Immigration newsletter 05 Feb 2013

We are looking for the following:

• Health Care workers with experience working in a nursing home.

• Professionals in the following occupations:

 1. GMC registered doctors 
 2. GDC registered dentists
 3. IT professionals
 4. Optometrists

• Those on Tier 1 PSW or Tier 2 looking for Tier 2 sponsorship. 

Contact us at move@workpermit.com with a covering note and CV.

2013 is our 25th anniversary year. In the last 25 years, workpermit.com has helped thousands of people to move to other countries. Did you come to the UK to work? Perhaps we helped you? Why don’t you give us a call and tell us about it? We will be making a film and you could be in it.

Phone our London office on 0344 991 9222 or email us at editor@workpermit.com .

Canada’s new immigration programme for skilled tradespeople, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, opened for applications on 2nd January 2013. It allows people skilled in various trades to apply for Canadian permanent resident status.

Among the eligible trades are:
• Electricians
• Plumbers
• Gasfitters
• Mechanics and 
• Supervisors

There are only 3,000 places this year, so, if you are interested, contact us now on canvisa@workpermit.com.

Eight US Senators, four Republicans and four Democrats, announced a framework agreement for US immigration reform on 28th January 2013. If it becomes law, there will be a ‘path to citizenship’ for the 11m illegal immigrants in the US and an increase in the number of visas granted to skilled migrants, particularly green cards to technology graduates from US universities. The visa system will also be reformed to eliminate lengthy backlogs. 

On 29th January, another group of US Senators announced draft legislation that would triple the number of H-1B visas granted annually and increase the number of employment-based green cards granted to foreign graduates from US universities. The Immigration Innovation Act would immediately raise the annual cap on H-1Bs from 65,000 to 115,000 and provide for up to 300,000 to be granted if the economy grew.

H-1B visas are granted to workers skilled in a specialty occupation. The law would also increase the number of employment-based green cards granted each year, particularly to foreign graduates of US universities in science, maths and technology. 
The cap on the number of green cards granted to citizens of any one country would also be removed.

The UK immigration minister, Mark Harper, has announced that checks will now be made on those applying for Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visas after UK immigration found evidence that some people were fraudulently obtaining visas. 

Mr Harper has introduced a 'genuine entrepreneur' test which will give the UK Border Agency the right to assess applicants’ business plans and to check that they will continue to have the required funds once they are in the UK.

Natarajan Chandrasekaran, the chief executive of Tata Consulting Services says that the UK government should simplify its visa system to help the UK to continue its recovery from the global financial crisis of 2008.

He said it should be easier for his workers to get UK visas and said that his staff did not want to emigrate to the UK. 'They want to come and work and leave' he said.

The chairmen of five influential UK parliamentary committees have asked David Cameron to remove international students from UK immigration figures.  They say that export education contributes greatly to the UK economy but complain that the government is undermining the sector with the measures it is taking to cut immigration.

If students were not included in the immigration figure, they say, the government could both cut the immigration total and encourage international students to come to the UK. Immigration minister Mark Harper said that no change was necessary. He said the latest figures show an increase in applications from international students to UK universities which, showed that the UK is still 'open to the brightest and the best'.

Finally, please remember, if you’re in the UK on a long-term visa and looking to stay longer, we can help you get your visa quickly by attending the public enquiry office on your behalf. Call the London office on 0344 991 9222 for further details.