We remind you yet again that from 1 July 2012 you will have to submit an expression of interest before submitting your Australian skilled immigration application. This is likely to mean fewer people qualifying for skilled immigration and a longer processing time. If you wish to come under the current skilled immigration programme you should apply for a skills assessment as soon as possible.  You need to be ready with your skills assessment and, have passed the English language test before you can submit your immigration application.

UK immigration has issued new information regarding inspections and reviews for Tier 4 student visa sponsors. There are also major changes coming to the Tier 4 and Tier 1 visas. In particular these changes are likely to affect those looking to sponsor international students under Tier 4 of the Points Based System.

Tier 1 Post-study work will be closed from 1 April 2012. UK immigration will still offer visas through Tier 2 of the points-based system for graduates. In most cases only graduates who have an offer of a skilled job from a sponsoring employer under Tier 2 of the points-based system will be able to stay and work in the UK.

A breakdown of communication between immigration officials led to the "lighter touch" UK immigration officers used at passport and visa checks last year, a Parliamentary inquiry has said. The report said that a "highly troubling" lack of supervision led to passport and visa controls being relaxed far too frequently.

However, despite these issues, the committee insisted that the pilot scheme that allowed immigration officials the freedom to make risk-based checks at UK ports "appears to have been a success" and "commends the effort to make a more targeted use of staff in this period of staff reductions".