Immigration newsletter 20 Apr 2010

In the last week opinion polls have shown an increase in support for the Liberal Democrats in the UK who probably have more liberal policies on immigration than the Conservative or Labour Party.  For example the Liberal Democrats would like an amnesty for people who have been in the UK illegally for ten years.  A recent estimate by the London School of Economics for the number of illegal immigrants in the UK is 618,000.

The UK Border Agency (UKBA) has said the following about travellers whose visas have expired and who have been unable to travel due to volcanic ash ending up in the atmosphere after the eruption beneath the Eyjafjallajoekull glacier in south-western Iceland;"... We appreciate that this is due to exceptional circumstances beyond your control..." UKBA has also said that if your UK visa has already expired you should keep documentation confirming your travel plans showing that if the eruption had not occurred you would have left the UK in time and not become an overstayer.

It is now more difficult if you wish to come under an Australian business skills immigration program.  Australian immigration has said the following:

“Business owners and senior executives are now required to own a greater amount of net assets in order to qualify for business migration to Australia.”

Recently  a new Canada-British Columbia Immigration Agreement was signed.  Immigation Minister Kenney had the following to say:

"The signing of today's agreement with British Columbia will support the integration of newcomers, helping to ensure that they're able to contribute to our economy and succeed in Canada." He also went on to say "I am also pleased to announce the first temporary foreign worker annex to this agreement today. This will facilitate the entry of these workers to help British Columbia fill critical labour shortages."