Immigration news

US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, has announced new guidelines that limit US immigration arrests and deportations. Mayorkas said that US immigration agents will be directed toward only detaining and deporting immigrants who pose a threat to public safety or US national security.

 

The Home Office is reportedly reluctant to offer UK work visas to asylum seekers, despite growing demands to allow refugees to work in Britain. Priti Patel’s department is resisting calls for asylum seekers to be allowed to work, even after a public intervention from Patel’s cabinet colleague, Dominic Raab, who said he would be ‘open-minded’ about the proposal. 

 

The Biden administration’s bid to reform US immigration laws has been blocked by the Senate. A proposal to grant millions of undocumented immigrants legal status in the US was quashed by the Senate parliamentarian – an unelected official who rules on key procedural issues.

 

Following a UK government announcement that a temporary UK visa will be launched for foreign truck drivers in an effort to ease food and fuel shortages, bosses in retail, hospitality and care have launched an appeal for a temporary visa to combat growing staff shortages. Retail giant, Next, led the charge in urging the government to relax UK immigration rules.

 

A 16-strong group of L1 visa and H1B visa holders, most of whom are Indian, have filed a class action lawsuit against United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The lawsuit has been filed challenging a requirement for work authorization for the spouses of L1 visa holders who are issued with L2 visas and H1B visa holders who are issued with H4 visas. 

 

The Home Office has unveiled a ‘roadmap’ outlining plans to invest heavily in IT system changes to speed up the process of applying for a UK visa sponsorship licence for employers. Announcing changes to the UK’s points based sponsor licence system, the Home Office said: “Our goal is ensuring the UK is a global leader in helping employers access overseas talent.”