Immigration news

The Australian Tourism and Transport Forum (TTF) have said that visa reforms may be necessary in order to attract more Chinese tourists.

The latest figures show that the number of Chinese visitors to Australia has risen by 2.9% since last year. However in the same period the increase in visitors to the US was 23%, and for Canada it was 30%, so it's clear that Australia is now lagging behind.

TTF Chief Executive Margy Osmond said 'reducing the cost and complexity of our visa system will improve Australia's competitiveness by removing a key barrier to travel.'

'Dozens' of migrants have been released from an immigration facility in Artesia, New Mexico, according to the local Mayor.

In an interview with Associated Press, Artesia Mayor Phillip Burch said that 68 detainees had been released from the centre, and around 14 of these were deported back to Central America.

The Artesia Family Residential Centre houses women and children from Central America, who have fled their native countries and crossed the border into the US illegally.

UK immigration officers busted a 'sham' marriage ceremony last week, after receiving a tip-off that the bride and groom were not a genuine couple.

Five people were arrested in total, including the bride a 27-year-old Hungarian national, and the Pakistani groom, 33. Three wedding guests were also arrested at the wedding ceremony which was taking place at Hull Registry Office. It is reported that a large sum of cash was also seized.

The British and Irish governments have announced a new joint short-stay visa, which will allow visitors from outside the EU to visit both the UK and Republic of Ireland on a single travel visa.

At the moment the scheme only applies to visitors from China and India, but will hopefully be rolled out to all non-EU countries by the end of 2015.

The agreement was approved by UK Home Secretary Theresa May, and Irish Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald, who proclaimed it as a 'landmark scheme.'

A UK politician was criticised last week for commenting that people with HIV should be banned from migrating to the UK.

Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) praised some aspects of Australia's immigration system, and suggested that some of their policies should be adopted in the UK.

In an interview with Newsweek Europe, Farage said he wanted to limit the 'quantity and quality' of migrants coming to the UK. He said 'It's simple. That Latvian convicted murderer shouldn't have been allowed here. Yes and people who do not have HIV, to be frank.'

A new immigration check of prospective tenants in the UK is being trialled in the West Midlands, and if successful will be rolled out across the rest of Britain.

From 1st December, landlords under the pilot scheme will be required to check the legal immigration status of potential new tenants, before renting out property. This is to ensure that tenants are legally in the UK.

If landlords fail to undertake these checks then they could end up with a fine of up to £3000 fine, as laid out in new changes to the Immigration Act.