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We have been working hard to update our website with the latest information on changes to immigration rules in the United Kingdom. From the front page of our website you may access several free tools to calculate points or assess yourself to determine your chances to qualify for certain visas. We have a number of sections dedicated to each country, such as the United Kingdom. With the changeover from HSMP to Tier 1, we have developed a convenient and easy set of tools to assess eligibility as a potential General Skilled Migrant. By visiting the UK section of our website, you will find a navigation menu to the left on which there is a " Tier 1 - Highly Skilled Migrants " link. You will find detailed explanations of the rules on our pages. Assessment forms and points calculators ...

The United States and the European Union continue to negotiate visa-free travel for all EU Member States. This week, Estonia and Latvia signed agreements for their citizens. Hungary, Lithuania, Greece and Slovakia are all expected to sign "memorandums" that may result in visa-free travel for their citizens this year. There is some controversy about the U.S. negotiating individual agreements with countries. The European Commission would rather negotiate blanket arrangements for all EU members.

Research published by the National Foundation for American Policy claims that hiring people under the H-1B visa program is associated with increases in employment at United States technology companies. The study undermines a common position of critics that H-1B visas take jobs from Americans. According to the study, for every H-1B position, U.S. technology companies increased their employment by 5 workers, thus new H-1B professionals are complementing other U.S. hires, rather than displacing them.

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The British government recognizes that there are people making initial applications or applying for extensions under the HSMP scheme who will be required to finish the immigration process under the new Tier 1 rules. Transitional measures have been put in place to assist in these cases. People applying with HSMP approval letters will be charged at a reduced rate from the Tier 1 (General Skilled Migration) fee; the 75 points awarded for attributes will be automatically awarded on these Tier 1 applications; and, the English language requirement on these applications will be waived.

A study by the Centre for Economics and Business Research, predicts a record number of highly skilled migrants will contribute an estimated GBP 77 billion to the British economy over the next four years. It found that most migrants work in education, health care, and government services, comprising 2.5% of the UK workforce. The study forecasts...