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01/07/08
From 30th June 2008 all highly skilled workers, entrepreneurs and investors wanting to come to the United Kingdom will be able to apply for their United Kingdom visa under a new Australian style points-based system.
Under the new system, applicants will need to earn points to prove that they can make a positive contribution to the United Kingdom. Points will be awarded for objective criteria such as qualifications, previous earnings, age and United Kingdom experience. Only those with enough points will be able to get a visa.
The system replaces the two staged Highly Skilled Migrant programme.
Border and Immigration Minister Liam Byrne said:
"The introduction of Tier 1 of the Points Based System is good for those wanting to work in Britain and good for the UK economy. We are clear that we will not tolerate any abuse of our systems. That is why we have introduced fingerprint technology to check all visa applicants, a new force to police our borders and new rules that ban anyone using false documents or deception from the UK for up to ten years."
Today's changes introduce the first tier of the points-based system. Other tiers for students, skilled workers with a job offer and temporary workers such as musicians, actors and sportsmen will both be introduced over the next year.
Source: http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/
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08 September 2008
A strict new list of shortage jobs which targets migration better at the needs of British businesses, while reinforcing the selective approach of the new Australian-style points based system, was presented to the Home Office on September 8th by independent advisors.
The recommended shortage occupation list would bring in a more flexible, larger set of work categories but would see the number of individual positions open to migrants reduced by 30 per cent.
The Home Office tasked the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), an independent panel of economists, with overhauling the current shortage occupation list and will now pressure test their recommendations carefully before publishing the final list in October.
The MAC's recommended list follows the most comprehensive study of its kind ever conducted anywhere in the world. It reduces the number of jobs open to migrants from one million to 700,000. The list also defines more tightly which positions cannot easily be filled by resident workers.
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.
"This strict list means 30 per cent fewer jobs are available to migrants via the shortage occupation route.
"Those that do come will need to work hard, play by the rules and speak English."
The final shortage occupation list will be published by the Home Office next month ahead of the skilled worker tier of the points system - known as Tier 2 - coming on-line in November.
Tier 2 will ensure that opportunities for British jobseekers are maintained by requiring companies to prove they cannot fill the post with a resident worker before recruiting from outside Europe. To get in under Tier 2 skilled foreign workers must have:
- a good grasp of English;
- prospective earnings of more than ﾣ24,000 or have a good qualification; and
- enough money to support themselves for the first month of their stay.
The MAC report recommends that sectors should develop training strategies and look beyond migration for new recruits, which directly supports the Government's aim to upskill the British workforce and ensure Britain remains a global leader in skills.
Mr Byrne said:
"We are grateful for the work the Migration Advisory Committee has carried out. We will be pressure testing their conclusions before publishing our final list in October, so that the points system can come online just as we promised - on time.
"Our tough new points system plus our plans for newcomers to earn their citizenship will reduce overall numbers of economic migrants coming to Britain and the numbers awarded permanent settlement.
"Crucially, the points system means only the migrants with the skills Britain needs can come - and no more. Unlike made-up quotas, this stops Government cutting business off from the skills it needs when they need them."
Source: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/ Are you eligible to emigrate? Find out now. Click here for a FREE initial immigration assessment provided by the Migration Bureau (officially recognised immigration and visa consultants). For information on the Migration Bureau Click here.
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21 August 2008
The number of Eastern European migrants coming to work in the UK has fallen to its lowest level since accession, according to statistics published by the Home Office on August 21st.
The figures show that between April and June 2008 there were 40,000 applications to the Worker Registration Scheme from nationals of the eight countries that joined the EU in 2004 - that's the lowest level since accession, a drop of 14,000 from the same period last year and a fall of 9,000 from the first three months of this year.
The number of Bulgarians and Romanians applying to work in the UK has also dropped to its lowest level since accession in January 2007 with only 7,005 applications for worker cards and registration certificates between April and June of this year, compared to 10,860 in the same period last year.
Source: UK Boarder Agency
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23rd July 2008
The age at which someone can apply for a marriage visa will increase from 18 to 21 as part of a crackdown on forced marriage, the Home Office announced on July 23rd.
Statistics show that 30 per cent of the cases dealt with by the Government's Forced Marriage Unit involved victims aged between 18 and 21.
The new steps significantly strengthen the safeguards against forced marriage. The five key proposals announced today are to:
- raise the age of sponsorship for a marriage visa from 18 to 21;
- ask foreign spouses to enter into an agreement to learn English before they come to the UK;
- introduce a power to revoke leave to remain where there is evidence that the marriage route has been abused;
- require all sponsors to register their intention to marry overseas before they leave the UK; and
- ensure through a code of practice that specialist teams can identify vulnerable people at risk of forced marriage.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said:
"Forced marriage leads to victims suffering years of physical and mental abuse and - in extreme cases - unlawful imprisonment and rape. It has no place in our society. That is why the Government is determined to do everything it can to stamp it out and to ensure that victims receive the help and support they need.
"That is why we are raising the age limit for visas, checking anyone entering into a marriage does so of their own free will, and demanding that those coming to the UK learn English."
Source: UK Boarder Agency
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15th July, 2008
New Zealanders with the right to live and work in the United Kingdom can breathe a sigh of relief - the British Government will not abolish the prized ancestry visas.
British officials had proposed getting rid of the visa, which allows people whose grandparents were born in the UK to live there for four years and eventually apply for residency.
They had also considered stripping New Zealanders of the right to travel to Britain without a visa for up to six months.
While both proposals have since been dropped, the news initially came as a huge shock to travellers and people with British heritage alike when it was announced in a Home Office green paper earlier this year.
About 4000 New Zealanders apply for the visas through the British High Commission each year.
Source: www.nzherald.co.nz
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LONDON -- United Kingdom house prices posted their biggest year-to-year decline in more than 15 years in May as the credit crunch and concerns about the economic outlook continued to throttle demand for residential property, data from HBOS PLC showed Thursday.
House prices fell 2.4% on a month-to-month basis and 3.8% year-to-year in May, the biggest drop on an annualized basis since April 1993 when they fell 4.9%, the mortgage lender said.
Economists had expected declines of 1% on a month-to-month basis and 3.5% on an annualized basis, according to a Dow Jones Newswires survey of economists last week.
Source: Wall Street Journal
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18/03/2008
The delivery of the national identity scheme gathered momentum on the 6th March, 2008, as plans were laid out by the Home Secretary beginning with the introduction of identity cards for foreign nationals in 2008 and British citizens in 2009. The scheme will begin in November this year with introduction of identity cards for non-EEA foreign nationals; initially starting with categories most at risk of abuse, which include foreign nationals seeking to enter or remain in the UK as a student or on a marriage visa. Fingerprints will be collected from foreign nationals before they are issued with a card, which will show the details of the holder's immigration status and entitlements - whether they are allowed to work or access benefits, and how long they can stay in the UK.
Within three years all foreign nationals applying for leave to enter or remain in the UK will be required to have a card, with around 90 per cent of foreign nationals in Britain covered by the scheme by 2014/15. From 2009, the scheme will be extended to UK citizens. The first ID cards will be issued to people working in specific sensitive roles or locations where verification of identity will enhance the protection of the public. This will start in the second half of 2009, with the issuing of identity cards to those working airside in the country's airports. Home Secretary Jacqui Smith and Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly will jointly chair a meeting of industry representatives to ensure the smooth introduction of these new measures. From 2010 young people will be able, on a voluntary basis, to get an identity card, which will assist them in proving their identity as they open their first bank account, take out a student loan or start employment. Later that year the scheme will be opened to voluntary applicants of any age.From 2011/12, all passport applicants will also be registered on the scheme as they apply for the new biometric passports containing fingerprints.
British citizens enrolled on the National Identity Register will be able to choose whether to have a passport or an ID card or both. This will enable an accelerated roll-out of the scheme and, alongside steps to work with the private sector in delivery, could result in savings worth around ﾣ1bn.Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said:
"The Government's National Identity Scheme means that for the first time UK residents will have a single way to secure and verify their identity. We will be able to better protect ourselves and our families against identity fraud, as well as protecting our communities against crime, illegal immigration and terrorism. And it will help us to prove our identity in the course of our daily lives - when travelling, for example, or opening a bank account, applying for a new job, or accessing government services."I want as many people as possible to enjoy the two key benefits of the National Identity Scheme - improved protection and greater convenience. And I want them to be able to choose how they participate in the Scheme as well - whether to have a passport or an ID card or both - so that they can enjoy its benefits as quickly as possible."
The National Identity Register will hold a small amount of personal biographic details separately from biometric fingerprints and photographs, making it incredibly difficult for anyone to steal or exploit another's identity. The Government has already proved its ability to deliver a sound basis for the National Identity Scheme. Fingerprinting is already required for visa applicants to the UK and over ten million British e-passports have been issued since the end of 2006, containing an encrypted digital version of the holder's personal details and a photograph on a secure chip.
Source: www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk
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The Government has announced on the 31st January, new immigration fees, allowing the funding of new changes to border security over the next 12 months.
Immigration Minister Liam Byrne said:
"We believe that it is fair that those who benefit most from using our immigration system should help fund it.
"We welcome the contribution that legal migrants make to the economy and cultural life in the UK and we have ensured that these fees, which will usher in the biggest reforms to the immigration system in a generation, are at levels that will not damage our international competitiveness.
"We are confident that we are not out of line with other countries' prices and that the people we want to come here will not be deterred from doing so."
Regulations for the following immigration fees have been laid in Parliament:
q tier 1 of PBS - (general highly skilled workers) in-country applications;
q tier 2 of PBS - sponsor license applications for employers;
q certain entry clearance and transit visas outside the PBS rules; and
q certificates of entitlement to right of abode in the UK.
Source: www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk
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Back to top Healthcare occupations removed from UK national shortage occupation list for work permits
The UK Border and Immigration Agency announced on 5th February that 38 healthcare-related occupations will be removed from the national shortage occupation list for work permits, taking effect from the 18th March 2008.
The UK Border and Immigration Agency announced it will publish a revised list of shortage occupations once the changes have come into effect. The list of the occupations is listed below.
The recent announcement follows research conducted by the NHS workforce review team on behalf of the Department of Health.
All work permit applications received for the listed posts on or after 18 March 2008 will now need to be subject to a full resident labour market test. Employers will be required to submit evidence that the posts have been advertised, with full details of people who applied and were interviewed, and why resident workers were not considered suitable.
Work permits will still be issued for these occupations if, following advertising, no suitably qualified resident candidate has been found.
The following occupations will be removed from the list from 18 March 2008:
Dentists
Consultants in dental specialities (except consultants and specialists in paediatric dentistry, which remain on the list).
Consultant posts in the following specialist areas:
ﾧ accident and emergency;
ﾧ additional dental specialities;
ﾧ cardiothoracic surgery;
ﾧ clinical radiology;
ﾧ dermatology;
ﾧ endocrinology and diabetes mellitus;
ﾧ endodontics;gastroenterology;
ﾧ general internal medicine;
ﾧ general surgery;
ﾧ histopathology;
ﾧ infectious diseases;
ﾧ medical oncology;
ﾧ neurosurgery;
ﾧ obstetrics and gynaecology;
ﾧ ophthalmology;
ﾧ otolaryngology;
ﾧ paediatric cardiology;
ﾧ palliative medicine;
ﾧ psychotherapy;
ﾧ public health medicine;
ﾧ respiratory medicine;
ﾧ rheumatology;
ﾧ trauma and orthopaedic surgery; and
ﾧ urology.
General medical occupations:
ﾧ dietician;
ﾧ biomedical scientist or medical laboratory scientific officer;
ﾧ occupational therapists;
ﾧ pre-registration cytogeneticists; and
ﾧ speech and language therapists (employed at Agenda for Change band 5 or 6, or independent sector equivalents).
Nurses:
Not all nursing occupations are being removed from the list. The details below set out those we are removing and those that remain on the list.
The following nursing occupations are being removed from the list:
ﾧ midwives; and
ﾧ audiology;
ﾧ sleep or respiratory physiology;
ﾧ neurophysiology;
ﾧ cardiac physiology;
ﾧ clinical radiology; and
ﾧ pathology.
However, the list of shortage occupations still includes registered nurses employed at bands 7 and 8 or their independent sector equivalents and registered nurses employed in the following specialties:
ﾧ operating theatre nurse; and
ﾧ critical care nurse (nurses working in wards with a Level 2 or Level 3 classification).
Source: www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk
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