations that are difficult to fill, regardless of what the panel of experts think is best for Britain.

To successfully apply for a Tier 2 visa, an overseas worker must score 70 points in three criteria: Qualifications, Maintenance, and English language ability.

English language and Maintenance (funds that show foreign workers can finance their switch to life in the UK) each score 10 points, but both of these areas are mandatory requirements. Without satisfying either of these requirements, a prospective foreign worker would be unsuccessful applying under the Tier 2 system -- whether or not the job is on the shortage occupation list.

Under Qualifications, most points are scored for a foreign worker's Certificate of Sponsorship. The Certificate of Sponsorship is issued by an employer who is licensed to hire migrant workers from outside the European Union. Applicants must score at least fifty points under sponsorship, qualifications and prospective earnings.

However, as seen on our Tier 2 visa section, it is still quite easy to score the required 50 points in this area. 30 points can be earned for a Certificate from an employer for a job that is not on the shortage occupation list. In addition, a bachelor's degree will earn an extra 10 points, and earnings of at least GBP 20,000 a year will add another ten -- bringing the total to the 50 required points.

Another issue is the employer's requirement to undertake the so-called Resident Labour Market Test which proves that a British or European Union/Euroepan Economic Area (EU/EEA) citizen could not be found to fill the position.

Generally, this requires posting the job for a certain period of time. For many positions, there is a genuine difficulty in finding skilled work from within the EU/EEA, especially in the case of many medical and IT professions.

While the UK government needs to show a tough stance in regards to its borders in this day and age, a close look at the new scheme shows that it's business as usual. The reality is that Britain needs foreign talent to remain competitive in an increasingly global society.

Australia lures skilled US workers overseas

2008-09-04T07:44:00.001-07:00

According to Australian news source, The Age, the government of Queensland, Australia is actively marketing the region as a desireable immigration destination for skilled workers from the United States.

There is record unemployment in America's industrial states due to manufacturing plants shutting down or laying off workers. In response, Peter Beattie, former Queensland premier and now Queensland's trade commissioner who is who based in Los Angelas, issued press releases stating that "Queensland wants you!" to various media outlets in the affected states.Queensland -- and the rest of Australia -- has a particular need for skilled workers -- especially in the manufacturing, mining, and engineering sectors. Labor shortages are an acute problem in Australia, prompting immigration authorities to increase its skilled immigration quotas for the current financial year.

Beattie stated that Queensland, due to its sunny climate, makes it an attractive destination for US workers from the northeast US states. Beattie also highlighted Australia's lack of a language barrier and Queensland's focus on family, education, and work rights.

"Many job opportunities are located not just at mine sites but in Queensland's beautiful coastal and hinterland towns and cities where workshops and service centres are located," he said.

"We had not thought to recruit in the US but it is a logical market for us as [American] workers are well trained and skilled," he added.

However, Australia is not only looking to America to fill its skills shortages. The country has a highly successful skilled immigration program that brings skilled workers to Australia from all over the world.

Canada set to reveal new skilled immigration priorities

2008-09-04T07:42:00.001-07:00

According to Citizenship and Immigration Canada Minister Diane Finley, details on how the government will prioritize skilled worker applications are to be revealed in early Autumn.

The changes come as a result of amendments to Canada's Immigration and Refugee Act (IRPA) which came into law in June of 2008. The amendments give Canada's immigration minister the ability to prioritize the prPriority processing is expected to affect applications under Canada's federal skilled worker category received on or after 27 February 2008. Previously, applications in the federal skilled worker category were processed on a 'first-come-first-serve' basis.

While little is known about what criteria will govern the fast-tracking of skilled migrant applications, Finley noted that Canada as a whole is facing shortages in the medical, financial, and IT sectors.

Canada's federal skilled worker category is a points based system similar to schemes used by Australia and the UK. It assessed applicants based on criteria such as age, education, and work experienceocessing of Canadian immigration applications based on the country's 'socio-economic' needs.

Canada provides immigrant support for Thunder Bay

2008-09-02T08:57:00.001-07:00

The Thunder Bay Multicultural Association will receive funding from the Canadian federal government to assist immigrants with settling and integrating into Canadian society.

The funding of CAD $2 million will go toward providing settlement services such as language training, a mentorship program, and referrals to employment-related programs and community resources."Prime Minister Stephen Harper and our government believe in immigration and is committed to helping newcomers and their families succeed when they get here," said Joe Commuzzi, Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay-Superior North.

"Settlement services give newcomers the help they need to learn one of our official languages, find a job and settle into the community," he added. "Their successful integration is good for this community and good for Canada."

Thunder Bay is the most populated municipality in Northwestern Ontario. The area has a growing 'knowledge economy' based on medical research and education, and provides an attractive destination for people immigrating to Canada under the nation's federal skilled worker category.

Cathy Woodbeck, Executive Director of the Thunder Bay Multicultural Association, said that her organization is privileged to serve migrants in Northwestern Ontario.

"The funding provided by the federal Government is an investment in our newcomers, our communities and our future," she added. "It is our mandate to help immigrants and refugees begin their lives in Canada and to make the settlement and integration process smoother and easier for them."

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Immigration officials raid Wembley warehouse

2008-08-29T01:33:00.001-07:00

Immigration officers swooped on a Wembley business arresting a number of employees working in the country illegally.
Nine unmarked vans containing about 30 officers from the UK Border Agency raided the warehouse of Euro Car Parts, in Fulton Road, yesterday morning after a tip-off that illegal immigrants were earning a living at the company.
More than 100 employees of the car part distribution firm were rounded up on its large industrial site, as the immigration enforcers streamed in and secured a number of entrances and exits.
Police dogs then searched the grounds to locate any workers hiding in the delivery van forecourt, customer car park, and vast warehouse where the company stored its merchandise.
Identification checks were then carried out to determine who could legally work in the UK and those who had fake and invalid documents and visas.
As the Observer went to press five people from Brazil, Columbia and India had been arrested and a further 12 people were being interrogated to determine if they had permission to work in the country.
Chief Immigration Officer, Alex Legg, said he was happy with the operation.
"It was a very large site and was very challenging to secure, but we did it quickly and effectively.
"We will now serve a notice to the employer asking him to provide documentation that all pre-employment procedures were in place to ensure its staff were working legally. If he fails to do this the company is liable for a s10,000 fine per immigrant."
The members of staff from Britain and the EU, who had valid identification documents, were allowed to continue working, while officers interviewed the people they suspected of flouting immigration laws.
Some were put through a fingerprint recognition system to determine if they were giving their true name and details.
The Indian worker was arrested for overstaying his visa expiry date and two Brazilian men and a Colombian were found to be in the country illegally.
The final man who was detained claimed to be Italian, but Home Office checks revealed he was a Brazilan who had a student visa that did not entitle him to work full-time.
Border Agency spokesman Stephen Carter, said the onus was on companies to make sure its staff had all the correct documentation to work in the UK.
He said: "Our argument is that if there were not any illegal jobs in the UK there would not be illegal immigrants coming here."
The workers with fake documents were taken to police stations and the ones who had overstayed their welcome were taken to Home Office detention centres and face being sent back to their own countries.
The UK Border Agency, which is part of the Home Office, carries out around 50 raids in London every week.

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Minister praises immigrants' contribution to New Zealand

2008-08-21T01:11:00.001-07:00

New Zealand Immigration Minister Clayton Cosgrove discussed a number of immigration issues affecting his countryCosgrove highlighted the importance that immigration plays in New Zealand's society by referring to a number of statistics showing how immigration benefits the nation's economy.Cosgrove cited New Zealand Department of Labour statistics showing that immigrants provided a net fiscal contribution of NZD $3.3 billion in the year to 30 June 2006. This was an increase of 80 percent over 2003.

"Migrants drive innovation, give our businesses international connections, and provide a range of skills to transform our economic landscape," the minister said. The minister went on to say that "Over the past five years, migrants have accounted for 60 percent of the growth in the national workforce. Much of that growth has occurred in skill shortage areas — areas that are vital to the basic functioning and future growth of our economy."

He also said that immigration was increasing across all immigration categories. Temporary migration has increased by 18 percent a year over the past decade; 115,500 temporary work permits were issued in the 2006-07 financial year. This was an increase of 16 percent over the previous year. Over 95,000 student visas were issued in 2006-07, an increase of 10 percent compared to 2006-06.

He also noted that the Skilled Migrant Category, since being introduced in 2003, has resulted in 105,000 people coming to New Zealand to start a new life. 46,000 of these were main applicants: skilled migrants that are contributing their knowledge and abilities to help alleviate labor shortages in New Zealand.

Cosgrove recognized the competition that New Zealand faces in attracting skilled migrants from around the world.

"We must now compete for skilled migrants in a global and increasingly mobile labour market," he said. "Competition with New Zealand for skilled workers is broadening beyond our traditional competitors such as Canada and Australia, to other countries such as those in the European Union."

Cosgrove said that to maintain its edge in the global competition for skilled overseas talent, New Zealand must offer first-class immigration services.

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Record fine for illegal workers

2008-08-19T13:50:00.001-07:00

A TEIGNMOUTH restaurant owner has been fined a record £20,000 for employing illegal workers.

Four Bangladeshi men were arrested after immigration officers swooped on Naz Indian Cuisine, Somerset Place, in May.

Employer Mohammed Faruk Ali faces a £20,000 civil penalty fine for not checking that the men, aged 25 to 36, were legally able to work in the UK.

It is the highest fine issued in the South West so far. The maximum penalty is £10,000 per worker.

Officers acted on intelligence and checked out the workers' documentation in the swoop on May 1. They suspected that two chefs and two waiters were working illegally.

The four were arrested and two 30 year olds have already been removed from the UK. The 25 year old and 36 year old are due to be sent back to Bangladesh.

The civil penalty fine, which has been served on Mr Ali, is the highest issued to an employer in the region so far.

The restaurant is one of the first South West businesses to be issued with the penalty since the rules were introduced in February.

But Mr Ali expressed his surprise on hearing about the hefty fine.

"I did not know that we had got a fine. We haven't had any paperwork and we haven't heard anything since the immigration people visited four or five months ago," he said.

He added: "We will contact our solicitor and ask them why we have not been notified. They did not give us a chance to put our story forward."

Jane Farleigh, regional director of the UK Border Agency in Wales and the South West, said: "This fine shows how seriously we are taking illegal working. Ignorance is not a defence. Businesses must prove that they have made the right checks before they employ migrant workers.

"It is the prospect of finding an illegal job which often tempts illegal immigrants to come to the UK in the first place."

Naz Indian Cuisine has also been named on the UK Border Agency website.

The civil penalty system was introduced to tackle employers who make inadequate checks on their workers from outside Europe.

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Germany approves plan to make skilled immigration easier

2008-07-27T02:52:00.001-07:00

Germany is expected to ease rules to allow in foreign labor to help make the country more attractive to highly skilled individuals.

Germany's cabinet approved a plan on 16 July 2008 that will attempt to reduce skilled labor shortages in sectors such as engineering and information technology."We have taken a step toward making Germany more competitive internationally," said Social Democrat Labour Minister Olaf Scholz, co-author of the plan with Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble.

"We are putting the conditions in place so that people can come here who can contribute to creating economic growth," he added.

According to estimates from the German government and other sources, the shortage of computer specialists, engineers, and other skilled workers is costing the country 20 billion Euros a year.

The approved measures include allowing graduates from new European Union member states to work freely in Germany from 01 January 2009. These individuals will no longer have to prove that a German worker could not be found to fill the position.

To work in Germany, graduates from outside the EU will still have to show that a German citizen could not be found to fill the job. The German government will also reduce the wage that highly skilled foreign workers have to earn to be approved for a work permit from 86,400 euros to 63,600 euros.

However, the proposals also call for extending limits for an extra two years on unskilled labor from the newer EU nations that joined the European Union in 2004. Germany is one of a few EU nations that still imposes labor restrictions on these countries.

The proposals drew a luke-warm response from industry lobbies.

"The measures will scarcely be able to contribute to alleviating the shortage of expert workers," said August-Wilhelm Scheer, president of the Bitkom information technology, telecommunications and new media industry lobby.

Scheer proposed introducing a points based system similar to those used in the UK and Australia that would allow skilled overseas workers with the right criteria to work in Germany.

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Australia reducing labor shortages through skilled immigration

2008-07-25T00:52:00.001-07:00

Australia reducing labor shortages through skilled immigration New data released by immigration authorities in Australia show a 27 percent increase in its temporary skilled migration program for 2007-08 financial year.

According to Immigration Minister Chris Evans, the increase in the number of temporary 457 visas highlighted the importance of the program to Australian employers in delivering skilled labor from overseas.A total of 110,570 temporary visas were granted to foreign workers and their dependents in 2007-08 compared to 87,310 the previous year. The number of primary visa holders increased from 46,680 in 2006-07 to 58,050 in 2007-08.

New South Wales had the largest number of 457 visas granted with a total of 20,480 primary 457 visa holders, followed by Western Australia at 11,800 primary visa holders.

81 percent of foreign workers holding temporary 457 visas were employed in professional occupations and highly skilled jobs. The top three occupations were computing professionals, registered nurses, and business and information professionals.

Nearly 25 percent of 457 visa holders in 2007-08 came from the United Kingdom. They were followed by India at 14 percent, the Philippines at 9 percent, and the US, South Africa and China at 6 percent each.

The 457 temporary visa allows employers to hire overseas workers for periods between three months and four years. However many choose to remain in Australia permanantly. In 2007-08, 25,000 457 visa holders became permanent residents, an increase of 30 percent over the previous year.

Evans stated that minimum salary levels for 457 visa holders will rise at the end of the summer.

"Minimum Salary Levels for subclass 457 visa holders will increase by 3.8 per cent from August 1 after remaining frozen for more than two years," Evans stated in a release.

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Denmark 'keen' to attract foreign students

2008-07-21T04:35:00.001-07:00

Denmark is hoping to attract foreign students to its shores, stating that studying in Denmark is "easier than you think."

"Denmark is very keen to attract foreign students to the country," Danish immigration authorities said in a recent news release.To study in Denmark, foreign students must have a residence permit before arriving in the country. To acquire a residence permit, prospective students must show that they have enrolled in a state approved course of higher education.

Students must also be able to show that they can support themselves during their stay in Denmark, or that they have paid tuition.

Students must also show that they can speak and understand the language in which the course of study will be taught, as well as speaking either Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, English, or German at a "reasonable level".

A bonus exists for students who successfully complete a course of higher education in Denmark. Students can remain in Denmark for six months after graduation to find work, similar to Ireland's Third Level Graduate Scheme.

Foreign graduates of Danish universities also receive advantages on Denmark's points based immigration scheme, the Danish Green Card.

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Australia: Minister urges states to increase skilled immigration

2008-07-11T09:11:00.001-07:00

Australian Immigration Minister Chris Evans is urging states and territories to increase their use of state-sponsored skilled migration to meet labor market demands.

"There is the capacity within the Federal Government's permanent skilled migration program for states and territories to sponsor overseas skilled workers in occupations in demand," Evans said.

Evans noted that the government recently added an extra 31,000 skilled migrant places to the 2008-09 Migration Program in an effort to help employers in Australia deal with skills shortages. In total, skilled migration makes up 133,500 places in the Migration Program.

"I will be encouraging the states and territories to increase their use of state-sponsored migration to better link skilled workers to the economic needs in their jurisdictions," Evans said. He said that the government would consider providing "greater flexibility" for states and territories under the sponsorship program to enable them to sponsor more skilled migrants.

According to Department of Immigration and Citizenship figures, state and territory sponsored skilled migration only makes up 10 percent of overall skilled migration into Australia in recent years. In comparison, employer sponsored immigration makes up 20 percent.

Skilled workers coming to Australia under independent skilled migration visas -- the visa of choice for most individuals looking to live and work in Australia -- continue to dominate the program at over 50 percent.

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Foreign graduates needed to satisfy Ireland's IT needs

2008-06-30T17:29:00.001-07:00

A new report has found that the projected demand for information and communication technology (ICT) workers in will exceed domestic supply in the coming years. As a result, Ireland will need to look to overseas graduates to shore up its labour market.

The report, undertaken by the Expert Group of Future Skills Needs (EGFSN), an Irish think tank, suggested that a new initiative should be launched that would attract a greater number of overseas computing and electronic engineering students to come to Ireland to study and remain in the country after graduation. This initiative should include the "certainty of internships and graduate placements."

"Programmes to encourage foreign recruitment and mobility between Ireland and other major ICT locations worldwide should also be considered to ensure the availability of highly skilled people for the industry in Ireland," EGFSN said in a press release.

"Our challenge is three-fold: we need to boost the supply of high level graduates, up skill those already working in the sector and continue to attract high skilled individuals through migration where necessary," said Anne Heraty, Chairperson for EGFSN.

"[Irish] graduates alone will not meet the projected supply of highly skilled computer electronic engineers and we will have to work to ensure that through re-skilling and migration we meet those demands," she added.

Heraty stated that Ireland has an opportunity to build on its reputation as a location for highly skilled ICT work.

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Canada improves Permanent Residence Card application process

2008-06-19T13:34:00.001-07:00

On 16 June 2008, two changes were announced in the application process for Canadian Permanent Residence (PR) cards.

Permanent residents in Canada applying to replace a card that is due to expire will no longer be required to send in their current valid card with the application. Instead, they will need to hand in their old card only when they pick up the new card in person at a local Citizenship and Immigration Canada office.In addition, permanent residents applying for a new or replacement PR card are no longer required to have the signature of a guarantor or required to sign a statutory declaration if a guarantor is not available.

Before the changes, permanent residents had to send in their existing PR card when they applied for a replacement. This presented difficulties for those wishing to travel outside Canada while their application was being processed. PR cards are required for entry back into Canada by permanent residents on commercial transportation such as planes and ships.

Canadian Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the new changes to the application process shows her department's commitment to providing "convenient services" to immigrants.

"We recognize that people may want to hold on to a valid card for travel purposes while waiting for the replacement," Finley said. "We also understand that newcomers may have difficulty finding a guarantor who has known them for at least two years."

The removal of the guarantor requirement, a security measure meant to establish the applicant's identity, was dropped in favor of using a person's existing passport, driver's license, or employment and educational information.

PR cards, introduced in 2002, are valid for five years in most cases. Permanent residents are allowed to apply for citizenship if they have lived in Canada for at least three years out of the previous four years.

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UK:Employee of month held no work permit

2008-06-10T22:32:00.001-07:00

A WORKER who was named temp of the month by an employment agency was in the country illegally after using a false passport to secure a job.

Gambian kitchen porter Mama Ndow, 20, from Malmesbury Park Road, Bournemouth, admitted possessing false identity documents with intent and fraud.

Prosecuting at Bournemouth Crown Court, Clifford Grier said Ndow had arrived in the UK on August 24 2005 with a six-month visa and legitimate passport.
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But when immigration officers raided his home on April 23, they found a counterfeit passport and documents.

Ndow was arrested and, after giving a false date of birth, he told officers he had paid £400 for a fake stamp on the counterfeit passport and admitted his visa had expired.

Defending, Paul Hester described his client as "an industrious young man". He said: "Mr Ndow paid his taxes and national insurance contributions. He has not been a burden to society."

Ndow, who worked at the Miramar hotel on East Cliff, was named temp of the month by his employment agency in recognition of his "consistent hard work and dedication".

Jailing Ndow for 12 months, Judge Roger Jarvis told him: "It is very important that if foreign nationals want to make a life in this country they must ensure it is done legitimately."

He recommended that Ndow be deported to Gambia on his release.

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Australia: Increasingly popular immigration destination for Indians

2008-05-30T22:21:00.001-07:00

Australia, with its liberal immigration policies and growing opportunities, is becoming an increasingly popular destination for Indians wishing to live and workabroad.

According to the Australian statistics bureau, the number of Indian immigrants entering the country every year has been increasing -- from just over 5,000 in 2001 to 13,500 in 2007. In fact, the total population of Australian residents of Indian origin has almost doubled since the new millennium, from 104,000 in 2001 to 200,000 in 2007.

One of the possible reasons for this trend is Australia's liberal immigration system -- especially its skilled migration policies.

While many nations require a job offer, labor market tests, and/or strict quotas before admitting overseas workers, Australia's General Skilled Migration (GSM) program allows entry for skilled migrants based upon their experience and qualifications in a long list of occupations. Working in Australia has never been easier.

The so-called Skilled Occupation List covers a wide range of professional specialties such as health care workers, computer specialists, and engineers, to trade occupations such as locksmiths, welders, and electricians.

In their application for skilled immigration, people are awarded points based upon their skills in their nominated occupation for which they plan to find a job in Australia. Age and English language ability also play an important part in the GSM program; however, the age requirement is fairly liberal. Skilled migrants are required to be from 18 to 45 years of age at the time of their application under the GSM.

Applicants must also have at least "competent" English ability (an overall band score of 6 on an IELTS test) unless the applicant's nominated occupation is a trade occupation. For trade occupations, "vocational" English is sufficient.

While Australia's GSM is a welcome opportunity for someone from India looking to live and work abroad, the system can still be complicated and difficult to navigate. However, with our 20 years of experience in helping people immigrate to nations all over the world, workpermit.com can come to your aid.

If you with to live and work in Australia, let our certified immigration advisors assist you. A good first step would be to fill out our free assessment form, after which a consultant specialising in Australian immigration will contact you.

Australia, with its wonderful climate, multicultural population, and growing opportunities, is fast becoming the destination of choice for skilled workers from all over the globe. Australian employers are looking increasingly more overseas to fill their labor needs and India is a treasure trove of talent for the nation.

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New immigration rules announced

2008-05-20T01:57:00.001-07:00

UK firms will have to prove they cannot find skilled workers from the European Economic Area before looking elsewhere for immigrants, ministers say.

Outlining plans, the Home Office said bosses would not be able to fill posts before advertising first in the UK.

The points-based guidelines for skilled workers also say most will need a job offer before coming to the country.

Immigration Minister Liam Byrne said the new system would mean UK workers "get a fair crack of the whip".

Points for skilled workers, such as teachers, nurses and engineers, will be awarded according to qualifications and salary prospects. Only those who work in an area where there is a shortage of qualified people will be allowed into the UK without a job offer.

The government says the rules would have reduced skilled migrants last year from outside the EEA (the EU plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) by 12%.

Immigration Minister Liam Byrne said: "Our new points system means that British job seekers get the first crack of the whip and that only the skilled migrants we actually need will be able to come."

'No limits'

The Home Office says that in the 12 months to last September, 65,000 skilled workers from outside the EEA were allowed in, but under the new rules there would have been almost 8,000 fewer.

But Sir Andrew Green, chairman of Migrationwatch UK, said: "The government's claim that their new points-based system will result in lower levels of immigration is pure spin.

"The scheme has no limits and, in fact, will probably result in even higher levels of immigration."

The Home Office says workers such as sportsmen and entertainers, attending one-off events, such as the Edinburgh International Festival, will not require points, but will need a visitors' visa.

The new immigration points system, which is based on education, previous salary and age, was announced two years ago and is being phased in this year.

The more skills a worker has, and the more those skills are in demand, the more points they will gain, increasing the likelihood of entry.

The first stage, applying to highly skilled workers, came into force in February.

It already lets most young graduates work in the UK if they have earned a salary equivalent in their country to £40,000.

An independent committee will advise ministers on which skills the economy needs.

The Home Office says that there is no need for any unskilled workers from outside the European Economic Area.

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Canada goes immigrant-friendly with work permit policy

2008-05-17T02:33:00.001-07:00

There is a popular perception that Indians are only interested in USA, UK or Australia for immigration. This is not really the case; a sizeable number of Indians, 30,000 to be precise, migrate to Canada every year. This number is quite likely to increase, thanks to the Canadian government introducing vital changes in its work permit policy.

In a major development with far reaching implications for prospective immigrants, the Canadian government has decided to grant work permits to international students even before they have obtained a job offer from a Canadian employer.

Under this 'Post Graduate Work Permit Program', international students can get a work permit up to three years after completing their education program from a Canadian government recognised post secondary institution, college or University. Shedding light on the latest developments on the study permit front, B S Sandhu, chairman and managing director of the World Wide Immigration Consultancy Services (WWICS) said in Hyderabad that this measure would enable students to get a Canadian study permit in a matter of two to three months.

Earlier the work permit was valid for only one or two years and students could apply for it only after completion of studies in Canada, provided they had a job offer in hand. Limitations and riders in form of nature of work and area of work were also determining factors in granting permission to work.

The latest Program entitles a prospective immigrant to immediately avail a work permit for as many as three years irrespective of whether or not he has a job offer in hand.

This will help Indian students and professionals who wish to enroll themselves in Canadian institutions as they can study and get a work permit subsequently, without any hassle. The only restriction is that the individual has to be enrolled in a high potential educational or vocational course for a minimum of one year.

Sandhu points out that around 5000 people, mostly IT professionals, from Hyderabad have already migrated to Canada. "The programme largely constitutes a hassle-free entry and an option to work even during studies. A student can work up to 20 hours during the course and use this work experience as an added advantage after course completion, especially when looking for a job," says Sandhu.

He cautions that students must not be tempted to forego studies for such employment. A minimum of one-year study is crucial to get a job in Canada. A post graduate course of up to two years duration coupled with extra working hours, on or off campus, will only add to the employability of the candidate.

Experts point out that by the time a student completes a course their permanent residency (PR) case would have materialised. Those applicants who were earlier not eligible to apply for Canadian PR due to lack of experience, would now be able to move to Canada on study permit within a short time frame.

They would earn additional points for Canadian education, work experience and adaptability, thus increasing chances for interview waivers for PR cases. If the applicant is married, the spouse can accompany him/her and work full-time as a professional "As we move toward the implementation of the Canadian Experience Class, these changes will help create a pool of individuals who, with work experience, will find it easier to apply to immigrate to Canada. Our ability to retain international graduates with Canadian qualifications, work experience and familiarity with Canadian society, will help increase our competitiveness and benefit Canada as a whole." says Diane Finley, minister of Citizenship and Immigration.

The proposals are expected to speed up immigration processing and a backlog of a 9.25-lakh applications at various Canadian missions worldwide. A whopping $109 million is being allocated over the next five years to hire and train more visa officers for such goals.

Further changes in Canadian immigration processing are likely to see a 'favoured status list' of immigrant categories that will be treated on a 'fast track basis'. This proposal, on its way to be presented in the Canadian Parliament soon, is expected to benefit skilled Indian professionals.

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Australia to implement skilled migration recommendations

2008-05-15T01:51:00.001-07:00

Australian immigration authorities are set to implement recommendations from an industry group report designed to improve Australia's temporary skilled migration program.

The External Reference Group (ERG) made 16 recommendations, most of which his department plans to put into action."We have already begun work to implement 14 of the 16 recommendations designed to make the temporary skilled migration (457 visa) program scheme more effective and responsive to industry needs," Evans said.

The report covered areas such as long term planning, streamlining application and approval processes, and eliminating duplicate work and unnecessary administration.

Evans said that the government would set up specialized teams dedicated to regions of Australia experiencing severe shortages of skilled workers. The move is in response to a suggestion in the report that Australia would benefit from this approach.

Starting in July 2008 these teams will be headquartered at newly established "Centres of Excellence" in Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth. The centres will facilitate and process 457 temporary skilled migration visa applications.

In the meantime, Australia will allocate extra recources to reduce the backlog of 457 visa applications by 30 June 2008.

According to Department of Immigration and Citizenship figures, as of 01 April 2008, 39,940 temporary skilled visas have been granted during the current 2007-08 period. If the number of applications continue at the current rate, the number of temporary skilled visas will be 17 percent higher than the previous year, when 46,680 of these visas were granted.

In line with another ERG recommendation, Australia will implement measures which will reward employers with a good track record in relation to immigration and industrial relations laws. These employers will have their 457 visa applications fast tracked.

"We will develop measures so that employers or employer groups that meet certain criteria will be accredited to have their applications expedited," Immigration Minister Chris Evans said. "The department is currently working on IT system changes to support the identification of low risk employers, who can then have their applications processed by the specialised teams."

Evans noted that the ERG report was designed to respond to the immediate labor market needs of Australia. However, schemes such as the General Skilled Migration program are crucial to Australia's long-term labor market goals.

"The recommendations made by the ERG are designed to respond to the immediate labour market pressures facing Australian industry while complementing broader labour market skills strategies and maintaining the integrity of the temporary skilled migration program," Evans said. "The ERG report stressed the importance of training to alleviate the skills shortages in the medium to long term, while permanent migration is crucial for meeting long term labour market demands."

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Restaurants turn up heat over immigration rules

2008-05-14T12:24:00.001-07:00

TOUGH new rules on immigration are threatening the quality of Indian and Chinese food in Swindon, say restaurateurs.

Until now Indian, Bangladeshi and Chinese restaurants, often run by families, have relied on foreign labour to maintain quality, say business owners.

But now new immigration rules mean fewer foreign workers are being allowed into Britain - and that could threaten food businesses' survival.

Enam Chowdhury, who runs the Ganges restaurant in Wootton Bassett says the rules all but ban workers from outside the EU from getting one and two-year work visas.

He is now heading up a group called the Bangladeshi and Chinese Restaurateurs to fight the introduction of the rules, and has met Michael Wills, North Swindon MP and a Government minister, to discuss the new guidelines.

"We need people from south Asia as cooks, chefs and for numerous other roles," he said.
"I need people in my kitchen that know the backgrounds of the food they are cooking. Without them the quality suffers.

"Much of the time we cannot recruit the staff from Britain because there just isn't the resources. There is a shortage in Swindon.

"This trend is very worrying.

"If I lose my current chef I don't know where I will get another one. Last year I had planned on opening another curry house but had no idea how I was going to run the place with no staff. That is how bad it is."

Mr Wills believes that the south Asian restaurants are important to the community.

He said: "This trade is important both culturally and economically to the town and I will be doing whatever I can to help."

Mr Chowdhury, along with numerous backers from other restaurants, say that they are not taking the issue lightly.

A few weeks ago they even organised a bus to travel from Swindon to join a 10,000 strong protest in London, staged to demonstrate against the new rules.

Under the new immigration points system, which came into force in February, chefs need to speak English and have academic qualifications to work and live in the UK.

A UK Border Agency spokesman said: "Our new points based system will be part of the biggest changes to the immigration system in decades.

"We know many people will be anxious about the rules because they are becoming tougher.

"The Immigration Minister has specifically asked the chair of the Migration Advisory Committee to speak to employers in the industry in order to ensure that their concerns are taken into account."

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No of Indians wanting to migrate to Canada expected to rise

2008-05-12T13:36:00.000-07:00

CHENNAI: With more and more friendlier and compatible immigration policies being mooted by Canada, the number of Indians wanting to migrate is expected to increase, a top official of the World Wide Immigration and Consultancy Services (WWICS) said.

"People from India in general and Chennai in particular have been successful in migrating to Canada as over 9,500 people from the metro have so far migrated to the country in the last 10 years," Lt Col (Retd) B S Sandhu, Chairman and Managing Director of WWICS said in a statement here.

"Changes mooted in Canadian law and fresh provisions in easing of work permit conditions for international students studying in Canada are proving to be immense advantage to Indian immigrants interested to work and settle abroad," he said.

On the recent 'Post Graduate Work Permit Programme' introduced by Canada, Sandhu said with the recently incorporated provisions in the immigration policy, international students in Canada would now be able to get a work permit for upto three years without even a job offer available to them.
"IT professionals from Chennai stand a much better chance of getting visas along with a two year work permit" he said, adding a shorter span of 4-5 months of visa procedure was enough to take them to their destination.

"The conditions (in Canada) have also been considerably favourable for investors and businessmen who can invest a capital upto 50 lakh in any venture in that country," he said.

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Study finds employers across globe need workers

2008-05-10T01:54:00.001-07:00

      A new study by global employment services company Manpower Inc has found that 31 percent of employers across the world are having a difficult time finding employees.

The top three occupations in demand are skilled manual trades, sales representatives, and technicians in the areas of production/operations, engineering, and maintenance.The authors of the report surveyed over 43,000 employers across 32 countries and territories in a follow-up to previous surveys in 2006 and 2007. The survey was undertaken in an effort to determine which positions employers across the globe are having difficulty filling in 2008.

While the United States declined in its need to fill jobs, the report showed increasing need for skilled labor in other parts of the world such as Asia, Australia, and the newer EU nations – particularly Poland and Romania.

"This year, the most significant finding in our survey is that the percentage of employers in the Americas having trouble filling positions has dropped more than half compared to last year," said Jeffrey A. Joerres, Chairman and CEO of Manpower Inc. "This dramatic decrease is a reflection of the recent downturn in the U.S. economy. However, the talent crunch is still a very real concern, and employers need to continue their diligence in developing their employer brands and honing their talent strategies during 2008."

"Globally, skilled manual trades edged out sales representatives for the number one hardest job to fill this year. Trades jobs, such as plumbers and carpenters, are now in even shorter supply than last year -- a talent demand that is crossing borders, as well as continents; and companies worldwide continue to search for experienced sales professionals to help generate revenue," Joerres added.                                                Wanted in 2007                                      Wanted in 2008
Sales Representatives                            Skilled Manual Trades
Skilled Manual Trades                            Sales Representatives
Technicians                                           Technicians
Engineers                         Engineers
Accounting and Finance                         Management/Executives
Laborers    Laborers
Production Operators                            Administrative Assistants/PAs
Drivers    Drivers
Management/Executive                           Accounting and Finance
Machinists/Operators                              IT Staff

The Americas

The Americas saw a dramatic change compared to the 2007 survey. Technicians, engineers and skilled manual trades replaced production operators, sales representatives and accounting staff as the top three occupations in demand. In addition, three new jobs joined the top ten in the Americas this year: management/executives, personnel administrators, and administrative assistants and sales managers.

The Americas also saw the biggest decline in employers having difficulty filling positions. Only 28 percent of employers surveyed in the Americas indicate that they are having difficulty finding employees, a sharp decline from 2006 (70 percent) and 2007 (62 percent).

Costa Rica led the decline, with a reduction of 59 percent between 2007 and 2008, followed by Mexico at 54 percent and Peru at 24 percent. The United States went from 41 percent of employers having difficulty finding workers in 2007 to 22 percent this year.

Asia

Finding IT workers in Asia has become particularly difficult this year, according to the report. India is the hardest hit, where IT staff are the most difficult positions for employers to fill. However, finding administrative staff has become easier across Asia.

Japan ranked very high for inability to find staff, with 63 percent of employers having difficulty finding labor across all sectors. Following close behind is Hong Kong at 61 percent and Singapore at 57 percent.

Technicians remain the most difficult position to fill in China, with laborers falling from number 2 on the list in 2007 to number 8 in 2008.

Europe

Carpenters, plumbers, welders and other skilled trades may find Europe to be the best place to find work, according to the study. These occupations are listed as the first or second most difficult jobs to fill in all of the European countries surveyed, except for the Netherlands, which had technicians topping the list.

For the first time this year, Manpower Inc is reporting that drivers have entered the top three most difficult positions to fill in Europe. Chefs and cooks have dropped off the top ten for the first time in 2008.

Romania is having an exceptionally difficult time fulfilling its labor market needs, with an amazing 73 percent of employers saying that they can't find the workers they need.

Living and working abroad

Because employers struggling to find the staff they need, they push their governments to allow more immigration. Not all of them are successful. However, while some countries such as the United States remains focused on family-based immigration (with the notable exception of the L1 and H-1B visas), countries such as Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada have programs in place to help businesses recruit overseas workers.

Even the European Union recognizes the need to bring in talent from overseas. In recent months, the European Commission has been pushing for an EU wide "blue card" that would allow non-EU citizens to live and work anywhere in the 27-member bloc.

Global mobility of workers is expected to keep increasing and now has never been a better time for someone thinking about living and working abroad to take the next step.

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Canada's Foreign Credential Referral Office

2008-05-06T01:58:00.001-07:00

Canada's immigration minister, Diane Finley, took time to report on the progress of Citizenship and Immigration Canada's Foreign Credentials Referral Office (FCRO). The FCRO was setup in response to the difficulties some migrants in Canada face in having their qualifications recognized by local employers.

"The FCRO is helping newcomers to Canada use their talents in the fields for which they've been trained," said Finley. "By helping immigrants find out how to get their credentials assessed and recognized more quickly, especially before they enter Canada, their chances for success will improve. That can only be good for Canada and for newcomers."The Canadian federal government is not responsible for assessing foreign qualifications. That responsibility is left to the individual provinces and territories. However, the FCRO assists migrants and prospective applicants in a variety of ways to find the information they need to use their skills in the Canadian workforce.

320 Service Canada centers have been setup across the country, offering in-person services to assist migrants on where to go to have their credentials assessed. Over 9,000 people have been helped since the program's inception.

The minister also visited India recently, where she announced the expansion of overseas orientation sessions in India and China. The sessions, now delivered in India, China and the Philippines, help raise awareness about the credential recognition process in Canada.

Canada is a very popular destination for people looking to live and work overseas, making the FCRO a necessary tool for the nation as it tries to keep itself globally competitive. Canada uses a points based skilled migration program, along with other schemes such as the Provincial Nominee Program, to import the best and brightest talent from around the world.

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Decade of immigration benefits the United Kingdom

2008-05-03T01:12:00.001-07:00

According to a report by non-profit organization The Work Foundation, high levels of immigration over the last ten years have benefitted Britain's economy, and no hard evidence has been found that migrants negatively affect the labor market. The report also welcomes the UK's new points based immigration system -- with some reservations.

In the Foundation's study, 'Migration Myths: Employment Wages and Labour Market Performance', author David Coats finds that both inflation and interest rates have been lowered as a result of increased migration. In addition, because of higher levels of immigration, labor shortages have been curtailed and the economy has been growing steadily. The study also found that there is no strong evidence that migrants have caused greater native-born unemployment or caused wages to fall. In fact, citing earlier research by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the study stated that if the skill mix of migrants is different than the native population, then migrants will be complimenting rather than competing with native-born workers, causing prosperity to rise.

A simple example may illuminate this argument," Coats states in the report. "Foreign doctors working in the NHS are obviously filling a gap created by a shortage of supply of British doctors, are clearly not willing to work for lower wages and are playing an important role in matching labour demand to labour supply. The NHS (and many other public services) would cease to function if labour supply pressures were not relieved by the availability of skilled professionals from abroad."

Many NHS doctors were brought in under the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP), a successful scheme which allows non-EU migrants to live and work in Britain without a previous job offer by assessing their age, qualifications, and past earnings under a points based system.

The HSMP is being replaced by the first tier of a five-tier points based system which will encompass all employment, training, and student based immigration into the UK. People who used to qualify for the HSMP will now come under Tier 1 for General Highly Skilled Migrants under rules which have changed very little.

The study praised the UK's new points based system, stating that it "offers a more sophisticated attempt to match labour demand to labour supply and...should lead to a more informed assessment of employers' needs."

However, the Coats stated that there was a case for more flexibility in the system, using chefs in ethnic restaurants as an example. Currently, many cooks in ethnic restaurants such as curry chefs would fall under Tier 3 of the new points based system, which encompasses unskilled workers. The UK has suspended Tier 3 with the expectation that unskilled labor could be taken care of from workers within the EU.

The author also felt that the UK government could have done a better job in managing information about British immigration statistics.

"The official statistics are so haphazard that the government finds it difficult to defend otherwise good policies," Coats said.

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The United States L1 Visa

2008-04-30T08:28:00.001-07:00

The H-1B filing period recently ended, with all 85,000 available visas for fiscal year 2009 snatched up by US companies eager to hire foreign talent. With over 160,000 petitions lodged during the filing period, its sure that many employers and the skilled talent they hoped to import are disappointed that they must wait until next year to try again. However, for foreign employees of international companies with a presence in the US, there is another option: the L1 visa.

The L1 visa can be granted for an initial three years to certain overseas staff and their families (under an L2 visa). These include Managers and Executives (L1A) and Specialized Knowledge Staff (L1B). The employee must have worked for the international employer for minimum of one continuous year within the previous three years in the same capacity under which they will work in the US. An interesting note is that the foreign worker doesn't have to be directly employed by the company. As long as the L1 visa recipient has been employed either directly, through an agency or other similar entity, or through a contract as a consultant, an L1 visa can be granted.

For Managers and Executives, an L1A visa can be renewed every two years after the initial three-year period for a maximum total period of seven years. For Specialized Knowledge Staff, an L1B visa can be renewed only once for an extra two years, for a total maximum period of five years.

In both cases, visa holders must leave the US and work for the same company for at least one year before returning under another L1 visa.

There are no restrictions on the type of company that can bring over foreign workers under an L1 visa, and the company does not have to be American owned or incorporated in the United States.

The United States L1 visa is a great way to bring badly needed talent to the US for international employers or for employees of overseas companies with a US presence to have a chance to live and work in America.

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UK gives relief to HSMP migrants

2008-04-27T02:56:00.001-07:00

In what may sound as music to the ears of highly-skilled Indian migrants, Britain has decided to allow such professionals to stay as it works to implement a high court ruling against immigration rule changes with retrospective effect that could have forced them to leave.

The Home Office will not appeal against an April 8 High Court verdict that said it was ''not open to the government to alter the terms and conditions'' of Highly Skilled Migrants Programme (HSMP) under which thousands of highly skilled employees, mostly Indians, came to Britain.

All highly-skilled migrants who came here under the HSMP scheme as on November 7, 2006, when the regulation changes were made, can stay until processes are put in place to implement the judgement, the Home Office said.

Some 49,000 highly-skilled people had come to Britain under the HSMP initiated in January 2002 and most of them were facing the prospect of returning home following changes in the immigrations rules brought into force by the government.

The HSMP Forum, representing the highly-skilled professionals, successfully challenged the changes and won a landmark case last week.

''We are happy to take the judge's decision as final and do not intend to waste taxpayers money with an appeal,'' Lin Homer, Chief Executive of the Border and Immigration Agency, said in a communication to the HSMP Forum's Executive Director Amit Kapadia.

''We are now urgently considering how to give effect to the judgement and will let you know the details as soon as we can,'' he said.

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Permanent residence for Iraqis who aided Australian troops

2008-04-23T01:40:00.001-07:00

As Australia gets set to withdraw its troops from southern Iraq, the government is extending its thanks to Iraqi employees who provided support services by allowing them to apply for permanent residence.

The Australian government will adopt a new visa policy for what they term "Locally Engaged Employees" (LLEs) which include Iraqi support personnel such as translators and interpreters. Because of their association with Australian troops, the government considers them at risk in the war-torn country.The policy will only apply to LLEs and their families specifically designated by the Australian government as being eligible for the humanitarian visas. Immigration authorities expect to grant up to 600 humanitarian visas under the new policy.

No specific time-period has been announced about when LLEs can apply for permanent residence, but according to the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship, the first group to benefit from the new visa policy will be "a select group of Iraqis who have worked for, or with, the withdrawing elements of the Australian Defence Force commitment to Iraq."

Australia is well-known for welcoming immigrants. Australia's humanitarian visa stream is one of three main immigration streams (quotas) under which people can migrate to Australia; the other two are the family stream and the skilled stream.

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United States reaches FY2009 H-1B cap

2008-04-19T01:41:00.001-07:00

The United States H-1B program has proven incredibly popular again, reaching the Congressionally mandated cap of 65,000 visa applications by 08 April 2008. United States Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) also announced that they had received more than enough applications by 08 April to satisfy the 20,000 visas that are exempted from the cap for foreign graduates of US universities who hold at least a Master's degree.

USCIS will perform an automated selection process on all applications received during the filing period (01 April through 07 April 2008) to determine who will get the visas once initial data entry for the applications is complete. Because of the high number of applications, USCIS has stated that it is unknown when this will take place.USCIS will perform the random sampling on the 20,000 cap exempt applications first. Those not chosen from this initial round will be placed in the same pool with the 65,000 limit applications.

The H-1B program allows United States employers to hire foreign professionals with a university degree for temporary employment in the US. Competition is fierce for the yearly quota of visas and many industry lobbyists and other special interest groups feel that the US government should raise the visa limit. Many foreign students trained in the US in such fields as medicine, science, and engineering are forced to leave, taking their talents elsewhere.

The previous year's cap was reached in only one day. However, the 20,000 visa cap took approximately one month to fill up for the FY 2008, compared to one week for FY 2009.

A recent rule allowing foreign students to work longer under the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program may have persuaded more graduates to file during this round. The rule, which extends a student's ability to work under OPT from one year to 29 months, was put in place by USCIS in an attempt to make it easier for foreign graduates to remain in the US between completion of their studies under an F1 visa and the start of the H-1B visa's validity.

The new and improved OPT program gives some breathing room to undergraduate and graduate students and current OPT holders, who may have previously found it difficult to apply for an H1B. Some employers are reluctant to petition for foreign workers because they feel that the process is long, costly and time consuming. However, if the foreign worker or student is employed for a longer term thanks to the new OPT rule, he or she may have a much better chance to establish a relationship with the employer and be sponsored for the H-1B.

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UK to remove immigration categories

2008-04-17T01:11:00.001-07:00

The United Kingdom is in the process of introducing its new five-tier points based system that covers all employment, study, and training based immigration into the country. The tier system will replace a number of existing immigration categories which will be removed as each tier is implementeThe UK has already begun enforcing part of the first tier which is expected to be fully implemented by summer of 2008 -- Tier 1 for General Highly Skilled Migrants. This sub-category of Tier 1 is replacing the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP), and has already been implemented for people in the UK. In addition, people applying from India as highly skilled migrants have been required to come under the new rules as of 01 April 2008.

Sometime during the summer of 2008 (not before 30 June 2008), the UK will finish implementing Tier 1. Once this takes place, eight previously existing immigration categories will be removed:

    * The Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP)
    * Writers, Composers and Artists
    * Self-Employed Lawyers
    * Investors
    * Business Persons
    * Innovators
    * International Graduates Scheme
    * Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland Scheme

When these categories are removed, migrants already in the UK under these schemes will be able to finish out the terms of their stay as long as they continue to honor the conditions of their leave to remain. They can then go on to extend their stay in the UK under the relevant new points based system category..

The UK Border Agency has stated that "wherever possible, [immigration authorities] will introduce arrangements to minimize the impact of the transition to the points based system." However, these arrangements will differ from category to category.

workpermit.com will be expanding the website to cover all the transitional arrangements for immigration categories that are affected by the new points based system rules.d. Many migrants in the UK under these categories will be affected.

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Immigration to the UK: facts and figures

2008-04-14T00:26:00.001-07:00

Overview: Net immigration has added 1.5 million people to the population over the last 10 years. Two-thirds of them have come from the continents of Asia and Africa. In 2006 the total UK population was 60.6m. If net immigration continues at its current rate, as the government actuary's department calculates, the total population in 2031 will be 70m, and by 2081 it will be 85m.

The numbers: People born overseas account for about 10% of the population. This is up from just more than 6% in 1981 and just over 8% in 2001. This is compared with 24% in Australia, 23% in Switzerland, 19% in Canada and 13% in America. In France that figure is 8%, and 7% in Denmark.

The people: In 2006 the largest numbers of immigrants were born in Africa and the Middle East (3% of the working age population) and the Indian sub-continent (2.5%). Those born in the east and central European EU member states – the A8 - made up 1% of the working age population. Today A8 immigrants account for one in three of new immigrants since 2004.

Where do immigrants live and work: In the last three years, East Anglia had the greatest number of A8 workers registering with employers in the area (15% of the total), followed by the Midlands (13%) and London (12%). A8 immigrants are more concentrated in low-skilled jobs, with only 13% in high-skilled occupations. Overall, there are more foreign-born than UK-born workers in highly skilled jobs (49% vs 42%).

The three most popular sectors for all foreign-born workers in the UK are public administration, education and health (32%), distribution, hotels and restaurants (21%) and banking, finance and insurance (20%). Immigrants are concentrated at the high and low skill end of the occupation distribution.

How easy is it to find work? The employment rate of A8 immigrants is more than 80%, while that of immigrants born in Bangladesh is only around 50%. When employed, the average immigrant worker worked one and a half hours a week more in 2006 than the average individual born in the UK. The average hourly wage of all immigrants in that year was £11.90 compared with £11.50 for UK-born workers. The earnings gap is partly explained by the fact that immigrants are more likely than UK-born persons to live in London where hourly rates are higher than in the rest of the UK.

How educated? Among new immigrants (those arrived up to two years ago), the proportion of persons with degrees is particularly high (46%) and the proportion of persons with only secondary schooling particularly low (48%), compared to the UK-born population. Two-thirds of the UK-born population has only completed secondary school while 17% have a degree, Labour Force Survey data suggest. But 51% of all migrants have secondary school qualifications and 37% have degrees.

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Brown rejects cap on immigration : UNITED KINGDOM

2008-04-13T03:17:00.001-07:00

Gordon Brown says immigration is good for the UK and has rejected suggestions that an annual limit is needed.

The PM was responding to a report by a House of Lords committee saying record immigration had had "little or no" impact on people's economic well-being.

Mr Brown said the concerns raised were being tackled by a new points-based system that will allow only highly skilled workers into the UK.

He said migration had added £6bn to the economy and was a "substantial income".

Most British businesses who have faced labour shortages had benefited from being able to recruit more widely for skilled labour, he said.

Citizenship fund

Speaking at his monthly news conference, he said the Australian-style points-based system would effectively "restrict the numbers of people who come into this country from outside Europe". It would bar unskilled immigrants from outside the European Union, he said.

There would be a new citizenship fund, with people coming into the country being expected to contribute to the public services they use.

And there was more financial help for local authorities to enable them to deal with the influx.

Mr Brown conceded that it was important to get the balance right given "pressures on the economy".

But he said that gross domestic product per head had risen since 1997 from £13,900 to £22,840 in the last year. "Most people in the City of London know they have benefited very substantially," he told reporters.

"Not just from the inward investment that's coming from international companies, but the number of key workers who are coming to join them and are making a huge contribution to the British economy.

"But we want to get the balance right between that and of course being sensible about the pressures on our economy."

Mr Brown said a cap on immigrants coming to the UK could only be applied to those outside the EU.

"Most people who are proposing a cap are proposing a cap of only 20% of possible migrants into this country," he said.

"And of course many of these people are the highly skilled workers who are important to the economy."

Limits

Mr Brown's comments follow a report by the Lords Economic Affairs Committee which says competition from immigrants had had a negative impact on the low paid, on training for young UK workers, and had contributed to high house prices.

The peers called for a cap on immigration levels, saying the government "should have an explicit target range" and set rules to keep within that limit.

They raised the prospect of cutting the rights of people to follow relatives who have settled in the UK. And they rejected claims by ministers that a high level of immigration was needed to prevent labour shortages as "fundamentally flawed".

They also warned that the points-based system carried a "clear danger of inconsistencies and overlap".

The committee, whose members include two ex-chancellors and other Cabinet members, took eight months to consider government immigration policies.

Inquiry chairman Lord Wakeham said: "Looking to the future, if you have got that increase in numbers and you haven't got any economic benefit from it, you have got to ask yourself, is that a wise thing to do?

"That is why we want the government to look at it."

'Lost track'

Committee chairman Lord Vallance of Tummel, a former CBI president, said the government's analysis of the economic impact from immigration was "very shaky".

The report claims that if net immigration of 190,000 people per year continued over the next 20 years, it would contribute to a 10% increase in house prices.

Shadow home secretary David Davis said the peers had shown "unequivocally that the benefits of the current immigration policy to ordinary UK citizens are largely non-existent".

Chris Huhne, the Lib Dems home affairs spokesman, said the report made clear that "the government has completely lost track of the number of people who live in this country".

UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage said: "The fact still remains that all three parties voted for an enlarged EU and open borders with half a billion people living in the EU."

Sir Andrew Green of pressure group Migration Watch, said the report had "torn to shreds the government's economic case for the massive levels of immigration which they have actively encouraged".

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Immigration and economics: report sparks debate

2008-04-12T01:41:00.001-07:00

Immigration minister Liam Byrne today pledged to put national interests "centre stage" as a report was published dismissing the Government claim that immigration is good for the economy.

Mr Byrne said the inquiry by peers put many of the points that he had made when he was first appointed immigration minister in 2006.

"The report actually confirms that about £6 billion was added to the economy in 2006, that is a big number," he said in a GMTV interview.

"What it is also saying, though, I think, is that we should be taking into account the wider impact of immigration when we set immigration policy - now I think that is absolutely right."

He added that the report was "fresh evidence" of "why we need the shake-up we are driving through this year" such as the new Australian-style points system being introduced.

His remarks came as the peers' report dismissed the Government's claim that immigration is good for the economy and called for the numbers entering the country to be capped.

The parliamentary inquiry, including two former Chancellors and several other Cabinet ministers, delivered a blow to the Home Office by concluding that record immigration had led to "little or no impact" on economic well-being.

Certain groups in Britain - the low-paid, some ethnic minorities and some young people looking for a foot on the job ladder - may have suffered because of competition from immigrants, the Lords' all-party Economic Affairs Committee said.

Ministers should set an "explicit target range" for immigration and set the rules to keep within that limit, today's report said.

It raised the prospect of cutting the number of partners and other family members allowed to settle in Britain because a relative is already here.

The peers rejected the Government's claim that immigration is needed to prevent labour shortages as "fundamentally flawed".

They also warned that the much-trumpeted new points-based immigration system carried a "clear danger of inconsistencies and overlap".

"We are suggesting that the Government should set a target range for net immigration and then the rules should depend on the target range, rather than the numbers following from the rules as at present," committee member and leading economist Lord Layard said.

"You would have the scope to vary the scale of net immigration by varying the rules, by choosing how tight the rules should be."

Inquiry chairman Lord Wakeham said: "Looking to the future, if you have got that increase in numbers and you haven't got any economic benefit from it, you have got to ask yourself is this a wise thing to do?

"That is why we want the Government to look at it."

Lord Vallance of Tummel, committee chairman and a former CBI president, said the Government's economic arguments in favour of current immigration levels were "very shaky".

Looking at "ancestral rights" for relatives to follow family members in the UK, the report said just under 60,000 people were given such permission in 2006.

The rights of these relatives to move to the UK "could be modified if the Government chose to do so", it said.

"The Government should give further consideration to which channels of immigration should lead to settlement and which ones, if practicable, should be strictly temporary," it added.

Of the points-based system, which breaks immigration into five new tiers based largely on earning power, the report said: "It is not clear whether the new system will in fact constitute the radical overhaul of the UK's immigration system suggested by the Government.

"There is a clear danger of inconsistencies and overlap between the various routes of entry within Tier 2."

The Government's decision to use GDP as the main measure of immigration's economic contribution was "irrelevant and misleading", added the report.

Instead, the yardstick should be income per head of population, or GDP per capita.

"In the short term, immigration creates winners and losers in economic terms," said the document.

"The biggest winners include immigrants and their employers in the UK.

"The losers are likely to include those in low-paid jobs and directly competing with new immigrant workers.

"This group includes some ethnic minorities and a significant share of immigrants already working in the UK."

It added: "It is possible, although not yet proven, that immigration adversely affects the employment opportunities of young people who are competing with young migrants from the A8 countries (Poland and seven other nations which joined the EU in 2004).

"Our general conclusion is that the economic benefits of positive net immigration are small or insignificant."

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said: "This report makes it clear that the Government has completely lost track of the number of people who live in this country."

Shadow home secretary David Davis said: "This cross-party committee of distinguished peers has demolished the Government's case on several fronts."

Sir Andrew Green, chairman of Migrationwatch, which campaigns against mass immigration, said: "This report is a watershed. A heavyweight committee of Parliament has torn to shreds the Government's economic case for the massive levels of immigration which they have actively encouraged.

Dr Danny Sriskandarajah, head of migration at the Institute for Public Policy Research, said: "Putting caps on economic migration will be counter-productive. The UK needs a flexible system of managing migration to respond to changing economic conditions."

Mr Byrne said ending low-skilled migration from outside the European Union was important and "absolutely right" to do and would stop the "downward pressure" on low wages.

He added: "We need to toughen the protections for resident labour in the UK, so when the points system is introduced, we are going to be insisting that actually you have got to offer a job to a British person first if you want to employ a skilled worker and it is only if you can't find a British worker that you should be allowed to offer the job to somebody from outside. I just think that is common sense."

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Wanted: More US H-1Bs and longer work permission for students

2008-04-11T01:00:00.001-07:00

Bill Gates recently made an impassioned plea to the United States Congress to increase the H-1B cap, stating that it was in America's best interests to import badly needed talent to help the country stay ahead in the global market. Now database software giant Oracle is also making its case for more highly skilled H-1B workers. In addition, supporters of the H-1B program want the government to give foreign students more time under an official program which allows them to work while studying.

Oracle's Vice President of Congressional and Legislative Affairs, Robert Hoffman, believes that the 65,000 H-1B visas, up for grabs starting on 01 April 2008 for the current US fiscal year, will quickly run out as companies race to enter petitions for foreign workers they wish to bring to the US. His prediction is almost certain to come true -- last year, the allotted 65,000 visas were snatched up in one day.Like other representatives of tech giants such as Microsoft and Google, Hoffman hopes that Congress will double the current cap. While critics feel that these companies only want cheap labor, research has shown that companies taking advantage of the H-1B program may actually benefit the American labor market.

A recent study found that companies who hire H-1B workers create more jobs. By bringing on highly skilled workers from abroad, other jobs are created as a result that are often taken up by local workers, lending less weight to the myth that H-1B visas steal American jobs.

Meanwhile, H-1B visa supporters are requesting that the Bush administration extend the time that foreign students studying at US educational institutions can work in the United States under the Optional Practical Training program. They hope to prolong the period from 12 months to 29 months.

Proponents of the changes feel that extending the program will give foreign students a better chance at obtaining an H-1B visa in the future. It's also a good stop-gap measure for the H-1B quota problem because it does not require a change in law to implement -- only a directive from the Department of Homeland Security.

While the US Congress remains somewhat wary of liberalizing the H-1B program, the three top contenders for Bush's job all agree that the US should have an easier time bringing over highly skilled foreign talent, either by increasing the H-1B quota or implementing a more permanent skilled worker immigration policy.

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Western Australia attracting British immigrants

2008-04-10T09:01:00.001-07:00

Australia's recent government report highlighting immigration's role in boosting the population last year has an interesting side note: more than two-thirds of overseas migrants to Western Australia came from the United Kingdom.

More and more British citizens are looking overseas for new opportunities, with New Zealand, Australia, and even South Africa becoming popular destinations. Australia is particularly popular because of its liberal immigration policies which allow people with the right skills to gain permanent residence under a variety of visa subclasses.During 2006-07, the number of UK migrants settling in Western Australia reached 8,618 people -- 34 percent of all overseas permanent migrants. New Zealand was a distant second with 2,518 people, followed by South Africa at 1603 people. 1073 Indians and 1042 Malaysians settled in Western Australia, as well.

In total, Western Australia gained 25,519 migrants during 2006-07.

"Skilled migrants are an increasing share of WA population growth with arrivals making up 60 per cent of WA's 2006-07 intake," said Immigration Minister Chris Evans.

Evans noted that 32.1 percent of Western Australia's labor force are foreign born -- well above the 25.7 percent for the whole nation.

"There is an increasing demand for skilled workers in Western Australia thanks to the booming economy," he said. "With Australia currently experiencing a skilled labor shortage, companies are looking overseas for staff to fill the gaps, using both temporary and permanent skilled migration programs."

The top five occupations for permanent skilled migrants coming to Western Australia in 2006-07 were accountants, building and engineering professionals, registered nurses, managers and administrators, and computing professionals.

Australia's General Skilled Migration (GSM) program allows people to gain permanent residence under a variety of categories based on their qualifications and experience in a large list of occupations. To see if you qualify, please fill out a free assessment form.

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Sweden to relax work permit requirements?

2008-04-09T08:47:00.001-07:00

The Swedish newspaper The Local is reporting that new rules announced by immigration authorities in Sweden could aid employers in their search to hire badly needed labor from overseas.

Under a proposal announced by Swedish Migration Minister Tobias Billstrom and fellow Green Party leader Mikaela Valtersson at a recent news conference, employers would be able to hire non-European Union foreign labor without much of the hassle involved now. Currently, Swedish employers must have a labor market assessment performed by local government authorities before a residence and work permit can be granted to a non-EU citizen. The requirement is to evaluate whether a Swedish or EU citizen could not be found to fill the job. Under the new proposed rules, employers would be able to skip this step.

In addition, residence and work permits could be issued for a maximum of two years and would be renewable. Currently, the maximum possible validity of a work permit is 18 months. A foreigner already in Sweden and offered employment would not be required to leave the country before applying for a work and residence permit, as well.

Billstrom said the changes were needed to help alleviate the effects of an aging population and existing and future skills shortages.

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Canada's Provincial Nominee immigration program

2008-04-08T04:13:00.001-07:00

Canada is one of the most popular immigration destinations in the world and has one of the largest foreign born populations of OECD countries. Most immigrants come to Canada as skilled migrants -- either as temporary foreign workers, permanent residents under its points based skilled migration scheme, or as provincial and territorial nominees.

Canada's Provincial Nominee program allows provinces and territories to nominate migrants who will live and work there to receive Canadian permanent residence visas. The program is an effort to assist local employers in hiring foreign talent to fill labor shortages. Provincial Nominee permanent resident visa applications are given preference over other skilled visa applicants by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC).In general, there are two ways to immigrate to Canada as a Provincial Nominee: either as a skilled worker with a job offer or as a business entrepreneur. Some provinces and territories have additional variations on these basic categories.

For instance, in addition to an entrepreneur category, the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program has the Immigrant Partner category which allows up to three migrants to come under the nominee program if they will partner together in a business.

In the case of Ontario, there is the Employer category for employers who wish to hire foreign skilled workers and the Multinational Investor Category, which is meant to aid companies planning to make major investments in Ontario by fast-tracking work permits and permanent residence visas for key personnel.

In most cases, employers wishing to hire workers under the provincial nominee program can state their case for hiring foreign talent to the provincial government. Once approved, they can then have the potential migrant apply for permanent residence under the Provincial Nominee Program.

CIC then makes a final decision on the individual's application.

If you are an employer, business owner, investor or a skilled worker looking for more information about Canada's Provincial Nominee program, please fill out an enquiry form or contact us directly.

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Skilled immigration leads Australian population growth

2008-04-07T01:10:00.001-07:00

According to a new report released by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, immigration accounted for 56 percent of Australia's population growth last year. The report, Population Flows: Immigration Aspects, said record numbers of skilled migrants were a major factor.

"Australia's migration program had 148,200 places, the most since the late 1980s, and 3.7 per cent more than in 2005-06," said Immigration Minister Chris Evans. "The program plans up to 158 800 places in 2007-08."Evans said that the 2006-07 skills stream had 97,920 place, an increase of 0.6 percent on the previous year, and almost two-thirds of the migration program.

25 percent of skilled migrants came from the United Kingdom, followed by India at 16 percent and China at 15 percent.

"The temporary skilled migration program is playing a vital role in addressing the current skills crisis, left by the previous government," Evans said. "The skilled migration program is designed to attract people who have skills and expertise in particular occupations that are in demand in the Australian workplace."

Australia's General Skilled Migration program allows migrants with the right skills and experience in a variety of professions and trades to come to Australia permamently, with or without a job offer. The points based immigration scheme is very successful, and played an influential role in other systems, such as the UK's new five-tier points based system.

At the end of June 2007, Australia's population reached 21 million. The natural increase in the population (births minus deaths) was 138,100 people, while net migration (immigrants minus emigrants) contributed 177,600 people.

Interestingly, emigration from Australia is at its highest point ever, with 72,000 people leaving the country permanently during 2006-07. While Australia lost 35,196 skilled workers during this period, they gained 49,523 skilled migrants.

Family immigration played a significant role in 2006-07, as well. 50,080 people were granted family-stream visas during 2006-07, with the main countries of origin being the UK, China, India, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

"The UK is the most common overseas birthplace of people in Australia," Evans said.

However, he noted that the UK share of overseas-born people declined from 25.4 percent in 2001 to 23.5 percent in 2006. New Zealand, at 8.8 percent, is the second most common overseas birthplace, followed by China (4.7 percent), Italy (4.5 percent), Vietnam (3.6 percent), India (3.3 percent), the Philippines (2.7 percent), Greece (2.5 percent), and Germany (2.4 percent).

As of 2006, 23.9 percent of Australia's population was born overseas.

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Highly skilled migrants vital to UK economy

2008-04-06T04:52:00.001-07:00

The Guardian is reporting on a study that says a record number of highly skilled migrants will contribute an estimated £77 billion to the UK economy over the next four years.

The report, compiled by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), found that skilled migrants keep the British economy from lagging behind by filling key skills shortages. A majority of these migrants work in education, health care, and government services. These workers account for 2.5 percent of the nation's workforce.The study forecasts that this number will rise to 2.8 percent by 2012, based on economic trends and estimated demands for professionals such as nurses and IT specialists.

By 2012, the study predicts, there will be 812,000 such migrants in the UK -- an increase of 14 percent over the 715,000 in the UK as of 2007.

Skilled migrants currently spend £8.4 billion on goods and services, and this number is expected to rise to £13 billion by 2012. This is on top of the £18 billion in other indirect support they provide to the British economy.

As demands increase for software and e-commerce specialists, the research expects an additional 19,000 highly skilled migrants will come to the UK in the next four years.

The report comes at a time when the UK is implementing a new five-tier points based immigration system to encompass all employment, student, and training based immigration into the country. Tier 1 for General Highly Skilled Migrants is expected to be fully implemented by summer of 2008.

Currently, non-European Union foreigners already in the UK who wish to stay in the country as a highly skilled migrant must apply under the new Tier 1 rules. Starting 01 April 2008, the new rules will come into effect for highly skilled applicants based in India. Sometime during the summer of 2008, the rest of the world will follow.

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New Zealand immigration continues to slow

2008-04-05T00:19:00.001-07:00

Immigration into New Zealand for the year ending in February 2008 is at its lowest point since 2001, even with its relatively liberal skilled migration policies.

In the year ending February 2008, 83,300 permanent and long-term migrants arrived in New Zealand, up 800 from the February 2007 year. Over the same period, there were 78,700 departures of residents leaving on a permanent or long-term basis.As a result, net PLT migration was 4,600 during the February 2008 year, down from 13,200 in the February 2007 year. This is the lowest yearly figure since October 2001, according to a Statistics New Zealand report.

The net permanent and long-term migration gain of 4,600 for the February 2008 year is below the national average of 11,800 recorded for the December years from 1990-2007.

New Zealand has witnessed a substantial variation in net migration during this period. The net gain peaked at 30,200 in the April 1996 year and again at 42,500 in the May 2003 year. New losses were experienced between 1998 and 2001, with the highest net loss of 13,200 people recorded in the February 2001 year.

The downturn in net migration is attributed to a large number of New Zealand citizens leaving for Australia and is contributing to a slowdown in the Kiwi housing market. However, New Zealand offers an attractive and popular points-based skilled migration policy (similar to the UK and Australia) which allows foreign individuals with the right skills and experience to come to New Zealand to search for work.

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Australia proposes easing skills crisis through migration

2008-04-04T09:41:00.001-07:00

Under plans being proposed to Australia's 457 visa scheme, state governments and businesses would be able to fast-track temporary foreign workers for jobs in various sectors such as mining and health care.

The 457 visa scheme is working well, according to Immigration Minister Chris Evans, despite Labor's claim that unscrupulous employers are using the scheme to undercut local wages. However, the 457 scheme is criticized for taking too long to get workers processed through the systemThe proposed changes would allow companies with clean records in hiring legal workers to skip many of the bureaucratic hassles involved with the immigration process.

Meanwhile, the government has recently announced an expansion of its skilled migration program by 6,000 places to 108,500 for the 2007-08 year. Australia is also expanding its Working Holiday agreements with other countries, which allow young people to work in Australia temporarily.

Australia is one of the most aggressive nations in luring skilled migrants from overseas. Its General Skilled Migration program allows foreign workers to come to the country, even without a job offer, if they hold experience and/or qualifications in a list of skilled occupations.

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Australia proposes easing skills crisis through migration

2008-04-03T00:19:00.001-07:00

Under plans being proposed to Australia's 457 visa scheme, state governments and businesses would be able to fast-track temporary foreign workers for jobs in various sectors such as mining and health care.

The 457 visa scheme is working well, according to Immigration Minister Chris Evans, despite Labor's claim that unscrupulous employers are using the scheme to undercut local wages. However, the 457 scheme is criticized for taking too long to get workers processed through the system.

The proposed changes would allow companies with clean records in hiring legal workers to skip many of the bureaucratic hassles involved with the immigration process.

Meanwhile, the government has recently announced an expansion of its skilled migration program by 6,000 places to 108,500 for the 2007-08 year. Australia is also expanding its Working Holiday agreements with other countries, which allow young people to work in Australia temporarily.

Australia is one of the most aggressive nations in luring skilled migrants from overseas. Its General Skilled Migration program allows foreign workers to come to the country, even without a job offer, if they hold experience and/or qualifications in a list of skilled occupations.

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Canada helps immigrants achieve success

2008-04-02T12:41:00.001-07:00

Diane Finley, Minister of Immigration and Citizenship for Canada, announced funding that will continue a program to assist migrants with integration into Canadian society. The additional funding is in response to the project's enormous success in helping migrants join the labor market.

The Canadian Immigration Integration Project (CIIP) was first implemented in 2007 by the Canadian government and the Association of Canadian Community Colleges. The program is designed to help immigrants prepare for the Canadian labor market before moving to Canada.

"Our government is taking action to ensure that Canada has the best-educated, most-skilled and most flexible work force in the world," Finley said. "By investing an additional $3.8 million to help immigrants prepare for the Canadian labor market, we are improving newcomers' transition to the Canadian work force and strengthening that work force."

The additional funding will bring the total amount to CAD $8.3 million. The project is funded through Human Resources and Social Development Canada's Foreign Credential Recognition program, which aids migrants in having their professional and educational accreditations and experience recognized in the Canadian province to which they will migrate.

Starting last year, the project has been offering orientation sessions on foreign credential recognition in China, India, and the Philippines.

"The Association of Canadian Community Colleges is pleased to be able to offer integration services with the support of Human Resources and Social Development Canada," said Nejat Gorica, Vice-President, Business Development and Technical Cooperation, Association of Canadian Community Colleges. "Since launching this service overseas in January 2007, we have helped over 2,300 immigrants, and more immigrants are using this service every day."

Canada's 2008 budget has proposed additional changes to improve its immigration system to ensure that families are reunited faster, and that skilled and qualified workers arrive sooner to meet the needs of Canada's labor market.

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EU plans 'Blue Visa' to deal with skilled labour shortage

2008-04-01T09:54:00.001-07:00

If the 27-member European Union works out its internal contradictions on the subject, a "blue visa" could soon be offered to professionals from developing countries like India.

The EU proposal, which has been in the works since autumn 2007, is the bloc's latest effort to invite skilled migration. The proposed "blue visa" is on the lines of the US green card or permanent resident visa, but with a continental touch.

The proposal is not yet policy and, according to sources, not likely to be for several years to come. Primarily, because immigration policies remain the prerogative of individual member states. The UK, for instance, has refused to join this system, even as London launched its own points-based immigration scheme this week.

London's stand may well be replicated in other EU countries, particularly new members who are building up their own collective skill-sets in high-demand sectors like IT and software.

While many member countries are a little hesitant about this visa, European industries like construction and IT have welcomed the proposal, because the cost of labour in the EU is prohibitive. For these sectors to be competitive internationally, EU estimates 20 million skilled workers are needed over the next 20 years.

However, unlike the UK or US, EU doesn't have a happy history of being able to invite skilled migrants. In 2000, Germany introduced its own "green cards" system to attract skilled professionals from India and Poland.

The cards failed to attract sufficient talent and Germany scrapped the policy in 2005. According to the proposal, the EU would open itself to professionally qualified people from developing countries with at least two years of experience, a two-year work contract in an EU country and a salary at least three times the minimum salary in the destination country.

But things are easier for spouses and families of "blue card" holders - spouses can get a work permit and a resident status in the EU. After two years, the permit can be renewed.

Unlike in the American version, where your copybook is blotted irreparably if you are out of the country for more than six months, the EU version allows a person to go out and return as long as the card remains valid. Blue card holders will also have equal rights in all EU member countries, which means they will not have to apply for residence permits and work permits in every European country.

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Now, lottery system to decide number of H-1B visas

2008-03-31T12:17:00.000-07:00

NEW DELHI: As the application process for the temporary H-1B visas begins on April 1, IT services companies are set to vie for the limited number of visas that would be decided through a lottery system in the likely event of demand exceeding supply.

Even as the issue has served as fodder for the anti-outsourcing camp in the US, Indian companies call it a challenge to do more work on-site, especially as business grows.

"It hinders our ability to do work on-site but you can't work around it. You have to comply with the regulations," says Infosys HR chief TV Mohandas Pai.

Others say they tackle the challenge by convincing clients to move work offshore. "These are ongoing challenges. As companies grow, it does act as a barrier. However, we work with a select number of people in the US and we talk to our customers about working remotely. The visa issue slows down things in one dimension but it forces other models to work better," says Satyam Computer Services HR head SV Krishnan.

Last year, the US government received 124,000 applications for H-1B visas, nearly double the cap of 65,000, so the visas were awarded by lottery. This year too, it is expected that visa approvals will happen through lottery. The IT industry faces an acute talent shortage in the US and hence, the constraints due to the cap are felt more severely by it. There are about 300,000-400,000 IT job positions in the US that are not filled. "Putting an artificial constraint isn't healthy in a global economy. Companies may have to refuse projects or move people from one project to another and these are industry issues, as valid for an Infosys as an IBM," said Nasscom VP Ameet Nivsarkar.

Microsoft chairman Bill Gates had urged the US Congress to increase the visa cap, citing his own company's inability to hire as many foreign workers as it wanted to. "Last year, Microsoft was unable to obtain H-1B visas for one-third of the highly qualified foreign-born job candidates that we wanted to hire," he said. American politicians remain divided on the issue.

While some like senators Chuck Grassley and Dick Durbin ask for a clampdown on visa abuse, others, like Gabrielle Giffords and Lamar Smith, have introduced separate Bills to increase the visa cap to 130,000 and 195,000, respectively.

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Sports stars fear UK immigration ruling

2008-03-30T06:37:00.001-07:00

Top sports competitors fear a Government revision of immigration legislation could damage Britain's ability to attract the best events and performers.

Changes introduced by the Border and Immigration Agency mean that sportsmen and women will be classified as Tier Five Temporary Workers. Based on a model used in Australia, the proposals are meant to simplify entry into the UK but concerns over regulations accompanying a Tier Five status have brought a united response from organisers of the Open golf championship, Wimbledon and the London Marathon along with the Football Association.

They fear the new legislation will mean extra cost and bureaucracy that will be prohibitive and beyond the budget of many smaller sporting events.

The International Olympic Committee accreditation issued to athletes and media means that London 2012 will not be affected, but there are still fears that the proposals could damage the ability of many sports to stage events in the build-up to the Games.

Under the present proposals, organisers would have to act as sponsors to overseas athletes from outside the European Union, with duties including monitoring arrivals, departures and accommodation.

A consultation process conducted by the Home Office has included talks with many of the leading sports, the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport.

It is expected that the Tier Five proposals will be implemented in September. But none of the sports bodies will know the impact of the changes until the Home Office publishes a statement of intent at the end of April.

A Home Office spokeswoman declined to comment on the outcome of their consultations but Hugh Robertson, the shadow sports minister, is to raise the issue in Parliament.

Peter Dawson is chief executive of The Royal and Ancient who run the Open Championship, attracting more than 150 of the world's top players, half of whom are from non-EU countries. "We appreciate that the Government have a job to do," Dawson said, ''but it has to ensure that the changes do not make the running of major events more difficult for organisations and the people who take part. Players taking part in our amateur competitions also come from all over the world and can play in several events while they are here. If every event has to be a sponsor, the cost and bureaucracy involved would be horrendous."

Ian Ritchie, the chief executive of tennis's All England Club, who host Wimbledon, asked: "Why would we seek to make it more difficult for high-profile players and their entourages to come to Britain?

"The Australians have a special sports visa category in their immigration rules and we should either have the same or an exemption for specialist sports events."

A spokesman for the FA said: "We have concerns about the new legislation and have been in discussions with the Home Office."

A spokesman for the DCMS was keen to play down concerns. "We want to ensure that major sports events are attracted to this country and that there is no unnecessary bureaucracy or costs," he said.

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Two-year Scots visa for postgrads

2008-03-29T03:49:00.001-07:00

Overseas postgraduate students are to be offered the chance to stay in Scotland for an additional two years after they finish their course.

A Fresh Talent scheme has attracted about 4,300 undergraduate students from more than 150 countries since 2005.

The Home Office has now extended the scheme to include postgraduate diplomas and certificates.

The Scottish Executive welcomed the move and said it would help meet a "high level of demand".

Finance Minister Tom McCabe said: "The success of the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme has been outstanding.

"Our information from a sample of graduates currently on the scheme shows that more than 90% of respondents rate Scotland as a very or fairly attractive place to live or study.

"I am delighted the scheme has now been extended to include post-graduate diplomas and certificates to meet the high level of demand for our first-class education system and the excellent quality of life available in Scotland."

The Home Office also announced a new International Graduates Scheme (IGS), which will allow international graduates from a UK institution to remain in the country for an additional year.

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The lesser known H-2B visa for temporary, unskilled workers

2008-03-28T02:02:00.001-07:00

Recent reports of Indian workers in the United States being mistreated and abused have put the H-2B visa category under the scanner. While everyone has heard about the H-1B visa and the cap on it, there's a lesser known visa for temporary, unskilled, non-agricultural workers in the US — the H-2B visa, which is also subject to an annual numeric cap. The H-2B non-immigrant work visa provides a way for US employers and agents to obtain the services of unskilled foreign nationals to fill temporary needs for non-agricultural workers.

The H-2B visa is subject to an annual cap and until recent years, the usage of this visa had been moderate. However, currently the visa is very popular, particularly in the fisheries and hospitality industries. Subsequent to Hurricane Katrina, employers, contractors and subcontractors recruited foreign nationals, including from India on H-2B visas. Many employers seek to recruit foreign nationals to fill in undesirable jobs and find it easy to establish that no authorised workers in the US applied for them.

US employers and agents are allowed to petition for, and receive, approval from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for temporary H-2B workers. US agents are allowed to file petitions in cases where there will be multiple employers. The agent is required to provide a complete itinerary of the planned employment. When numerous employers are involved, the agent must provide the dates of the proposed employment, the name and address of the employers and the locations where the work will be performed.

Unlike H-1B petitions, the length of the stay on an H-2B visa is limited by the duration of the employer's temporary need for additional workers with the maximum authorised period of stay being one year. The visa may be extended for a year at a time for a total of three years. However, extension applications are subject to stringent scrutiny.

Unskilled workers may be employed on an H-2B visa for any occupation except as 1) foreign medical graduates seeking to perform work in medical fields and 2) agricultural workers. In some instances, the visa may also be used for entertainers and athletes.

Before the employee applies for an H-2B visa at a US embassy or consulate, the employer must file a petition for the worker and receive an approval from the USCIS. Before filing the petition with the USCIS, the US employer must first obtain a temporary labour certification demonstrating that no US workers are available for the position at the prevailing wage.

This process, known as Alien Labor Certification includes a stipulation that the employer must actively try to recruit US workers and is required to advertise for the position in the US and then report back on the results of that advertising.

The Department of Labor (DOL) must certify the temporary nature and need for the workers and that there are no unemployed, qualified, willing US workers available for the position in the geographical location of the proposed employment, and that employment of the foreign national will not adversely affect the wages or working conditions of US workers. The DOL grants the certificate based on the employer's recruitment campaign and evident unavailability of US workers.

One of the most significant restrictions on the H-2B category is the requirement that the need for the foreign worker is temporary. The DOL recognises four situations in which there is a temporary need for workers: recurring seasonal need, intermittent need, peak-load need, and need based on a one-time occurrence. It is this requirement that makes this visa category so rarely used, as not only must the employer promise to employ the worker for a limited period of time, the employer must confirm that the need for the worker is temporary.

This DOL certificate has to be submitted to the USCIS along with the appropriate forms, fees and supporting documents to obtain an H-2B approval. In addition to the annual quota of H-2B visas, there are a specific number of additional visas available to returning workers who have held H-2B visas during the past three years. Upon approval of the petition of returning workers, the H-2B worker must prove to the US consulate that he or she has held H-2B status within the past three years.

The State Department will maintain a database to identify returning workers. If the H-2B worker's information is entered into the database, there is no need for this worker to provide additional evidence. If the worker's information is not in the database, he or she must still present the additional evidence of having prior H-2B status within the past three years.

Many employers in the US face criticism when they seek to fill jobs with foreign employees. There are those who feel that this takes jobs away from American workers or unfairly reduces the ability of US workers to obtain higher wages. But, it's important to note that such concerns are specifically addressed in the H-2B visa application process.

Prior to being allowed to hire a single H-2B employee, an employer must demonstrate that no US citizens or 'lawful permanent residents' are available for the positions. The employer is also required to show that employment of foreign employees won't have adversely impact wages or working conditions for US employees already working in the industry.

Indian Recruitment Agents

There are several Indian agents who recruit Indian nationals for temporary and permanent posts abroad. The Government of India's policy towards emigration is not highly regulatory. However, the government being concerned about the welfare of certain categories of immigrants enacted the Emigration Act, 1983, which regulates the process of deployment of personnel abroad.

The Emigration Act requires that recruiting agents who seek to deploy personnel abroad need to be registered with the Protector General of Emigrants and Protectors of Emigrants under the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs to carry on the business of manpower export.

The process for considering applications for registration of agents does not involve any prior scrutiny to vet the credentials of the applicant. It involves submitting mandatory information, an affidavit, an undertaking and a minimum security deposit.

The Emigration Act defines 'recruitment' as including 'the issuing of any advertisement for the purpose of recruitment, the offering by advertisement to secure or assist in securing any employment in any country or place outside India and the entering into any correspondence, negotiation, agreement or arrangement with any individual for or in relation to the employment of such individual in any country or place outside India'.

The Emigration Act applies to the recruitment of drivers, domestic workers, unskilled labourers in industrial units or agricultural workers, office assistants, accountants, typists, salesmen and stenographers to name a few. Foreign employers wishing to directly recruit Indian nationals need to obtain permission from the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs.

A certified recruiting agent is required to maintain records of several documents and pieces of information including, but not limited to, copies of signed receipts for the charges the agent receives from the emigrants which must also bear the signature of each emigrant who has paid the charges; a register and record of the amounts and pre-paid ticket advices, along with their photocopies received from the employer, individual folders for each employer whose demands of labour the holder of the certificate has processed, proposed to process or is processing; copies of employment contracts of each emigrant as authenticated by the Protector of Emigrants; original demand, power of attorneys and correspondence with the employers; documents including advertisements, interview letters, letters of appointment, to name a few.

It is recommended that individuals seeking jobs abroad must deal with only registered agents and must not pay fees that is in excess of service charges prescribed by the law. The Emigration Act provides measures to address offences of exploitation of emigrants by recruiting agents and employers.

Provision has been made for offences of this nature, and punishment by way of imprisonment up to a period of two years and fine up to two thousand rupees have been provided in the Act. Complaints can be lodged with the Protector-General of Emigrants, or the eight offices of Protectors of Emigrants in different parts of the country.

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Indian workers in US cry to prevent abuse under H2B visa

2008-03-28T01:59:00.001-07:00

WASHINGTON: After marching for hundreds of miles to protest "slave-like treatment" at a Mississippi shipyard, nearly 100 Indians, who claim they were tricked into coming to the US, met Indian envoy Ronen Sen and demanded a CBI probe into the alleged human trafficking by recruiters and steps to prevent abuse of workers under H2B visa programme.

The embassy and the Indian government will go the extra mile in taking care of the workers' safety, security and dignity, Sen told workers who reached the Indian embassy carrying placards and shouting slogans after their 1,500-km "journey for justice" that began in New Orleans on March 18.

The Indian ambassador met the workers, who had quit Signal International plant in Pascagula in Mississippi on March 6 alleging they were being forced to live and work under inhuman conditions, for over three hours patiently listening to their concerns and demands.

He, however, reminded them that they cannot breach established diplomatic protocol by directly interceding with such agencies like the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Immigration and Customs Services or the Department of Justice.

The workers who narrated their experiences to Sen, demanded an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the case.

"I will convey this request," Sen said said. The workers, however, said they needed more than symbolic assurance.

"What we need is action, not just symbolic assurances," said R Pazhambalakode.

Signal, meanwhile, sought to put the blame on recruiters, saying it had fired Global Resources after it learnt that it had deceived workers by demanding highly excessive fees and making false promises about green card.

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United States speeds up citizenship petitions

2008-03-27T02:10:00.001-07:00

In January, United States Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced an enormous backlog of immigrant petitions for naturalization and other services in response to the announcement of a sharp increase in fees that went into effect in summer of 2007. It was originally expected that naturalization petitions in particular would take 16-18 months to be processed.
However, Emilio T. Gonzalez, Director of USCIS, announced on 11 March to the House Appropriations Committee that his department has shortened the estimate to 14-16 months for people who filed for US citizenship during the summer of 2007 -- still double the normal average waiting period of 7 months previous to the fee hike.

"During FY 2007, we received approximately 1.4 million naturalization applications," Gonzalez said in a statement. "In the months of June and July of 2007 alone, we experienced an increase of nearly 350 percent compared to the same period in 2006."

He noted that the decreased waiting period was due to the hard work of 17,000 USCIS workers and contractors, many of whom were hired in response to the increased demand caused by the fee hike. The new fees, which came into effect at the end of July 2007, were partially implemented to help deal with previously exisiting backlogs.

"I am proud of our accomplishments," Gonzalez said.

"Still, we remain committed to doing even better. And, we will continue to improve while maintaining our commitment to the integrity of the immigration process and national security requirements," he added.

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Flexible immigration policy call

2008-03-22T13:51:00.001-07:00

The UK's equality watchdog has suggested immigration policy should be "tilted" to help Scotland acquire the skills it needs.

Trevor Phillips, chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, will tell a conference in St Andrews immigration should be handled flexibly.

He believes Scotland's biological and pharmaceutical industry has specific demands for skilled workers.

His views have been given a cautious welcome by the Scottish Government.

Under Home Office rules introduced last month, people wishing to work in the UK must satisfy various criteria before they are allowed in.

Migrant workers

Points are allocated to different employment sectors - but the Home Office view is for the UK as a whole.

Mr Phillips believes flexibility could be delivered through a work permit system which would allow suitable migrant workers to work only in Scotland.

"We're in the new position of having a managed migration system where basically everyone who comes into the UK has to have a job," Mr Phillips told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland.

"They will be admitted if they have enough points awarded for having jobs, speaking English, having a high level of education and so on.

"What I'm suggesting here is a part of the UK - Scotland - which like the rest of Western Europe suffers from an ageing population and needs more people, particularly more skilled people to boost it's economy to keep its prosperity, could benefit if we tilt the points system in such a way that potential migrants perhaps get some extra points for coming to Scotland."

Mr Phillips said the move would "turn a number of people who might otherwise go elsewhere towards Scotland".

He said the expectation would then be that immigrants would then stay in Scotland to complete the work they came to do.

Mr Phillips also said that if there was to be more integration, then new arrivals must be made to feel integrated and "that they belong".

He added: "The work that we've done in previous years shows that oddly enough, immigrants find it much easier to essentially integrate with Scottish and Welsh identities, perhaps because they're strong civic and cultural identities, than they find with other kinds of identities within Britain.

"So, in a sense coming to Scotland would mean that migrants would find it easier to fit in and easier to feel loyal to the place where they are and that would give Scotland a particular attraction for migrants."

The Scottish Government said its existing Fresh Talent initiative is aimed at attracting suitably skilled workers.

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UK - Judicial review requested for HSMP holders

2008-03-22T00:26:00.001-07:00

On 05 March 2008, a United Kingdom High Court was told that changes to the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP) in late 2006 were unfair and could possibly result in 44,000 people being forced to leave theUK.

The changes, implemented in November 2006, required migrants who had already entered the UK under the system to score points again -- based on the new rules -- when it came time to renew their HSMP visas. Previously, migrants were only required to show proof of economic activity to get an extension.

The HSMP Forum, a non-profit advocacy group for HSMP holders, filed for the judicial review and were represented by Barrister Michael Fordham, QC.

"The goalposts have been moved for those previously admitted. If they do not have a particular qualification or level of earnings they are required to leave," Fordham said.

Robert Jay, QC representing the UK, said that the government acted within its powers and a judicial review should not take place.

The judge in the case, Sir George Newman, said he would give his decision at a later date. The HSMP Forum said they were hopeful that a decision would be reached during March, and expect the decision to be in their favor.

The HSMP, a points based system that assesses applicants based on criteria such as age, previous earnings, and education, is being phased out in favor of the UK's new five-tier points based system. Migrants already in the UK on an HSMP visa are required to extend their leave to remain under the new Tier 1 rules for General Highly Skilled Migrants.

The new rules will go into effect for people outside the UK -- starting in April for applicants from India and summer 2008 for the rest of the world.

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