From 1 February 2012, postal applicants will need to book these appointments online.

Before you can book an appointment online, you must register by creating a customer account on their 'Apply online' service. You will need a valid email address. You will then be sent password details, which will allow you to access your account and book your appointment. For more information, see their Booking an appointment (postal applications) page.

Also from 1 February, an email service will replace their residence permit helplines (0300 123 2412 and 0300 123 4699). You will need to email:

BRPDelivery@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk if there is an issue with the delivery of your biometric residence permit;
BRPError@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk if there is an error on your biometric residence permit;
BRPLost@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk to report the loss or theft of a biometric residence permit; and
employerBRPverification@ukba.gsi.gov.uk if you are an employer or sponsor and you want to confirm that a biometric residence permit is valid.

If you do not have email access, you will be able to send your enquiries by Freepost to:

Freepost RRYX-GLYU-GXHZ
Returns Unit
PO Box 163
Bristol
BS20 1AB

Customers can still use the phone services until 31 January.

There is a maximum cap of 500 Federal Skilled Worker applications per eligible occupation and as of 3 January 2012, the following occupation caps have been reached:

• Professional Occupations in Business Services to Management
• Pharmacists
• Registered Nurses
• Biologists and Related Scientists

As of 3 January 2012, the following occupations have a limited amount of visas remaining:

• Specialist Physicians - 50 visas left
• General Practitioners and Family Physicians - 35 visas left
• Dentists - 32 visas left
• Architects - 185 visas left
• Social Workers - 164 visas left

There are also spaces available for:

• Licensed Practical Nurses
• Insurance Adjusters and Claims Examiners
• Cooks
• Contractors and Supervisors, Mechanic or Carpentry Trades
• Physiotherapists
• Heavy-Duty Equipment Mechanics
• Plumbers & Electricians
• Construction Workers

If you come under one of these occupations and gain enough points under the skilled worker visa category you should be able to immigrate to Canada. You can still apply under the Federal Skilled Worker visa even if your occupation is not on the list so long as your employer can prove that they cannot find a citizen or permanent resident in Canada to do the job.

Canadian Immigration uses a Priority Occupation List which is a list of occupations deemed in demand by the Canadian Government; there is an on-going national skills shortage in a number of areas. Skilled workers are people who are selected as permanent residents based on their points score and ability to become economically established in Canada.

If your occupation is listed on the Priority Occupation List, you are eligible for skilled migration to Canada without needing to have a job offer from a Canadian employer. In addition, processing times are quite quick; you may be able to gain entry to Canada within months of beginning the application process.

Once your application is submitted to Canadian Immigration and Citizenship, it will be processed according to the six selection factors in the skilled worker point’s grid, which are:

• your education
• your abilities in English and/or French
• your work experience
• your age
• whether you have arranged employment in Canada, and

There are many ways to immigrate to Canada. If you don't meet the criteria to apply under the Federal Skilled Worker Program, you may qualify under another category. If you would like to apply for Canada's Federal Skilled Worker program EAvisas.com can help.

Previously, any foreign person graduating from a UK university could take up work with a UK business for a period for two years under the Tier 1 Post Study Work visa category.

However, this is now being abolished and students in this category will now have to be sponsored by a company in order to remain living and working in the UK.

The sponsorship process will need to be made through the points based system, which means the applicants will need to meet certain criteria, including minimum skills levels, and the job will have to pay a minimum salary.

In addition, those firms hoping to take on foreign graduates will need to acquire a ‘sponsorship license', which will enable them to sponsor foreign workers and graduates. The licenses are only distributed by the UK immigration department, which will carry out a number of checks to ensure a business fulfil the criteria required to sponsor foreign nationals under the points based system.

Jason Kenney, Minister for Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism made the announcement, stating that the funding levels would rise for all states, except Quebec, in 2012-13.

Kenney stated: “The Government of Canada wants newcomers to integrate into Canada. That is why we have tripled settlement funding since 2005-06.

“We are committed to ensuring the distribution of settlement funding is fair and that immigrants receive the same level of service, regardless of where they choose to settle.”

The settlement funding is used towards services provided to immigrants coming to Canada and it is hoped that the increase will make it even easier for migrants to settle in Canada and make Canadian immigration easier and more appealing to those thinking about making the move.

The funding allocation is spread across all states outside of Quebec and will total £358 million – a sharp rise compared to the £114 million in 2005-06.

Priority slots will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis and will be limited to a few each day. The British High Commissioner in South Africa, Dame Nicola Brewer, said, "I'm delighted that we will be enhancing our already excellent UK visa services to customers in South Africa."

"We turn around most visa applications very quickly, but inevitably some people have to travel at the last minute, and this priority service will speed up the process even further," said the Commissioner.

UK Visitor Visa applications are normally processing within in 15 working days with the majority of applications being processed in just 5 working days – the new priority service will ensure even quicker processing times, ideal for those who have secured last minute holidays.

If you are interested in visiting the UK, please contact us for more information or a free assessment

The British Diplomatic post in New Zealand advices that applicants can still submit applications by attending a biometric appointment made available at the Sudima Hotel on one of the following dates:

▪       12 December 2011

▪       5 January 2012

▪       26 January 2012

Applicants are reminded to make an appointment through the online application system.

Applicants who require an appointment outside of these dates are also reminded that biometric enrolment centre’s are open in Auckland and Wellington as normal.

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) – a government advisory committee, has recommended that UK citizens and UK residents who wish to sponsor a spouse, partner or dependant family member under the UK family visa route should be required to show a minimal salary income of £18,600 to £25,700.

The MAC was asked to conduct a report on the family migration route and to highlight a salary requirement, which would ensure that a sponsor could bring family member to the UK and continue to live as normal without recourse to public funds – i.e. the arrival of additional family members would not lead to a situation whereby the sponsor or family members would become a burden on the state.

The report uncovered that the current level of £13,700 was not sufficient to support additional family members and that the suggested increase to £18,600 to £25,700 would significantly reduced the number of applications received under the family route by as much as 63% - in line with the government aims of reducing overall net migration.

Chairman of the MAC, Professor David Metcalf stated: "Our recommendations are made on a purely economic basis and we recognise that family migration is not determined by economics alone. However our analysis suggests there is justification for raising the pay threshold."

However, The Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR) found the MAC recommendations on proposed incomes a little on the high side. Matt Cavanagh, Associate Director of the IPPR said: "It isn’t unreasonable – particularly in the current economic climate – to ask whether, if someone is destitute or entirely dependent on benefits, they should be allowed to bring in a spouse or partner who is likely to end up in a similar position".

"But introducing an income threshold at £25,700, the level of the national median income would effectively bar half the population from bringing a spouse or partner from abroad."

If you are interested in settling in the UK, please contact us for more information or a free assessment.

State Department figures show that eight million entries were received in 2011 – compared with fifteen million in 2010. Changes in demographics are also seen this year with just 1.36 million Nigerian applicants topping the list – this compared with 7.6 million Bangladeshi nationals in 2010 topping the list.

According to a spokesperson from the State Department, the figures have changed radically due to the fact that Bangladesh has now been removed from the list of eligible countries after it was decided that it is no longer a country which attracts minimal migrants to the US.

Fewer applicants could be eligible to apply in years to come following plans to charge a fee to enter the programme. If the plans go ahead it could lead to a considerable reduction in the number of applications that are received.

The Green Card Lottery – also know as the diversity visa lottery, gives migrants from a diverse range of backgrounds the chance to live and work in the US. 50,000 visas are granted on a yearly basis to the millions of applicants who apply each year.

If you are interested in obtaining a US Green Card, please contact us for more information or a free assessment.

Under the current system, all workers who are sponsored by UK companies must apply under Tier 2 of the points-based system visa, which has been limited by a quota of just 20,7000 for the financial year. Many UK firms are worried that this could be tightened further and make it even harder for industries such as life sciences & IT to thrive as they rely on brining in talent from outside of the EU.

The Corporation’s policy chairman, Stuart Fraser, said:

“A predictable operating environment for business is essential in planning business investment and promoting economic growth.

“If UK immigration is to be capped, we must find a way for the UK’s businesses to attract the international talent they need. Uncapped intra-company transfers remain one such method.”

The minimum age was raised on 27 November 2008 with a view to addressing and preventing forced marriages under paragraph 227 of the immigration rules. The Supreme Court judge acknowledged that the Secretary of State had good reason, however argued that raising the age interfered with Article 8 and interfered disproportionately with those in genuine marriages.

Following the decision, Immigration Minister Damian Green stated:

"The changes will take effect on 28 November and will reduce the minimum age at which a person may be granted entry clearance or leave as the spouse, civil partner, fiancé(e), proposed civil partner, unmarried or same-sex partner of a sponsor, and the minimum age at which a person may sponsor such an application, from 21 to 18 years. It will also delete references to a minimum age of 18 for entry clearance or leave as the spouse, civil partner, fiancé(e), proposed civil partner, unmarried or same-sex partner of a HM Forces sponsor, and the minimum age at which a member of HM Forces may sponsor such an application".

The new guidance will influence applicants under the fiancé (e), proposed civil partner, spouse, civil partner, de-facto and same-sex partner categories whose applications:

• were refused under paragraphs 277, 289AA, or 295AA of the Immigration Rules due to either the applicant or their sponsor were aged between 18 and 20 and;

• whose application was refused on that basis between 27 November 2008 and October 2011

Under the new guidance, applications made as above and subsequently refused form either inside the UK or outside the UK, will now be able to apply for a review of their original decision.

If you are interested in settling in the UK, please contact us for more information or a free assessment.