Union demands review of Australia’s 457 visa process

January 26th, 2012 Tushar Mathur

A review of Australian immigration’s 457 visa is expected to happen later this year following complaints from the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU) that the process used to grant visas is flawed. Australia’s manufacturing industry relies heavily on foreign workers, however, the ANWU says that some foreign workers are being exploited. It should be noted that the Australian economy is doing well and that in general salary rates are very good.

Last November, the AMWU made a statement to Australia’s Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) demanding an overhaul of the consultation process for employers who seek to hire overseas workers on 457 visas.

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Australian skilled migration visa program changes coming 1 July 2012 – Apply now!

January 25th, 2012 Tushar Mathur

Beginning 1 July 2012, Australian immigration will be introducing huge changes to their skilled migration program. This represents the most dramatic change to the Australian immigration system in many, many years. It is expected that under the Australian immigration system fewer people will qualify and processing times will be longer. If you wish to come under the current skilled immigration programme you should apply for a skills assessment as soon as possible. You need to be ready with your skills assessment and, have passed the English language test before you can submit your immigration application.

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Several UK visa application centres to be closed 3 & 5 February 2012

January 24th, 2012 Tushar Mathur

UK immigration has announced that a number of UK visa application centres around the world will be unable to take biometric information on certain days in February due to IT upgrades.

During the major IT maintenance work on the specific dates, visa applicants will not be able to submit UK visa applications. The centres will remain open for the collection of documents at the usual times.

On Friday 03 February 2012, the following UK visa application centres will be unable to process biometric information: Switzerland, New Zealand, Australia, Lebanon, Tunisia, Turkey, Gaza, Kazakhstan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, China, Indonesia, Brunei, Japan, Morocco, Cambodia, Burma, Thailand, South Korea, Philippines, Singapore, and Malaysia.

Application centres in a number of major cities will also be affected on 03 February including Madrid, Spain; Jerusalem, Israel; Rome, Italy and Paris, France.

On Sunday 05 February 2012 the following UK visa application centres will be unable to process biometric information: Iraq, Jordan, Bangladesh, and Egypt.

“We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

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Filipinos encouraged to apply for Australian visas; Should help reduce Australian labour shortages

January 23rd, 2012 Tushar Mathur

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) is encouraging Filipinos to apply for available job opportunities for nurses and for other skilled worker positions in Australia this year. POEA Administrator Carlos Cao Jr. said Filipinos should take advantage of the shortage of Australian workers in the nursing, mining, and manufacturing sectors.

“This is now the opportune time to provide viable solutions to the growing number of jobless and under-employed Filipino nurses now already numbering close to 300,000, including the 68,000 who just recently passed the latest nursing board examinations,” Cao said.

A report by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office revealed that the shortage of nurses in Australia is estimated to be 40,000 positions over the next three years.

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Proposed US immigration bill would give foreign graduates a US green card

January 20th, 2012 Tushar Mathur

Colorado US Senator Michael Bennet introduced a bill last month that would grant greencard visas to foreign students graduating in specialties in science, technology, engineering and maths. The hope, he said, is that international students trained in America will stay in the country to help fill shortages in high-tech fields instead of returning to their home countries and perhaps ending up helping overseas companies compete with US companies.
The proposed bill would create a new green card category for students graduating from US universities with advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

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High Court rules immigrant spouses must speak English before moving to UK

January 19th, 2012 Tushar Mathur

The High Court in the UK has dismissed a legal challenge to a new immigration rule requiring people to be able to speak English before coming to the UK to live with their spouse.
The law was implemented back in November 2010 and had recently been challenged by three couples who deemed the rules to be unfair and racist. However the UK High Court dismissed the challenges.

Justice Beatson, presiding judge over the appeals, stated, “The new language test was not a disproportionate interference with the couples’ right to family life.”

UK Immigration Minister Damian Green commented on the case saying, “We believe it is entirely reasonable that someone intending to live in the UK should understand English, so that they can integrate and participate fully in our society.

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UK immigration to begin processing visitor visas for Olympic Games

January 18th, 2012 Tushar Mathur

The 2012 Olympic Games are fast approaching; It is expected that there will be a huge increase in the number of visitors travelling to London to watch the games and take part in the festivities. Beginning 1 January 2012 UK immigration will start processing visitor visas for those coming from outside the UK to watch the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Not everyone will need a visit visa. Normally, this is only required for nationals of Countries who already require a visit visa to visit the UK.
The press release from UK Border Agency noted that the Games are expected to be the biggest event that the UK has ever hosted and that many extra visitors will arrive during the busy summer period in 2012.

We advise you to apply as soon as possible so UK immigration officials can process your application in a timely manner.

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UK business leaders call for lax immigration rules

January 16th, 2012 Tushar Mathur

The UK’s North East Chamber of Commerce (NECC) have called for a relaxation of UK immigration controls in the North East region arguing that businesses are being held back by a lack of skilled labour.

NECC is a business organization in the UK that represents more than 4,000 companies in the North East of England. They are seeking changes in UK immigration legislation that takes into account regional labour market needs and available skills. This follows a study they conducted which shows the importance of foreign workers to large businesses in the region.

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