Immigration newsletter 13 Feb 2013

We remind everyone that from 25 March 2013 the Life in the UK test will be changing.  It will be more difficult and more expensive to take the test from this date.  If you need to pass the Life in the UK test to apply for indefinite leave to remain or naturalisation in future it may be worth applying now to avoid having to come under the new requirements.

2013 is our 25th anniversary year. Over the last quarter century, workpermit.com has helped thousands of people to move around the globe.

This year, we will be making a series of films about those who have come to the UK to work. Does this apply to you? Would you like to tell us your story? Then phone our London office on 0344 991 9222 or email us at editor@workpermit.com .

If you need an urgent replacement visa but are too busy to wait at the UKBA’s office, we can help. Workpermit.com is registered with the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner. This means we can do the waiting on your behalf. 

We have access to a limited number of daily slots. If you need a visa urgently, then contact us today to get to the front of the queue. Call our London office on 0344 991 9222

Canada’s new immigration programme for skilled tradespeople, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, opened on 2nd January. Only 3,000 permanent residence visas will be issued under the FSTP this year so, if you are a skilled tradesperson and want to apply, get in touch NOW atcanvisa@workpermit.com. Otherwise you might have to wait until next year.

The leader of the Republican Party in the US House of Representatives, Eric Cantor, says he will vote in favour of allowing so called ‘DREAMers’ to become US citizens. DREAMers are illegal immigrants who were taken to the US as children.

This is a significant departure for Republicans who were previously opposed to granting citizenship to any illegal immigrants. Mr Cantor voted against a similar law in 2010. The US Department of Homeland Security, (DHS) has estimated that there are nearly 2m DREAMers in the US illegally.

The National Foundation for American Policy, a US think tank, says that the US government should grant visas and permanent resident status to more foreign medical workers. 

The NFAP recommends that the US should

• Increase the number of green cards for medical professionals.
• Create a dedicated temporary visa for nurses
• Grant more H-1B visas to doctors who work in deprived areas and
• simplify the procedures for licensing medical staff to make it easier for foreign medical staff to get registered.

New European Union figures show that the UK was the most popular destination for migrants in Europe in 2010. 591,000 immigrants came to the UK that year. Other popular immigration destinations were Spain, Italy and Germany. These four countries took about 60% of the immigrants who came to the 27 nation EU in 2010. The UK also granted citizenship to 194,000 non-EU immigrants in 2010, more than any other EU country.

President Obama will hold a series of meetings on 12th February 2013 in support of his campaign for US immigration reform. The president will first meet union officials and representatives from other bodies such as Hispanic pressure groups. He will then meet bosses of companies including Goldman Sachs, AOL and Coca Cola.

The President says he wants reform passed within six months. He says reform measures should include 
 

• Increased border security
• A right for 11m illegal immigrants to apply for US citizenship. 
• and an increase in the number of visas granted to foreign born graduates and skilled workers.

Sir Christopher Meyer, a former UK ambassador to the US, says that UK immigration is driving international students to study in Canada, Australia and the US. Sir Christopher says that UKBA staff are hurting innocent people by trying to meet a government promise on immigration.

The UK’s coalition government promised to bring annual net immigration below 100,000 when it came to power in 2010. Critics say that attempts to meet this commitment are damaging the UK’s economy. There have been reports that some government ministers want to abandon the target to allow universities and businesses to recruit overseas talent.