Immigration newsletter 16 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.

Australian Prime Minister announces stricter Immigration Rules

Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, has announced tougher immigration controls and a national security crackdown. His announcement comes in the wake of the Sydney hostage siege in December 2014, when an Iranian refugee, Man Haron Monis, walked into a cafe and held 18 hostages at gunpoint.

A report into the siege came to the conclusion that the decisions made by authorities regarding Monis enabling him to stay in Australia were reasonable. However, the report did recommend changes to immigration, citizenship and bail legislation.

His plans will see the denial of welfare payments to individuals seen as a threat, the revocation of passports for those who have dual citizenship and in some cases the restriction of overseas travel; this in a bid to prevent funding and limit the movement of terrorists.

UK Visit Visa System to undergo reforms announces Theresa May

Theresa May has revealed plans to overhaul the visa system for visitors to the UK. Mrs May wants to make it easier for business people and performing artists and certain others to access Britain.

She has outlined sweeping changes, set to be introduced in April, which will see the current 15 visa categories scrapped and in its place a new system from which visitors can choose from four visa types.

Officials say that the reforms will 'streamline' the application process and reduce the level of bureaucracy that visitors face when applying for a visa.

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.

UK Needs Immigration Points System says Nigel Farage UKIP Leader

Speaking in Margate at the anti-immigration/anti-EU UKIP spring conference, Nigel Farage said that the UK should have an Australian-style points system to determine who can settle in the country. Perhaps a bit of an odd remark to make as the UK has had a points based system since 2008.

Farage is not alone in calling for a points system. London Mayor, Boris Johnson, is also a strong advocate. In October last year, during an interview on the Andrew Marr show, Johnson said: “On the border controls thing, that is critical and I think that is now emerging as the number one thing we need probably to sort out in this renegotiation.”

USCIS to allow Employment Authorization for Some H-4 Spouses

Good news for some. US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will permit H-4 spouses of certain H-1B principal non-immigrants to receive employment authorization in the US from 26 May 2015. The change is to help spouses of H-1B visa holders who are in the process of obtaining a Green Card and who already have an approved immigrant worker petition.

The new rule grants employment authorisation to the H-4 spouse of an H-1B visa holder where the H-1B visa holder is waiting for an immigrant worker visa due to visas currently being unavailable.