Immigration newsletter 10 Nov 2010

UK Immigration has announced that they have already reached the immigration limit on the total number of overseas initial visa applications that can be issued under the Tier 1 (General) Visa category of the points-based system for the month of November 2010. As we have already predicted the processing delays for Tier 1 visas will become longer and longer. In October the monthly Tier 1 visa limit was reached on 21 October 2010. In November the visa cap was reached on 10 November. Probably in December 2010 the Tier 1 visas limit will be reached in the beginning of the month. If you apply now for a Tier 1 visa it is possible that the visa will not be issued until January 2011 or later. You should consider applying now to minimise the visa processing delays.

Immigration Minister Chris Bowen is expected to announce a change in Australia's points based system to encourage immigration of highly skilled professionals with good qualifications.

It is hoped that changes to the points based system will encourage foreign students with high level Australian qualifications to seek permanent residence. It seems likely that immigration will become more difficult for those with trade qualifications and experience in lower-skilled occupations.

Australian Immigration Minister Chris Bowen and Australian Capital Territory Chief Minister Jon Stanhope have announced the ACT State Migration Plan, part of an initiative to attract skilled immigrants to the State to try and deal with labor shortages.

"State Migration Plans are part of the Gillard Government's continued commitment to supporting the Australian economy by attracting skilled migrants who can positively contribute to our workforce," Bowen said.

The UK Government has decided to abandon its plans to implement an 'earned citizenship' policy which was due to go into effect in July of 2011.

While the UK dropping earned citizenship is good for many people who wish to live and work in the UK on a permanent basis, it looks like the Government still plans to make UK immigration more difficult for migrants in the future. If you qualify for indefinite leave to remain it may be best to apply sooner rather than later.

In her first major speech on immigration, UK Home Secretary Theresa May stated that her goal was to bring in more high-value migrants to the UK, such as investors and research scientists, while at the same time encouraging employers to fill vacant jobs with local unemployed workers.

"The government intends to control immigration by focusing on all aspects of the immigration system, not just the points-based system," May said.

Starting 29 November 2010, migrants who are the spouse or partner of a British citizen or resident and who wish to live in the UK will be required to prove that they can speak and understand English.

The new immigration rules will affect the spouse or partner of a British citizen or resident from countries outside the European Economic Area (including Switzerland).

A planned free trade agreement between the European Union and India could lead to increased immigration of Indians to the EU.

The free trade agreement would make it easier for Indian IT workers, engineers, and managers to live and work in the EU in return for greater access for European companies to India's enormous domestic market.

The government of Canada plans to maintain high immigration levels to help sustain the economic recovery.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) estimates that they will welcome between 240,000 and 265,000 new permanent residents in 2011. 60 percent of these are expected to be immigrants who arrive in Canada on skilled immigration visas.

The UK Government is expected to announce a new "entrepreneur visa" aimed at attracting investor-backed businessmen who wish to immigrate to the UK to start high-tech companies. The goal is to better position London as a hot-bed for startups; The UK Government hopes that East London will become the "Silicon Valley" of the UK.

The United States, particularly the San Francisco Bay area, is known for its leading position in encouraging high-tech innovation, something the UK hopes to emulate. Europe in general is often seen as lagging behind America in encouraging entrepreneurship, particularly in the technology arena.

The European Union has said that you will no longer need a visit visa to visit the EU if you are a national of Bosnia or Albania. It is hoped that this will encourage democratic reforms in the Balkan states. However, the EU warned that visit visa requirements may be reimposed if there are problems with visitors from Bosnia and Albania.