UK Immigration News

The government's Borders, Immigration and Citizenship Bill is due to be published this Thursday. The institute for public policy research (ippr), says that if it is more difficult for migrants to gain British citizenship this could have damaging consequences for the UK's economic recovery.

Skilled Migrants wishing to gain UK citizenship may have to wait at least a year as "probationary citizens". The Borders, Immigration and Citizenship Bill will have its first reading today.

On 18 December 2008 the Government announced that for the time being Bulgarians and Romanians will not get free access to the British labour market. It is interesting to note that Bulgarians and Romanians can enter the UK under an European Community Association Agreement on a self employed basis to do almost any type of work.

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.

On 5 January 2008 the UKBA announced that 4,875 businesses had registered as sponsors under the Points System. This still means that huge number of businesses that need to bring in overseas workers are not registered as sponsors.

The welfare of children in Britain's immigration system is a top priority, according to new UK Border Agency guidelines introduced on 6 January 2009.

The new code of practice deals with how youngsters should be treated during any stay in detention or while being transferred into local authority care. UKBA will then be in line with other Government organisations that take care of children.