Immigration newsletter 03 Jul 2014

Do you have a professional level contract in the UK paying at least £180 per day? If so, we can help you find a sponsor and obtain a UK Tier 2 (General) skilled worker visa. It is easier to switch if you already have a Tier 1 PSW visa or Tier 4 student visa or Tier 2 Visa. The UK Tier 1 Entrepreneur scheme may also be an option. Why not contact the London office for further details.

UK Immigration Solicitor needed - Call the UK office on 0344 991 9222

UK student visa subject to 'criminality on a massive scale'

UK immigration says that there may be as many a 65,000 Tier 4 student visas that have been obtained by fraud.

Since 2011, applicants for Tier 4 visas have had to pass a multiple choice English test and be interviewed by an immigration officer online. In February, the BBC revealed widespread fraud at English language test centres in London where invigilators read out the test answers and substitutes took interviews in the place of applicants.

Tier 4 visa holders shown to have obtained their visas fraudulently will likely have to leave the UK.

Minister: UK will not bow to business case for increased immigration

A junior minister in the UK government has told an audience in the City of London that the UK government will not relax immigration controls.

Speaking at a debate in the City, Mrs Morgan accepted that a relaxed visa regime would benefit banks but said that fears about immigration had led many voters to vote for the anti-immigration UK Independence Party.

Italian PM: If EU will not help on immigration, we will leave Eurozone

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi says Italy may withdraw from the Eurozone if the EU refuses to pay Italy's border patrol costs.

Italy established a marine border patrol last year after 360 migrants died when their boat sank just off the Italian island of Lampedusa. It has rescued over 50,000 migrants in 2014 at a cost of around €10m per month.

Mr Renzi says that migration is a European problem so Europe should pay. He said that otherwise the EU can ‘keep your single currency and leave us our values'.

Australia Immigration Opportunities

Australia has some of the best skilled immigration programs in the World. We can ensure that your Australian visa applications are dealt with competently and efficiently so maximising your chances of success. We can help with Skilled Independent and State sponsored visas and a number of other Australian visa categories.

UK immigration inspector warns of 'proxy marriage' loophole

The UK's chief inspector of immigration, John Vine, has warned that some foreign nationals are taking part in bogus marriages to gain UK residence.

Mr Vine said the UK has no system for checking the genuineness of proxy marriages in such Countries as Nigeria and Brazil. Proxy marriages are marriages which take place when one or both parties are absent. There are fears that non-EU nationals are marrying EU nationals in proxy ceremonies in marriages that are not genuine.

Checks carried out on 29 proxy marriage certificates showed that more than 80% were invalid. The inspector warns that this may mean that many thousands of people have gained UK residence fraudulently.

Survey Immigration changes balance of UK politics

A new study has found that the votes of ethnic minority immigrants seem to be affecting UK election results. Polling shows that black and Asian immigrants tend to be faithful supporters of the left-of-centre Labour Party.

In recent EU elections, the Labour Party performed best in London where the largest minority populations are found. The results suggest that, while many white Labour voters may have voted for the anti-EU UK Independence Party, minority voters stuck with Labour. This suggests that Labour may have a lasting electoral advantage from immigration.

US interest in 'soccer' caused by immigration and 'moral decay'

A right-wing US columnist, Ann Coulter, has claimed that the US’s growing love of football, or soccer as the Americans call it, is caused by two factors; growing immigrant populations and moral decline. Ms Coulter says that she hopes that recent immigrants to the US who have brought their love of football with them will learn to love “manly” American games instead.

It seems that Ms Coulter will get her way, for the next four years at least. The US was knocked out of the World Cup by Belgium on Tuesday.