Immigration news

US Vice President, Kamala Harris, claims that the United States and Mexico ‘must collaborate’ to reduce US immigration numbers from Mexico. Harris said issues such as violence and corruption in Central America need to be tackled to stop people fleeing to the US for a better life.

 

The minister for future borders and UK immigration, Kevin Foster, has claimed that the NHS and government systems can automatically cross-check records of EU citizens granted settled status to ‘reduce the burden on individuals to prove their UK immigration status – especially for those without access to digital devices.

 

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that a Trump-era US immigration rule, which requires the spouses of US work visa holders to be fingerprinted and photographed to access work permits, will be suspended. Critics of the rule argue that it causes ‘months-long delays’ in processing applications.

 

UK Home Secretary, Priti Patel, has announced that those winning coveted arts awards will be able to access UK visas more easily under point-based immigration reforms. Oscar, Grammy and Nobel Prize winners will benefit from fast track visa processing, enabling them to enter the UK to live and work.  

The moves comes as part of the UK government’s effort to attract the brightest and best from around the world. It’s understood that international stars who have won Bafta, Brit, Mobo, Tony or Golden Globe awards will also be eligible.

A social media post published by the US embassy in Beijing, China regarding the resumption of US student visa applications sparked a furious backlash after seemingly likening Chinese students to dogs. Under former US President, Donald Trump, relations with China were tense. 

 

In January 2020, Trump blocked all non-US citizens in China from entering the US amid the coronavirus outbreak, while accusing the Chinese government of attempting to cover up the true scale of the COVID-19 crisis.

A group of seven American businesses have announced that they have dropped an H1B visa lawsuit filed against United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The lawsuit was dropped after USCIS reportedly agreed to accept and adjudicate previous decisions on US work visas.