Immigration news

An application submitted today may take longer than eight months for naturalization, adult registration could take up to three and a half months and close to eight months for registration of minors. Other registrations could take slightly more than four months to process, two months for renunciations and 10 weeks for right of abode applications.

The average time for a decision for all applications is seven and a half months. Note that these are average times only and some of them might take even longer.

More information about UK immigration and Naturalisation.

A work permit application in the UK could take up to 24 weeks at the moment. Depending on what sort of work permit is applied for the waiting time could be reduced to three weeks.

Employers seeking to hire foreigners under the Highly Skilled Migrant Program (HSMP) can expect to wait the longest, maybe even as long as 24 weeks. A Leave to Remain application could take up to 10 weeks to process.

The fastest applications at the moment are the Worker Registration Scheme, but they can still take up to three weeks.

On October 25, the UK launched its Science and Engineering Graduate Scheme (SEGS), allowing non-EEA nationals who have graduated from UK higher or further education institutions to remain in the UK for up to a year to pursue a career.

Those sought after under the SEGS should have received a lower second class, or higher degree in certain physical sciences, mathematics and engineering.

Graduates who have left the UK after their education but want to return under this scheme must do so within 12 months after graduation and they must apply for entry clearance in their home country, if necessary.

As of Nov.1, 2004, people applying for a visa under the Highly Skilled Migrant Program (HSMP), will have to fill out a new application form. Applications made using the old form will not be accepted after December 1.

Therewill not be any changes to the basic requirements or any criteria foreligibility under the HSMP, but an acknowledgment slip will be added tothe new form.

Daily German newspaper, Die Tageszietung, calls upon the country’s Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s Social Democrats (SPD) to take action after a commission concluded that the country is in need of an estimated 25,000 skilled immigrant workers.

The commission’s report says there is a shortfall in skilled labor. Still, the SPD maintains that foreign workers should not be sought while the country has some four million unemployed. Even though the commission was looking to fill jobs for which there are no German takers.

A federal judge has granted class action suit status, nationwide, to a lawsuit aginst U.S. immigration officials for stalling green card applications.

Thousands of immigrants are now able to challenge the American government's procedures and performance in the processing of green card applications.

If your application has been delayed, you may be able to join the lawsuit.

For more information about US Green Card see our US Green Card page.