Immigration newsletter 06 Dec 2006

Call us for visa advice at our London office: +44 (0) 20 7842 0800.

New HSMP Points Calculator with latest changes - You can apply from 5 December 2006

UK HSMP applications, suspended for a time from 07 November, are now being accepted under the new rules. As of 05 December, the Home Office is accepting and processing new applications and extension requests.

Immigrants, mainly from Eastern Europe, have increased tax revenue for the United Kingdom by about GBP 18 billion since 1998. The Ernst & Young ITEM Club report also showed that more people over 50 in the work force added another GBP 2 billion to the British treasury for the fiscal year through March 2006, compared to GBP 1 billion the previous fiscal year. The increased labor force is expected to drive economic growth to as much as 2.75% this year.

A network of job centers should be set up across Africa with "work mobility" packages for would-be immigrants, the European Commission proposed, as part of their plans to try to manage the flow of migration from Africa into the EU. Participating African nations would inform the EC of how many would-be immigrants are available, and of their qualifications. Teams of experts might also go to African countries to assist in efforts to fight human trafficking.

On November 30th, 30,000 asylum-seekers were granted general amnesty by the recently elected Dutch parliament. The late-night vote allows all asylum-seekers who arrived in Holland before April 2001 to remain in the country. This is surprising in a way as the Netherlands has been persuing a harder line immigration policy since 2001.

The last Immigration Act passed in New Zealand was in 1987. New legislation was drafted this year and is intended to be introduced to the Parliament around April 2007. The government is hopeful that it will be passed into law by 2008. If passed into law all travelers to New Zealand could in the future be required to supply biometric data upon their arrival. Collection and use of "limited" biometric data from New Zealand citizens at the border is included in the 61 new provisions in the bill.

The Australian government is funding the "Living in Harmony" program, with $1.5 million (AUD) earmarked for projects designed to help refugees and immigrants adjust to life in Australia. It is intended to help community groups, schools and local governments develop and implement small-scale projects.

Democratic control of the U.S. Congress in the wake of recent elections may very well result in more humane immigration policies. There may be a guest-worker program and new opportunities to gain citizenship. 2007 immigration reform is expected to be along similar lines to the Senate immigration reform bill from May of this year.

More than one million legal immigrants have experienced long delays in obtaining a U.S. green card. Many are highly skilled, with science, electrical engineering and medical degrees, and are hired by U.S. companies, universities and research laboratories under the H-1B visa system. Some people have experienced waits of up to 12 years for an employment-based green card. The process has always been long and complex, but recently introduced background checks by the FBI can add two to three years.