Australian Company fined $175,000 for Australian 457 visa breach
A Federal court has fined a Darwin company, Choong Enterprises, over AUS$175,000 for paying overseas Filipino visa holder workers below the legal requirements and for illegally charging them recruitment costs. Choong Enterprises were brought to the Federal Court in Australia following charges of underpaying 10 Filipino workers that held 457 Temporary Work (Skilled) visas for […]
Changes to Subclass 457 visa Australia programme
Changes to Australian Subclass 457 visa programme Early in 2015, the federal government announced changes to Subclass 457 Temporary Work (Skilled) visas that would increase flexibility and reduce restrictions on visa holders whilst maintaining the integrity of the programme. In April 2015 the Australian government followed through with the promise and delivered a number of […]
Political party immigration: Where do they stand?
Political party immigration Immigration is a heated topic. Both the Conservative and the Labour parties have been criticised for hiding from immigration, while Ukip has built its image largely on immigration based rhetoric. Conservatives having failed to cut migration to their target as promised have faced criticism, with net migration figures higher than when the […]
Visit Visa Reforms April 2015 (May Update)
The Home Secretary, Theresa May, has announced that Visit Visa reforms will be introduced in April in an effort to make it easier for business people and performing artists to enter the country. Mrs May outlined the plans to leaders of the Confederation of British Industry in a private meeting on Tuesday 10 February, she said that: […]
Egypt Visas on Arrival Scrapped
As of May 15th 2015, travellers not on package tours to Egypt will need to apply in advance for permission to enter. Whereas, tourists travelling with registered tour operators and intend to stay for less than 15 days will be issued a visa-on-arrival. With the tourism industry in Egypt still recovering from the political events […]
Visa refusal for China expert Miwa Hirono
Poor decision from the Home Office results with Nottingham University losing their academic expert on China It has been reported that the Home Office’s visa refusal to allow a ‘high-flying academic expert on China’, who has advised the UK government, to remain in the UK has been described by one of her colleagues as “pure […]
Tier 1 Switching to Tier 2 – Clock is Ticking
Tier 1 Switching to Tier 2 With 6 April 2015 fast approaching, extending under the Tier 1 (General) category will no longer be an option. Such applications will no longer be accepted by the immigration arm of the Home Office, UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). However, switching into the Tier 2 (General) category may be […]
Marriage Visa Help (Home Office Crackdown Ahead)
On the 2nd March 2015 the Marriages and Civil Partnerships Regulations 2015 and associated Orders will be implemented. The Regulation will strengthen the Home offices position as they attempt to expose sham marriages and civil partnerships in the UK. Tougher checks on proposed marriages, or civil partnerships, will be reviewed by the Home […]
End to Tier 1 (General) Visa Extensions
The end to tier 1 visa extension As of 6 April 2015, the Home Office have put an end to tier 1 visa extension and will no longer be accepting applications for Tier 1 (General) extensions. Applicants currently holding a Tier 1 (General) who want to extend their stay must submit an application before 6 April 2015. […]
Tier 2 Statement of Changes 2015
The Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules has been published for 2015; the following is taken from the document with respect to Tier 2 applications and will take effect from 6 April 2015. 12 Month Cooling Off Period We are pleased to note that a change is being made to the 12 month “cooling off […]