The JCWI claims that the limit has been put in place without proper consultation, and the level of the limit has not been placed before Parliament.

Damian Green said:

'We will rigorously defend this challenge and are confident of success. The government has been clear: we will introduce our permanent annual limit on economic migrants from outside the EU from April 2011.

'While we decide how the annual limit should operate, it is imperative that we have interim measures in place to avoid a rush of applications from migrants before the new rules take effect.

'We are fully committed to reduce the level of net migration back down to the levels of the 1990s - tens of thousands each year, not hundreds of thousands. Introducing a limit on migrants from outside Europe coming here to work is just one of the ways we intend to achieve this.'

On 28 June 2010, the government announced that it would place an interim limit on non-European migrants coming to the UK to live and work. Set at 24,100, the interim limit equates to a 5 per cent reduction compared to the same period last year. At the same time, a consultation was launched on the mechanisms for implementing a permanent annual limit, which is due to be introduced in April 2011.

The figures indicate the effect of closing the makeshift 'jungle' camp for illegal immigrants in Calais a year ago.

Immigration Minister Damian Green said:

'Our figures indicate that the strength of UK and French controls at Calais, along with the steps taken to clear the notorious camps near the port, have sent a clear message to illegal migrants making for the British border: don't bother, you won't get in.

'In the year following the camp's clearance, we have seen an almost 80 per cent reduction in the number of illegal immigrants caught attempting to evade our strict controls at the port, suggesting a dramatic fall in the number of illegal immigrants trying to breach the border.

'I'm not complacent - we must maintain our stringent border checks and I am committed to continuing to work with the French government to build on this success.'

The UK Border Agency has officers based in France to stop illegal immigrants before they get to the UK. They use sniffer dogs, heartbeat detectors and carbon dioxide probes to find people hiding in lorries attempting to enter the UK illegally.

His 39-year-old wife, Ajitha, admitted conspiring to pervert the course of justice, and was given a 9 month sentence.

A third defendant, Tirunagaraja Prasad Thalla, 32, also of Livingstone Road, admitted a money laundering offence and was jailed for 9 months.

Action will be taken to deport all 3 of them at the end of their sentences.

The Kokas were involved in setting up a number of bogus companies for which the main purpose was to allow immigrants to extend their visas.

The companies would supply wage slips and transfer temporary 'incomes' to applicants' bank accounts to make it look like they had highly-skilled and well-paid jobs when they applied for a visa extension. The money would subsequently be paid back through bank accounts run by Thalla.

Kaseepathi Koka also supplied forged bank statements and would complete immigration applications on behalf of his clients, despite not being qualified or registered to do so.

The trio were thought to be making approximately £250,000 per year from the scam.

In all, it is thought the gang assisted around 100 immigrants to stay in the country. Those individuals now face removal from the UK.

Robert Coxhead, the senior Investigating officer on the West London immigration crime team, said:

'This was a sophisticated criminal enterprise, which had the explicit aim of helping those who had no right to be in the UK evade immigration controls.

'The sentences handed down today show just how seriously the courts take such offences.

'As this case shows, illegal immigration can be big business. But I hope this sends out a message that we are committed to tackling the criminal groups behind it, putting the ringleaders before the courts, and, ultimately, behind bars.

'We will also now begin confiscation hearings to ensure that, as well as spending time in prison, they won't benefit financially from their criminality.'

Three other men who were involved in the scam had previously pleaded guilty to fraud charges at a hearing in June. They were all jailed and subsequently deported back to India.

Damian Green, Minister for Immigration, said:

'At home and abroad, we are tackling highly organised crime groups who make their living by trying to exploit the immigration system and breach our border security.

'Some of these hide people in lorries in an attempt to cross our borders illegally; some provide them with fake identity documents; others set up bogus colleges or arrange sham marriages. Worst of all - some force women and children to work against their will in the sex industry.

This month, the UK Border Agency is carrying out an intense period of activity to go after these organised crime groups to put the ringleaders before the courts and shut off the supply of illegal immigrants at its source.'

Regulations to set application fees at or below the cost of processing are subject to the negative parliamentary procedure, and these fees will increase from 1 October 2010. Where a fee is charged that is set above the cost of processing, the regulations are subject to the affirmative parliamentary process; these fees are due to come into effect in November, subject to parliamentary timetabling.

The date when the increased fees will come into effect will be published on this website nearer the time.

The UK Border Agency believes that the proposals to increase fees continue to strike the right balance between maintaining secure and effective border controls and ensuring that our fees structure does not inhibit the UK's ability to attract migrants and visitors who make a valued contribution. This will help to support the immigration system, maintain public confidence and ensure that migration is managed for the benefit of the UK.

Details of the proposed fees are set out in a written ministerial statement by Immigration Minister Damian Green. You can find the statement, and assessments of the new fees' likely impact, in the Fees for our services section.

'This means that the unsustainable levels of net migration seen in recent years must be brought down.'

He said the government is determined to make decisions based on evidence, which is why it has just released new a research report called 'The migrant journey'.

The report analyses the behaviour of immigrants who came to the UK in 2004 through all managed routes except visitor routes. It reveals that the largest group of migrants were students, with around 186,000 granted visas. More than 20 per cent of them were still in the UK 5 years later.

The minister said:

'We need to understand more clearly why a significant proportion of students are still here more than 5 years after their arrival. And we also need a system which can scrutinise effectively, and if necessary take action against, those whose long-term presence would be of little or no economic benefit.'

He also pointed to evidence that some migrants coming in under the Tier 1 highly skilled work route are not doing specialised jobs. And he added:

'I was also struck by some of the individual applications I saw under the [Tier 2] skilled worker category: people running takeaway restaurants and production-line workers on salaries in the low £20,000s. These are not the sort of jobs we talk about when we think of bringing in skilled immigrants who have talents not available among our own workforce or the unemployed...

'We will not make Britain prosperous in the long term by telling our own workers "don't bother to learn new skills, we can bring them all in from overseas".'

The minister described planned changes to the immigration system (including an annual limit on workers from outside the European Union) may be 'controversial' but necessary:

'We absolutely need sustainable immigration levels. This will relieve pressure on public services, and stop immigration being such a delicate political issue.

• Tier 1 (General) form
• Tier 1 (Post-study Work) form
• Tier 2 form
• Tier 4 (General) form
• Tier 4 (Child) form
• PBS Dependant form

Last month the Home Office withdrew the facility to pay the application fee by cash at public enquiry offices, and the above application forms have been amended to remove all references to cash payments.

We have also made the following additional changes to the Tier 1 (General) and Tier 2 application forms.

• Tier 1 (General) - we have corrected a question number (U2)
• Tier 2 - We have changed the help text about enrolling biometric information at a post office.

You should use the new forms from now on. However, in line with paragraph 34 (I) of the Immigration Rules, the Home Office will continue to accept applications made on the previous version of the application forms up to and including 27 September 2010. Any application submitted until 27 September 2010 will be considered under the new Immigration Rules, regardless of the version of the application form used.

He will explain that the current points-based system for immigration is not yet properly controlling the numbers of people coming into the UK, and that an effective system needs to be found.

Forthcoming reviews will therefore:

• look at who is qualifying, in both the work and study categories, to ensure that the brightest and best are being attracted to the UK;
• study why those who come here on immigration routes that do not lead to settlement find it easy to change routes and settle here permanently; and
• ensure a steady downward trend on every route to long-term immigration.

The minister will also discuss a new research report published today by the Home Office. 'The migrant journey' is based on analysis of all the people who came to the UK in 2004 (except those making short-term visits). The largest group of visas were found to be for students - and, of the 186,000 students granted visas in 2004, more than 20 per cent were still in the UK 5 years later.

The number of foreign students in the UK is rising: in the year to June 2010, more than 320,000 visas were issued to students and their dependants visiting for more than 6 months. The minister believes these levels are unsustainable, and will say that this will be looked at as a priority.

Alongside this, the government will also look at work routes that lead to citizenship. In 2004, more than 105,000 migrants were granted visas in one of these work routes - and the report shows that 40 per cent of them group were still in the UK in 2009.

• you are a national of a country outside the European Economic Area and Switzerland; and
• you are in a relationship with a British citizen or a person settled here; and
• you want to apply to enter or remain in the UK as that person's husband, wife, civil partner, fiance(e), proposed civil partner, unmarried partner or same-sex partner.

The new requirement was announced on 9 June 2010.

When will the requirement be introduced?

On 26 July 2010, the Border Agency announced that the new requirement will come into force on 29 November 2010 by way of changes to the Immigration Rules.

What will you need to do?

If you are not a national of a majority English-speaking country (see below), you will need to pass an acceptable English language test with one of the approved test providers. You can find more information about these tests in the list of acceptable tests and approved test providers (PDF 144KB opens is a new window).

In the test, you will need to demonstrate a basic command of English (speaking and listening) at level A1 of the Common European Framework of Reference. This is a basic level, which is judged to require 40 to 50 hours' tuition for most learners. Someone assessed at level A1 can understand and use simple, everyday expressions and very basic phrases.

You will not need to demonstrate your reading and writing skills.

When you make your application, you will need to provide evidence that you have passed the test.

You will need to pay for your own English language test. The cost of a test will vary according to your test provider and country.

What is a majority English-speaking country?

If you are a national of a majority English-speaking country, you will meet the English language requirement automatically. You will not need to take a test.

The Border Agency consider that the following countries are majority English-speaking countries:

• Antigua and Barbuda
• Australia
• the Bahamas
• Barbados
• Belize
• Canada
• Dominica
• Grenada
• Guyana
• Jamaica
• New Zealand
• St Kitts and Nevis
• St Lucia
• St Vincent and the Grenadines
• Trinidad and Tobago
• the United States of America

From that date, any migrant who wants to enter or remain in the UK as the partner of a British citizen or a person settled here will need to show that they can speak and understand English, by taking an English language test with one of our approved test providers. The term 'partner' means husband, wife, civil partner, unmarried partner, same-sex partner, fiance(e) or proposed civil partner.

The tests will be compulsory for people applying from within the UK, and for visa applicants from overseas.

From Monday 16 August 2010, legal representatives will be able to make the following applications using the same-day service at Croydon public enquiry office:

• applications under Tier 4 for the points-based system
• applications using application form FLR(M)

This is in addition to the types of application that can already be made using the same-day service.

To find out which application types can be made using the same-day service at our other public enquiry offices, please contact the office that you want to visit.

From today, secure English language testing will be mandatory for adult students studying below degree level (excluding those on foundation degrees or English language courses) under Tier 4 of the Points Based System.

• Tier 1 (Entrepreneur)
• Tier 1 (Investor)
• Tier 1 (Post-study work)
• Tier 2 (all categories)
• Tier 4 (Child)
• Tier 5 (Temporary worker)
• dependants of points-based system applicants
• Change of circumstances

These forms, which refer to biometric residence permits instead of identity cards for foreign nationals, are for use from 31 July 2010.

You should use the new forms from now on. However, in line with paragraph 34(I) of the Immigration Rules, we will continue to accept applications made on the previous version of each form up to and including 21 August 2010. We will consider any application submitted up to 21 August under the new Immigration Rules, regardless of which version of the application form you send.

In addition the following instruction as been added to the 'Charging' section of the application forms listed above:

Please note that when making large or multiple payments using your credit card, the anti-fraud measures that banks operate sometimes stop the full payment being taken. This is because either the maximum limit on a single transaction, or the number of transactions allowed in a given period of time, has been exceeded. To prevent this, you must ensure that you inform your bank of your intention to make large or multiple payments in advance so that your bank allows the full payment to be taken when you submit your application.

Also on 30 July 2010, we published new versions of our policy guidance in the following categories of the points-based system:

• Tier 2
• Tier 5 (Temporary Worker)
• dependants of points-based system applicants

These documents, which refer to biometric residence permits instead of identity cards for foreign nationals, are for applications made on or after 31 July 2010.

The UK Border Agency is warning owners, masters and agents who did not apply that they now face fines and prosecution for any breaches of the immigration laws.

The three month application period for the concessionary visa ended on 31 May 2010.

Despite being widely publicised and the UK Border Agency receiving many enquiries, only 44 in-time applications for the concession were received, despite estimates that many more non European fishermen are employed in the industry.

Phil Taylor, regional director of the UK Border Agency in Scotland and Northern Ireland said:

'We are disappointed with the low take up of this concession, which took considerable time and effort working with the industry and interested parties to develop. As we made clear when the concession was launched, we will not hesitate to take enforcement action against any business employing non-European fishermen employed in breach of the law.

'Any non-European Economic Area crew members working in in-shore waters who have not obtained the correct visa must not be employed, and must return to their home country immediately.

'Owners and masters should be aware that enforcement action will be taken where a breach is uncovered and crew found to be employed illegally will be dealt with as immigration offenders. Employers will face fines of up to £10,000 per employee under the UK Border Agency Civil Penalty scheme. In addition, employers may be prosecuted under the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006, which carries a maximum custodial sentence of two years, and an unlimited fine.

Under the illegal working civil penalty regime, from 2 August 2010 it has been decided that if you are an employer you can accept indefinite leave to remain (ILR), in an expired passport as evidence of right to work.

You should undertake the same checks in relation to expired passports that you currently undertake in relation to valid (in date) passports. For further information you can download the summary guidance for employers (PDF 197KB, opens in a new window).

Under the current legislation it is still correct to advise you that, in order to have a statutory excuse, you must see evidence of your prospective employee's leave to remain in a valid passport. For further information see (section 6 (a) of the Immigration (Restrictions on Employment) Order 2007. However, the Border Agency have reviewed the policy and it is now possible to accept indefinite leave to remain (ILR) in an expired passport as evidence of right to work. The Border Agency are considering an amendment to the 2007 Order in due course to reflect this, and also intend to issue new guidance.

In such cases the Border Agency will consider all the circumstances, including whether you have undertaken the appropriate checks, when deciding whether to issue a penalty notice.

This does not affect the certificate of entitlement to the right of abode, which is still only acceptable as evidence of right to work if produced in a valid (in date) passport/travel document.

The guidance highlights what documents you should ask prospective employees to produce to ensure that they have such status and that they can lawfully work for you. For more detailed information you can download the guidance for employers on preventing illegal working, asylum seekers and refugees.

The unveiling of additional detention space comes as the UK Border Agency is intensifying enforcement activity across the country to crackdown on illegal working, sham marriages, bogus colleges and organised immigration crime.

The new high security accommodation is ready for use, and at full capacity it will house 364 of the UK Border Agency's most difficult detainees, significantly enhancing the new government's ability to remove foreign criminals from the UK.

Immigration Minister Damian Green said:

'I am pleased to be able to open the new wings at Harmondsworth today, which make it Europe's largest detention centre and a welcome addition to the UK Border Agency's estate.

'It will provide 364 new bed spaces, increasing our capacity to remove people with no right to stay in the UK.

'The beds will be used for some of the most challenging detainees the UK Border Agency holds, the vast majority of whom are former prisoners who have committed serious offences. I believe foreign criminals should be sent home at the earliest opportunity, and today we have taken another step in that direction."

The first detainees were accepted earlier this month, and the current plan is that it will take approximately seven to eight weeks to have the new accommodation fully occupied.

Already under the new government, there have been more than 1900 failed asylum seekers and more than 990 foreign national prisoners removed from the UK.

After opening the new wings, the Minister visited Heathrow Terminal One to see the frontline checks in place at the border, including anti-forgery equipment and drug detection scanners. On visiting Britain's busiest airport, he added:

'Keeping Britain's border secure is a priority for this government - which is why it is crucial that we have vigilant border staff utilising the latest technology in our fight against the people traffickers, drug smugglers and illegal immigrants determined to come here and cause harm.'

During his visit, he met frontline UK Border Agency staff, was given a demonstration by detection dogs, and watched as officers used the latest technology to search bags for hidden, smuggled substances.

This means that if you are a refugee or have been granted humanitarian protection and you continue to need protection, you and your dependants must apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) before your leave expires.

At present, any migrant who is already in the UK and is subject to immigration control must apply for a certificate of approval before they can get married or register a civil partnership in this country (unless they are getting married within the Anglican Church).

The government is now seeking to remedy the declaration by the UK courts that the scheme is incompatible with Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights (read with Article 12). Additionally, changes made following rulings from the courts have weakened the scheme, and it is no longer an effective method of preventing sham marriage.

Do I still need to apply for a certificate of approval if I want to get married or register a civil partnership?

Yes, if you are subject to immigration control. The certificate of approval scheme remains in operation until the Remedial Order comes into force. Applicants will need to follow the current process until further notice.

When will the scheme be abolished?

We expect the scheme to end in late 2010 or early 2011, subject to Parliamentary scrutiny.

We do not know how long it will take for the process of parliamentary scrutiny to be completed. When we know the exact date for the abolition of the scheme, we will announce it on this website.

Can I still apply for a repayment of my certificate of approval fee?

Yes. Since 31 July 2009, migrants who applied for a certificate of approval between 2005 and 2009 have been able to apply for their fee to be repaid. They must show that paying the fee caused them real financial hardship at the time of payment.

The formal repayment scheme comes to an end on 31 July 2010. This date has been advertised since the start of the repayment scheme. All requests for repayment received by 31 July 2010 will be processed under the terms of the scheme.

After 31 July 2010, any enquiries about the repayment of the fee should be addressed to:

UK Border Agency,
COA Repayment Scheme,
NCC1,
Lunar House (9th floor),
40 Wellesley Road,
Croydon
CR9 2BY

When the scheme is abolished, will I still need to give notice of my marriage or civil partnership in a designated register office?

Yes. The requirement to give notice in a designated register office is not affected by the proposed abolition of the certificate of approval scheme. The requirement will remain in force when the scheme is abolished.

Today the UK Border Agency announced that these plans will be implemented from 29 November 2010. From this date, any migrant who wants to enter or remain in the UK as the partner of a British citizen or a person settled here will need to show that they can speak and understand English, by taking an English language test with one of our approved test providers.

The new rules will apply to anyone applying as the husband, wife, civil partner, unmarried partner, same-sex partner, fiance(e) or proposed civil partner of a British 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.

Further information about these changes can be found in a written ministerial statement, which you can download from here. More information will be published, including a list of approved test providers, before the change is introduced.

Following the judgments in the cases of Secretary of State for the Home Department v Pankina [2010] EWCA Civ 719, the Home Office have put transitional arrangements and remedies in place for migrants who:

• submitted applications abroad for entry clearance between 23 June and 22 July 2010 inclusive; or
• submitted applications for leave to remain on or before 22 July 2010, when they had lawful status in the UK.

If your application was unsuccessful and submitted within the above timeframes, you can ask the Home Office to review the original decision to refuse your application. To request a review, you must write to the casework team or entry clearance post which issued the decision. New policy guidance document (PDF, 180KB opens in a new window) sets out the review criteria and describes the information that you must include when requesting a review. This document will be updated in due course.

Applicants have until 22 June 2011 to request a review.

If you currently have a live application with the UK Border Agency, it will be automatically considered in line with the revised policy.

If a Tier 4 (General) student will be studying a course that is below NQF Level 6 (except a Foundation Degree or an English language course), using a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) issued on or after 12 August 2010, their Tier 4 sponsor must ensure that they are competent in English language at a minimum of level B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) by showing that they:

• are from a majority English-speaking country (as listed on the Can you apply to Tier 4 (General)? page; or
• have successfully completed a course as a Tier 4 (Child) student (or under the student rules that were in force before 31 March 2009, if they were granted permission to stay while they were under 18 years old) which lasted at least six months and ended no more than two years before the date when the CAS is assigned; or
• have passed an English language test with an approved test provider for Tier 4, and has achieved at least CEFR level B1 in all four components (reading, writing, speaking and listening).

Full details of these changes to the English Language requirement will be set out in revised Tier 4 policy guidance and sponsor guidance, which will be published on Friday 23 July.

Level of English language study

Following the judgement made in the Judicial Review case brought by English UK, the Home Office have today made a further amendment to the Immigration Rules setting out the minimum levels of study permitted for different course types under Tier 4.

From 23 July 2010, the minimum level of English language course that will be permitted under Tier 4 will be level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference, restoring the position in place before the judgement was handed down.

The exemptions to the minimum level, which applied previously to government-sponsored language students and those undertaking a pre-sessional English language course before pursuing a degree course, remain in place.

Students applying to change to a different education provider

From 23 July 2010, existing Tier 4 students who want to change to a sponsor with a Highly Trusted Sponsor (HTS) licence will be able to begin their new course of study, at their own risk, while they are waiting for the UK Border Agency to make a decision on their application to change sponsor.

Students applying to change to an A- or B-rated sponsor are not permitted to begin their new course of study until they receive a positive decision from us on their application to change sponsor. To avoid unnecessary delays in beginning a course, the Home Office have put processes in place to prioritise applications made by students who want to change to A- or B-rated sponsors.

US student loans

A recent change in legislation in the USA has altered the way that the US government processes student loans. From 1 July 2010, UK institutions participating in the William D Ford Federal Direct Loan Programme (administered by the US Department of Education) will be authorised to offer Federal Direct Loans to students coming from the USA to study in the UK. The US Department of Education has also contacted UK institutions involved in this programme.

This change will affect migrants who want to study under Tier 4 of the points-based system. A template letter has been agreed for use under this programme; a copy of this template letter is being sent to all sponsors today. Tier 4 sponsors participating in the programme must use this template when authorising loans to prospective students from the USA, so that the student can submit an application for entry clearance to the UK.

Students with International Baccalaureate qualifications

the Home Office are aware that students relying on International Baccalaureate qualifications awarded on 5 July 2010 will not be issued with a paper transcript giving their results, and will not receive their award certificates in time to apply for university courses starting in September this year.

To enable these students to apply under Tier 4, the Home Office have made provision to accept applications made by students relying on an International Baccalaureate qualification, but who have not received their original award certificate. Further information about this is available in the current Tier 4 policy guidance.

Secure English language tests

The requirement for sponsors to assess prospective students' competence in the English language will change on 12 August 2010. To find out more about this change, see the Secure English language tests news story.

Further information about all of the above changes will be set out in revised Tier 4 policy guidance and sponsor guidance, which will be published on Friday 23 July.

• the introduction of an interim limit for Tier 1 (General) applications for the period until 31 March 2011; and
• an increase in the number of points required for a Tier 1(General) application, from 95 to 100.

Interim limits for Tier 1 (General) applications

On 19 July 2010, the UK government introduced a limit on the number of initial applications from outside the UK that can be granted under Tier 1 (General) of the points-based system until 31 March 2011.

The UK Border Agency is administering the limit on a monthly basis. However, the way that you apply for permission to enter the UK under Tier 1 (General) remains the same.

If your application meets all the requirements and the limit has not been reached for the month when you applied, we will issue you a visa in the usual way.

If your application meets all the requirements but the limit for that month would be exceeded if we issued you a visa, we will defer your application to the next month when the limit allocation reopens. If your application does not meet the requirements, we will process it as normal even if the limit has been exceeded. You can still submit your application even when a monthly limit has been reached.

All applications will be processed in the order in which they are received, as far as operationally possible. You will be informed in writing of the final decision on your application.

When making any travel plans, you should expect that your application may take longer than normal if the limit is reached.

The interim limit will not be applied to:

• people who are already in the UK;
• dependants of Tier 1 applicants; or
• the Investor, Entrepreneur and Post-study work categories of Tier 1.

Increase in the points required for Tier 1 (General) applications

From 19 July 2010, the number of points required for an initial Tier 1 (General) application has increased from 95 to 100. Additionally:

• the points awarded to those with previous earnings of £150,000 have increased from 75 to 80; and
• the points awarded to those who have an eligible MBA have increased from 75 to 80.

These changes will apply to all initial Tier 1 (General) applications paid for on or after 19 July 2010.

If you are in the UK in any other immigration category, such as Tier 1 (Post-study work), you will need to score 100 points when you apply to switch into Tier 1 (General).

19 July 2010

All sponsors affected by the introduction of the interim limit will receive a letter detailing their allocation and how it has been calculated. The guidance can be found as an addendum to the Tier 2 and Tier 5 sponsor guidance.

The interim limit will be replaced by a permanent limit in April 2011. The Home Office are currently holding a consultation on the form that this permanent limit should take.

Regulation 33 of the Immigration and Nationality (Cost Recovery Fees) Regulations 2010, which came into force on 6 April 2010, gave the Secretary of State the power to charge £100 for the reconsideration of an application for naturalisation or registration as a British citizen that had previously been refused.

From 1 September 2010, all requests for the reconsideration of these applications must be accompanied by a fee of £100. Applications that are not accompanied by the appropriate fee will be deemed invalid and will be returned.

If the original decision taken on your application is upheld, the £100 fee will be retained to cover administrative costs. However, if the original decision made on your application is considered incorrect and your application is then approved, £80 will be retained to cover the cost of the citizenship ceremony (if applicable) and £20 will be refunded to you.

15 July 2010

This means that if you are a refugee or have been granted humanitarian protection and you continue to need protection, you and your dependants must apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) before your leave expires.

• Tier 1 (General)
• Highly Skilled Migrant Programme
• Writers, Composers and Artists
• Self-Employed Lawyers

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.

The results of the consultation on the permanent limit will pave the way for the government's fundamental changes on the way in which workers from outside the European Union (EU) will be chosen to come and work in the UK.

The Home Secretary has also asked the Migration Advisory Committee, the government's independent adviser on migration issues, to launch a separate consultation into what level the limit should be set at, taking into account social and economic impacts.

The government's consultation will run until the end of September. Permanent limits on non EU economic migration routes will then be decided and put in place by 1 April 2011.

To avoid large numbers of applications between now and April next year, the government will impose an interim limit which will take effect from 19 July 2010. The interim limits will ensure the number of visas issued under Tiers 1 and 2 of the points-based system are below that issued in 2009.

These interim measures include:

• capping the number of Tier 1 migrants at current levels and raising the number of points needed by non-EU workers who come to do highly skilled jobs from 95 to 100; and
• limiting the number of certificates of sponsorship that licensed employers can issue to those who wish to come to fill skilled job vacancies. This will reduce the number of people entering through Tier 2 by 1,300.

• you are a national of a country outside the European Economic Area and Switzerland; and
• you are in a relationship with a British citizen or a person settled here; and
• you want to apply to enter or remain in the UK as that person's husband, wife, civil partner, fiance(e), proposed civil partner, unmarried partner or same-sex partner.

• courses at National Qualifications Framework (NQF) level 3 or equivalent; and
• courses below degree level that include a work placement (other than foundation degrees, which can still be offered with a work placement by any Tier 4 (General) sponsor).

Education providers who hold a standard Tier 4 sponsor licence can only offer courses at or above NQF level 4 or equivalent. And they cannot offer courses that include work placements unless those courses are degree-level courses or foundation degrees.

(A foundation degree is a programme of study which leads to a qualification awarded at a minimum of level 5 on the revised National Qualifications Framework by an English higher education institution with degree-awarding powers, or awarded on a directly equivalent basis in the devolved administrations. In Scotland, a Higher National Diploma at Level 8 on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework is equivalent to a foundation degree.)

If a student is studying a restricted course at an institution that does not hold a Highly Trusted sponsor licence, they can continue to study at that institution until they complete their course of study or their permission to stay under Tier 4 expires, whichever is sooner. If a student wants to extend their stay to complete their studies on an affected course, they must do so at an institution that holds a Highly Trusted sponsor licence.

The MAC also recommends those orchestral musician jobs that are not for leaders or principals of internationally recognised UK orchestras be removed from the UK shortage occupation list.

The MAC does not recommend any other changes to the UK shortage occupation lists. The recommended Scotland list is unchanged.

As requested by the government, the MAC carries out a partial review of the shortage occupation list every six months. The MAC currently plans to publish a full review of the shortage occupation list in the autumn of 2010.

All the occupations included in the original MAC recommended shortage occupation lists in September 2008 have now been reviewed at least once.

The MAC was formed to provide independent, evidence-based advice on migration to the government. This includes advice on occupations where shortages in skilled labour exist where migration could help meet the needs of the economy.

(MAC), and has set out further details of how it will implement changes the MAC recommended to Tier 2.

The changes include new points tables for Tier 1 and Tier 2, a simpler route for very highly skilled workers without Master's degrees, greater flexibility for short-term transfers by multinational companies, and more protection against such transfers being used to fill long-term vacancies that should go to resident workers.

These changes are included in the latest Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules, which was laid before Parliament today.

Other changes to the Immigration Rules include:

• changes to the provisions governing English language qualifications for applicants applying for permanent residence to ensure that applicants relying on qualifications in English for Speakers of Other Languages will study at accredited colleges, and to clarify the progression which migrants are required to demonstrate before applying for permanent residence;
• changes to prevent asylum applicants from claiming humanitarian protection where there are serious reasons for considering that they have engaged in undesirable behaviour;
• clarifying interview procedures for unaccompanied asylum seeking children;
• removing a requirement for an asylum seeker to be asked to sign the interview record due to other safeguards in place;
• lowering the marriage visa age to 18 for serving members of the armed forces and their partners, recognising the role of partners in supporting those on the frontline and reflecting the unique circumstances in which the armed forces operate;
• and adding Monaco to the Youth Mobility Scheme.

http://www.skillclear.co.uk/New-Immigration-Fees-06-04-10.pdf

Nationals of Australia, Canada and New Zealand may continue to apply throughout 2010 unless advised at a later date.

The date of application is the date that the fee associated with the application is paid. This means the date shown on  the payment receipt, which depends on how the student paid for his / her visa application, for example, at a British diplomatic mission overseas, visa application centre or online.  Applicants wishing to apply with a visa letter must ensure that an appointment to make a payment is made before the 22nd February 2010.

• North India - New Delhi, Jalandhar and Chandigarh
• Bangladesh - Dhaka, Sylhet and Chittagong
• Nepal - Kathmandu

The card provides a simple way of confirming the holder's nationality, identity and immigration status in the UK. It shows whether they have the right to work or study legitimately under the UK's points-based system for immigration, and helps them to access public services.

The changes do not affect the settled population, foreign nationals who are seeking to settle here, or applicants in other immigration categories (who continue to receive a vignette in their passport when they extend their stay).

Regarding the Tier 1 (General) route for highly skilled workers, the MAC's recommendations include:

• the salary multipliers, which are used to convert previous earnings outside the UK into a UK equivalent, should be rapidly and thoroughly reviewed;
• migrants with a bachelor's degree but no master's degree should be allowed to come to the UK under Tier 1 (General), if their previous earnings are high enough;
• professional qualifications (in law and accountancy, for example) should be considered as equal to a master's degree;
• the pay thresholds should be substantially increased, with no points for previous annual earnings below £24,000;
• migrants with previous annual earnings of at least £150,000 should not need to meet the educational qualification requirements;
• applicants should receive points for their age if they are 39 or under; and
• successful applicants should initially be allowed to come to the UK for two years, rather than three as at present, with a three-year extension later if they are in highly skilled employment.

The MAC says the Tier 1 (Post-study work) route - for migrants who want to work in the UK after completing a course of study here - should continue, as it brings economic benefits to the UK. But it recommends that the government should consider whether all courses and all institutions should continue to be treated the same.

The government will announce whether it accepts the recommendations in early 2010.

The purpose of these checks is to verify that the individual entering the United Kingdom is the same person who gave their biometrics when they applied for their visa, entry clearance or ICFN.

This change will apply to advertising campaigns that start on or after 14 December. Employers that have already run advertisements will not need to re-advertise to meet the new requirement.

To provide flexibility to employers, the four weeks will not need to run continuously. This will mean that employers will be able to advertise skilled jobs for shorter periods initially, for example for two weeks. This ensures that where resident workers are available, they can quickly be recruited to skilled jobs.

Where there are no suitable resident workers available, the resident labour market must be tested for a further two weeks, making four weeks in total, before employers can appoint a migrant worker.

These proposals are the next step in building on the rapid progress the Government has made in tightening up Britain's border controls.

Over the past three years the United Kingdom has seen the introduction of e-Borders to check individuals in and out of the country and the implementation of the points-based system which ensures that only those who benefit the economy can come here to work.

In order to bring together the essential changes that have already taken place, the government is proposing a new bill to bring forward a new legal framework to simplify and consolidate 40 years of immigration laws. This will make the system more transparent than ever before.

The new, temporary, time-limited, permission will be given for a particular purpose to visit, work or study and is subject to conditions such as access to work or public funds. Permanent residents will be given permission without any time limit or conditions attached.

The draft bill also proposes a new streamlined power of expulsion replacing the current powers of deportation and removal. Individuals who are issued with an expulsion order will be required to leave the United Kingdom and will not be able to re-enter while the order is in force.

A tough new menu of conditions is proposed for those on immigration bail, including restrictions on residence, work or study; access to public funds; and reporting and electronic monitoring.

The UK Border Agency is also to trial technology at 17 Crown post offices to provide foreign nationals applying for identity cards with alternative and more accessible venues where they can enrol their fingerprints. The trials will start rolling out from October.

Identity cards for foreign nationals who came to the United Kingdom from outside the European Economic Area were introduced in November 2008. They require them to have their photograph and fingerprints taken, securely locking them to one identity and helping foreign nationals prove their right to live and work in the United Kingdom and businesses to crack down on illegal working.

Skilled migrants and temporary workers under Tiers 1 and 5 of the points-based system, will also be brought forward from 2011 to 2010.

• The Immigration Rules are being amended to make provision for the launch of the electronic Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) for Tier 4 of the points-based system. This will strengthen the sponsorship arrangements for Tier 4 and provide educational institutions with a fast and straightforward electronic system to sponsor students. As a transitional arrangement, the current visa letters will continue as an alternative to CAS in the short term.
• A new Representatives of Overseas Business category will replace the old Sole Representatives category. The new category introduces a requirement to speak English, which will ensure that business representatives are able to make an effective contribution while they are here. It makes provision for representatives of overseas media organisations under the Immigration Rules.
• The arrangements for migrants covered by the judgment of 6 April 2009 in the judicial review brought by the HSMP Forum Ltd are being brought within the Immigration Rules.
• Minor technical changes are being made to various categories of the points-based system.

The government will also extend the qualifying period for all those overseas workers who want to transfer to work at their company's United Kingdom base. This will mean that they will need to have worked for their firm for at least a year - rather than six months as at present - before they can transfer here.

Additionally, the minimum salary that will allow an individual to qualify as a skilled worker and be eligible to work in the United Kingdom will rise, from £17,000 to £20,000.

A total of 16 recommendations were put forward by the Migration Advisory Committee, all of which will now be put in place to ensure that the points-based system does more to support United Kingdom workers while continuing to facilitate the trade, travel, and study that benefits the United Kingdom.

In reaching this decision, the government has been advised by informative discussions with businesses and key public service organisations. It will continue to work with business to develop a plan for implementing the recommendations.

This system builds on the changes to earned citizenship introduced by the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009, which passed through Parliament last month. A points based test for citizenship will give the Government more control over the numbers of people permitted to settle here permanently, allowing the bar for settlement to be raised or lowered depending on the needs of the country and the economy.

One of the key principles of the earned citizenship system is building community cohesion, through encouraging community involvement through 'active citizenship'.

Migrants already contribute to communities throughout the United Kingdom and the
Government wants to support integration by encouraging more of these activities. That is why a migrant's journey to citizenship will be sped up if they conduct voluntary or civic work. As part of this new 12 week consultation, the Government will work closely with local authorities to ensure any voluntary or community work being undertaken by applicants is checked and verified.

Under the current system those wanting citizenship have to pass a Life in the UK test to demonstrate both their knowledge of the country and their ability to speak English. The Government is proposing tightening this even further with a new two-stage system. This will focus on practical information about life in the United Kingdom at probationary citizenship stage, and then a further test at the final stage with more challenging topics including history and politics.

Please contact us for further guidance on how this can affect you and how we can help you.

Migrants applying to extend their permission to stay under Tier 1 (General) will not be affected by the changes.

The Tier 1 (Post-Study Work) category has also changed. Anyone applying in this category from today will not be awarded points for Postgraduate Diplomas or Postgraduate Certificates other than Postgraduate Certificates in Education (or PGDEs in Scotland only).

Any application submitted on or after 31 March will be considered under the new policy.

The Government has already suspended tier 3 of the PBS to ensure no foreign national from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) can come to the United Kingdom and work in a low-skilled job.

Jacqui Smith announced three significant changes to support British workers and to be more selective about the migrants coming to the United Kingdom from outside the EEA. From 1 April the Government will:

• strengthen the resident labour market test for tier 2 skilled jobs so that employers must advertise jobs to resident workers through JobCentre Plus before they can bring in a worker from outside Europe;
• use each shortage occupation list to trigger skills reviews that focus on up-skilling resident workers for these occupations, which will make the United Kingdom less dependent on migration for the future; and
• tighten new criteria against which highly skilled migrants seeking entry to the United Kingdom are judged, by raising the qualifications and salary required for tier 1 of the PBS to a Master's degree and a minimum salary of £20,000.

The Home Secretary has also asked the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), chaired by Professor David Metcalf, to report on:

• whether there is an economic case for restricting tier 2 (skilled workers) to shortage occupations only;
• his assessment of the economic contribution made by the dependants of PBS migrants and their role in the labour market; and
• what further changes there should be to the criteria for tier 1 in 2010/11, given the changing economic circumstances.

Jacqui Smith said:

"All workers now coming to the UK from outside Europe have to meet the requirements of the Australian-style points system, which allows us to raise or lower the bar on who can come here.

"We have always said it is important to be selective about who comes here to work, and we have already put a stop to low-skilled labour entering the UK from outside Europe.

"Just as in a growth period we needed migrants to support growth, it is right in a downturn to be more selective about the skill levels of those migrants, and to do more to put British workers first.

"These measures are not about narrow protectionism - a flexible immigration system, rather than an arbitrary cap, is better for British business and the British economy. We recognise that migration continues to play an important role in the UK, at the same time as we are giving greater support to domestic workers so that we can all come through the recession stronger.

"Given the economic circumstances and the action we are taking to be more selective, I expect the number of migrants coming to the UK from outside the EEA to fall during the next financial year. Today I am also asking the independent Migration Advisory Committee, led by David Metcalf, to consider further changes to the way in which foreign workers are currently able to enter the UK to work.

"By being more selective, as well as through tough enforcement measures to tackle illegal immigration, I have tasked the UK Border Agency with delivering this reduction. I have also set out 10 further immigration milestones for the UK Border Agency to meet this year."

The 10 milestones in the UK Border Agency delivery plan are:

• March - open a new immigration removal centre to help remove immigration offenders;
• April - use our points system to ensure migration matches the country's needs in hard times;
• April - start charging migrants to create a multimillion pound fund to reduce the impacts of migration on local services;
• April - introduce new technology to help detect drugs and other illegal goods;
• May - be tougher on European criminals, removing European nationals who cause harm to our communities;
• July - start tough new visa controls, which will cover five countries;
• August - have completed delivery of new facial recognition technology in 10 terminals, giving British passengers a faster, secure route through the border;
• November - issue 75,000 compulsory identity cards to foreign nationals;
• December - hit target to screen 120 million passengers entering and leaving the UK against security watch-lists, and introduce a new high-tech security centre; and
• December - deport a record number of foreign prisoners.

These 10 pledges will build on the work already undertaken by the UK Border Agency to strengthen the country's immigration controls.

These measures build on existing actions to deliver border security that protects Britain, including:

• fingerprint visas that lock people to one identity - with 3.5 million sets of fingerprints taken since their rollout, identifying 5,200 case of identity swaps;
• a high-tech electronic borders system which checks people against watch-lists and will cover even more passenger journeys by the end of this year;
• customs checks which, since April 2008, saw technology at ports contribute to the seizure of over £260 million worth of illegal drugs; and
• ID cards for foreign nationals. By November this year 75,000 ID cards will have been issued to foreign nationals, locking them to one identity.

For passengers legitimately travelling through United Kingdom ports, new facial recognition technology is being introduced which balances high security with quicker times at immigration control.

For illegal immigrants not playing by the rules, the UK Border Agency will open, in just a few weeks' time, a new immigration removal centre with capacity to hold more than 420 people near Gatwick in south-east England, helping deliver the Government's pledge to remove even more foreign national prisoners this year than ever before. In 2008 more than 5,000 foreign national prisoners were removed from the United Kingdom.

The Government also pledged to come down harder on criminals from Europe by reducing the threshold for consideration of their cases for deportation from 24 months in jail to just 12 when they have committed drugs, violent or sexual offences, putting them in line with non-EEA nationals.

Plans will also be introduced to target and deport low-level persistent foreign offenders who cause harm in the communities but who have not been given a prison sentence - for example, those on community service but who over a period have continued to re-offend.

The Government is currently delivering the biggest shake-up of the immigration system for 45 years, including:

• fingerprint checks before people come to the United Kingdom;
• a strong new force at the border;
• counting people in and out of the United Kingdom; and
• introducing identity cards for foreign nationals.

These important improvements cost money to deliver, and the Government's policy is that United Kingdom taxpayers should not bear the full cost of them.

In 2009/10 the UK Border Agency plans to spend over £2.2 billion on securing our border and managing the immigration system. Approximately 30% of this spending will be recovered through fees from applications and the services we offer. This will allow the UK to continue reaping the benefits of migration while also preventing abuse of the system.

Fees for visa, immigration and nationality services are reviewed regularly, with changes made when necessary. In setting the fees for 2009/10, the Government has continued to take into account the United Kingdom's international competitiveness at a challenging time for the global economy.

Following Britain's first global review of who needs a visa to come to the UK, regimes will now be introduced in Bolivia, Lesotho, South Africa, Swaziland and Venezuela.  Already, three quarters of the world’s population need to apply for a visitor visa.

The widening of the visa net is just one of a raft of measures the Government has put in place to further tighten border security and only allow entry to those the UK wants and needs.  There is now a triple ring of security that protects Britain, including fingerprint visas that lock people to one identity, a high-tech electronic borders system which checks people against watch-lists and ID cards for foreign nationals.

The Visa Waiver Test reviewed all non European countries and regions to determine the level of risk their citizens potentially posed to the UK in terms of illegal immigration, crime and security, by not having to apply for a visa before they travelled.

In July 2008 the UK Border Agency (UKBA) found 11 countries fell short of the required standard and over the past six months, along with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), has worked closely with them to improve their passport and border control systems.  With the mitigation period over, it was decided visa checks would now be required for five of these countries in order to stop fraudulent attempts to enter Britain.

Already, nationals from Bolivia, Lesotho, South Africa, Swaziland and Venezuela need a visa to work or settle in the UK, as do all non European Economic Area (EEA) nationals.  Now visitors from these countries who are coming to the UK for less than six months will need to apply for a visa before they are given the all-clear to travel to the UK.  In the case of Venezuela, visitors who have new secure fingerprint passports issued since 2007 will be allowed to enter the UK without applying for a visa.

Anyone wishing to travel from these five countries via the UK en route to a third country will also now need a transit visa.  The same transit visa requirements have also been extended to Jamaican nationals wanting to pass through the UK.

Britain's tough border means that nationals of over 100 countries - three-quarters of the world's population - must apply for a six-month visitor visa to come to the UK.

The UK’s visa checks now requires everyone to be fingerprinted, locking them to one identity, and checked against Government watchlists.  They are then screened and counted in and out of the UK using the UK Border Agency’s e-Borders system.

Criteria for the Visa Waiver Test included: looking at passport security and integrity, the degree of cooperation over deportation or removal of a country’s nationals from the UK, levels of illegal working in the UK and other immigration abuse, levels of crime and terrorism risk posed to the UK and the extent to which a country’s authorities were addressing these threats.

First time visitors to the UK from South Africa will need to apply for visas from 3 March 2009 with the full visa regime coming into effect by mid 2009, along with the rest of the new regimes.

Under the new system, full access to benefits and social housing will be reserved for citizens and permanent residents - which means if you are not a citizen full access to benefits will not be allowed.

Foreign nationals who commit serious offences already face automatic consideration for deportation - our earned citizenship proposals go further. Anyone sent to prison will face removal, and even those committing minor offences will normally need to wait until their conviction is spent before they can become citizens.

These measures will work alongside the powerful new points-based system to ensure that only those people the country needs can come - and stay - here. This system will allow the Government to manage immigration which in turn will help contribute to future population projections and control.

The Bill will strengthen Britain's security by giving frontline staff of the UK Border Agency combined customs and immigration powers, making it easier than ever to crack down on illegal immigration and the smuggling of drugs and weapons.

The UK's border will be further strengthened by enabling routine border controls on air and sea routes for people travelling between the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom.

The power to control people travelling within the Common Travel Area (CTA) will ensure that the UKBA has the tools it needs to protect the border and will pave the way for the high-tech e-Borders programme - to check travellers against watch-lists - on air and sea routes between the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

These new measures mean that the UK Border Agency will be able to:

• request identification for passengers travelling by air and sea between Britain and the Republic of Ireland; and
• conduct intelligence-led operations to check those entering via the land border in Northern Ireland and those arriving from the Crown dependencies.

The Home Office has made it clear that there are no plans to introduce fixed controls on the land border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland or on routes from the Crown dependencies to the UK.

The Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Bill will also ensure a firm and fair immigration system by introducing:

• a duty on the UK Border Agency to safeguard the welfare of children in its work;
• new rules to give automatic British nationality to a child born in the UK where at least one parent is a foreign or Commonwealth member of the British armed forces; and
• a remedy to fix the current situation whereby a father could pass on his British nationality to a child born abroad before 1961 while a mother could not.

These changes are part of the biggest shake-up to the immigration system for a generation, along with the new Australian-style points-based system, a high-tech system for counting people in and out of the country and the introduction of ID cards for foreign nationals.

Under PBS, skilled foreign nationals will earn points for objective criteria such as qualifications, previous earnings, age and UK experience. Only those with enough points can get a visa to work in the UK.
 
Tier 2 applicants will need to show a firm job offer before they apply for a visa.  British-based companies will have to prove they cannot fill skilled posts with a resident worker and must show that the job vacancy has been advertised in the UK. Employers will need a licence from the UK Border Agency to offer jobs to skilled workers.

Also today the Home Office has launched a new Business Visitor visa which clarifies what activities are permitted during business visits to the UK. The new visa will allow visa nationals to stay for up to six months to attend meetings, arrange deals, undertake fact finding missions, conduct site visits and undertake promotional activities.

Tier 5 of the PBS, covering those travelling temporarily to the UK is also being introduced today. It covers sportspeople, entertainers and charity workers and works together with a new Special Visitor visa.

The introduction of Tiers 2 and 5 of the PBS follows implementation of the first Tier of the system for highly skilled migrants without a job offer, which came into effect earlier this year. Tier 4, for students will be rolled out from March next year.

The shortage occupation list sets out those jobs for which there are not enough resident workers, and will be used as part of the skilled worker tier (Tier 2) of the Australian-style points system, which will be launched on 27 November.

Tier 2 of the points system will ensure that British jobseekers get the first shot at jobs and only those foreign workers we need will be able to come to the UK.

Recent Government work to ensure British workers are skilled and competitive means that many of the previous gaps in the labour market have been filled. As a result, today’s list is tighter than ever before and will see a reduction of more than 200,000 positions in occupations with shortages that need be filled by migrant workers.

The number of positions available to migrants has been reduced from one million to just under 800,000, ensuring that only those foreign workers we need – and no more – can come here.

To get in under Tier 2 skilled foreign workers must have:

• English language skills;
• prospective earnings of more than £24,000, or slightly less if they have a  decent qualification – or an offer of a job on the shortage list;
• enough money to support themselves for the first month of their stay.

Employers will need to get a sponsor licence to enable them to bring migrant workers into the country from outside the European Economic Area.  They will be checked out by the UK Border Agency and will sign up to certain duties.  This means that Government will share the responsibility for migrant workers with those who benefit from them. The Home Office last week helped businesses to prepare for the changes by publishing detailed guidance on Tiers 2 and 5 (skilled workers and temporary workers respectively) of the system.

The tough points system is just one part of the biggest shake up to immigration and border security in 45 years, along with the fingerprinting of anyone travelling to the UK on a visa and compulsory ID cards for foreign nationals.

The system will clamp down on bogus students and ensure only those who benefit Britain can continue to come. Before they can study here, foreign students must be sponsored by a UK Border Agency-licensed education institution, supply their fingerprints and meet new criteria.

From March next year the following measures will come into effect:

• all colleges and universities that want to recruit foreign students will need a sponsor licence:
• every student will need a licensed sponsor; and
• stricter rules to protect the UK's labour market.

From autumn 2009 the system will be tightened further with the introduction of a 'sponsor management system' - dedicated technology that will make it easier for universities and colleges to inform the UK Border Agency if students fail to enrol or miss more than ten sessions.

• attending meetings or conferences;
• arranging deals, negotiating or signing trade agreement or contracts;
• undertaking fact-finding missions, checking details or goods; and
• conducting site visits and promotional activities.

Also today, the Home Office set out further detail on two new visitor routes for sportspeople and entertainers, recognising the important contribution these individuals make to British cultural life. These new routes mean that an historical concession which allowed sportspeople and entertainers to come here for a short time without a work permit to take part in certain events will be retained.

Under these new routes the following people will now be able to enter the United Kingdom using a dedicated new visa:

• sportspeople and support staff coming for specific events, such as Wimbledon;
• amateur sportspeople joining United Kingdom amateur teams for up to six months;
• professional entertainers coming to the United Kingdom to take part in music competitions;
• amateur entertainers travelling to the United Kingdom for a specific engagement;
• professional entertainers coming to take part in a charity show or where they will receive no fee; and
• professional and amateur entertainers taking part in a 'permit-free festival' such as the Edinburgh Festival.

Please contact us for further information.

The points system means only those migrants Britain needs can come to the UK. Tier 1 builds upon the success of the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme and is aimed at attracting applicants who have the very highest skills or who wish to establish themselves in business or to invest in the UK. Further tiers relating to students, workers with a job offer and temporary workers will be rolled out over the next 12 months.

Applicants will still earn points for their qualifications, previous earnings, competence in English language and ability to support themselves and their dependents. They can visit http://www.skillclear.co.uk/pointsbasedvisas/Tier-1-hsmp-highly-skilled-visa-points-calculator.asp for an assessment. The system is also more straightforward, what was a two-stage application process now has only one stage - and the initial visa will be granted for three years not two.

Please get in touch if you have any questions about how to apply.

- electricity generation engineers (27 engineering occupations, specific to the electricity generation industry, listed below); and

- high integrity pipe welders.

These changes to the shortage list follow recent research by EUSkills (the Sector Skills Council for Utilities) and the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB). The research has been endorsed by the Engineering Sector Advisory Panel.

As a result of these changes, work permit applications for electricity generation engineers and high integrity pipe welders will no longer need to be subject to a full resident labour market test.

The electricity generation engineer occupations relate only to the electricity generating industry. They are:

• mechanical engineer;
• senior project mechanical engineer;
• project mechanical engineer;
• electrical engineer;
• senior project electrical engineer;
• project electrical engineer;
• senior project civil engineer;
• project civil engineer;
• system health engineer (nuclear);
• design engineer (nuclear);
• work cycle planner (nuclear);
• shift or team leader;
• production controller;
• plant process engineer;
• network planners;
• network design engineers;
• senior project control and instrumentation engineer;
• project control and instrumentation engineer;
• senior project control engineer;
• central control room supervisor;
• assistant engineer (shift operations);
• performance engineer;
• system infrastructure engineer;
• assistant chemist;
• reactor physicist;
• assistant reactor physicist; and
• assistant physicist.

With immediate effect, the Home Office have amended the occupation titles for chartered quantity surveyor and pharmacist on the current shortage list to read:

• quantity surveyor; and
• pharmacist (including pre-registration pharmacists).

These amendments follow consultation with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the NHS workforce review team.

With effect from 18 July 2008, the Home Office will remove the following occupations from the shortage list:

• CAA licensed aircraft engineers; and
• consultant posts in:
  • geriatric medicine; and
  • rehabilitation medicine.

They have stated that they are removing CAA licensed aircraft engineers because there is no supporting labour market research and there is evidence that most applications for aircraft engineers are not submitted under the shortage occupation category.

Consultants in geriatric and rehabilitation medicine are being removed following recent research by the NHS workforce review team.

All work permit applications received for the above posts on or after 18 July 2008 will now be subject to a full resident labour market test. Employers will be required to submit evidence that the posts have been advertised, with full details of people who applied and were interviewed, and why resident workers were not considered suitable.

The Home Office will still issue work permits for these occupations if, following advertising, an employer has found no suitably qualified resident candidate.

The Home Office will publish a revised national shortage occupation list for work permits once these changes have come into effect.

To qualify, skilled foreign nationals will have to earn a certain number of points before being allowed to work in Britain. These points are awarded only if a person can prove they will be doing skilled work, speak a good standard of English, and are earning more than £24,000, or have a decent qualification. Employers will need a licence from the UK Border Agency to offer jobs to skilled workers.

Alongside today's proposals, Home Office analysis showed if the tighter Tier 2 and 5 rules had been in place last year, close to ten per cent fewer skilled and temporary migrants from outside the EEA would have been allowed into Britain to work in equivalent categories - around 20,000 people. In addition the Home Office confirmed that from this year low skilled workers from outside the EU will be barred.

Border and Immigration Minister Liam Byrne said:

"Our new points system means that British jobseekers get the first crack of the whip and that only the skilled migrants we actually need will be able to come.

"By moving points up or down, we can make sure the numbers we allow in to the UK are in line with the needs of business and the country as a whole.

"When we set the points pass mark, we will listen to independent advice - the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) on the needs of the economy, and the Migration Impacts Forum (MIF) on the effect of migration on society."

Employers who break the rules and employ illegal workers are already facing much tougher sanctions.

Figures released by the Home Office today show that in the first 80 days of the new illegal working regime - introduced at the end of February this year - 137 businesses were issued with Notices of Potential Liability worth almost half a million pounds. Under the old regime there were only 11 successful prosecutions last year. This means that the number facing punishment since the regime began is more than ten times greater than the entire number of prosecutions last year.

Civil penalties were introduced to make it easier than ever to fine those employers who give jobs to people with no right to work without carrying out the proper checks.

Liam Byrne said:

"Illegal jobs are the root cause of illegal immigration, which is why I'm determined to shut it down. In 2007 we carried out 40 per cent more illegal working operations than the previous year - and frontline officers have new powers to levy on-the-spot fines.

"These fines make up just one part of the biggest shake-up of the immigration system for a generation. With the introduction of compulsory identity cards for foreign nationals later in the year, there can be no excuse for not checking the identity of those applying for jobs."

The Government also today revealed its proposals for Tier 5 of the PBS which covers those travelling temporarily to the UK for primarily non-economic reasons, such as sportspeople, entertainers and charity workers. To ensure entertainers continue to contribute to British cultural life, those coming to the UK for permit-free gigs or festivals - such as the Edinburgh Fringe - will be assessed outside of the PBS under visitor visa rules. The Government is due to publish details of the new visitor visa category in the near future.

British citizens enrolled on the National Identity Register will be able to choose whether to have a passport or an ID card or both. This will enable an accelerated roll-out of the scheme and, alongside steps to work with the private sector in delivery, could result in savings worth around £1bn.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said:

"The Government's National Identity Scheme means that for the first time UK residents will have a single way to secure and verify their identity. We will be able to better protect ourselves and our families against identity fraud, as well as protecting our communities against crime, illegal immigration and terrorism. And it will help us to prove our identity in the course of our daily lives - when travelling, for example, or opening a bank account, applying for a new job, or accessing government services.

"I want as many people as possible to enjoy the two key benefits of the National Identity Scheme - improved protection and greater convenience. And I want them to be able to choose how they participate in the Scheme as well - whether to have a passport or an ID card or both - so that they can enjoy its benefits as quickly as possible."

The National Identity Register will hold a small amount of personal biographic details separately from biometric fingerprints and photographs, making it incredibly difficult for anyone to steal or exploit another's identity.

The Government has already proved its ability to deliver a sound basis for the National Identity Scheme. Fingerprinting is already required for visa applicants to the UK and over ten million British e-passports have been issued since the end of 2006, containing an encrypted digital version of the holder's personal details and a photograph on a secure chip.

The public was clear that people who want to make Britain their home should speak English, pay their way, obey the law and give something back to their community.

The Green Paper: 'The path to citizenship' proposes:

• a three stage route to citizenship, including a new probationary period of citizenship, requiring new migrants to demonstrate their contribution to the UK at every stage or leave the country;
• full access to benefits being delayed until migrants have completed the probationary period;
• migrants having to improve their command of English to pass probation;
• anyone committing an offence resulting in prison being barred from becoming a citizen;
• those committing minor offences being required to spend longer in the new probationary period of citizenship;
• migrants contributing to a new fund for managing the transitional impacts of migration, providing extra financial help to communities experiencing change from migration; and
• migrants getting involved in their communities through volunteering being able to graduate to British citizenship more quickly.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said:

"Our new deal for citizenship is clear and fair.The rights and benefits of citizenship will be available to those who can demonstrate a commitment to our shared values and a willingness to contribute to the community.

"This is a country of liberty and tolerance, opportunity and diversity - and these values are reinforced by the expectation that all who live here should learn our language, play by the rules, obey the law and contribute to the community.

"British people have welcomed migrants over the years. Our economy and our communities are stronger for their contribution to British life. And people think it's fair that the benefits of citizenship are matched by responsibilities and contributions to Britain.

"Today's proposals are part of the biggest changes to British immigration policy for a generation. This year will also see the introduction of a new Australian-style Points Based System, which will ensure the UK attracts only people with the skills it needs and the establishment of a new UK Border Agency to help strengthen our border controls helping ensure ours is one of the toughest borders in the world."

These changes to citizenship come against a backdrop of radical changes to the immigration system. In 2008 the Government will deliver a complete overhaul of the way we judge who can come to Britain and the way we police the system.

These changes include the introduction of the new Australian style Points Based System from the end of this month which will provide clearer controls on who can come to the UK, making sure that the country only takes in the brightest and the best; a single border force to guard our ports and airports with new police-like powers, all visa applicants fingerprinted, the introduction of a new system to count people in and out and ID cards which will strengthen the UK border and help keep out those who don't have the right to be in the UK.

These reforms to the immigration system will be backed up with a new single piece of legislation, replacing all existing immigration laws, which will be introduced to Parliament in November this year. This is designed to make immigration law more straightforward and transparent and make the UK's immigration system more effective.

Speaking from Delhi during a visit to discuss how PBS will work with the Indian Government, Borders and Immigration Minister Liam Byrne said:

"Our points system is starting on time and on plan. I've no problem with taking the best systems in the world, like Australia's points system, and bringing them to the UK. This is a key part of the huge shake-up to our border security this year."

"The points system means only those migrants Britain needs can come to the UK. We know that migrants contributed to our economy to the tune of £6 billion to GDP in 2006. A strong system for highly skilled migrants is vital to Britain winning these benefits because these migrants are well-educated and pay lots of tax."

"We want India to come first because India is Britain's most important market for highly skilled migrants."

The Highly Skilled tier 1 will build upon the success of the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme by continuing to attract the most talented people with the skills the UK needs to remain a global leader in the fields of finance, business, and technological innovation.

The announcement follows the completion in January of the Border and Immigration Agency's global rollout of fingerprinting for all visas three months early. Now every person in the world coming to the UK on a visa has their fingerprints taken and their details checked against watch-lists - if they're on the list for the wrong reason they can't come in and could be banned from applying to come again for up to 10 years.

A full list of the occupations is below. The Home Office will publish a revised list of shortage occupations once the changes have come into effect.

These changes to the national shortage occupation list for work permits follow research conducted by the NHS workforce review team on behalf of the Department of Health.

The team reviewed all current healthcare occupations included on the list in light of the latest labour market research and skills needed in the healthcare sector. The review covered the whole of the United Kingdom and involved discussions with relevant key stakeholders in both the public and private sectors. The recommendations of the review were discussed and agreed by the Healthcare Sector Advisory Panel.

All work permit applications received for the listed posts on or after 18 March 2008 will now need to be subject to a full resident labour market test. Employers will be required to submit evidence that the posts have been advertised, with full details of people who applied and were interviewed, and why resident workers were not considered suitable.

Work permits will still be issued for these occupations if, following advertising, no suitably qualified resident candidate has been found.

Occupations to be removed from the list of national shortage occupations

The following occupations will be removed from the list from 18 March 2008:

Dentists

Consultants in dental specialities (except consultants and specialists in paediatric dentistry, which remain on the list).

Consultant posts in the following specialist areas:

• accident and emergency;
• additional dental specialities;
• cardiothoracic surgery;
• clinical radiology;
• dermatology;
• endocrinology and diabetes mellitus;
• endodontics;gastroenterology;
• general internal medicine;
• general surgery;
• histopathology;
• infectious diseases;
• medical oncology;
• neurosurgery;
• obstetrics and gynaecology;
• ophthalmology;
• otolaryngology;
• paediatric cardiology;
• palliative medicine;
• psychotherapy;
• public health medicine;
• respiratory medicine;
• rheumatology;
• trauma and orthopaedic surgery; and
• urology.

General medical occupations:

• dietician;
• biomedical scientist or medical laboratory scientific officer;
• occupational therapists;
• pre-registration cytogeneticists; and
• speech and language therapists (employed at Agenda for Change band 5 or 6, or independent sector equivalents).

Nurses:

Not all nursing occupations are being removed from the list. The details below set out those we are removing and those that remain on the list.

The following nursing occupations are being removed from the list:

• midwives; and
  • audiology;
  • sleep or respiratory physiology;
  • neurophysiology;
  • cardiac physiology;
  • clinical radiology; and
  • pathology.

However, the list of shortage occupations still includes registered nurses employed at bands 7 and 8 or their independent sector equivalents and registered nurses employed in the following specialties:

• operating theatre nurse; and
• critical care nurse (nurses working in wards with a Level 2 or Level 3 classification).
  

Other non EU workers who are already part of this Scheme and made their application in 2007 will be allowed to apply to extend their work placement up to a maximum of six months in 2008 and so will need to apply for a visa extension.

Further information about SAWS is available upon request.

In a wide ranging speech to Border and Immigration Agency (BIA) staff, the Immigration Minister Liam Byrne congratulated agency officials and set out a challenging 'deal for delivery' in 2008, to secure the largest shake up to Britain's border security and immigration system for 40 years.

Anyone applying for a visa from 133 countries covering three quarters of the world's population now have their fingerprints checked against UK databases. Nearly 500 cases of identity swapping have been spotted already.

The minister also confirmed BIA exceeded the Prime Minister's target of removing or deporting more than 4,000 foreign national prisoners by the end of 2007 by 200 and went on to outline a day by day timetable for ten crucial milestones for new border protection over the next 12 months.

Liam Byrne said:

"The public wants stronger borders. They want us to shut down the causes of illegal immigration and hold newcomers to account, deporting rule breakers where necessary. They also want a compassionate system, which makes and enforces decisions fast when we have obligations to honour - and lets those we need contribute to Britain as long as they speak English, pay tax and obey the law.

"My goal therefore in 2008 is as ambitious as it is urgent. There are four themes to our work: protection, prevention, accountability and compassion. By Christmas the system will look and feel different. Every month the public will be able to see us not talking about change but delivering on our ten point plan for change. The public is right to demand a new system. We have listened. And we will act."

The milestones set out by the Minister are:

• within 15 days to check fingerprints before a visa is issued anywhere in the world;
• within 60 days to introduce on the spot fines for employers who don't make the right right-to-work checks;
• within 80 days to begin the introduction of a new points system for managing migration;
• within 100 days to introduce a single border force and police-like powers for frontline staff;
• within 180 days to confirm the number of foreign national prisoners deported in 2008 will exceed 2007;
• within 200 days to activate powers to automatically deport foreign national prisoners;
• within 300 days to expand detention capacity;
• within 330 days to begin issuing compulsory ID cards for those foreign nationals who want to stay;
• by Christmas to begin counting foreign nationals in and out of the country and to introduce compulsory watch-list checks for high risk journeys before they land; and
• within 360 days to make and enforce 60 per cent asylum decisions within six months, with alternatives to detention for children.
  

Biometric fingerprints have been taken from more than one million people, and so far 10,000 visa applicants have been identified who have previously been fingerprinted in the UK in connection with immigration cases or asylum applications.

In addition the Government is currently consulting on proposals to overhaul how marriage and short term visas are issued.

Taken together all these measures make-up the biggest shake-up of the immigration system in its history. They allow the UK to continue to reap the benefits of migration, while also preventing abuse of the system.

The proposals published today include: plans to ensure that migrants can integrate into communities through strengthened requirements for English language; plans to ensure all migrants play by the rules with strengthened restrictions on citizenship for those who break the law and protection for vulnerable people through measures to combat forced marriage.

The Government's Australian-style Points Based System and the new independent Migration Advisory Committee, which will meet for the first time on 7 December, will provide new, robust machinery to ensure  that only those who meet the needs of the UK will be allowed to enter and work. 

The statement of intent for Tier 1 shows how the new tier will replace eight existing immigration routes for people who are highly skilled, entrepreneurs, investors or have undertaken studies to a high level and want to stay in the UK to work. Applicants will earn points for their skills and the potential they show for economic success, competence in English language and ability to support themselves and their dependents. 

New measures to help to protect the vulnerable from being pressurised into forced marriage were proposed by the Home Office in a consultation published today. Proposals include raising the minimum age at which people can come to this country for marriage from 18 to 21. A separate consultation, also published today seeks views on the introduction of an English language test before entry for people applying for a spouse visa to help to encourage successful integration.

A reform of the system was also announced to make it even harder for foreigners with criminal convictions to ever become British. Under new guidance, which will apply from 1 January 2008, it will be made absolutely clear that people with an unspent conviction will normally be refused nationality.

If you wish to come to, or extend your stay in, the United Kingdom for such a purpose you will, from 30 November 2007, be required to provide a valid ATAS clearance certificate with your application for an entry clearance or an extension of stay. Failure to provide a valid clearance certificate will result in your application being refused.

You can apply now for an ATAS clearance certificate in readiness for 30 November 2007. You should apply online for a clearance certificate to the Foreign and Commonweatlh Office's Counter Proliferation Department where you will also find a list of the designated subjects and further details of the scheme.

This should not take you any longer than 30 minutes to complete. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) aims to respond to applications within 3 weeks from the date of receipt. Most will be resolved within 5-10 working days.

• be simpler to complete and easier to read - they are in plain English and have been professionally designed
• ask questions that are designed for quick, well-informed visa decisions to be made
• have questions which link directly to the UK Immigration Rules
• ask applicants only for information which is relevant for their visa category
• come with simple tailored guidance notes .

Visa application centres and visa sections overseas will only accept old application forms until 9 November 2007.

Please contact us to receive the new visa application forms and guidance notes.

Information about visa service in Pakistan is available on the website of the British High Commission in Islamabad:

 www.britishhighcommission.gov.uk/pakistan

Official figures show 50,000, mostly Polish applicants, registered to work between April and June 2007.

Some 9,600 Bulgarians and Romanians also registered under the tighter rules affecting those two EU members.

Other statistics show ministers met a 2006 target for removing failed asylum seekers - but the rate has slowed according to fresh 2007 figures.

On Eastern European workers, figures show a cumulative total of 683,000 applicants from nations which joined the EU after May 2004 - but that the rate of arrivals had slowed in 2007.

Between April and June 2007 there were 50,000 applications to join the UK's worker registration scheme compared with 52,000 in the first three months of the year and 65,000 in the last three months of 2006.

Some 66% of the applications have been Polish, a trend which has continued month-by-month in 2007. About 8% of the workers have dependants including children.

Bulgarian and Romanian workers were not allowed free access to the UK when the two nations joined in January 2007 - and figures show only 9,565 people from both nations applied to come to the UK between April and June 2007.

SOURCE: BBC

Once you are ready to apply, please let us know so that full guidance may be provided.

Fingerprints are taken as part of the visa application process and are then checked against UK Government records to identify if the individual is already know to the UK immigration authorities. Once in the UK the authorities can use the same data to check if someone is eligible to work, or to help reissue travel documents if they are lost or destroyed.

Home Office Minister Liam Byrne said:
"New fingerprint visas are fast becoming our first line of defense against illegal immigration. By collecting fingerprint information on foreign nationals coming to the UK in advance of their journey, we are building a new overseas border control which is flushing out the false visa applicants”

Foreign & Commonwealth Office Minister Dr Kim Howells said:
"Recording biometric information allows us to fix an individual’s identity at the earliest point practicable and track their future dealings with the UK. In the past year, we have started to introduce biometric data collection technology to the visa application process. This is a key part of our objective of strengthening our borders."

There is international interest in the use of biometrics such as fingerprints for a range of purposes including border control.

The force would integrate the work of the Border and Immigration Agency, Customs and UKvisas, and would operate both overseas and at the main points of entry to the UK.

The announcement came as part of a wide-ranging assessment to parliament of the UK's anti-terrorism efforts.

The first line of defence against terrorism is overseas, the Prime Minister said, where people first embark on journeys to the UK.

So he called for accelerating plans to remove old and ineffective paper-based systems and replacing them with 'real-time monitoring', which would allow for immediate action and full coordination across immigration, police and intelligence.

'The way forward is electronic screening of all passengers as they check in and out of our country at ports and airports - so that terrorist suspects can be identified and stopped before they board planes, trains and boats to the United Kingdom,' he said.

For that purpose, the Home Office will enhance the existing E-Borders programme to incorporate all passenger information to help track and intercept terrorists and criminals.

While new biometric visas are already in place for immigrants from high-risk countries, within nine months biometric visas will be extended to all applicants. And from 2009, the government will introduce a new, enhanced system of electronic exit control, checking passports against lists of known or suspected terrorists.

At the same time, the government will work to enhance existing cooperation agreements with other countries, to smooth the process of exchanging information about terrorists and criminals, and to join up criminal records databases with other countries in the EU.

As part of that process, the UK 'watch list' will be linked up with the Interpol database of lost and stolen documents.

As a result of this change, work permit applications for Chartered Quantity Surveyors will no longer need to be subject to a full resident labour test.

This change to the National Shortage Occupation List has been the result of consultation with the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and relevant key stakeholders on the Engineering Sector Advisory Panel.

Please let us know if you are looking to make an application for such a role.

The following services will be offered to customers at VAC's as part of the visa fee:

• A non-prejudicial checking service that will ensure that the application is complete and that all documents the applicant wishes to send are present.
• A visa fee collection and handling service.
• A biometric collection service that will collect fingerscans and a photograph from all applicants.
• A courier delivery/collection service to/from the post for applications and collection facility for applicants that have not opted to pay for a personal courier return.

VFS Global will have VAC's in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban.

Once Bulgarian and Romanian nationals have been legally employed in the UK on a continuous basis for twelve months, they are henceforth automatically exempt from work authorisation requirements and may obtain a registration certificate confirming their unrestricted right to access the UK labour market. This twelve month period commences on the first day of lawful employment in the UK .

The requirement to leave the UK after 12 months SBS employment continues to apply to SBS permit holders from countries other than Bulgaria and Romania . Extension or Change of Employment applications will therefore not be granted beyond a cumulative 12 months approval period for nationals from other countries.

Britain’s new simplified, secure system for managing migration will work alongside measures designed to secure the UK’s borders which will be the subject of discussion at the conference. The new system, which will allow migrants to come to the UK under one of five tiers replacing more than 80 existing routes of entry, will begin its rollout at the beginning of 2008.

Tier 1 of the system, which caters for highly skilled migrants such as scientists and entrepreneurs, will be launched at the beginning of 2008;
Tier 2, targeting skilled workers with a job offer and Tier 5, for youth mobility and temporary workers, will come on line in the third quarter of 2008; and
Tier 4, for students, will follow at the beginning of 2009.

A system of sponsorship by employers and educational institutions to ensure compliance with the immigration rules is also being introduced as part of the new system at the beginning of next year.
Controlling migration to the UK through a new simplified, secure system, fits alongside ongoing activity to tighten up the UK’s immigration controls. This includes implementing new technology to record simply and effectively details of passengers intending to enter or leave the UK before they begin their journey, and the strengthening of the UK’s visa system.

Please visit our site on a regular basis to check for updates on the introduction of these changes.

Teachers: with immediate effect, all posts in Scotland covering compulsory schooling will be added to the list.

As a result of this change work permit applications for Teachers in Scotland will no longer be subject to a full resident labour test.

This change to the shortage occupation list has been the result of consultation with the Scottish Executive and the General Teaching Council for Scotland .

Occupations Removed from the List

With effect from 29 May 2007, the following occupations will be removed from the National Shortage List:

• Senior Physiotherapists
• Salaried General Dental Practitioners
• Salaried Assistant Dentists
• Salaried Vocational Dental Practitioners

All work permit applications received by the Border and Immigration Agency on or after 29 May 2007 for these posts will now need to be subject to a full resident labour test. Employers will be required to submit evidence that posts have been advertised, with full details of those who applied and were interviewed, and why resident nationals were not considered suitable. Only when the resident labour test has been satisfied will consideration be given to issuing a work permit.

This change has been the result of consultation with the Department of Health and sector stakeholders.

The new requirement is being introduced by the Government to encourage people to learn English and to find out about our structures, laws, democratic processes and traditions. This will help people to take part in UK society and become full and active citizens.

Effective integration of people who wish to settle in the UK, including embracing a common language and understanding of life in the UK, is important to continued good race relations and community cohesion and is a central part of the Government’s managed migration policy which will ultimately benefit our society and economy.

There are two ways an applicant can demonstrate knowledge of life in the United Kingdom as well as language ability:

• If the applicant is already at or above ESOL (English for Speakers of other languages) Entry 3 standard of English, they will be able to undertake a specially developed short test called "Life in the UK Test".
  
  OR
  
• If the applicant has not reached ESOL Entry 3 they will need to gain an approved English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) qualification, through attending an ESOL course which includes citizenship materials.

Applicants who are unsure of their language ability should work through the navigation tutorial on the "Life in the UK Test" (www.lifeintheuk.test.co.uk) website. If they are unable to fully understand the information, then they may need to enrol on an ESOL with citizenship course.

The English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Skills and British citizenship course is available at local colleges. Further information on colleges who run the new ESOL course can be found at www.learndirect.co.uk or by calling the learndirect helpline on 0800 100 900.

Taking the Life in the UK Test

Testing started on 2 April 2007.

New test questions have been developed based on the second edition of the handbook “Life in the United Kingdom: A Journey to Citizenship”. The second edition includes a new chapter on opportunities to serve in public life.

The handbook can be ordered online from The Stationery Office at www.tso.co.uk/bookshop or by telephoning 0870 243 0123, it is also available from good bookshops.

From 2 April through to 30 June 2007 applicants will be able to take the test based on either the first or second editions of the handbook. The applicant simply needs to tell the test centre which test they wish to take. After 30 June 2007, tests will be solely based on the second edition.

Applicants who have had previous contact with the Home Office (for example, applying for an extension of stay) will have been issued with a Home Office reference number. Applicants should take this number with them when they intend to take the Life in the UK Test.


Applying for settlement

On 7 March 2007 the Home Office announced the introduction of new fees to be implemented on 2 April 2007. The fee for applying for settlement has increased from £335 to £750. All application forms that are postmarked prior to 2 April will be accepted at the old fee levels.

New forms have been produced that reflect this change. Up until 23 April 2007 applications submitted on old forms will be accepted. After 24 April 2007 applications that are not on the new form will be rejected.

Applications submitted without the required evidence

Applicants who apply for settlement but who do not have the required evidence to support their application will automatically be treated as an application for further leave to remain. This will ensure that they are not left without leave.

For these cases, it has been decided that any difference between the settlement fee (£750) and the further leave to remain fee (£350 - £395) will be returned to the applicant once a final decision has been reached. This will be applicable until 31 January 2008.

Work Permit holders applying for settlement who do not provide evidence that they meet the new Knowledge of life requirements will need to ensure their employer makes an application for a new work permit, so that their application can be processed as one for further leave to remain. Without this their application will be refused.

As always, please get in touch if you are ready to make your application or if you have any queries regarding these changes that have been introduced.

The International Graduates Scheme (IGS) will be launched on 1 May 2007 with the aim of encouraging graduates of UK further or higher education establishments to pursue a career in the United Kingdom. Those who complete their courses on or after 1 May 2007 can apply regardless of the subject they have studied. Those who finished their courses before 1 May 2007 may still apply under the old Science and Engineering Graduate Scheme rules.

IGS is a transitional route which enables students who have studied in the UK to access the labour market and gain work experience in the UK.

During their leave under IGS, participants can take any type of employment or self-employment. If they want to remain here beyond their leave under IGS in order to pursue their career, they can switch into various employment or self-employment categories, if they meet the relevant requirements.

To be granted leave under the scheme, applicants must (amongst other things):

• have successfully completed a relevant course at a recognised or listed UK institution of Higher or Further Education on or after 1 May 2007. A relevant course is:

• a Bachelor’s degree course; OR
• a Master's or PhD course; OR
• a postgraduate certificate or diploma. And must:

• have completed their course in the last 12 months (as shown by the date of expiry of leave as a Student to complete this course)
• intend to work during the period of leave granted under the scheme
• be able to maintain and accommodate themselves and any dependants without recourse to public funds;
• intend to leave the UK at the end of their stay (unless granted leave as a work permit holder, highly skilled migrant, business person, innovator or student).

If you wish to apply or have any queries about the scheme, please get in touch with us.

Applicants who have completed qualifications on the old SEGS lists before 1 May 2007, but who have not yet applied under the scheme, will be able to apply under the International Graduate Scheme, but their application will be considered under the same criteria as they would have had to meet under SEGS.

In addition, the Home Office will  also making a change to the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland Scheme, widening the eligibility criteria to include those who have completed a postgraduate certificate or diploma at a recognised or listed Scottish institution of higher education.

New Fee Levels From 1st April 2007

Application Type

Current Fee (£)

New Fee (£)

• diplomatic passport holders and others exempt from UK immigration control
• children aged under 11 years old
• Certificate of Entitlement holders
• returning residents

We will normally refuse an application if there is no certificate.

• diplomatic passport holders and others exempt from UK immigration control
• children aged under 11 years old
• returning residents

An application will usually be refused if there is no certificate.

Please contact us with any queries that you may have.

To reflect the commitment and sacrifice made by serviceman from outside the UK in the British forces, they will now be eligible to apply for citizenship despite having been stationed abroad for the majority of their service.

Under the new rules they will no longer be required to complete five years residency in the UK (three years if married to or the civil partner of a British citizen) before applying to become a British citizen. Instead time spent serving anywhere in the world will be counted towards the residency requirement.

Home Secretary John Reid said:

“This change reflects the commitment to the safety and security of the United Kingdom these men and women show every day despite not being stationed on British soil. I’m sure British citizens will welcome this positive recognition of the contribution these troops make to the safety and security of this country and our interests abroad.

“Everyday these members of our armed forces put their lives at risk for the British public. We should recognise that sacrifice and pay tribute to it by acknowledging that service and ensuring that it is recognised in any application for citizenship.”

Serving members of the Brigade of Gurkhas will continue to be treated in accordance with the British Government’s long-standing agreement with the Government of Nepal that they must remain Nepalese citizens until they leave the Brigade of Gurkhas. After they have left the Brigade however they will be able to count their Armed Forces service, at home or abroad, towards their application for UK citizenship.  

Undersecretary of State for Defence Derek Twigg said:

“Military personnel from the Commonwealth have made and continue to make an invaluable contribution to the success of Armed Forces at home and overseas.  Commonwealth personnel, for example, helped deal with the Foot and Mouth outbreak and are currently deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan”.

This change to the shortage occupation list has been the result of consultation with industry stakeholders, which showed there is no longer evidence to support the continued inclusion of actuaries on the shortage occupation list.

• Railways Planner or Engineer
• Railways Modeller
• Railway Track Design or Permanent Way Engineer
• Communications Engineer
• Power Supply Engineer or Electrification Engineer

• Structural Engineer
• Infrastructure Engineer or Buildings Engineer
• Bridge Engineer or Highways Structural Engineer

• Transport Modeller or Transport Economist
• Traffic Signal Engineer
• Highways Maintenance Engineer

This change to the shortage occupation list has been the result of consultation with the Department for Trade & Industry and Energy & Utility Skills, which is the Sector Skills Council for the electricity industry.

• There will be changes to the attributes for which points are awarded. We are deleting the work experience, significant achievements, skilled partner and GP Priority Provision categories. The new attributes will be academic qualifications, previous earnings, age and bonus points for previous work/study in the UK. The provision which allows holders of MBA degrees from designated institutions will continue. In addition, there will be a new mandatory English language requirement (IELTS level 6 or equivalent) for all applicants.

• The changes will be made by announcing the deletion of the existing HSMP rules on 7 November 2006, effective from 8 November 2006. As part of this announcement, to prepare applicants and ensure an effective operational transition, we will effect a short suspension of the scheme until 4 December 2006. The revised scheme will be operational from 5 December 2006.

• Suspending the HSMP for 27 days will enable us to manage the transition most effectively with the available resources and ensure that current levels of customer service are maintained when the new arrangements are introduced.

• HSMP applications received up to 5pm on 7 November 2006 by our payment processing centre will be accepted and considered against the old criteria.

• Furthermore, anyone already in receipt of a HSMP approval letter can still apply for entry clearance at a visa post for up to 6 months from the date that the approval letter has been issued.

• Applications received on the old HSMP forms from 8 November onwards will be returned to the applicant/representative, with no fee taken.

• The new HSMP forms and guidance will be available from our website from 7 November 2006; hard copies will be available to order later in November. Customers should not submit applications on the new form during the suspension. Any applications received after 5 December 2006 will be prioritised. Any applications received on the new form during the suspension period will take more time to process, since priority will be given to those applications received from 5 December.

• We will introduce a more robust points test for applicants looking for an extension of an initial period of leave under HSMP. This involves replacing the current test, that applicants must show that they have 'taken all reasonable steps to become lawfully economically active' with a new points test, which applies the same attributes being introduced for initial decisions: English language, previous earnings, qualifications and age.

• The revised Leave to Remain criteria will ensure that those people on the programme who wish to extend their stay have been making a contribution to the UK economy.

• Transitional arrangements will apply for those whose leave to remain expires under the new rules and whose applications will be considered against the new criteria. Those who are making a useful contribution to the UK economy - for example, working in a skilled job - but who fail to meet the new requirements, will be offered a 'grace period' in which they can switch into the Work Permits scheme (provided they meet the Work Permits criteria, with the Resident Labour Market Test being waived if they have been in post for a specified period).

• We will not be considering extension applications during the suspension period. However, those on the HSMP whose leave to remain expires during the suspension period will not be disadvantaged, as their extension applications will be accepted and they will be given the opportunity to provide further evidence towards the consideration of their application under the new rules.

• The old FLR (IED) form will continue to be accepted until 4 December. We will write to applicants applying on this form, informing them of the new arrangements and offering the opportunity to submit relevant pages of the new form, plus any additional evidence that may be necessary.

• Any HSMP review request received from individuals whose application was refused under the previous HSMP criteria, in place until 7 November 2006, will be reviewed against the previous criteria. Please note these reviews may not have been completed by 5 December 2006 when the new HSMP criteria come into effect.

• We will promote the new mandatory English language requirement to ensure that applicants are aware of the level of proficiency necessary to support a successful application.

• We will promote the change to the scheme which puts responsibility on the applicant to submit the required documentation with their application. We will verify evidence provided with an appropriate third party and not through direct contact with the applicant. We will confirm that applicants that don?t provide the required evidence or submit documents that cannot be verified will fail.

• IND will conduct a thorough review of the changes to the HSMP scheme, covering both how the changes were implemented and their effectiveness.

Romania and Bulgaria join the union in January, and ministers have been convinced that allowing their nationals unrestricted freedom to work in Britain would be politically unacceptable.

Since May 2004, more than 600,000 eastern Europeans have come to work in Britain. While both the Treasury and the Bank of England say such migration boosts the UK economy, some Labour MPs fear the new entrants push down wages for the party's traditional voters.

Mr Reid is expected to argue that Romania and Bulgaria have too many unskilled workers to allow free entry. Instead, rules would be set out to control entry, favouring those with particular skills and trades.

www.scotsman.com

• Audiology
• Sleep/respiratory physiology
• Neurophysiology
• Cardiac physiology
• Operating theatre nursing
• Clinical radiology
• Pathology
• Critical care

For more information please contact us for assistance.

• For all employment-related categories of entry to the UK, and those who have entered under the Ancestry category, the qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain (settlement) is now 5 years.

• The initial grant of leave to remain will now be 2 years (except for Work Permit holders and Retired Persons of Independent Means), followed by a subsequent period of up to 3 years. The rules previously allowed for an initial period of up to 12 months leave to be granted, followed by a subsequent period of up to 3 years,

• The UK ancestry provision has been changed to allow leave to be granted in a 2 and 3 year pattern, rather than allowing one single period up to the settlement qualifying period.

• Retired Persons of Independent Means will still be eligible for one single period of leave all the way up to the settlement qualifying period as before.

• Work Permit holders will still be eligible for an initial grant of leave up to the currency of their work permit.

• Highly Skilled Migrant's will now be able to amalgamate continuous time spent in the UK as a work permit holder, Highly Skilled Migrant and / or an Innovator when applying for indefinite leave to remain as a Highly Skilled Migrant.

Please contact us for further information.

A new points based system to enable the UK to control migration more effectively, tackle abuse and identify the most talented workers was launched by the Home Secretary today.

IMPORTANT: The below announcement of proposed changes to the UK Immigration System is unlikely to come into effect until mid-2007 at the earliest and does not in any way change current UK Immigration routes. If you qualify now, for example, for the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme then you should apply for HSMP while you can.

Unveiling the Government's Command Paper on the points-based system for managed migration, the Home Secretary called on industry and education sectors to play their role in making migration work for Britain, and reminded them that they had a responsibility to help make the new scheme a success.

1. consolidating more than 80 existing work and study routes into five tiers:



• tier 1 - highly skilled, e.g. scientists or entrepreneurs;
  


• tier 2 - skilled workers with a job offer, e.g. nurses, teachers, engineers;
  


• tier 3 - low skilled workers filling specific temporary labour shortages, e.g. construction workers for a particular project
  


• tier 4 - students; and
  


• tier 5 - youth mobility and temporary workers, e.g. working holiday makers or musicians coming to play a concert.



2. points to be awarded to reflect aptitude, experience, age and also the level of need in any given sector, to allow the UK to respond flexibly to changes in the labour market;

3. the establishment of a Skills Advisory Body to identify these shortages;

4. consolidating entry clearance and work permit applications into one transparent single-stage application;

5. a system of sponsorship by employers and educational institutions to ensure compliance;

6. financial securities for specific categories where there has been evidence of abuse to ensure that migrants return home at the end of their stay; and

7. the ending of employment routes to the UK for low-skilled workers from outside the EU except in cases of short-term shortages.

• the Department of Health to end the existing immigration routes for postgraduate doctors and dentists, except for those people who have studied for their degrees in the UK. This reflects the flexibility of our managed migration systems to ensure we meet the needs of the UK labour market; and

• the Home Office to end existing low-skilled work routes including the Sectors Based Scheme and the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme, again reflecting the fact that labour from the new EU Member States is now filling many vacancies in these areas.

Mr Clarke said:

"The publication of the Government's policy on managed migration is a step in a process to overhauling the UK's immigration system for workers and students. That work is ongoing and will not take effect overnight. A constructive dialogue has already been established between industry and Government, which will continue as the system is put in place."

Command Paper - A Points-Based System: Making Migration Work for Britain

Exectutive Summary

Analysis of consultation responces by sector

What do you think about the above article? Please feel free to dicuss this below.

Switching into work permit employment
Nationals from non-EEA countries may apply to switch into work permit employment without leaving the UK provided they satisfy the work permits criteria and have existing leave as:

Student who has successfully obtained a degree level qualification at a UK higher or further educational establishment; or

Student nurse, overseas qualified nurse, midwife, postgraduate doctor, postgraduate dentist or trainee general practitioner who has a valid in-country work permit approval for employment as a nurse, doctor or dentist; or

Science and Engineering Graduate Scheme participant; or

Working holidaymaker who has spent more than 12 months in total in the UK in this capacity and who holds a valid in-country work permit approval for employment in an occupation listed on the Work Permits (UK) Shortage Occupations List; or

Highly Skilled Migrant; or

Innovator; or

Applicant who is undertaking the PLAB test, a clinical attachment or a dental observation post, who has a valid in-country work permit approval for employment as a doctor or dentist;

Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme participant who holds a valid in-country work permit approval for employment in Scotland.

Switching into the Highly Skilled Migrant category
Nationals from non-EEA countries may apply to switch into the Highly Skilled Migrant category without leaving the UK provided they have existing leave as:

Work permit holder; or

Student who has successfully obtained a degree level qualification at a UK higher or further educational establishment; or

Postgraduate doctor or a postgraduate dentist or trainee general practitioner; or

Working holidaymaker; or

Science and Engineering Graduate Scheme participant; or

Innovator; or

Applicant is undertaking the PLAB test, a clinical attachment or dental observer post, who holds a valid Home Office document confirming that he meets the criteria under the HSMP priority application process for general practitioners; or

Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme participant.

Switching into Home Office approved training or work experience
Nationals from non-EEA countries may apply to switch into Home Office approved training or work experience without leaving the UK provided they have existing leave as a student.

Switching into the seasonal agricultural workers and sectors-based schemes
Switching into the Seasonal Agricultural Workers and Sectors-Based Schemes is not permitted.

Switching into the innovators category
Nationals from non-EEA countries may apply to switch into the Innovators category without leaving the UK provided they have existing leave as:

Work permit holder; or

Student who has successfully obtained a degree level qualification at a UK higher or further educational establishment; or

Working holidaymaker; or

Postgraduate doctor, postgraduate dentist or trainee general practitioner; or

Science and Engineering Graduate Scheme participant; or

Highly skilled migrant; or

Person intending to establish themselves or remain in business; or

Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme participant.

Switching into the persons intending to establish themselves in business category
Nationals from non-EEA countries may apply to switch into the persons intending to establish themselves in business category without leaving the UK provided they have existing leave as:

Work permit holder; or

Highly skilled migrant; or

Science and Engineering Graduates Scheme participant; or

Innovator; or

Student who has successfully obtained a degree level qualification at a UK higher or further educational establishment; or

Working holidaymaker who has spent more than 12 months in total in the UK in this capacity; or

Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme participant.

Switching into the retired persons of independent means category
Nationals from non-EEA countries may apply to switch into the retired persons of independent means category without leaving the UK provided they have existing leave as:

Work Permit Holder; or

Highly Skilled Migrant; or

Person intending to establish themselves or remain in business; or

Innovator.

Switching into the investors category
Nationals from non-EEA countries may apply to switch into the investors category without leaving the UK provided they have existing leave as:

Work Permit Holder; or

Highly Skilled Migrant; or

Person intending to establish themselves or remain in business; or

Innovator.

Switching into the representatives of overseas firms which have no branch, subsidiary or other representative in the United Kingdom category
Switching into the representatives of overseas firms which have no branch, subsidiary or other representative in the United Kingdom category is not permitted.

What happens if an application is submitted where the non-EEA national is not in the UK in one of the designated switching categories?
The presumption will be that applications made from non-EEA nationals currently in the UK in any other capacity will be refused.

What will happen to the payment submitted with the form?
Payment will not be refunded or returned where the non-EEA national is not permitted to switch. Payment is for the consideration process; therefore it will not be refunded or returned where the application does not meet the requirements of the scheme.

What if there are exceptional circumstances?
Individuals in the United Kingdom with leave to enter or remain in categories other than those stated above will not be allowed to switch except in exceptional circumstances.

These circumstances will be assessed by caseworkers on a case by case basis. Circumstances relating to the job, employment and labour market will not be accepted as exceptional circumstances. Only circumstances relating to the individual which would make it unduly harsh for them to return to their country of residence may be considered as exceptional.

It will not include instances where the entry clearance office in the individual's country of residence is closed. In such circumstances UKvisas will name a designated alternative post and the individual should be advised to seek entry clearance at this post.

Also, it will not include circumstances where the applicant has not been granted any leave to enter or remain associated with their current stay and who is unable to return overseas to obtain entry clearance.

A possible example of a compelling circumstance may include instances where the individual is unable to travel due to ill health.

Individuals in the United Kingdom who have not been granted leave to enter or remain associated with their current stay will not be granted leave to remain in the categories listed above.

Please contact us with any enquiries that you may have.

On 14th February 2006, the Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, was pleased to announce that the temporary suspension imposed in April 2005 on 18-30 year old Nigerian first time travellers will be lifted in March 2006.

The Foreign Secretary said, “We mean what we say about welcoming managed, legal, migration. I can announce today two measures to make it easier for legitimate Nigerian travellers to come to Britain. First, we will next month lift our temporary suspension of visa applications by first time young visitors (18-30). And second, we will provide a better quality and faster visa process, by using commercial partners to take applications, fees and data, also from next month.”

New visa application centres will open next month and the suspension will be lifted as each centre opens.

From 14th January 2006, all nationals of non EEA member states travelling to the UK for more than six months will need an entry clearance. This date marks the end of the "grace period" granted on 13 November 2005 when this new requirement came into effect.

All nationals of non EEA member states who wish to come to the UK for more than six months need to obtain an entry clearance from a British diplomatic mission before travelling. Passengers arriving in the UK without an entry clearance will be refused leave to enter.

To find out more information about applying for an entry clearance in your country, please get in contact with us to receive further details on how we may assist.

Following the conclusion of its consultation with faith communities on immigration provisions for religious workers from abroad, the Government will introduce a new immigration category that allows religious workers in non-pastoral roles to come to the UK to work for up to two years. This will cover workers whose duties include performing religious rites - such as reading the scriptures aloud or tending to the deities - but not preaching to a congregation.

Unlike Ministers of Religion, they will not have to speak English, and will not be eligible to settle in the UK. They will also be prohibited from acting as a Minister of Religion, Missionary or Member of a Religious Order, in order to avoid this new category being used to circumvent existing rules. The Home Office will also introduce a pre-entry qualification for all religious workers, carrying out pastoral and non-pastoral work, as part of the wider implementation of the Points-Based System for managed migration.

A further proposal contained in the consultation - for a post-entry civic knowledge test for Ministers of Religion - will not now be introduced. This reflects the separate introduction of a similar test for those applying for British citizenship introduced in November, and similar proposals for those seeking settlement as set out in the five year strategy for asylum and immigration published in February this year.

Home Office Minister Tony McNulty said:

"The introduction of a new category for non-pastoral religious workers will help faith communities to find suitably-qualified personnel that are not always available in the UK.

"Many faiths require a range of personnel to perform religious rites within their community who do not have a pastoral role. This new category caters for such workers. Ministers of Religion preach to their congregation and therefore are required to speak English, but non-pastoral workers coming to the UK under the new category will not preach, will not be required to speak English, and will not be eligible to stay in the UK for more than two years."

"Meanwhile, the introduction of a pre-entry qualification, which is for all religious workers, will mean that overseas nationals will only be able to come to the UK to perform religious duties if their own religious community recognises that they are qualified to do so."

"We recognise that different faith groups have differing methods for assessing who is qualified to work in their community. Implementation as part of the new Points-Based System will therefore give us time to work with the faith communities to develop the criteria and structures for assessment to ensure a smooth transition to the new system."

"However, we are not proposing to introduce civic knowledge tests specifically for Ministers of Religion so soon after the tests of knowledge of life in the UK have been introduced to the British citizenship requirement, and while we are still working on the new settlement requirements outlined in the five year strategy."

The main provisions of the new immigration category are that the applicant:

• is an established religious worker overseas. Religious workers in non-pastoral roles will be required to have at least one year full time - or the equivalent part time - training or work experience in their faith in the last five years;
• submits a letter from a senior member or representative of the local community who has invited them to the UK confirming that they have genuinely been employed under the terms of this category. It will also specify the duration of employment and leave will be granted for this period up to the maximum available of two years; and
• for religious workers in non-pastoral roles, the letter from their community must also confirm that another member of the religious community speaks English.

Mr McNulty added:

"Both changes I am announcing today recognise the needs of the faith communities and their concerns about ensuring that overseas nationals have the skills needed to practise their ministry in the UK's diverse society."

"They also balance the aims of community cohesion and a robust and effective immigration control. We will continue to work with the faith communities on these issues."

Following the first stage of consultation, the Government introduced an English language requirement for all those applying for leave as a Minister of Religion on or after 23 August 2004. Currently applicants must demonstrate that they have a basic command of English; from August 2006 they will have to demonstrate that they are a competent user of English.

The measures announced today form part of the Government's ongoing strategy to ensure the UK's immigration system is firm but fair, allowing those individuals who can contribute to UK society to come here while ensuring there are robust systems in place to tackle abuse.

-	Post	Fast Track (FT) (1 week)	Premium (same day)
Adult first	£51(9)	£77.50(7.50)	N/A
Adult Renewal	£51(9)	£77.50(7.50	£96.50(7.50)
Child first	£34(9)	£70(10)	N/A
Child Renewal	£34(9)	£70(10)	£83(12)
Jumbo - 48 page	£62.50(8)	£87(16)	£104.50(9)

• Build links and foster mutual understanding between the UK and the rest of the world;
• Support the UK's long term diplomatic and economic objectives;
• Contribute over £5 billion annually to the UK's economy;
• Bring new and different perspectives into UK university and college life;
• Broaden the experience of UK students and the communities in which they live; and they
• Help maintain, strengthen and expand the UK's intellectual capital, skills and research base.

Following the Prime Minister's Initiative - which has seen a very substantial growth in recruitment over the last 5 years - the UK's international education industry now represents one of the most successful and expanding elements of the UK economy to-day.

Government and the sector are therefore committed to developing and maintaining the most effective immigration systems which meet the joint of objectives of:

1. Encouraging and ensuring the UK retains its position as a world leader in international education, by maximising the number of genuine students choosing to come to the UK in the future; and
2. Establishing and maintaining effective systems which regulate entry to the UK, ensure compliance and minimise abuse either by individuals or organisations.

• A duty to provide reasonable maintenance for your civil partner and any children of the family;
• Ability to apply for parental responsibility for your civil partner's child;
• Equitable treatment for the purposes of assessment for child support; life assurance; tax, including inheritance tax; employment and pension benefits; inheritance of a tenancy agreement;
• Recognition under intestacy rules;
• Access to fatal accidents compensation;
• Protection from domestic violence; and
• Recognition for immigration and nationality purposes.

• Entry clearance granted to register a civil partnership; or
• The written permission of the Secretary of State; or
• Settled status in the UK;

Based on the 150-page Life in the United Kingdom guide, the test questions would-be citizens on history, law, society and manners in the UK. It is hoped the test will encourage people to take a greater interest in their community, and help them to settle in better.

Cllr Harmesh Lakhanpaul, chairman of the Peterborough Racial Equality Council (Prec), said: "I think the aim of the test is laudable. It's helping people to understand the society they're going to be a part of and be aware of their roles, their rights and their responsibilities, and that will certainly help towards integration.

"Any understanding of the way that British society works is a good thing."

But Cllr Lakhanpaul expressed some concern at the content of the test, which has been criticised for being too tough and as confusing for born and bred UK citizens as for newcomers.

Cllr Lakhanpaul said: "Some of the questions you do look at and wonder how many people who are actually born here, and have gone through the schooling system here, will have knowledge of them. I imagine there is a gap of knowledge in terms of rights and responsibilities within existing society as well. I'm sure people who have been brought up here would still be struggling with those questions."

Cllr Lakhanpaul said the Prec has been met with a huge workload as many people try to get their citizenship applications processed before the test becomes mandatory in three weeks' time.

The changes will also affect people with leave to remain in the UK. As the law presently stands a student, family member or work-permit holder refused an extension of stay in the UK has a right of appeal against the refusal and may remain in the UK while that appeal is being heard. About one third of these appeals are successful - that is one third of the Home Office refusal decisions are wrong. The Bill will prevent people from appealing whilst they are in the country and a person refused permission to stay will be compelled to leave the country immediately. Applicants appealing from abroad have far less chance of winning their appeals. The Home Office will be represented at their appeal hearing but the applicant will be unable to attend the hearing to give evidence. The Bill also has the appalling effect of criminalizing all people refused extensions of stay in the UK. These will be people here lawfully, whether as employees, students, family members or business people. As soon as they are refused an extension of stay they may be detained and removed. If they do not leave the UK, they are committing a criminal offence and may be arrested by a police officer or immigration officer and if convicted, may be imprisoned for up to six months. This is not 'streamlining' the appeal system as the government claims. It is subverting and stacking the appeal system. The changes will affect the families, livelihoods and careers of lawful immigrants and disrupt the workings of educational institutions and businesses by forced departures.

ILPA encourages people to consider the effect of the Bill, to read our detailed written documentation to explain the changes and to PROTEST to defeat these changes.

For further information, briefings and updates please contact:

The changes to visa fees follow a wide-ranging review of our cost base. The new fees have been set to ensure that UKvisas continues to meet the full cost of the worldwide visa operation, which receives no subsidy from the UK taxpayer. Without these changes, the visa operation would incur a deficit over the course of this financial year.

The changes represent an average increase of 21% across all visa categories, with some going up, some going down and settlement visas staying the same. In addition to the change in fees, the structure of the fee table has been simplified and there are now only 4 different fees. Applicants and our visa staff will benefit from the less complicated structure through fewer mistakes and lower administrative costs.

Below is a comparative list of the current fees and the new fees from July.

Existing Fee	Price £	New Fee	Price £
Handling applications on behalf of Commonwealth countries	22	Commonwealth countries	30
Handling applications on behalf of UK Overseas Territories	22	UK Overseas Territories
Direct Airside Transit visa	36	Direct Airside Transit visa, In Transit Visit, Join Ship or Aircraft
Multiple Visit 6 months	36	Single, Double and Multiple Visit 6 valid up to 6 months	50
Multiple Visit 1 year	36	Longer term validity visit visa Visa for any other purpose (includes student and employment) and Certificate of Entitlement	85
Multiple Visit 2 years	60
Multiple Visit 5 years	88
Multiple Visit 10 years	150
*Student, Au Pair, Short Term Employment, Academic Visitor, Working Holidaymaker, Returning Resident	36
Employment longer than 6 months and any other category not shown above	75
Certificate of Entitlement	110
Settlement, Marriage	260	Settlement, Marriage	260

*Currently charged at the existing Multiple Visit 6 months fee

• Post-graduation Salaries, as the most effective measure of productivity
• Employment, essential if productive potential is to be realised.

• Work permit holders
• Students (if you have obtained a degree qualification at a relevant institution and, if appropriate, have the written consent of your official sponsor).
• Postgraduate doctors, dentists and trainee general practitioners
• Working holidaymakers
• Science and Engineering Graduates Scheme (SEGS) participants
• Innovators
• Doctors taking the PLAB Test or doctors and dentists undertaking Clinical Attachments or Dental Observer Posts, where they are using the HSMP priority application process for general practitioners

• delays in the entry clearance procedure or,
• delays arising from overseas nationals' appeal against the Entry Clearance Officers? decision to refuse the application.

• Harvard Business School (USA)
• Columbia Business School (USA)
• University of Pennsylvania: Wharton (USA)
• IMD (SWI)
• University of Chicago (USA)
• Dartmouth College: Tuck (USA)
• Stanford University (USA)
• Insead (FR/Sing)
• University of Oxford: Said (UK)
• MIT: Sloan (USA)
• Ashridge (UK)
• North Western: Kellogg (USA)
• London Business School (UK)
• New York University: Stern (US)
• University of Strathclyde (UK)
• Lese Business School (SP)
• Yale School of Management (USA)
• Warwick Business School (UK)
• City University: Cass (UK)
• Rotterdam School of Management (Neth)
• UC Berkeley: Haas (USA)
• University of Cambridge: Judge (UK)
• Georgetown University: McDonough (USA)
• Instituto de Empresa (SP)
• Cornell University: Johnson (USA)
• University of Michigan (USA)
• Duke University: Fuqua (USA)
• University of Virginia: Darden (USA)
• Carnegie Mellon University (USA)
• SDA Bocconi (IT)
• Emory University: Goizueta (USA)
• UCLA: Anderson (USA)
• Manchester Business School (UK)
• Cranfield School of Management (UK)
• University of Toronto: Rotman (CAN)
• University College Dublin: Smurfit (IRE)
• University of Southern California: Marshall (USA)
• University of Rochester: Simon (USA)
• Vanderbilt University: Owen (USA)
• Rice University: Jones (USA)
• University of North Carolina: Kenan-Flagler (USA)
• Babson College: Olin (USA)
• Melbourne Business School (AUS)
• Ceibs (CHN)
• Australian Graduate School of Management (AUS)
• Universiteit Nyenrode (NTH)
• University of Western Ontario: Ivey (CAN)
• Boston University School of Management (USA)
• University of Maryland: Smith (USA)
• Bradford School of Management/Nimbas (UK/NTH/GER)

• Work Permit - main scheme
  
• Work Permit - Sectors Based Scheme
  
• TWES - Training and Work Experience Scheme
  
• SAWS - Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme

• Should now intend only to take employment incidental to a holiday, and not to engage in business, or to provide services as a professional sportsperson, and in any event not to work for more than 12 months during their stay; and
  
  
• Is a national or citizen of a Commonwealth country, except for Lesotho, or a British Overseas Citizen; a British Overseas Territories Citizen; or a British National (Overseas); and
  
  
• May now only switch into employment in the following categories: Innovators, Highly Skilled Migrant Programme or Work Permit employment, if the occupation is on the list of designated shortage occupations maintained by Work Permits (UK).

• New points system for migrants wanting to work or study
• Financial bonds for migrants in sectors open to abuse to guarantee they return home
• End to automatic right for immigrants' families to settle
• Fixed penalty fines for each illegal worker used by employers
• Only skilled workers allowed to stay permanently, after English language tests
• End to appeals for those wanting to work or study
• Refugees only given temporary leave to stay while safety in home country reviewed
• More detention of failed asylum seekers
• Fingerprinting of all visa applicants

• hold entry clearance (visa) as a fiancé(e) or marriage visitor, or
• hold a Home Office certificate of approval, or
• be a person with settled status in the UK (e.g. indefinite leave to remain)

• Bangkok
• Colombo
• India
• Jakarta
• Kuala Lumpur