Immigration newsletter 09 Mar 2015

Are you an UK employer wishing to employ nationals from outside the EU? workpermit.com can help you obtain a Tier 2 sponsorship licence and help with compliance issues for new and existing Tier 2 sponsors. Call the London Office on 0344 991 9222 for further details.

H-1B Reminder – less than a month to go

If you’re an employer, remember that you need to have an approved Labor Condition Application before applying for an H-1B visa.

New H-1B visa applications will be accepted from April 1st, United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) have announced. With an annual quota of 85,000, employers wishing to bring in graduate level overseas nationals into the country are being urged to start preparations now to be ready to submit an H-1B visa application at the beginning of April 2015.

Even if the H-1B visa petition is submitted at the beginning of April it is likely that there will be a lottery for the available visas and many applications submitted will not be considered for further processing. If the visa is approved the earliest an employee will be able to start work on an H-1B visa is 1 October 2015.

Over 1,000 Fraudsters Involved in Sham Marriages to Obtain UK Visas

The Home Office has been dubbed a ‘shambles’ for failing to prosecute hundreds of immigrant fraudsters who con Britons into getting married, purely to obtain a UK visa. MPs have warned that the problem of sham marriages is becoming an increasing problem as overseas nationals look to circumvent tough UK visa laws.

Victims say that the Home Office is not doing enough to combat the problem. It’s estimated that 1,000 cases of ‘fake’ marriages have been reported in the last 12 months alone.

Indian Students Choose US visas over UK Tier 4 Visas says Sitharaman

Strict UK visa rules are the reason Indian students are boycotting Britain and heading to the US instead says Nirmala Sitharaman, India’s Commerce and Industry Minister.

Sitharaman said: “There is a stigma attached to Britain that makes it an unattractive proposition for Indian students. They believe that it’s exceptionally difficult to get a scholarship and have to pay three times the fee paid by a UK citizen. The majority of them prefer the US.”

Mrs Sitharaman, who studied in London along with her husband who took a PhD course at the London School of Economics, said she would ‘not be encouraging her daughter to study in the UK.’

UK Tier 2 Sponsorship

Do you have a professional level contract in the UK paying at least £180 per day? If so, we can help you find a sponsor who can apply for a UK Tier 2 (General) skilled worker visa. Contact the London office for further details.

US Immigration Protection for Millions of Illegal Immigrants delayed

Millions of applications were expected to be lodged by illegal immigrants seeking legal immigration status in the US before 18 February 2015.

However, U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen in Brownsville, a city along the Texas border with Mexico, issued a temporary court order on Monday 16 February stopping Obama's executive actions from going ahead.

This would have benefited some illegal immigrants who came to the US as children (DACA) and illegal immigrant parents of US Citizens or permanent residents (DAPA).

The application process was due to start on February 18th, but has now been delayed.

US Visa Bans Extended to more Venezuelan Officials

In February it was announced that more Venezuelan officials, accused of human rights infringements and corruption are to be denied US visas, further increasing tensions between the two Countries.

The US and Venezuela have been on bad terms for some time. About a year ago Venezuela expelled three US diplomats from the American Embassy in Venezuela, leaving it understaffed according to US officials. In retaliation the US did the same to Venezuelan diplomats in the US.

Responding to the new visa restrictions, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has accused the US of 'attacking Venezuelan sovereignty.'