UK Immigration News

NOTE: New workpermit.com page in our United Kingdom section - Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme (SAWS)

Today, 29 May 2007, a few health care occupations have been removed from the UK's National Shortage Occupation List. The list contains occupations that an employer is not required to advertize for before employing a skilled migrant under a work permit from outside the European Economic Area (EEA).

Initial government statistics show that, in the first three months of this year, about 8,000 citizens of the two new EU accession States have come to the United Kingdom, applied for and been granted worker registration certificates and accession worker cards.

An appeal by a gentleman who was served a deportation order by the British government has been upheld. His application for extension under the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP) was rejected by the government after changes to the program were applied retrospectively.

The advocacy organization, Strangers Into Citizens, held a gathering in a rainy Trafalgar Square, London on Monday to try to garner support for many of the illegal immigrants currently in the United Kingdom. The rally was addressed by Jack Dromey, a senior official with the TGWU union and also a former Labour Party treasurer.

London mayor Ken Livingston has voiced his concern over the retrospective changes to the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP) visa scheme. He is urging the government of the United Kingdom to reverse the changes that could force thousands of HSMP visa holders to leave the country.