UK Immigration News

The United Kingdom Border Agency, the UKBA, has issued a warning about unscrupulous visa agents operating in Vietnam and Thailand.

If you are thinking of applying for a UK visa, the UKBA has issued a list of steps you should take to ensure that you do not fall prey to a scam.

A study released by Migrationwatch UK has called into question claims by the UK government that the UK is attracting 'the brightest and the best' international students to study at British universities.

The study shows that only 5% of students from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) attend the top ten universities in the country and only 12.5% attend one of the 'Russell Group' of universities, which are the top 24 universities in the UK.

The right wing think tank Policy Exchange has published a report that says that the UK could become a world centre for hi-tech industry if it makes considerable improvements to its education results in relevant subjects and adopts innovative policies to foster hi-tech industries such as granting probationary visas to international graduates in hi-tech subjects.

The report says that, if the UK wants to become a leading player in the digital economy, it must greatly improve the standard of its education system in the STEM subjects; science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

A High Court judge has ordered that overseas students who are studying at London Metropolitan University (LMU) should be allowed to continue with their courses despite a UK Border Agency (UKBA) decision to ban LMU from teaching students from outside the European Economic Area. Mr Justice Irwin made the order at a hearing on Friday 21st September 2012. He also granted LMU the right to challenge the UKBA decision in the High Court by way of judicial review.

The first licences for employers to sponsor migrant workers for visas under the UK's points-based visa system were granted on 26th November 2008. Licences last for four years so those licences will expire on November 26th 2012. The register of sponsors is a list of all those employers, 25,351 of them, who have licences to employ foreign nationals who have leave to remain in the UK under tier 2 and tier 5 of the UK's points-based visa system.

A report issued by the Children's Society has criticised the United Kingdom's treatment of children from overseas who claim asylum. The report says that UK immigration officials have developed 'a culture of disbelief'. Asylum seekers who arrive in the UK find that UK Border Agency (UKBA) staff too often assume that their claims are not genuine. The report recommends that the children should be believed more and be given more support.