Poll shows UK split on immigration but in favour of limiting benefits

A recent UK poll has shown that a majority of UK citizens believe that immigrants should have to pay tax in the UK before they can get social benefits in the UK or use the UK's free National Health Service.


The poll was conducted by YouGov, one of the UK's best known and largest polling organisations, for UK newspaper The Sunday Times. A sample of people were asked what proportion of immigrants they thought made a positive contribution to British life;
• 45% thought that half or more than half had made a positive contribution.
• 46% said that they thought fewer than half had made a positive contribution.
• 9% said that they did not know.


When asked whether they would support measures that would limit the right of people who had arrived in the UK within a certain time period, such as a year, to benefits;
• 86% said that they would support such measures.
• Only 7% said they would oppose them.
• 7% said they did not know.


Similarly, when asked if they would like to see the right of recently arrived immigrants to use the National Health Service;
• 75% of those surveyed said that they would like to see the right limited
• 16% said they would not and
• 9% said they did not know.

We're all in this together

YouGov co-owner Peter Kellner says that this is not so much a sign that the UK population dislikes immigrants and immigration but much more a sign that it believes, particularly in a time of national economic difficulty, that only those who contribute to the public finances should be entitled to access public services.


Writing for the UK version of the global political news website, The Huffington Post, Mr Kellner said 'YouGov research has shown consistently that people … like the broad idea of the contributory principle – that people should pay in when they can and obtain help when they need it... Immigration is only one facet of this debate; scroungers, cheats, individual and corporate tax avoiders… also play their part.'


The poll showed that the people who thought least favourably of immigrants and immigration tended to support UKIP or the Conservative Party but even those who believed that most immigrants made a positive contribution to British life believed that benefits should be limited for new arrivals.


Global Visa Support offers a variety of programs in United Kingdom. Please check our UK page for more information: http://www.globalvisasupport.com/uk.html

US tech chiefs lobby Obama and Congress on H-1B visas and green cards

The chief executives of some of the most famous companies in the world have written a public letter to President Obama to press him to support legislation that would allow more skilled immigration into the US. They urge the President to 'address the need for more qualified, highly-skilled professionals, domestic and foreign, and to enact immigration reform this year'. Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, Eric Schmidt of Google and Bradford Smith of Microsoft all signed the letter.


The letter, dated 14th March 2013, is part of a campaign organised by TechNet, a policy network for the chief executives of high tech industries which aims to promote the interests of the tech sector. It was sent not only to the President but also to Congressmen and women and other influential figures in Washington D.C. It expresses support for legislation that would see more employment-based US visas granted, in particular employment based green cards and H-1B 'specialty occupation visas.


The letter says that 'the need for more qualified, highly-skilled professionals, domestic and foreign, who can create jobs and immediately contribute to and improve our economy' is 'one of the biggest economic challenges facing our nation'.

Immigrants founded eBay, Google, and Yahoo

The letter says that the US has 'a long history of welcoming talented, hard-working people to our shores' pointing out that immigrants founded companies such as eBay, Google, PayPal and Yahoo!


However, this vital role in the economy is endangered, the letter says, by an 'outdated and inefficient' immigration system which is now driving many immigrants away because of 'visa shortages, long waits for green cards, and lack of mobility'. The letter says 'there are tens of thousands of unfilled jobs requiring highly skilled individuals. Four high-tech companies alone – IBM, Intel, Microsoft and Oracle – have combined 10,000 openings in the United States. Each one of these jobs has the potential to create many others, directly and indirectly'.


In recent years, there have been many critics of the US immigration system. US tech companies complain that they cannot get enough H-1B visas for migrants working in a 'specialty occupation'. They also complain that the fact that foreign workers often have to wait for eight years to have their permanent residence (or green card) applications decided is driving them to other countries such as Canada. Many international companies also complain that it is getting harder to get L1-A and L1-B intra-company transfer visas.

Congress agreed that reform is necessary

Many Congressmen and women agree that reform is necessary but cannot agree on what form it should take. This problem has been made worse by an almost total absence of cross-party cooperation in Washington in recent years. Consequently, when the Democrats introduce a bill, Republicans oppose it and vice versa. As a result, the system remains unreformed.


The CEOs, who also include John Donahoe of eBay, John Chambers of Cisco and Marissa Mayer of Yahoo, asked the President and Congress to reform the skilled immigration system to ensure that 'numerical levels and categories for high-skilled non-immigrant and immigrant visas' are responsive to market demands.


They also ask for a change in US immigration law so that spouses and dependent children of main applicants 'should not be counted against the cap of high-skilled immigrant visas'. At present, if a worker gains a US employment based green card and brings his wife and two children with him, all four visas would be included in the cap. The CEOs say that 'there should not be a marriage or family penalty'.

Two acts have bipartisan support

The CEOs ask Congress to pass legislation to reform the system this year. They mention the Immigration Innovation Act and the Start-Up Visa Act as Acts that are already before Congress, which have bipartisan support and which would help the Tech industry to find the skilled employees it needs.


The Immigration Innovation Act of 2013 has been introduced by a group of four senators, two Republican and two Democrat. It would increase the number of H-1B visas issued by US immigration each year to 115,000 immediately and would establish a mechanism that would see more visas granted in times when they were needed up to a maximum of 300,000 a year. It would also exempt certain categories of people including graduates in the STEM subjects from US universities and wives and children of skilled migrants, from the cap on the number of employment based EB-3 green cards that can be granted each year. There is currently a cap of 41,455.


The Start-Up Visa Act would grant 75,000 green cards each year to entrepreneurial tech workers and a further 50,000 to graduates from US universities in the STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).


Global Visa Support offers a variety of programs in United States. Please visit our USA page for more information: http://www.globalvisasupport.com/usa.html

UK immigration minister announces changes to Tier 2 visa system

Mark Harper, the UK immigration minister announced a series of proposed changes to the UK immigration system on Thursday 14th March 2013. He told the House of Commons that the changes will be introduced on April 6th 2013. The most significant changes will be made to the Tier 2 visa scheme, the tier visa of the UK's five tier points-based immigration system that is for skilled workers with a job offer.


Fees will be going up so we advise you to make your application now. The minister says that the changes will make the system more responsive to the needs of business. The introduction of a new introductory pay rate for graduate trainees and younger workers may make it easier to get a UK Tier 2 visa for some people but changes to the Shortage Occupation List will make it harder too.

Mr Harper announced a series of changes including

• Cap for Tier 2 (General) visas fixed at 20,700 per year until further notice
• An update of the Shortage Occupation List. Some medical occupations are removed from the list. Some engineering occupations are added
• Amendments to the Code of Practice for Employers
• Changes to salary thresholds and minimum appropriate salaries for individual occupations
• A series of changes designed to 'further improve flexibility for Intra-Company Transferees and for employers carrying out the Resident Labour Market Test'
• A rise in the level of fees

The Tier 2 visa system was established in 2008 by the then Labour government. Skilled workers from outside the European Economic Area who have a job offer in the UK can apply for a Tier 2 visa. In order to apply, they must have a valid job offer from a UK employer which has a valid Tier 2 sponsorship licence from the UK Border Agency.

Cap

Since 2011, there has been a cap on the number of Tier 2 (General) visas that can be granted each year. This cap has now been fixed at 20,700 annually. It will require a change to the immigration rules to change the cap in future.
Before the prospective applicant can apply for a UK Tier visa, the UK employer must issue him with a Certificate of Sponsorship. This allows him to apply to the UKBA for a UK Tier 2 visa.
If a worker is going to apply from abroad, the sponsor can only issue a Certificate of Sponsorship if the job is at above National Qualification Framework level 6. If the worker is already in the UK, the job must be at or above NVQ level 3. (NQF and NVQ qualifications are UK standards for educational achievements. NQF level 6 is equivalent to a bachelor's degree with honours. NVQ3 is equivalent to having 1-5 A-levels (UK exams taken by school children at 18) at grades A*-C))

Shortage Occupation List

The UK's Shortage Occupation List is a list of skilled occupations for which there is a shortage of UK resident workers leading to positions remaining unfilled. The list lays out the shortage occupations and the minimum appropriate salary rates that Tier 2 workers should be paid to work in one of those occupations.


The new list has been updated by the Migration Advisory Committee. Several medical professions have been removed from the list because of increased availability of UK resident workers due to training of local workers. Several engineering roles have been added to the list because of shortages of UK resident engineers.


If the job is on the Shortage Occupation List, then a foreign born worker who is offered the job will be awarded the points required to pass the points-based test to acquire a Tier 2 visa. They will, however, still have to prove their ability to speak English and to support themselves when they arrive in the UK (maintenance requirement).

Resident Labour Market Test

If the job is not on the Shortage Occupation List then the employer will have to carry out a resident labour market test before it can issue the Certificate of Sponsorship. The resident labour market test is carried out by advertising the job for a prescribed period, usually 28 days, in a national paper in the UK.


The new rules say that, from now on, employers may have to advertise jobs in two places. If the employer is a large company (250 people or more) one of those places may be the company's own website. The new rules say that the employer can place the advert where it believes that it is most likely to find a successful candidate for the role. All jobs with a salary under £71,000 must now be advertised on the Jobcentre Plus website and through one other outlet.

Code of Practice

The employer must also comply with the UKBA Code of Practice for Skilled Workers. The latest version was issued on 14th March 2013. The Code lays out

• The skills level for each occupation
• The minimum appropriate rates of pay for each occupation and
• Information to allow employers to match up the job they are offering to the corresponding classification code in the Code of Practice

Changes in the minimum salary levels

• The minimum qualifying salary for Tier 2 visas rises from £20,000 to £20,300
• The level at which jobs are excluded from the Tier 2 (General) cap rises from £150,000 to £152,000
• The minimum salary at which Tier 2 visa holders will qualify for indefinite leave to remain rises from £35,000 to £35,500

Changes to appropriate salary rates for separate occupations

The minimum qualifying salary for individual jobs remains at the 25th percentile. - that is to say, the qualifying wage must be equal to that earned by at least 25% of people in a given occupation or higher. It cannot be less. This proviso is in place to prevent Tier 2 workers undercutting UK workers and being employed when UK workers are available.

New Entrant salary level

Mr Harper has announced he intends to introduce a new introductory tenth percentile rate for new entrant employees. It will be permissible to pay new entrants at the tenth percentile level. The following groups will be eligible for the new entrant salary level

• Graduates switching from Tier 4 to Tier 2
• Graduate recruits employed after university 'milk round' recruiting
• Those sponsored in the Intra-Company Transfer Graduate Trainee route
• Anyone under 25 at the date of their original Tier 2 application

N.B. When new entrants apply for a renewal of their visa after three years, they must then be paid at the 25th percentile or higher.

Fees

The fee for a Tier 2 visa application will rise from £450 to £494

• The fee for a Tier 2 Extension application will rise from £561 to £578
• The fee for a Tier 2 Certificate of Sponsorship will rise from £179 to £184
• The fee for applications for Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK made by Tier 2 workers and submitted by post will rise from £991 to £1,051

Global Visa Support offers a variety of programs in United Kingdom. Please check our UK page for more information: http://www.globalvisasupport.com/uk.html

Canadian immigration announces further changes to Federal Skilled Worker Program

Citizenship and Immigration Canada has issued a short statement about the Federal Skilled Worker Program. The program is currently suspended but is due to re-open for business in May 2013.

The CIC statement advises that if you intend to apply for the revamped FSWP in May that it intends to make three announcements in April about the program. This will affect the way in which you make your application.


CIC says it will provide details of the following in April
• There will be a cap on the number of applications in the first year of the new FSWP. The level of the cap will, presumably, be announced in April
• There will be a new list of priority occupations. This too should be revealed in April
• Canadian Immigration will announce the list of organisations that will be authorised to conduct educational assessments under the new FSWP.


CIC says that if you complete your application before this information is released you run the risk of making and invalid application. If your application does not comply with all the requirements of the new FSWP, then your application will not be processed.

FSWP 'Canada's main skilled immigration route'

The FSWP was Canada's main immigration route for skilled workers until it was suspended by CIC in June 2012. Previously, about 55,000 people gained Canadian permanent residence under the FSWP annually. However, a substantial backlog of applications had built up with some people waiting eight years to have their applications processed.


Canadian immigration minister Jason Kenney announced in June 2012 that all applications made before 28th February 2008 would be terminated and the application fees of applicants returned. This decision has been challenged in the courts by some of those applicants. Their case is currently being heard by the Canadian federal court.


In July 2012, Mr Kenney announced the temporary closure of the FSWP. No fresh applications have been accepted since then. Mr Kenney said that this would allow the backlog to be further reduced and allow CIC to reform the program. In December 2012, Mr Kenney announced a series of changes that will apply to the FSWP when it re-opens.

FSWP reformed while suspended

These include
• A higher minimum threshold of skill in either English or French (Canada's two official languages) than before. Applicants will now have to demonstrate by way of a test that they meet level 7 of the Canadian Language Benchmark.
• A greater number of points will be granted to younger applicants than under the old system.
• A new 'Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) scheme will allow the Canadian government to compare foreign educational qualifications with Canadian ones
• A reform of the 'Arranged Employment' rules so that those with an offer of employment can be hired more quickly
• Additional points will be granted to FSWP applicants if their spouse has attained a certain level of English or French ability and/or has work experience in Canada.


Mr Kenney has said that he intends to reform the FSWP in future so that it is more similar to the Australian 'expression of interest' system. He says that this will enable CIC to select the immigrants with the right skills for Canadian business.

Global Visa Support offers a variety of programs in Canada. Please check our Canadian page for more information: http://www.globalvisasupport.com/canada.html

UK government in small U-turn on post study work UK immigration route

On 14th March 2013, The UK's immigration minister, Mark Harper, announced changes to the UK's Tier 4 student visa. He announced in the House of Commons that from 6 April 2013, all foreign PhD students with Tier 4 visas will be allowed to stay in the UK for a year after completing their course to work in a skilled occupation or to set up in business as an entrepreneur.


Mr Harper is a member of the UK's Coalition government which has taken steps to reduce immigration into the UK though he was not immigration minister when the government closed the Tier 1 (Post Study Work) visa route in 2012. The Tier 1 (Post Study Work) visa allowed all foreign graduates of UK universities to stay in the UK to work for two years after graduation. This change to the Tier 4 visa will be seen as a partial U-turn by the government, even though it applies only to PhD students.


In a speech in November 2011 the mayor of London Boris Johnson criticised the UK government for closure of the Tier 1 (Post Study Work) visa route which he said had been 'crazy' and sent out the wrong message to international students who would go and study elsewhere.

Increase in Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) visas

The UK Border Agency, the UK's main immigration agency, also confirmed an increase in the number of Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) visas that can be granted each year from 1,000 to 2,000 on 14 March. Mrs May had announced the change in a major speech on immigration in 2012; Mr Harper's announcement confirms that the change is to be made on 6 April.


The 1,000 extra places will be allocated to MBA students only. Applicants will be able to apply from outside the UK for a Graduate Entrepreneur visa.

Global Visa Support offers a variety of programs in United Kingdom. Please visit our UK page for more information: http://www.globalvisasupport.com/uk.html

Budget cuts will affect US immigration and visa system

During the early months of 2013, while Republicans and Democrats in Congress were negotiating ways to deal with the US budget deficit, some US commentators were wondering what would happen if they failed to reach an agreement. Now they have failed and, on March 1st, President Obama signed a Presidential Order cutting $85bn from the US federal budget in the next seven months.


The President described the cuts, known in the US as 'the sequester', as 'arbitrary and pointless'. He warned that they will cause a slowdown in the US economy and he laid the blame squarely on the heads of Republicans in Congress who refused to accede to any tax rises for the rich or to the closure of any tax loopholes to offset some of the cuts.


The Republicans, of course, blame the President. Whoever is to blame, the government will have to find savings and this will mean cuts in services. Most spending will be docked from military programmes but all government departments will need to find savings.

Visas and other applications will be delayed

And this will, of course, include the immigration system. Many federal employees will have to take 'furloughs' or unpaid leave, in order to save money and this is bound to lead to delays in the processing of paperwork. Thus delays should be expected in visa petitions and other applications. John Kerry, the new US Secretary of State wrote last month that the cuts would 'jeopardize the Department's efforts to provide secure, error-free, travel documents to those eligible to receive them, while denying them to those not eligible. Reduced funding would also undermine progress made in ensuring that visa requests are processed in a timely fashion'.


ICE, the Immigration and Citizenship Enforcement agency, has already freed hundreds of illegal immigrants from detention centres in several states in order to save money.

Immigration court backlog will grow

The US's immigration court system will lose $15m. There is already an average 550 day waiting time for immigration cases to be heard. This is only going to get worse with the sequester.


ABC news predicted that the Justice Department's Executive Office for Immigration Review, which is responsible for the immigration courts, would not be able to hire any new judges and said that the case backlog would rise by 6% to 350,000. The EOIR backlog has already been rising steadily in the last year.

Cuts in border staff

Finally, the sequester is likely to cut the number of border patrol guards. There are currently some 20,000 such guards, almost all of them deployed along the Mexican border.


This could be a problem for President Obama's plan for comprehensive immigration reform. One of the elements of the plan is that there should be yet more border security. Some Republicans including Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, have said that the border must be secured to their satisfaction before there can be any progress made in normalising the immigration status of the 11m illegal immigrants currently in the US.


Global Visa Support offers a variety of programs in United States. Please visit our USA page for more information: http://www.globalvisasupport.com/usa.html

BBC criticised for being uncritical of UK anti-immigration pressure group

The Migration Matters Trust, a UK group founded by parliamentarians to encourage an open and honest debate about immigration in the UK, has criticised the BBC for accepting statistics presented by an anti-immigration organisation without question.


Migration Matters has written to the BBC complaining about the prominence that it gives to figures produced by Migrationwatch UK. The Migration Matters letter complains 'Migrationwatch UK are not an independent thinktank or academic body but a lobbying and campaigning organisation'.
Migration Matters complains that Migrationwatch's stated objective is 'to control the number of non-EU migrants who are given the right to settle permanently in the United Kingdom' but the organisation is treated by the BBC as 'neutral analysts of UK migration'.


Sir Andrew Green, the chairman of Migrationwatch UK, said that their research has 'a track record of accuracy which is now widely acknowledged' but accepted that its aim was 'to see a reduction in current levels of migration'. He said that this goal was 'supported by 70% of the public'.

250,000 people to come to UK in five years

Migrationwatch UK has recently predicted that 50,000 people will come from Romania and Bulgaria to the UK each year once EU controls on free movement for nationals of these Countries ends after 31 December 2013. Bulgarians and Romanians can already work in the UK on a self-employed basis, on a work permit, under the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme or in some cases under low skilled work visa schemes. From January 2014, the transitional controls on Romanians and Bulgarians working in the UK will be lifted and nationals of these Countries will no longer have to apply under the above visa schemes. Migrationwatch UK has said that 250,000 people will come to the UK in the five years to 2019.


The UK government has said that it has estimated the number of people who are likely to come to the UK from the two countries but has refused to reveal what its figure is. George Eaton, a New Statesman journalist, launched a Freedom of Information Act request to force the government to reveal the figure but the government has asked for more time to consider whether it is in the public interest to reveal the figure.


Global Visa Support offers a variety of programs in United Kingdom. Please visit our UK page for more information: http://www.globalvisasupport.com/uk.html