Immigration newsletter 04 Sep 2013

This year, workpermit.com celebrates 25 years in business. We have helped thousands of people to move to the UK and around the world. We can help with many UK applications including Tier 2 visas, Tier 1 visas forentrepreneurs and investors, citizenship and Indefinite Leave to Remain.  

If you are in the UK with a Tier 1 (Post-Study Work) visa, we can help switch to a Tier 2 (General) skilled worker visa. We can even help you to find a Tier 2 sponsor. We also help with sponsorship licences for Tier 2 and Tier 5 employers and for Tier 4 student visas.  

We can also help with applications for Canada, Australia, the US and many other countries. Our expert staff are ready to help so why not give us a call now for a free consultation?

Australians drawn from UK by US immigration's E3 visa

More Australians are choosing to work in the US and fewer are working in London. There are currently 150,000 Australians working in the US and only 15,800 in the UK. In 2005, there were over 30,000 Australians working in the UK and many fewer than there are now in the US. This is in part because of the US E-3 visa established in 2005. E3 visas allow 10,500 Australians each year to apply for a first E-3 visa. This will allow them to work in the US for two years. E-3s can be renewed indefinitely. Renewed visas are exempt from the 10,500 cap.

London Mayor calls for unlimited UK immigration from Australia

The mayor of London, Boris Johnson, says that Australians should be allowed to work in the UK like EU citizens. Australians were allowed to work freely in the UK until 1973 when the UK joined the European Economic Community, which became the EU.

EU workers can now work freely in the UK whereas Australians cannot. Mr Johnson says that this was a betrayal. He called for the creation of an Anglo-Australian Labour Mobility Zone which, he says, would be good for both countries. He added that, if the EU objects, 'they should be told to stuff it'.

UK seems likely to miss immigration target

The UK’s population grew by 176,000 because of immigration in the year to December 2012 up from 153,000 in the year to September 2012.

This is an embarrassment for Prime Minister David Cameron who pledged to cut net immigration to below 100,000 by 2015. His government has taken numerous steps to reduce immigration cutting the number ofstudents studying in UK colleges and abolishing several popular visas used by international workers.

Even so, the net immigration figure is now rising. The Institute for Public Policy Research saysthe government must make 'radical changes’ if it wants to further reduce immigration.

Canadian immigration strike: Visa applicants face delays

A strike by Canadian immigration staff is in its fourth month; there is no sign of a resolution.

Visa staff at Canadian consulates around the world arerefusing to process visa applications because of a dispute over pay. Some international students fear they may miss the start of the academic year.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada says it is prioritizing student visa applications and is encouraging students to apply online as this service is not affected. The Montreal and Vancouver Film Festivals may also be affected.

UK chef says restaurants would close without immigration

UK celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has said that his restaurants would close immediately without immigrants from Europe. Oliver, who is said to be worth £150m, has more than 30 restaurants in the UK. He told a woman’s magazine that UK workersseem to dislike long hours and hard work. Oliver said 'I think our European friends are much stronger, much tougher'. He added that EU law now restricts the working week to a maximum of 48 hours a week but said that UK workers still ‘whinge about it'.