10 May 2011
Low monthly CoS allocation for April 2011 – large rollover of CoS into May's allocation
The UK Border Agency (UKBA) published figures recently on its allocation of restricted Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) to Tier 2 registered sponsors for April 2011. The figures are surprisingly low and as a result a large number of CoS are being rolled over into the allocation for May 2011.
10 May 2011
Changes to Tier 4 take effect
The changes to Tier 4, the student immigration route, took effect on 21 April 2011. Changes include an increase in the level of English required, an end to the work rights for some, and an end to the ability of undergraduate students to bring their dependants to the UK
8 April 2011
Tier 2 premium service now available in Sheffield
The UK Border Agency has introduced a service which allows frequent users of the Tier 2 system to submit their applications in person at the Public Enquiry Office in Sheffield, rather than via the standard postal route.
8 April 2011
Impact of failure of US to agree 2011/12 budget
The US government has failed to agree its Budget for 2011-2012. If an agreement is not reached by midnight on Friday, 8 April 2011 there a possibility that a number of government services will shut down including the USCIS offices that the UKBA use for biometric enrolment.
1 April 2011
Tier 1 (General) settlement earnings criteria
Those in the UK as highly skilled migrants should be aware that the criteria for settlement for Tier 1 (General) migrants have changed recently.