Immigration news

US immigration applicants will need to show proof that they have received the COVID-19 vaccine as part of a mandatory medical exam, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced. The new policy will come into force on October 1, 2021. However, the new policy exempts children too young to receive the vaccine.  

The new rules also exempt people with medical conditions that prevent them from receiving the jab. Meanwhile, there is a waiver process for people who refuse to be vaccinated on the grounds of their religious beliefs or other legitimate reasons. 

By Sanwar Ali:

The COVID-19/Coronavirus pandemic is still affecting travel to and from the UK, after about one and half years since restrictions were first introduced.  In the UK the confusing and complicated green, amber and red list countries system, is used to determine travel restrictions for UK residents, and others arriving into the UK.  This system is to end on 4 October 2021 to be replaced by a simpler system.

 

The Home Office has conceded that there’s ‘little evidence’ to suggest that its UK immigration plan to reduce migrant Channel crossings will work. An equality impact assessment states that changes to the UK asylum system carry ‘significant scope for indirect discrimination’ and ‘potential for racial discrimination’, according to a report published by The Independent.

 

However, the Home Office claims that these discriminations would be ‘objectively justified as a proportionate means of achieving its policy objectives of the plans – principally to deter illegal UK entry’.

According to a section of the Biden Reconciliation Bill, released by the US House Judiciary Committee, those caught up in the decades-long wait to secure a US green card could jump the queue by paying a ‘super-fee’. However, the Bill makes no mention of plans to abolish country caps for US green cards or increase the annual quota of H1B visas.

 

By Sanwar Ali:

There were high hopes that when Biden was elected President that this would make it easier for both temporary and permanent migrants to gain entry to the US.

The Home Office has issued new guidance for UK employers on obtaining a sponsor licence to hire overseas workers. The number of applications for a sponsor licence submitted to the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) department of the Home Office has surged in 2021, especially since the end of the Brexit ‘grace period’ in June.