Topical:
A policy paper published on Tuesday, 22 September 2015, states that the homecare industry in Ireland is very much reliant on immigration of care workers from outside the EU. However, the paper says that the treatment of foreign workers currently serving across the industry sector needs to improve 'vastly'.
Recently published Home Office figures reveal that the number of people applying for a UK Tier 1 investor visa has plummeted. For the second quarter of 2015, the number of applications has dropped by approximately 82% compared with the same period last year. This is most likely because of the increase in the investment requirement for the Tier 1 investor visa from £1 million to £2 million in November 2014 and steps taken by the UK to increase taxes which has put off potential Tier 1 investors.
The Law Society is in agreement with business leaders across London that tough tier 2 visa rules are a threat to the UK capital's crown as a global recruitment leader. The Law Society says that UK immigration restrictions are preventing UK-based, international law firms from recruiting legal staff outside of the European Economic Area (EEA).
Tens of thousands of highly-skilled foreign workers have been left unable to file an early application for adjustment of status to an employment-based US Green Card visa after the State Department revised their October visa bulletin, originally issued on September 9, without explanation. The revised October visa bulletin, issued on September 25, severely restricted who could apply.
Almost 500 foreign nationals queued throughout the night outside the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) in Dublin on Friday, 25 September. The crowd gathered at the Bureau, located on Burgh Quay, to renew Irish visas for work, study and re-entry.
The queue is a regular occurrence at the Bureau and tends to extend around the corner from Burgh Quay onto the Corn Exchange Place. Staff at the Bureau say that it's not uncommon for queues to stretch all the way around the block and then split into two lines of people near the GNIB's main entrance.
Tightening tier 2 visa rules is a massive threat to London's status as a world-leading, global talent hub. That's the view of a top UK business group, who has warned the government that stricter rules for employing foreign workers from outside the EU will have detrimental impact on the UK's capital city to attract international talent.