Dubai Visa Rules and Procedures: Canadians to stay outside the country for one mont...: "Canadians need to stay outside the country for one month before they can apply for new visit visas in a stipulation similar to one set out f..."
Dubai Visa Rules and Procedures: Canadians travel to United Arab Emirates to pay...: "Canadians wishing to travel to the United Arab Emirates will have to pay stiff visa fees of up to C$1,000, C$250 for a 30-day visa,C $500 fo..."
Dubai Visa Rules and Procedures: The National ID card deadline extended to June 30th 2011...: "Emirates ID card deadline extended, Dr Ali Al Khoury, Director-General of Eida, has urged white-collared expats to not wait until their visa..."
Dubai Visa Rules and Procedures: No six-month work ban from January 1, 2011 in UAE: "Expatriate workers can move to new employment without no-objection certificate if they have served out two-year contract.The Ministry of Lab..."
Dubai Visa Rules and Procedures: Labour Ministry issues fresh warning to dormant fi...: "The Ministry of Labour has warned again that it would not tolerate violations by dormant companies which fail to report the closure of any o..."
The decision to impose the test for those applying for a UK Partner Visa from November has more to do with reducing the number of immigrants to Britain than minimising abuse, a legal opinion by Rabinder Singh QC and Aileen McColgan, of Matrix Chambers said.The introduction of pre-entry tests amounts to a breach of the right to family life under human rights laws, the lawyers argue, and are likely to be discriminatory towards those coming from non-English-speaking countries compared with those who cannot speak English but come from the US or other majority English-speaking countries, for example, requiring someone with a degree in English from India to take the test but not someone from California who speaks only Spanish.The Matrix legal opinion was commissioned by the human rights group Liberty.The tests are expected to affect more that 25,000 spouses a year, and Liberty director Shami Chakrabarti warned that the opinion would form the basis of a high court challenge if the changes are implemented in November."We have warned that pre-entry English tests are discriminatory and unlawful – a view now endorsed by one of the foremost barristers in the country," said Chakrabarti."If the government persists with this half-baked, pre-election, Border Agency policy, it will face embarrassing litigation unworthy of a coalition built on fundamental freedoms. If necessary, we will be the first in line to prevent genuine families being broken up."The tests apply only to those who come from non-English-speaking countries. The top five nationalities coming to the UK to marry are Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, US, and Thailand.The UK Visa Bureau is an independent consulting company specialising in helping people with their UK immigration applications to the British High Commission.
Compulsory English language tests will be introduced for non-European migrants applying to come to the UK to join or marry their settled partner, the UK government announced today. From autumn 2010, they will need to demonstrate a basic command of English which allows them to cope with everyday life before they are granted a visa. The new rules will apply to anyone applying as the husband, wife, civil partner, unmarried partner, same-sex partner, fiance(e) or prospective civil partner of a UK citizen or a person settled in this country. They will be compulsory for people applying from within the UK as well as visa applicants from overseas. Home Secretary Theresa May said: 'I believe being able to speak English should be a prerequisite for anyone who wants to settle here. The new English requirement for spouses will help promote integration, remove cultural barriers and protect public services. 'It is a privilege to come to the UK, and that is why I am committed to raising the bar for migrants and ensuring that those who benefit from being in Britain contribute to our society. 'This is only the first step. We are currently reviewing English language requirements across the visa system with a view to tightening the rules further in the future. 'Today's announcement is one of a wide range of measures the new government is taking to ensure that immigration is properly controlled for the benefit of the UK, alongside a limit on work visas and an effective system for regulating the students who come here.' Anyone wishing to come to the UK as a partner will need to demonstrate basic English at A1 level, the same level required for skilled workers admitted under Tier 2 of the points-based system. A partner coming to the UK from outside Europe will need to provide evidence with their visa application that they have passed an English language test with one of our approved test providers. Under the current rules, people applying for visas as partners must already meet a range of criteria before being allowed to enter the UK. All applicants must show that their marriage or partnership is genuine, and that they can support themselves financially. Whether they have married in the UK or overseas (or not at all), the non-UK partner must apply for a two-year settlement visa to come and live in the UK as a husband, wife, civil partner, unmarried partner or same-sex partner. At the end of the two years, they can apply to us for permission to settle in the UK (known as 'indefinite leave to remain'). Partners who apply for settlement after completing their two-year period of temporary residence will still need to meet the 'knowledge of language and life in the UK' test. This is in addition to the new basic English language requirement, which forms part of their initial application.
2 July 2010: Student Tier 4 visa applications - apply early. During our busy summer period, it is important that you submit your Tier 4 points-based system visa application in good time. This will allow us enough time to process your visa application and for you to attend the start of your course. To enable you to do this you can apply for your visa within 3 months of the start date of your intended course. For courses longer than 6 months your visa will be valid for travel from 1 month prior to the start date of the course. If your course is less than 6 months you will only be allowed to travel up to 7 days before the start of your course. To find out about our most recent visa application processing times, please see the 'Guide to Processing Times' page on this website.
28 June 2010: The UK Government will introduce a limit on non- European immigration. The number of workers entering the UK from outside Europe will be controlled by a new limit, the UK Home Secretary, Theresa May, announced today. Details of how the final limit will be delivered will be agreed following a 12-week consultation with businesses and other interested parties. In the meantime an interim limit will be introduced to ensure there is no rush of visa applications being submitted and the number of work visas issued stays below levels from 2009. For further information please visit the UK Border Agency website.
28 June 2010: The online visa application system will not be available from 05 July until 06 July. The UK Border Agency online visa application system will be unavailable between 06:00 GMT on Monday 05 July 2010 until 11:00 GMT on Tuesday 06 July 2010 for maintenance work. You will not be able to apply online, or access your application, during this time. If you have booked an appointment using the online application system for the 05 or 06 July, you will need to print off your appointment confirmation and a copy of your visa application form before this date. We apologise for any inconvenience.
16 June 2010: New English language requirement for partners. The UK Border Agency has produced further guidance on the English language testing for:
09 June 2010: Migrants marrying UK citizens must now learn English. Compulsory English language tests will be introduced for non-European migrants applying to come to the UK to join or marry their settled partner. The new rules will apply from autumn 2010 to anyone applying as the husband, wife, civil partner, unmarried partner, same-sex partner, fiance(e) or prospective civil partner of a UK citizen or a person settled in this country. The compulsory English language test will be with a UK Border Agency approved test provider and will apply to visa applications from overseas as well as people applying from within UK. The full news report can be found on the UK Border Agency website.
The prospect of increasing restriction on visas in several countries, particularly in the US and the UK, is a concern for the IT industry, according to Mr Kris Gopalakrishnan, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Infosys.
“They (the Governments and States) are responding to high unemployment rates. I hope it is temporary and the impact, if at all, will be minimal. There is no impact as of now,” he said.
“There is a backlash happening everywhere. This is a challenge we are facing. All companies in India have grown in the last two quarters. The future too looks bright. But the prospect of restriction on visas is a concern,” he said.
He was here on Friday to deliver a lecture on the future of IT in modern warfare in the context of challenges being posed to cyber security, organised by the College of Defence Management.
He said Infosys was in touch with industry bodies such as Nasscom to understand the implications. “Preparedness is happening,” he said.
Stating that unemployment in the US was growing, he said, citing reports, about 50 per cent of people in that country were affected in someway or the other by the slowdown. “There are pressures in other countries as well,” he said, indicating the reasons for the threat of visa restrictions.
For those who plan to immigrate to Britain, the UK Border Agency (UKBA) has given a detailed explanation to help better understand the implications of the British government's interim limit on non-EU immigration from July 19. The agency said in a release that until the interim limit is implemented on July 19, 2010, applications will continue to be assessed as normal.
The Investor, Entrepreneur and Post-study work categories of Tier 1 will not be included in the interim limit and in-country extensions under Tier 1 (General) will also be excluded.
About the interim cap, the UKBA said: "From 19 July 2010, we will introduce a limit on the number of applications to Tier 1 (General) that we will consider in any one month. We will also increase the pass mark for Tier 1 (General), from 95 points to 100 points. Applications will be dealt with on a first-come, first-served basis.
"Those who are already in the UK under Tier I (general) will be excluded from the limit and they can even apply for an extension. Same is the case with those already in the UK under any other immigration category and want to switch to Tier I (General)."
The UKBA release said that under the interim cap, the number of points required for a Tier I (general) has been revised.
"If you are in the UK in one of the following categories - Tier I (General), HSMP, Writers, composers and artists, self-employed lawyers and are applying to extend your stay in Tier 1 (General), you will need to score 95 points. If you are in the UK in any other category, for example Tier 1 (Post-study work), then you will need to score 100 points when you apply to switch into Tier 1 (General). If you are applying from outside the UK, you will need to score 100 points."
While applications will be accepted during the interim limit period, they will not be processed once the monthly limit has been reached. Applications will be held in a queue, in strict order of their date of application. Applications in the queue will be processed when the following month's limit is opened.
For the Tier II (General) category, the 'Intra-company transfer', 'Sportsperson' and 'Minister of religion' categories of Tier 2 will not be included in the interim limit.
From July 19, a limit on the number of certificates of sponsorship that each sponsor can assign to migrant workers under Tier 2 (General) is being introduced. A migrant who has a valid certificate of sponsorship will be considered inside the limit and the application will be assessed as normal.
Applicants who are in Britain in another immigration category and wish to switch into Tier 2 (General) will be included in the limit, the release said.
The UK Border Agency (UKBA) has recently made an announcement about bogus job offers to overseas nationals looking for work in the UK. UK immigration warns that sometimes names of real UKBA officials are used in the job offers.
Rob Yeldham, director of communications at UKBA made the following announcement.
'My name has been used in several apparent attempts to scam foreign professionals looking for work in the UK. We have referred cases to our security unit, but at this stage it is unclear what the nature of the scam is, or where in the world it is based. The best advice is to be careful of any unsolicited offers.'
We would advise you to take the following precautions:
UKBA deals with immigration control. It is not their job to find work for migrants.
UKBA email addresses will normally have "gov" at the end of the email address.
It is normally difficult to obtain a work visa for entry to a particular Country. Before paying any money to an individual or entity for work related services ask for full details of the type of visa that you will come under.
Most legitimate organisations have their own domain name. For example they would not use a gmail or yahoo email address.
Try and avoid transferring money using Western Union or a similar service. It is difficult to know for sure exactly who will be receiving the money.
If everyone takes reasonable precautions it should be possible to beat the fraudsters.
London, July 2 (IANS) Former British prime minister Tony Blair was warned that the invasion of Iraq would be illegal in a secret memo from Attorney General Lord Goldsmith three months before the war began, a media report said. The British Cabinet Office has published the first draft of Goldsmith's legal advice which confirmed he had doubts about the legality of the conflict without a new UN mandate, express.co.uk reported. The memo, written on Jan 14, 2003, refers to the UN's previous resolution saying that it 'does not revive the authorisation to use force... in the absence of a further decision of the Security Council'. However, within days of giving this advice, Goldsmith flew to the US for a meeting with former president George W. Bush's advisers, who changed his mind. 'We had trouble with your attorney. We got him there eventually,' John Bellinger, former White House legal counsel told British colleagues later, the report said. Goldsmith, however, termed this report as 'nonsense' but admitted he had serious reservations about the war. He gave the go-ahead, after which the armed forces joined the US-led invasion March 20. Several British government lawyers have told the Iraq Inquiry they believed the invasion was unlawful. The Iraq Inquiry, chaired by Sir John Chilcot, is a public inquiry into the role of Britain's role in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The inquiry was announced June 15, 2009 by then prime minister Gordon Brown.
London, July 2 (ANI): Sikhs living in Britain or those travelling to that country will no longer face the embarassment of having their turbans searched as part of an established security drill. The Department of Transport has taken cognizance of the Sikh community's complaints on this score almost two months after European lawmakers permitted security staff to pat down and open a Sikh's turban if the metal detector bleeped as they walked through. Airports have been instructed to stop such searches. Sikhs will now have their turban scanned by a hand held wand, and will only be subjected to searches by hand if metal is detected in the turban. The Daily Mail quoted a spokesperson for the Birmingham International Airport,as saying: "On Thursday, the Department for Transport advised all UK airports to continue using the previous methods of screening religious headwear, which eliminates the need to carry out hand searches. We have reacted accordingly." Sikh community leaders have welcomed the end of the "humiliating and offensive" search. (ANI)
British officials have been dealing with several cases of young Indian-origin women being forced into marriages against their will, but recent cases show a sharp increase of men facing such ordeals. Britain has set up a Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) that deals with cases of British citizens being forcibly taken to the Indian sub-continent and married against their will for cultural, immigration or family reasons. The unit has rescued several young women, but it is estimated that most cases go unreported. Latest figures show that during the last year, the unit registered a 65 per cent rise in the number of calls from men. The unit received the most calls from men linked to Pakistan, followed by India and Bangladesh. It also received calls from British men with links to the Middle East, Africa and eastern Europe. A spokesman said: "The calls we receive are the tip of the iceberg. It now seems likely that men account for one in five of all the forced marriages that take place to British citizens." In June, the FMU took a call from a young man in Leicester whose family had allegedly locked him in his bedroom after discovering that he was gay. He told the FMU that his family were downstairs, discussing whether to take him to India and either kill him, abandon him there or marry him off. Last year, the FMU gave advice and support to 1,682 men and women regarding suspected forced marriage. More than 220 calls and emails involved male victims, up from 134 in 2008. As of the end of May this year, there have been 88 calls from men for help. Foreign Office Minister Jeremy Browne said: "Boys and men who are forced into marriage find it harder to ask for help than women, but we are urging males affected by forced marriage to speak out and seek the help that is available to them." He added: "Of course, women make up the majority of forced marriage victims, and over 1,400 reports of women facing this abuse were dealt with by the FMU last year. But people often don't realise that men can be victims of forced marriage too."
Mumbai: Indian Islamic preacher Zakir Naik is getting set to legally challenge his visa ban by the UK home secretary Theresa May. Zakir Naik's 5 year visa granted to him in July 2008 was revoked less than 12 hours before he was to fly to the UK and now Canada too has followed suit. Zakir Naik said, “They have arbitrarily revoked it.. it's inhuman and unethical...and I will challenge it. Official communication from the UK home department says: "The Secretary of State has decided to exclude you from the UK for engaging in unacceptable behaviour by making statements that attempt to justify terrorists and fostering hatred. There is no right to appeal against this decision " However, Naik's lawyer contends that the statements referred to by the home secretary have been quoted out of context and they were made prior to 2008 after which he was granted a visa. Why then was his VISA suddenly revoked in 2010? Majeed Memon, Naik's Lawyer said, “In 2008, he was granted visa, granting or denial of visa is a sovereign state's discretion, but revoking it without any proper reason.. that is not.” The UK Home secretary said, "Coming to the UK is a privilege, not a right and I am not willing to allow those who might not be conducive to the public good to enter the UK."
Visitors to the UK would have to leave after three months instead of the current six under new visa proposals being considered by the government.
Families might also have to pay a financial deposit to ensure relatives from outside the EU whose visit they were sponsoring left the UK on time.
The government said the bond, put out to consultation, was "not for everyone, but where we think there's a risk".
But immigration groups said it would be "unfair" on poorer families.
The proposals are aimed at those who deliberately overstay or work illegally in the UK.
The government has not revealed how much families would be asked to pay to sponsor an overseas visitor, but press reports suggest it could be a £1,000 bond.
'Risky people'
In addition to shortening standard tourist visas, the government might also introduce special occasion visas for events such as the London Olympics in 2012.
The consultation was launched as the government announced that over a million fingerprints had now been collected from overseas foreign nationals applying to come to the UK, under a new scheme to "export" Britain's borders.
Immigration minister Liam Byrne said: "Tougher checks abroad mean we keep risky people out.
"By next spring we'll check everyone's fingerprints when they apply for a visa; now we're proposing a financial guarantee as well - not for everyone, but where we think there's a risk.
"Our aim is to make the system both more secure, but also to ensure that we maintain the UK's position as a destination of choice for tourists."
Cultural events
Visitors to the EU may be offered a cut price and time-limited visa to visit the UK to encourage group travel, the consultation document says.
It also asks whether sporting fixtures or cultural events, such as regional folk festivals or the Edinburgh festival fringe, should be included in the special one-off visa category.
It says that although 5,750,000 visitors entered the UK for purposes other than business in 2006, the "vast majority" stayed for less than three months.
According to the Office for National Statistics' 2005 International Passenger Survey, only 1.1% of overseas residents visiting the UK as tourists stayed for three months or more.
The visa consultation will run for 12 weeks, until 10 March 2008, on the Home Office website.
Fingerprints
The Conservatives dismissed the government's proposals as a "headline grabbing gimmick" and repeated their call for an annual limit on immigration.
Habib Rahman, chief executive of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the new measures would discriminate against poorer families.
"The government is trying to deter people to come for family visits. This is unfair."
Applications for visas have gone up by about 50% in the past five years and more than two million were issued last year.
Under a new scheme, visa applicants in more than 120 countries are now required to provide fingerprints if they want to visit the UK.
Global checks
So far checks have identified over 10,000 applicants who have previously been fingerprinted in the UK in connection with immigration cases or asylum applications, the government said.
Those refused entry include an Iraqi citizen who had earlier been refused asylum in the UK under a different identity and a Nigerian citizen who had been jailed for shoplifting under a different identity and deported from the UK.
From spring 2008 the aim is for the biometric checks to be extended to all visa applicants globally.
The government has already announced other changes to the visa system which Mr Byrne described as the "biggest shake-up of the immigration system in history".
They included a points-based system for economic migrants and the tightening of procedures for people bringing spouses into the country.
The NHS is being forced to try to recruit junior doctors from India to fill the shortages of doctors needed to start work in hospitals this August.Tighter UK immigration rules introduced in recent years has meant many overseas doctors left Britain and returned home. The issue has also be compounded with the addition of new European regulations limiting the hours of doctors has caused unfilled vacancies.The BBC has reported that attempts to recruit Indian doctors foundered on a disagreement between government departments."We pulled the plug on overseas recruitment far too quickly," said Professor Derek Gallen, who is postgraduate dean of medical training for Wales."[We didn't] realise what the implications of that action would be two, three or four years down the line," he added.The Welsh Deanery is one of four medical training schools across the UK that plan to take more than 100 junior doctors over to the NHS in areas such as paediatrics, obstetrics, gynecology, anaesthesia, and accident and emergency.The European Working Time Directive introduced into the NHS last August limits doctors to working only 48 hours per week, and some district general hospitals have found it difficult to attract enough staff to fill gaps on rotas.In a statement, a Department of Health spokeswoman said: "The Department and UKBA (UK Border Agency) worked together to ensure the immigration system struck a balance between providing valuable training opportunities for foreign doctors without preventing UK-trained doctors from progressing in their careers."
With the dawn of the new political era, many migrants and UK employers may feel uncertain about the future of UK immigration. However, what is known so far is that the main legacy of the previous Government, the Points Based Scheme, and in particular the Tier 1 and Tier 2 Schemes, will be carried forward by the new Conservative - Liberal coalition with more stringent criteria likely to be introduced in the next few months. The new immigration minister, Damian Green, is yet to make a full statement, however immigration "caps" have been widely advertised for non- EU migrants as a set priority for the Conservative party. Similarly, the Liberal-Democrats' amnesty championed in its electoral manifesto, will not be pursued by a Government which may already feel the pressure of having to take unpopular decisions in the domestic arena to tackle the deepening economy deficit. Immigration, as always, will remain a hot political issue in Westminster as much as in your local pubs, although the underlining benefits brought by migrants remain undeniable true by filling vacancies which settled workers are unable to fill and often providing valuable services to an ageing UK population as well as paying taxes (migrants cannot access public funds).For UK employers, compliance with the sponsor's guidance should remain a key priority in their HR practices to recruit and retain employees. Failure to comply might lead to civil penalties and criminal prosecutions of up to 2 years on indictment for knowingly employing illegal migrants. Thus, UK employers will continue to be registered by the UK Border Agency and will need to show their ability to carry our their obligations as sponsors such as record keeping, reporting and satisfying themselves that their employees are eligible to carry out that particular job in line with the Standard Occupation Code and Tier 2 criteria.The requirements under the Tier 1 Scheme for highly skilled migrants who do not need a sponsor are likely to be revised again in the next few months with emphasis on the uplift ratios for overseas salaries. Migra & Co has extensive expertise in all immigration categories and if you are concern about your current or future options, please contact us to discuss your specific immigration circumstances or needs.
Foreign nationals applying for a UK student visa will have to face stricter entry criteria starting February 10. The new rules are set up to limit the ability of foreign students to work in the UK and make it illegal for their dependents to work at all. They will make entry to theUK much harder for foreign nationals who apply for UK student visa only as a means to come to the UK to work illegally.Before these measures were introduced, it was really easy to apply for a UK student visa. All a foreign national needed to show was a letter from an approved college or university that he is enrolled in a course of study and a proof of funds in the form of 5000 GBP that has stayed in their bank account for 30 days. The official letter is very easily obtainable as the college officials have no means to check if the person intends to study or not. The 5000 GBP can easily be borrowed and repaid while working illegally in the UK. For these reasons many people have abused the system through the years. Student visa used to be the easiest way to gain entry to the UK.The new rules will make sure that, first of all, all foreign nationals who want to apply for a UK student visa have a good standard of English. They will also limit the time a student visa holder studying below first degree or a foundation degree course is able to work legally to 10 per week during the term. Also, student visa holders will not be allowed to bring their dependants to the UK if they are studying a course shorter than 6 months. Moreover, dependants of UK student visa holders studying on a lower than undergraduate level are not allowed to work at all.These measures will allow genuine foreign students to still benefit from the world known for its high quality educational system in the UKand will stop illegal immigrants to enter the country as bogus students. Once a foreign student has completed his course of study and obtained a degree, he can stay in the UK legally by switching visa categories and apply for highly skilled worker visa or skilled worker visa in case they have an employer who wants to sponsor them. If they have found a partner in the UK, they can also apply for a marriage visa, common law marriage visa or same sex partner visa.
By Sohel Uddin, NBC News producer ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – A recent Washington Post article asserted that there has been a decline in Pakistan applications for student visas in the U.S. as a result of a series of terrorism incidents linked to Pakistanis, including the recent Times Square terrorist attempt.
According to the article, accounts of mistreatment and humiliation as a result of rigorous checks have created a sense of dread for many Pakistanis considering travel to the States, so they are choosing other destinations.But students from Pakistan have long had a preference for pursuing higher education in the U.K. over the U.S. In part this is because colonial ties have made the Pakistani and British education systems much more in aligned with one another, meaning that entry requirements are easier to attain and the resulting degrees fit in better with Pakistani standards and laws.Easier to go elsewhereOn a recent day in Islamabad, long lines of people waited to have their applications seen by immigration consultants.
“I am going to the U.K. so I can complete my masters in law. With a British qualification there are better prospects of a job when I come back here,” said Ansar Mehmood, who had just been admitted to University of Central Lancashire, in the north of England.Standing in line outside the U.K. visa application center, Mehmood said students find it easier to apply for higher education degrees in Britain because the application process is more streamlined and the rules are more in tune with Pakistani standards.Khalil ur Rehman, who has run a visa consultancy business in Lahore for over 15 years, said he’s seen a similar trend. “Pakistanis apply for mainly U.K. and also Australia [another former British colony], as the education systems are similar,” said Rehman.However, the statistics division of Pakistan’s government said that while applications for U.S. student visas have traditionally been fewer than for the U.K., Australia and Canada, they have decreased further since the 9/11 attacks.And Mehmood’s said that his lack of interest in applying to schools in America was deeper than simply which programs have easier admissions policies. “They treat Pakistani people [and] Pakistani students like animals in America,” he asserted. “That is why people don’t like to go over there.”In particular, Mehmood said his experiences with American border control officers during previous visits discouraged him from even considering the U.S. for school. Other students and applicants we spoke to expressed similar sentiments.But travel agents and visa consultants in Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore said that while the trend to avoid the U.S. accelerated after the 9/11 attacks, it was mostly a matter of unaligned educational systems.“It is just easier to apply to places like the U.K. and Canada, it always has been,” said a visa consultant at the Aamir Ismail agency in Karachi said. “I don’t think it is that much related to Pakistani treatment.”
The new UK Home Secretary Theresa May has announced that the identity card system will be abolished. Theresa May had the following to say:"We will be scrapping ID cards but also introducing an annual cap on the number of migrants coming into the UK from outside the European union."Thousands of migrants from outside the European Union, and British nationals living in the northwest had to apply for the identity card. The abolition of the identity card will reduce the administrative burden on applicants and those who have to administer the scheme.The new Conservative/Liberal Democrat Government has said that there has been a "…substantial erosion…" of civil liberties in recent years. They have also promised other changes:
A reform of the DNA database.Control of CCTV surveillance.Amendments to the current libel laws.
The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats feel that the ID card system does not help to deal with terrorism and organised crime. They also say that it is expensive to administer and infringes on people "civil liberties. Under a "Freedom or Great Repeal Bill" the new Government wishes to also do the following:Scrapping all future biometric passports and the Contact Point Database.The Government wishes to "roll back" powers it says were taken by the state under the previous Government.They have pledged to defend trial by jury,They wish to restore rights to non-violent protest.They intend to end the storage of internet and email records without good reasonThey intend to introduce safeguards against the "misuse" of anti-terrorism legislation.The UK Home Office says that they will provide details on how ID cards and the National Identity Register will be rescinded in future. In the meantime it should no longer be necessary for anyone to apply for an identity card.
The recent changes announced by the UK government to the Tier-I and Tier-II—highly skilled and skilled migrant—visa categories will benefit some sections of professionals from India. “The points-based system, which is reviewed from time to time by the migration advisory committee, gives us the flexibility to revise the criterion to get people with the required skills into UK’s labour market,” Chris Dix, regional director , South Asia and the Gulf, UK Border Agency (UKBA), told ET.
The changes, which will become effective from April 6, will reintroduce the bachelors degree as a points-scoring criterion for Tier-I and will also allow people with no formal academic qualifications to apply under the category if they earn over £1,50,000 annually.
While both these steps will help increase the available skills pool under Tier-I , the differentiated points for sponsorship under the Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) categories for Tier-II is being welcomed by most companies in India who need to transfer staff members to the UK.
Tier-II is being split into three sub-categoriesestablished staff with a minimum of 12 months experience in the company to fill posts that cannot be filled by a resident worker; graduate trainee for new graduates with a minimum of 3 months experience with the company to come to the UK for structured training for up to 12 months and skills transfer for new employees with no previous company experience who are coming to UK solel\y for reasons of skills transfer for a maximum stay of 6 months.
“India is a very important country for us for both Tier-I and Tier-II categories. The changes are aimed at scouting for the best available skills without adversely impacting the labour market in the UK. For the Tier-II changes, we had consulted with companies in UK and India as well, before making the decisions,” Mr Dix said. While Indians form the largest number of work permit holders under Tier-II globally , there were 5,200 Tier-I visas issued in India last year, up from 3,000 the previous year.
Meanwhile, the temporary suspension of Tier-IV student visa operations in North India has been partially lifted with applicants under foundation degree or above courses being allowed to put in their applications. Others applying from North India still need to go to Chennai or Mumbai centres to put in their papers. “We are working on streamlining the Tier-IV visas and will soon be introducing a highly trusted sponsor scheme for institutions in UK. We are also putting in place a new English language testing scheme for student visa applicants,” Mr Dix said. Around 57,000 student visas were issued for UK from India last year.
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