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A planned increase to UK immigration fees on 01 November 2010 has been delayed. The reason for the delay is unknown but it is expected that the fees will increase some time soon. The fee increase will affect many in-country immigration applications, including Tier 1 (General) Highly Skilled Migrants, Tier 2 for Skilled Workers, UK settlement visas, and naturalisaion. You should hurry if you wish to apply for your visa and avoid the UK Government fee increases.

The UK Border Agency has started issuing Tier 1 (General) Visas again from 1 November 2010. On 19 July 2010, the UK Government introduced an interim limit on the number of initial Tier 1 (General) Visa applications that can be issued each month; On 20 October 2010 the monthly limit had been reached and the UK Government stopped issuing Tier 1 (General) Visas. Due to the new interim limit on Tier 1...

UK Immigration has announced that they have already reached the immigration limit on the total number of overseas initial visa applications that can be issued under the Tier 1 (General) Visa category of the points-based system for the month of November 2010. As we have already predicted the processing delays for Tier 1 visas will become longer and longer. In October the monthly Tier 1 visa limit was reached on 21 October 2010. In November the visa cap was reached on 10 November. Probably in December 2010 the Tier 1 visas limit will be reached in the beginning of the month. If you apply now for a Tier 1 visa it is possible that the visa will not be issued until January 2011 or later. You should consider applying now to minimise the visa processing delays.

Immigration Minister Chris Bowen is expected to announce a change in Australia's points...

This is a reminder that UK visa fees are due to go up on 22 November 2010. Even if the visa fee increase is delayed again it seems likely that visa fees will go up very soon. Certain UK visa fees for dependents applying to remain in the UK will double or triple in price. There will also be large increases in UK immigration fees if you are applying for Tier 1 visas and Tier 2 visas from outside the UK. This may put off some people interested in skilled immigration to the UK.

According to the Daily Telegraph, UK Prime Minister David Cameron is expected to significantly increase the number of non-EU immigrant skilled workers allowed to enter the United Kingdom each month. It is expected that the Government will reject the more hard-line immigration cap proposals from the Migration Advisory Committee. However this is not certain. If...

The recent statement by UK Home Secretary Theresa May means that the Tier 1 (General) visa previously known as the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme will in effect be abolished. The new UK 'highly skilled' tier presumably to be introduced in April 2011 will allow entry of entrepreneurs, investors and small numbers of people of exceptional talent. The number of people allowed under the Tier 1 (General) visa (or it's replacement) scheme will be reduced from 13,000 to one thousand. If you wish to emigrate to the UK as a highly skilled immigrant you should probably apply as soon as you can.

The UK Government has announced a permanent cap of 21,700 on skilled immigration to take effect in April of 2011. Moreover, Tier 1 will be restricted to entrepreneurs, investors and 'exceptionally talented' individuals and Tier 2 will be restricted to graduate level occupations.

On 23 November 2010,...