UK will limit immigrants' right to challenge immigration decisions

Chris Grayling, the UK's Lord Chancellor, (as the justice minister is called in the UK) has announced changes to the justice system which will limit the right of people to use the courts to challenge decisions made by the UK immigration authorities. The changes are due to come into force this summer and will bar some people from bringing 'judicial review' (JR) against immigration decisions and increase the costs of doing so. Mr Grayling...

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The UK Supreme Court’s judgement in Alvi, given on 18 July 2012, established the following general principle:

‘Any requirement which, if not satisfied by the migrant, will lead to an application for leave to enter or remain being refused is a rule within the meaning of section 3(2) [of the 1971 Immigration Act]'.This means any requirements must be agreed by Parliament. This agreement is gained by putting the requirements into the Immigration Rules. After the Alvi judgement, it is unlawful to refuse an application on the basis of requirements not included...

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Spain's immigrants leave as recession continues

The population of Spain has fallen for the first time since records began according to the Spanish National Statistics Institute. The latest figures show that the population of Spanish citizens grew very slightly by 10,000 people but the number of registered foreign residents fell by 216,000 resulting in a net population fall of 206,000 to 47.1m.The Spanish economy has been in turmoil since 2008 when the global economic crisis caused a collapse...

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Denmark Green card scheme

Denmark grants a three-year residence permit for the purpose of seeking work, and subsequently working, in Denmark. A residence and work permit under the Green card scheme is issued on the basis of an individual evaluation using a point system designed to assess the likelihood that the applicant will be able to find qualified work in Denmark. A great benefit of Denmark Green Card If you obtain a residence permit under the Denmark Green...

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Are you thinking to get a Marriage Visa in UK?

Anyone from outside UK can apply for a UK marriage visa to join their partner. It's important to keep in mind some important points while applying for a UK marriage visa and one among these is the selection of a right immigration consultant.One should have proper information about the marriage immigration process as this can make it easy for you to get all the way through the process. But if you don't have any prior knowledge about the marriage...

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UK immigration runs pilot of visa expiry 'reminder' service

The UK's immigration authorities have announced a new scheme to remind foreign nationals in the UK when their visa is close to expiry. The pilot scheme has already started. The Home Office will run the scheme in concert with the private sector outsourcing firm Capita. Capita has run similar services for the Home Office before and attracted criticism in the press for its performance. The Home Office has randomly selected a proportion of...

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Former UK immigration boss says system has been out of control since 2000

The former head of the UK Border Force (UKBF) Tony Smith says that Britain lost control of its immigration system between 2000 and 2003 under the Labour government of Tony Blair. He said 'There was a huge influx and frankly I don't think we have ever recovered from that'. Mr Smith has worked in immigration enforcement for nearly thirty years. In 2012, he took control of the UKBF which was the agency responsible for the UK's frontline...

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Airline boss says UK immigration system is putting off foreign business people

Willie Walsh, the chief executive of International Airlines has warned that the UK's visa system is deterring foreign businesspeople from travelling to the UK. Mr Walsh was addressing the World Travel and Tourism Council summit in Abu Dhabi on 10th April 2013. Mr Walsh was the chief executive of the UK's largest airline British Airways until it merged with Spanish carrier Iberia and became International Airlines. He is now the chief executive...

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UK immigration grants new Tier 4 Sponsorship licence to LMU

The UK's Home Office has issued a new Tier 4 sponsorship licence to London Metropolitan University (LMU). The Home Office made the announcement on 9th April 2013 and said the licence would be effective immediately. LMU's previous Tier 4 sponsorship licence was revoked on 29th August 2012. A Tier 4 sponsorship licence allows a UK educational institution to sponsor potential students from outside the European Economic Area...

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2014 H-1B quota reached on April 5th 2013

As Imperial Visas predicted, demand for H-1B visas this year has been extremely strong. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) received 124,000 applications for H-1B visas by 5th April 2013. Every fiscal year, USCIS issues 65,000 H-1B visas to foreign graduates enabling them to travel to the US to work in a 'specialty occupation'. It also issues a further 20,000 H-1Bs to foreign graduates with advanced degrees such as...

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Australian government criticized for misleading immigration figures

The Australian immigration minister has released figures which show that there were 12% more Temporary Work (Skilled) (Subclass 457) visas granted in February 2013 than in the same month in 2012. Mr O'Connor said that this sharp rise justified the plans of the Australian government to reform the 457 visa system to prevent abuse of the system or 'rorting' as it is known in Australia. Critics say that most 457 visa applications are not fraudulent...

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UK MP warns against immigration 'arms race'

A senior UK MP has warned the leaders of the main UK political parties against getting involved in an 'arms race' in immigration policy. Keith Vaz MP, the chairman of the influential Home Affairs Committee, has said that the leaders should, instead cooperate to face 'one of the most challenging issues our nation faces'. Mr Vaz expressed his views in the pages of the Sunday Express, a British newspaper which runs stories and comment...

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Think tank says scrapping UK immigration authority could be a mistake

The Institute for Government, a London think tank which aims to encourage more effective government, has questioned whether the abolition of the UK Border Agency (UKBA) announced last week is a good idea. Sir Ian McGee, a former senior civil servant and now a fellow at the Institute, has issued a statement saying 'Restructuring creates an impression, superficially, of action to solve problems. The acid test is will performance...

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Australian immigration cuts number of visitor and business visa types

As of 23rd March, the Australian government has reduced the number of visitor visa sub classes from nine to five. Australian immigration minister Brendan O'Connor said it would simplify the system aeliminate red tape. The changes have been introduced as part of Australia's Visitor Visa Simplification and Deregulation Project. In a statement on the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) website, Mr O'Connor says...

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UK ministers considered barring children of illegal immigrants from schools

The Guardian, a national UK newspaper, has received a leaked email trail from UK civil servants which seems to show that UK ministers considered the possibility of preventing the children of illegal immigrants from attending free UK state schools to prevent 'education tourism'. It seems that any such plans were quickly dropped but ministers are now considering asking schools to check on the immigration status of both pupils and their parents...

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MPs quiz civil servants about UK immigration and visa services

On Tuesday 26th March 2013, a committee of MPs interviewed two senior civil servants about the way the UK's immigration services will be run in future. The interview came just minutes after the Home Secretary, Theresa May, had made a surprise announcement that the UK Border Agency, the body that deals with immigration and asylum in the UK, was to be abolished. The Agency was founded by act of parliament in 2008. It was given Agency status...

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Main UK immigration body to be abolished because it is 'not good enough'

The UK's Home Secretary, Theresa May MP, has told the House of Commons that the UK's main immigration authority, the UK Border Agency (UKBA), is to be split because it is 'not good enough'. She says it will split into two bodies one of which will deal with UK visa applications and the other with finding and removing illegal immigrants. Mrs May made the surprise announcement to MPs in the House of Commons on Tuesday 26th March 2013. She said...

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