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Craig Allen, the director of hospitality recruitment company The Change Group, said a shortage of chefs in the UK could be eased temporarily by relaxing the country's tier 2 immigration rules. Mr Allen said: "Britain's immigration laws are preventing a 'freer movement of chef talent' around the globe." It should be easier for employers with a Tier 2 sponsorship licence to obtain Tier 2 visas.
Recent research, published by data scientists at LinkedIn, has revealed that 20 per cent more skilled workers arrived in Ireland than departed in the first quarter of 2015. According to the research, the software industry proved to be the most popular industry sector for skilled migrant workers moving to the country.
Data scientists say that the research results highlight Ireland's 'attractiveness' as an immigration destination for European start-ups seeking to expand their business and for US companies looking to establish an EU base.
Current US immigration legislation that specifies when a person can apply for a Green Card is set to change. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service [USCIS] has announced that commencing October 1, 2015, I-485 applications for adjustment of status [applying to switch to a "Green Card"] will be 'accepted earlier than the date on which a priority date is current.'
Newcastle upon Tyne's NHS Trust faces a staffing crisis as UK Immigration is preventing them from employing more nurses from the Philippines. The Home Office have refused to issue enough certificates of sponsorship (COS), which is one of the requirements to enable the NHS Trust to employ more workers from outside the EEA. The Trust's chief executive, Sir Leonard Fenwick, said that the new nurses will 'form the backbone of its workforce.'
More and more companies are seeing their Tier 2 sponsorship licences suspended or revoked as the Home Office visits companies and looks for non-compliance with the Tier 2 sponsorship licence requirements.
Companies with Tier 2 sponsorship licences have a range of responsibilities to adhere to on an ongoing basis and authorities are becoming increasingly hardline in enforcing the Tier 2 sponsorship licence requirements. Those with Tier 2 sponsorship licences are at greater risk than ever before of having their licences downgraded, suspended or withdrawn.
On 1 September 2015 one of the UK's largest private colleges had its Tier 2 licence to sponsor overseas workers and Tier 4 licence to sponsor students from outside the EEA suspended. The London School of Business and Finance [LSBF], which forms part of an umbrella group that now owns the University of Law, is currently prohibited from sponsoring new students or workers from outside of the European Union.