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The UK Border Agency has announced that it will be writing to all those who applied for Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visas before 31st January 2013 and who have yet to have their applications decided.
The UKBA released a statement on Wednesday 20th March in which it said that it was likely that it would request further information from applicants. In particular, it said it might ask applicants for
The UK's Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has announced a freeze on the registration of nurses from outside Europe after an internal audit found that its systems for verifying qualifications of foreign applicants were inadequate. The freeze has already prevented 160 nurses from taking up work in the UK's National Health Service (NHS) in the last month. Nurses including those from outside the European Economic Area cannot work in the NHS unless they have been registered with the NMC.
On March 8th 2013, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released a new version of the I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification form which is used by the USCIS for 'verifying the identity and employment authorization of individuals hired for employment in the United States'. The form is filled in by employee and employer when an employee begins work and each declares that the employee has shown the employer his visa allowing him to work in the US. US employers are advised to use the new form immediately though new applications on the old forms will be accepted until May 7th 2013.
TNT Magazine, a London-based free magazine aimed at Australians, New Zealanders and South Africans living in the UK is running a campaign for reform of the UK Border Agency (UKBA). It has set up an online petition allowing its readers to register their dissatisfaction with the UKBA and to call on the agency to reform its processes to provide a better service.
Changes to UK immigration are to be introduced on April 6th – read about them here!
The UKBA has announced major changes to Tier 2 visa system to come into force on 6th April 2013.
The Tier 2 sponsorship system came into being in late 2008, just over four years ago. Because licences last for four years, the first licences granted have recently begun to expire.
The UKBA will often make site visits before the grant of a new licence and there were reports that the UKBA was falling behind and having to extend old licences temporarily until a site visit could be arranged.