Immigration newsletter 17 Nov 2011

Firstly, I remind you that UK immigration’s shortage occupation list changes for the Tier 2 immigration route is now in effect. The changes affect those applying for Tier 2 visas and goes into effect beginning 14 November. The following occupations are now removed from the list: secondary education biology teachers, speech and language therapists, pharmacists, orthoptists, veterinary surgeons, rank and file orchestral musicians, actuaries, high integrity pipe welders, environmental scientists, and geochemists.

In an effort to attract more foreign students to the US, the Department of State announced it is expediting student visa applications, noting they have reduced the wait period globally to less than 15 days and give student visa applications special priority.

Australia’s Department of Immigration and Citizenship has announced they will be hosting two informational sessions in London for skilled workers in the UK to find out about opportunities to emigrate and work in Australia.

The informational meetings, entitled “Skills Australia Needs”,  will be on 25-26 February 2012 and will give Australian employers the chance to discuss potential employment and sponsorship opportunities with pre-screened UK skilled workers.

Following numerous complaints from the tourism industry the new Sri Lanka visit visa fee will be much lower than originally planned. There is currently no visit visa fee.  From 1 January 2012 it was expected that there would be a visit visa fee of $50. The fee will now be US$20 instead of US$50.

India has the second highest number of emigrants in the world, with 2010 seeing 11.4 million Indians moving abroad. Indians leave typically to work in higher paid jobs abroad and to study abroad.
 

India provides a number of services to Indians living abroad. According to the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, international migration is important impacting on economic relations between the developed and developing countries. In 2006 the Emigration Policy Division of the Ministry was established to help the ever growing number of Indians living abroad.

South Africans will now be able to have their last-minute UK visitor visa applications expedited under a new priority visa service offered by the UK Border Agency.

The UK Border Agency in South Africa announced last week, applicants will now be able to pay an additional fee to fast track their UK visitor visa application and have it processed ahead of other normal visa applications. The service is available now and only a limited number of priority visitor visas will be sold each day on a first come, first served basis.

Business leaders welcomed new legislation signed by US President Obama and the 21 leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic cooperation (APEC) to enable the introduction of the APEC Business Travel Card Scheme to make travel across the Asia-Pacific region easier, faster, and more secure.

The bill will allow issuance of the APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) to eligible US travelers and increases the mobility of those who apply for the card by expediting visa interviews and faster processing times at immigration checkpoints in APEC economies throughout the region.