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Changes to the UK Immigration Rules agreed by Home Office Ministers on the 21st of December will come into force from 1 January 2005. The following changes will affect foreign nationals, overseas students, spouses looking for settlement and humanitarian crisis victims.
Changes affecting foreign nationals applying for entry clearance overseas:
South Australia currently has the most rapid annual economic growthrate of all Australian States and is experiencing skills shortages -especially in trade skills.
To overcome this shortage thefederal Government in Canberra has devised a program whereby theindividual states are able to sponsor selected skilled workers fromoverseas – who are under 45 – speak proficient English – and have therequired skill set.
State Sponsored applicants do NOT have topass the points test – so this can be an ideal method of entry fortrade skilled applicants between 35-40 who cannot achieve the current120 points pass mark.
UK Home Secretary David Blunkett resigned on Dec. 15 following accusations of his involvement in fast-tracking a visa application for his ex-lover's nanny.
e-mail correspondence suggest that Mr Blunkett's office was indeed involved in speeding up the processing time for the visa application, as reported by the British media.
Blunkett has not admitted to any wrong doing, but told press that any perception of his involvement would require him to leave his office.
After weeks of fighting, both the House of Representatives and the Senate passed a bill which implements the 9/11 Commission recommendations. President George W. Bush is expected to sign it into law next week.
The bill includes numerous immigration provisions. The number of Border Patrol agents would be increased by at least 2,000 per year for each of the next five years. Also, at least 8,000 beds each year would be added to house immigration detainees and suspected terrorists. In addition, visa application requirements would be tightened.
The US government has announced plans to block a shortcut that has allowed thousands of foreign nurses to get their work permits fast-tracked, a move that could worsen a nationwide shortage in nurses as of next year.
In an announcement Thursday, the State Department said the nurses - predominantly from the Philippines - will not be allowed after Jan. 1 to use the shortcut that has allowed them to begin working in U.S. hospitals as quickly as 60 days. Those applications could now take up to three years or more.
January 7 next year will be the final date for Green Card lottery applications, so if you are planning to apply you better hurry up.
Each year, the State Department conducts a lottery through its Diversity Visa program to distribute applications for 50,000 immigrant visas.
For more information about the Green Card lottery, please see our Green Card lottery page.