Immigration news

The United Kingdom Border Agency (the UKBA) has issued guidance for students from outside the European Economic Area who were intending to study at London Metropolitan in the coming academic year. Last Wednesday, 29th August 2012, the UKBA withdrew LMU's Highly Trusted Sponsor status. This means that non-EEA students can no longer study at LMU; their Tier 4 UK student visas will be revoked unless they can find another education provider to sponsor them. The UKBA placed the guidance on its website on Friday, 31st August 2012.

Richard Lambert, the chancellor of the University of Warwick, has said that the decision of the UK Border Agency to remove London Metropolitan University's (LMU) Highly Trusted Sponsor status was 'disproportionate'. Highly Trusted Sponsor (HTS) status confers the right on a university to recruit and teach students from outside the European Union. Mr Lambert said that the decision would have 'damaging implications for the UK university system as a whole.'

Nathan Guy MP, the New Zealand Minister of Immigration, gave a speech today (31st August 2012) in which he said that New Zealand welcomed immigrants, temporary workers and students. In a wide-ranging speech, he laid out the country's immigration policy. Speaking to the New Zealand Association for Migration and Investment, he said that immigration could help New Zealand's economy. In particular, it would be vital in the rebuilding of the city of Christchurch which, he said, would be 'the biggest single economic undertaking in New Zealand's history'.

The United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA) has stripped London Metropolitan University (LMU) of its Highly Trusted Sponsor Status (HTS). This means that it can no longer provide overseas students with Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (CAS) certificates. Overseas students need a CAS certificate to obtain a UK Tier 4 student visa. LMU cannot, therefore, accept new students from outside the European Union and all those non-EU students currently studying at LMU will have to leave the United Kingdom within 60 days unless they can find an alternative university that can provide them with a place.

The Canadian government's immigration department, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) says that the Come to Canada Wizard web tool, which it launched last August, has received 1.6m visits in its first year. This compares well to the workpermit.com site which receives over five million unique visitors a year. The tool enables people to judge their eligibility to visit, or work, or study in Canada by asking a series of questions then 'matching users with the federal immigration option that best suits their circumstances'.