Immigration newsletter 26 Sep 2012

Some UK visas can take months to be processed by UK Immigration. Or you may have to attend in person at the public enquiry office to have your application processed.  

We are OISC registered and, if you are already in the UK, we can submit your UK visa application to UKBA to be dealt with on the same day! 

Please note that we only have a limited number of slots at UKBA each week, so it is best to apply as far in advance as possible. Call the London Office on 0344 991 9222 for further details. 

There are several vacancies available in Australia that need to be filled immediately. Employers in Perth, Western Australia are seeking metal fabricators, boilermakers and carpenters. Australian work visas are available for the right candidates.

Australia is a very popular immigration destination for skilled tradespeople and professionals from the UK.  If you are interested in Australian immigration you can apply for a skilled migration visa if sponsored by an employer or territory or if you are nominated in an occupation on the Skilled Occupation List.

You should contact us now at ozvisa@workpermit.com to discuss your various Australian visa options.

We would like to remind UK employers who have licences to sponsor foreign nationals for tier 2 skilled worker visas or tier 5 working holiday visas that the first batch of these licences will expire on November 26th 2012. 

It is the responsibility of employers to ensure that they renew their licence before the old one expires. If they do not, then they will lose their licence and their foreign employees will have to leave the UK.

We can help employers apply for a renewal of their licences. If you would like help applying for a licence then call our London office on 0344 991 9222 for further details. 

President Obama has told a Spanish language broadcaster that his biggest regret in his first term was his failure to reform the US immigration system.

Mr Obama said that he had failed to act because he was concentrating on the economy. He added that he had failed to persuade Republicans to support his proposals for reform.

Mr Obama says that, if he is re-elected, he will reform the system in the first year of his second term.

The Australian immigration minister has said that Australia will continue to enter into Enterprise Migration Agreements with mining companies despite a slowdown in the economy. Enterprise Migration Agreements (EMAs) were introduced in 2011 to allow mining companies to import skilled workers ontemporary work visas when there were no Australians able or willing to fill a position.

Now, there are fears of a slowdown in the Australian resources sector and the unions are calling for an end to EMAs. However, Australian Immigration minister Chris Bowen said that EMAs would continue. He said they remained necessary to ensure labour for very large projects.

The outgoing head of the UK Border Force, Brian Moore, told a committee of the UK’s parliament that his organisation is considering the introduction of a fast stream at passport control for wealthy travellers. Mr Moore said that the scheme would focus on 'high value business people from various countries  and would show that Britain is open for business'.

A report issued by the Toronto Dominion Bank says that, from 2016 on, Canada will need 350,000 migrants annually to maintain its workforce. 

The report says that the baby boomer generation will start to retire in 2016. Unless they are replaced, there will be increased pressure on Old Age Security and healthcare.