Immigration newsletter 25 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 for entrepreneurs 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?

UK indefinite leave to remain requirements to change. Apply now!

We remind you again that from 28 October 2013, most family immigrants applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK will need to pass both the Life in the UK test and an English language test. At present, they only have to take one of these. If you are in a family immigration category, you may wish to apply now to beat the deadline. Give us a call at our London Office on 0344 991 9222.

UK immigration criticised for Tier 1 decision-making

John Vine, the UK's chief independent inspector of borders and immigration, report of 12 September 2013 criticises the UK's Home Office for the quality and promptness of its decision making on Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visas. The report states that the Home Office did not keep adequate records, made decisions based on flawed evidence and allowed a backlog of nearly 10,000 cases to build up in 2012.

US immigration reformers push Obama for executive action

Supporters of radical immigration reform in the US are trying to persuade President Obama to use his presidential powers to cut through the 'gridlock' in Washington and introduce immigration reform. They have urged the President to act to allow illegal immigrants to apply for citizenship.

The White House has said that the President has no intention of doing so and has said that any change in the law must be a matter for Congress. US constitutional lawyers say the President's powers would not enable him to make such a change. Nonetheless, some Republicans suspect that this is the President's intention and have warned him not to try.

New Zealand PM argues for retention of UK visa work rights

The Prime Minister of New Zealand, John Key, is on an official visit to the UK and has held talks with senior UK politicians about the UK's visa regime for New Zealanders. In recent years, it has become harder for most New Zealanders to live in the UK.

While in the UK he held talks with Mr Cameron, with the UK's Foreign Secretary William Hague and with the Mayor of London Boris Johnson. New Zealanders' rights to work in the UK were at the top of the agenda. Supporters of radical immigration reform in the US are trying to persuade President Obama to use his presidential powers to cut through the 'gridlock' in Washington and introduce immigration reform. They have urged the President to act to allow illegal immigrants to apply for citizenship. The White House has said that the President has no intention of doing so and has said that any change in the law must be a matter for Congress.