LinkChinese UK News

BBC Radio 5 Live’s Donal MacIntyre programme sent an undercover journalist to meet immigration advisors from two firms who advertised their service on Chinese newspapers. Posted as immigrant whose salary level is not enough for the new point-based system, the undercover journalist were told by both advisors to forge the income.

From BBC:

A legal practice based in London called Keyard Law Associates - who call themselves immigration law specialists - advertised in a Chinese language newspaper offering to “design plans” for immigrants on low incomes to apply for highly-skilled migrant visas.

The Chinese undercover journalist with Radio 5 Live’s Donal MacIntyre programme answered the advert and met Mr Wong, an adviser with the firm, at his office in London’s Chinatown.

She posed as a foreign national who was not earning enough to qualify for a visa to allow her to stay and work.

“The key point for you is finding a company in China which is willing to give you documents to prove your income,” he said.

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From The Register:

The Home Office will not appeal last week’s High Court decision which found its attempt to backdate changes to immigration rules for highly-skilled individuals was illegal.

In November 2006 the UK began moving to a points based immigration system but the Home Office wanted to effectively backdate this - so anyone living and working here under a permit from the old system would have to reapply or leave the country. The government was taken to court by volunteer group the Highly Skilled Migrants Programme Forum.

Read the full story.

 

The High Court judge Mr Justice Newman ruled that the government acted unfairly in imposing stricter rules retrospectively to migrant workers in the Highly Skilled Migrants Programme (HSMP) scheme who were already in the UK, and gave go-ahead for a judicial review. The new rules were announced in November 2006 and said to affect up to 44,000 migrants by the opponents.

The Financial Times reports:

Mr Justice Newman gave the go-ahead for a judicial review into the government’s imposition of tough new regulations, which opponents claimed would force up to 44,000 migrants, who came to work under the old rules, to leave the country. The changes announced in November 2006 introduced stricter education, age and earnings requirements for highly skilled migrants including those already working here and expecting to remain.

The HSMP Forum, a non-profit organisation established to help highly skilled migrants, called for the judicial review into the retrospective aspect of the rule changes, which it said were “unfair and discriminatory”.

Read the full report.

 

The Guardian reports a study done by the thinktank the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) about the contribution of skilled migrants towards British ecomony:

A record number of highly skilled migrant workers such as nurses and teachers will enter Britain over the next four years, contributing an estimated £77bn to the country’s economy, according to new research by an economic thinktank.

The study, compiled by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) for a global recruitment consultancy, Harvey Nash, concludes that skilled migrants fill skills shortages and without them the country’s international competitiveness could suffer. It estimates that these migrants, the majority of whom work in education, health and government services, already account for 2.5% of the country’s workforce and generate more than £36bn for the economy in what they produce.

However, the report, entitled Future Flows, forecasts that this will rise to 2.8% and £46bn in 2012, based on economic trends and predicted demands for professionals such as nurses and IT specialists. The CEBR report forecasts that there will be 812,000 such migrants in the UK by 2012, an increase of 14% on the 715,000 in 2007.

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BBC reports government’s ID card plan announced by Home Secrectary Jacqui Smith:

Ms Smith confirmed that some non-EU migrants applying for leave to enter or remain in the UK, such as students or spouses, will need ID cards from November.

The aim is that by 2015, 90% of foreign nationals will have identity cards, she added.

From November 2008 non-EU nationals will have to apply for “biometric residence permits” or “biometric visas” and the biometric details will be entered into the national identity database. The government also wants all foreign nationals living in the UK to have identity cards. The government’s aim is that 90% of foreign nationals in the UK will have ID cards by 2015.

 

Part of the points-based system, the T1 visa, comes to effect today in the UK, to replace the in-country Highly Skilled Migration Programme (HSMP) application. T1 visa overseas will roll out later this year around the world.

The Guardian reports:

The new regime involves tougher penalties for employers who employ illegal immigrants. But it also involves simplifying the system used to determine whether foreigners are allowed into the country to work.

Until now there have been 80 different routes people could use to apply to come to Britain to work or study. Instead there will be a points-based system, with applicants divided into five categories.

The first tier, affecting highly skilled workers, is being rolled out now. From today people in this category already living in Britain – around 14,000 last year – will be assessed using the new system when applying to extend their stay.

Read the full report.

 

The government proposed a new system for UK citizenship application in its Green Paper published today. Besides the required duration of time living in the UK, migrants wishing to become British citizen will also have to ‘earn’ enough credits by abiding laws, participating in voluntary works, and demonstrating English language skills. The credits will also be deducted for breaking laws or other bad hehavior, or living outside the UK for long time.

The Daily Telegraph’s Philip Johnston reports:

Immigrants wanting to become British citizens would be able to ”earn’’ a fast-track passport under plans to be published by the Government tomorrow.

Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, is due to outline ideas aimed at underpinning a stronger sense of British and local citizenship.

Proposals in a Green Paper will include citizenship credits for migrants doing voluntary work.
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However, points would be deducted for people breaking the law or otherwise behaving badly.

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The in-country T1 visa, the first visa type under the new points-based system, will take effect from 29th Feburary. Overseas T1 visa will be rolled out from April, starting from India.

T1 visa will replace the current HSMP (Highly Skilled Migrant Program) which is already point-based. There will be minimum changes in terms of qualification between the current HSMP and T1 visa. T1 visa also includes other categories like Investors, Self Employed Lawyers, Businesspersons, Writers, Composters and Artists, and Innovators.

Another important aspect of T1 visa is that it will include a T1-Post Study Work category, giving overseas students graduated from UK higher education institutions two years time to work in the UK without an employer sponsor. T1-Post Study Work will replace the IGS (International Graduate Scheme) and FT:WISS (Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland Scheme). T1-Post Study Work visa holders are encouraged to switch to other visa categories as soon as possible. The time spent as a T1-Post Study Work visa will not be counted when applying for ILR (Indefinite Leave to Remain).

The T1-Post Study Work visa is expected to be rolled out in May.

Download Home Office document: Highly Skilled Migrants under the points based system. Statement of Intent

 

The Academic Technology Approval Scheme (Atas) was meant to pretect national security. It requires postgraduates from countries outside EEA to be cleared by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) if they apply for 41 “sensitive” subjects. Since its launch last November, 1800 students have been through this system, while there will be more applicants this autumn when the new academic year starts. Some UK universities complaint this increase their administrative burden and the process time is longer than expected. The National Postgraduate Committee (NPC), who are against Atas, say Atas discriminates against certain nationalities, and the idea does not work. Some universities also suggest that the new point-based visa system has not been well prepared.

The Guardian’s Jessica Shepherd reports Vetting gets a mixed reception:

A voluntary vetting scheme in which universities offered information to the Foreign Office preceded Atas. It was, by all accounts, patchy. Only about 30 universities participated. Universities were informed that they should alert the government to students on a list of countries studying certain subjects. “But no one knew where the information given went,” says Laura Kishore, chair of an umbrella group for university admissions staff.

At least this system is open, compulsory and transparent. But does it work? No one has talked in public about it, let alone evaluated it. The Foreign Office says it will do this in May.

Dominic Scott, chief executive of the UK Council for International Student Affairs, says the new system takes longer to clear students than expected.

Read the full report.

 

New measures are being introduced to tighten the visa system. Proposals to cut the time tourists from outside the EU can stay in the UK from six months to three are expected to be announced by ministers this week.

The BBC reports:

The move is among measures aimed at further tightening the visa system.

A deposit of at least £1,000 to be paid by families who want relatives to visit Britain will also be introduced.

Meanwhile, the Home Office has defended the payment of thousands of pounds to failed asylum seekers to persuade them to return to their home countries.

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