The British government is finally implementing a cap on its annual intake of skilled migrants from next April. This would definitely pose difficulties for many applicants especially the highly-skilled professionals from India, specifically those working in the field of services and healthcare.

According to Damian Green, the Immigration Minister for Britain, there would be an annual quota. The first of these quotas would begin in April next year which would be executed for Tier I and tier II. Tier I caters to the highly skilled professionals where as Tier II caters to those applicants who already have a job offer in prior. He also said that Britain is not attempting anything strange in its annual quota.

An interim quota has already been implemented in the meantime which has started from July 2010 till March 2011 before the final cap is set. This involves a limit of 5,100 for tier – I and around 20,000 for the Tier II category. As of now, this can be considered as a short respite for the IT professionals from India. The Indian IT industry is completely dependent on Intra Company Transfer or the ICT route to send professionals to Britain. This has not been included in the interim quota with talks being on with the associations from the industry regarding the use of ICT after April next year.

On the issue, Mr. Som Mittal, President for Nasscom said that the industry of technology feels that these quotas should not be executed on the ICT professionals. According to the data, these professionals reside in the nation for less than two years, so it is not related to immigration but instead is about trade. Mr. Mittal would also be meeting the Migration Advisory Committee to discuss this matter in London.

According to a report, immigration to UK has increased over 20% in the last one year. This has come about when more and more students from overseas are coming to study in Britain.

As per the Office of National Statistics, the total long term immigration for the last year was about 196,000. When compared to that of 2008, it was 163,000. With this, the number of student visas has also increased by 35% which led to a number of 362,015 till June. It has been seen that there has been a rise in the number of students coming to pursue higher education in UK. This has been after the introduction of the Points Based System.

However, many campaign groups have argued that this system is more of an ambiguity as many local students are not proceeding with higher education due to unexplained places. Damian Green, the Immigration Minister for Britain said that there would a thorough assessment of these rules.

On the other hand, there are many students who come to UK. At the same time, the universities in the nation also spot them as a good source of income especially when the government is putting cuts on the budgets for higher education. According to a research which came about recently, about a third of universities are also planning to raise their intake of foreign students for their undergraduate courses.

Keeping the admissions to traditional universities aside, many more foreign students have enrolled to about 600 lower tier colleges where it is much easier to obtain an admit. At the same time, these colleges are accredited to give out bachelor degrees.

These colleges also offer qualifications in ancient medicine, circus skills as well as acupuncture. Most of these students also obtain a work permit in the country after finishing their graduate. As per the report, there are about 4,000 illegal migrants who are supposed to have taken benefit of fake colleges to walk into the nation.

It has been said by British government that the nation has gained from immigration from India. At the same time, now the nation wants this rate to be controlled in order to increase the gains as well as reduce the total number of migrants walking into the nation. This is when compared to the level of immigration in 1990s.

Damian Green, the Immigration Minister for Britain on his visit to India said that the nation is also assessing the provisions for the student visas. This is being done to bring about aid to those who are the best and the brightest and could pursue their higher education. At the same time, it could also prevent those who pretend to have an intention to study in order to get a job. He also said that he is in the nation to explain the amends brought about in the UK immigration policies as well as the reasons behind them. At this point of time, the government of UK is working on limited economic immigration.

The Immigration Minister also mentioned that it has been decided to bring about a zero limit when it comes to unskilled migration. At the same time, the government wants to attract the best and the brightest of the entrepreneurs and investors who could aid in the economic growth of Britain. This does not mean there is a contradiction in reduction of immigration levels and at the same time, wanting to bring about more investment and skilled migrants to the nation. Both are possible together.

Answering questions he also said that about hundred illegal migrants on an average are being deported from UK each month. With this, about two hundred more Indians have been detained in various prisons in the nation. The Minister also met with the Chief Minister of Punjab, Parkash Singh Badal as well as the DGP to seek cooperation with regard to illegal migration to Britain from Punjab.

With the recent decision of the UK government bringing about a cap on immigration especially from the non EU nations, many businesses in Britain have warned that would be forced to deploy all the jobs overseas. This also includes India as due to the new immigration policies, there would be a severe shortage of skilled professionals in UK.

With the above on the move, it would be soon that jobs pertaining to call centers based in Britain and other occupations regarding Finance and Information Technology would be shifted to other nations. These nations would be especially the ones where in it would be less expensive and easy to find the required staff.

The above warning has come about when Damian Green, the Immigration Minister for Britain was to come to India on a visit for three days. The main purpose of this visit to guarantee the Ministers as well as the businesses that the new policies are not about creating more barriers or closing the doors. It is about bringing controlled immigration with a system that is quick and fair.

According to a new survey, about two-thirds of those who suggested of relocating the jobs preferred to shift to India and another one-third intended to move to China. The survey said that the employers wanted the best professionals. They are not bothered about the origin of these workers. This was not possible with the local employees who do not fit the bill.

As per an official from the British Chambers of Commerce, the companies in Britain are not against hiring local people but they find it difficult to find such professionals who meet their eligibility criteria along with the required attitude and motivation which is important for their business to flourish.

On the other hand, the various businesses in the nation have also said that these new rules can be a threat and might lead to damaging relations with other nations. This is specifically true for nations like China and India. This is because the nation required the markets and entrepreneurial skills from these nations at one point of time.

With the recent decision of the UK government bringing about a cap on immigration especially from the non EU nations, many businesses in Britain have warned that would be forced to deploy all the jobs overseas. This also includes India as due to the new immigration policies, there would be a severe shortage of skilled professionals in UK.

With the above on the move, it would be soon that jobs pertaining to call centers based in Britain and other occupations regarding Finance and Information Technology would be shifted to other nations. These nations would be especially the ones where in it would be less expensive and easy to find the required staff.

The above warning has come about when Damian Green, the Immigration Minister for Britain was to come to India on a visit for three days. The main purpose of this visit to guarantee the Ministers as well as the businesses that the new policies are not about creating more barriers or closing the doors. It is about bringing controlled immigration with a system that is quick and fair.

According to a new survey, about two-thirds of those who suggested of relocating the jobs preferred to shift to India and another one-third intended to move to China. The survey said that the employers wanted the best professionals. They are not bothered about the origin of these workers. This was not possible with the local employees who do not fit the bill.

As per an official from the British Chambers of Commerce, the companies in Britain are not against hiring local people but they find it difficult to find such professionals who meet their eligibility criteria along with the required attitude and motivation which is important for their business to flourish.

On the other hand, the various businesses in the nation have also said that these new rules can be a threat and might lead to damaging relations with other nations. This is specifically true for nations like China and India. This is because the nation required the markets and entrepreneurial skills from these nations at one point of time.

In their search for skilled migrants from Britain, the Government of Australia is organizing an employment expo in September in London. This expo is catered to getting skilled workers from the UK to match the needs of the employers in Australia. As per the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC), Australia needs those skilled in medical services, engineering or trades. This is because the nation is still very short of skilled workers in a wide range of industries.

The Skills Australia Needs Expo would cater to those industries which are critically short of skilled professionals. These include construction, mining and health industries. This expo would also be host to major employers from Australia and their representatives and state and territorial governments from Australia.

In 2005, the Australian Expo Program was first started. As of now, about twenty three Australian employment Expos have been organized. Of these, eight have been held in UK. In 2009, some of the key features of this expo were:

• About thirty eight exhibitors which include the Government organizations, Australian employers as well as companies into relocation service participated.
• The number of skilled workers was above 1800 who had visited this expo.

According to DIAC, 90% of those who attended this expo recommended more such expos to their friends. At the same time, 80% felt that they can meet the right sponsor for Australian migration.

Immigration is putting undue pressure on Britain for most of the employment opportunities are taken by foreign nationals coming into the country every year. This has become a big problem for British youths who are facing with the problems such as unemployment and lack of job opportunities for them.

Recent figures have revealed that heavy flow of immigrants entering the country does affects the prospects of jobs for country-born workers. In last few years, Britain has seen an increase in employment but most of these jobs are occupied by overseas workers. The number of foreign workers employed in Britain has increased up to 145,000 workers in comparison to only 41,000 country-born workers. The overall situation is not very good and favorable for Britain-born workers.

Damian Green, an Immigration Minister in a statement to the press told that there is no doubt that for the progress of the country, we need talented and capable people from foreign countries to work for us. But this is also important that we must check the uncontrolled immigration of foreign workers as this puts lot of pressure on the country’s resources and services.

This is one of our goals to introduce limit on immigrants from outside Europe entering the country for employment purposes. Recent figures have revealed that seventy two thousand Britain-born workers between the ages eighteen and twenty four were unemployed for last two years. This is truly a serious problem for Britain born youths whose opportunities are taken by others.

About eighteen Indians have been arrested regarding crimes pertaining to immigration. These arrested would be deported soon from Britain. The UK Border Agency (UKBA) arrested these undocumented migrants in a clothing factory in Leicester, in two catering firms in west London and from a restaurant in Aberdeen.

These arrests are a part of the national operation conducted by the UKBA to take on illegal migration, bogus colleges, immigration crime which is organized and sham marriages. Relevant measures would be taken for the deportation of these migrants from Britain. This is as per the British High Commission in India which had made a statement.

The above firms from where these people were arrested have been warned to be subject to fines as high as 180,000 for employing workers if they do not have enough evidence which proves them to have conducted immigration checks the right way.

According to the UK Immigration Minister, Damian Green, it has been decided to make it as tough as possible for such illegal migrants to walk into UK. Such illegal immigration tends to affect the public services, legitimate businesses as well as the local communities as it leads to more pressure which is beyond what the nation can withhold.

The above is one of the main reasons why the government is so bent on cutting the strings of illegal employment and organized smugglers who are trying to reside in the nation.

It has been found that the identity of a dead American teenager was being used by a fraudster who had been living in South Wales for 10 years. William Victor Bernson III had been living on a fake identity. He has been imprisoned for 16 months in Swansea Prison. He has been charged for walking into Britain as Greg Smith who had died in the 1970s in a car accident.

After Bernson is done serving in the prison, he would be deported back to the United States. After investigating his past, it came to light that he had been involved in fraudulent activities before also. He had duped the families of the Dunblane massacre victims. He even tried to get Amazon – the Internet giant to pay him $1 million. He had also been imprisoned previously for fraud and he had gone under four different names. His case is not being investigated by the FBI. Bernson was living with his Greek wife and his three children for ten years before he was caught by the American authorities.

With American officials cooping him, the UK Border Agency was notified of the same. According to the Head, Cardiff Immigration Crime Team, UK Border Agency, Steve Evans, Bernson was involved in serious fraud where in he used the identity of a dead person to make a life for himself in the UK. With the help of the American authorities, they were able to disclose his fraud.

Bernson is 49 years of age and has managed many firms dealing with online PR. In his defense, he said that he is an online entrepreneur and one-man think tank.

Neville Sprague, a chief immigration officer complained about his senior officers for ignoring the issues related to fake marriages and also discouraging him to do the same. There are so many illegal immigrants who successfully achieve to stay in Britain illegally through fake marriages.

Neville was trying to investigate the case of fake marriages but he was forced by his bosses to stay away from it. To stay in Britain, illegal immigrants apply for ‘spouse’ visas and with the help of fake marriages; they manage to get the visa. Such undocumented immigrants then freely enjoy the various facilities such as healthcare, education and other benefits which come with spouse visas.

It is really surprising to know that when Neville expressed his desire to investigate such cases, instead of being supported by his department, he was sacked from his job. One of the former police officer informed that the reason he was sacked was that he was insisting on investigating those cases which the department did not want him to be investigate.

In his statement told to the press, Neville said that he had enough evidence with himself in those cases which he was investigating but his senior officers did not supported him at all. Illegal immigration through fake marriages has increased up to fifty percent since the Law Lords toughen the Home Office marriage rules. Despite this, poor officer had to struggle to draw the attention of his senior officials towards this thing.