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21 December 2007
Immigration Matters 2007 'Round Up' Report
Not a good year for UK migrants as Government tightens rules
18 December 2007
New Restrictions on Visitor Visas Announced by Home Office
Will new measures to "strengthen" visitor visas conditions prevent illegal immigration or just scare off tourists?
18 December 2007
Free Senior Carer Surgery Extended
Due to unprecedented demand Bison UK adds extra days after Christmas for its FREE IMMIGRATION ADVICE SURGERY.
14 December 2007
Good News for Senior Carers as UK Government Reviews Policy
The Border and Immigration Agency (BIA) is set to offer a lifeline to the thousands of overseas Senior Carers who have lost their jobs due to the BIA’s “minimum salary” requirement.
13 December 2007
Urgent Press Announcement on Senior Carers by Bison Management UK
Cynthia Barker and her team congratulate all those who have supported the Senior Carer’s campaign.
07 December 2007
BBC Report Care Workers Forced to Leave UK
BBC Wales has reported that many Filipino care workers across Wales may be forced to leave the UK because of a change in immigration rules.
07 December 2007
Want to Marry a Foreigner? Make Sure they can Speak English
The UK will introduce English tests for foreign nationals seeking to marry Britons.
06 December 2007
Home Office to Simplify Immigration Law
The Home Office has revealed proposals to use a new Government Bill to simplify immigration law.
23 November 2007
Buying A Care Home Could Mean Changing Every Work Permit
When a Care Home changes hands the existing Work Permits may become invalid: The day you complete the purchase of a care home is obviously a cause for celebration. But before you pop the champagne, you may want to check how many of the existing ‘Senior Care’ and nursing staff are on Work Permits, because you could find that their Work Permits are no longer valid you are employing them illegally.
23 November 2007
ANNOUNCEMENT - New College Launched To Accomodate The Growing Market For NVQ Students
A new college will be launched this week to accommodate the growing market for overseas students wishing to study in the UK and for UK based students taking up vocational training courses.
22 November 2007
The BIA Gets Tough On Illegal Working
The UK Borders ACT received the Royal Assent this month. A new UK Border Agency will incorporate the BIA, which has only been in existence for a matter of months, UK Visas and Customs at ports.
15 November 2007
Home Office Accused Of Covering Up Illegal Immigrants Jobs Fiasco
A new immigration scandal hit the Government last weekend, when Sunday newspapers revealed that thousands of security guards have been working illegally in Britain, including one allegedly guarding the Prime Minister's car.
12 November 2007
How To Get A Student Visa
Despite the fact that student visas are being issued every day by British Embassies all over the world, refusal rates in poorer countries remain high.
09 November 2007
English Language Tests To Be Introduced Under Points Based System
The new points based system will take effect during the first quarter of 2008. The 5 tier system, replacing the 80 current migration schemes, will “manage the flow of individuals wishing to come to or remain in the United Kingdom to work, train or study”, and will be phased in over the next couple of years.
08 November 2007
Gwyneth Dunwoody Files "Early Day Motion" On Behalf Of Senior Carers
In a report which first appeared in Balita Pinoy, Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for Crewe and Nantwich, Gwyneth Dunwoody, has filed an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons this week.
02 November 2007
Should Home Secretary Say 'Sorry' For Extra Working Migrants?
In a BBC interview Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, said she was "sorry" after the Government admitted it had got its figures wrong on the increase in foreign nationals working in the UK.
26 October 2007
Gwyneth Dunwoody MP Slams Immigration Minister On Senior Carer Work Permit Fiasco
Gwyneth Dunwoody MP launched an astonishing attack on the Home Office over its shambolic and incompetent handling of Senior Carer Work Permits in a 30 minute Parliamentary Debate earlier this week.
25 October 2007
Not Every Immigration Case Will Fit Neatly Into The Points-Based System
With just a few months to go before the Border and Immigration Agency (BIA) starts to phase in the ‘points-based’ scheme, there is still confusion over how some application categories will fit in to the new system.
24 October 2007
ANNOUNCEMENT - Alliance of Filipino Organisations to hold rally for Senior Carers in Trafalgar Square, London, on 03 November 2007
The Alliance of Filipino Organisations would like to invite all members and friends to support our Senior Carers Campaign by joining the NHS Rally which will be held on Saturday, 3 November 2007.
18 October 2007
Student Visa Appeal Success
At the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT) today, Bison UK’s appeal team scored another victory for justice against unfair entry clearance refusals.
16 October 2007
Migration Adds 6 Billion To UK Economy Says Liam Byrne
The Immigration Minister, Liam Byrne, pledged a ‘new balance in migration policy’ during a speech to public servants in Essex this week.
15 October 2007
Romanian Fined £1000 For Working Illegally
In a story which first appeared in the Richmond and Twickenham Times, it was reported that a Romanian citizen has been fined for illegally working as a painter at a Hampton supermarket.
12 October 2007
IOM gives free flights and support to overstaying migrants
Migrants who find themselves stranded in a country without money and a valid visa can seek support from their Embassy or migrant organisations.
09 October 2007
Britain may allow nearly half a million failed asylum seekers to stay under new amnesty scheme
In an attempt to clear the backlog of 450,000 cases of immigrants, who were refused refugee status but not removed from the country, Ministers are planning a controversial back-door amnesty scheme to regularise their stay.
07 October 2007
7 Tips For Senior Carers Trapped In Work Permit Lottery
The UK Government's insistence that Senior Carer Work Permits can only be renewed on a new minimum salary of £7.02 per hour has left thousands of overseas workers facing an uncertain future and job "lottery", as employers decide their fate.
25 September 2007
Migrants 'Should Pay For Services' Says Trevor Phillips
Trevor Phillips, of the Commission for Equality, said that migrants who stay in the UK only for a short time should pay more for the use of schools and hospitals, the Daily Telegraph reports.
23 September 2007
Home Office Announces Chair of Migration Advisory Committee
Home Office Press Release: The Home Secretary committed to placing independent advice at the heart of immigration decisions today as she announced that Professor David Metcalf has been appointed as the Chair of the new Migration Advisory Committee (MAC).
20 September 2007
Immigration To The UK Drops, Whilst Record Numbers Leave
Record numbers of people are leaving Britain at the same time as immigration is slowing down, according to figures from the Office of National Statistics.
15 September 2007
EU to introduce European 'Blue Card' immigration scheme
Britain may be indirectly forced by the EU to open its borders to an extra 20-million workers from Asia and Africa.
09 September 2007
Migrants to be forced to learn English under new rules to be announced
Thousands of immigrant workers will be forced to learn English before they are allowed into the UK, the BBC reports.
04 September 2007
Southern Cross To Axe 1000 Overseas Senior Carers Due To Work Permit Renewal Problems
Up to one thousand non-EU Senior Carers employed by Southern Cross will be forced to leave the UK, unless the Border and Immigration Agency backs down on minimum pay ruling, according to Chief Executive Philip Scott.
23 August 2007
Work Permit Renewal Success For Senior Carers
Senior Carer Work Permit renewals are finally being granted by the Border and Immigration Agency (BIA) after months of campaigning.
17 August 2007
Senior Carer Work Permits Special Meeting
If you have been affected or concerned about this issue, there will be a special meeting on: 25 August 2007, 2-5 pm. St. John’s Nottinghill, Lansdowne Crescent, London W11 2NN. I will be speaking at the meeting organised by the Alliance of Filipino Organisations...
16 August 2007
Employers Refuse To Pay Higher Salaries To Senior Carers To Extend Work Permits
Migrant care workers’ hopes of being spared from deportation are being dashed by their employer’s reluctance to swallow the bitter pill of higher pay, as prescribed by the Border and Immigration Agency (BIA)
13 August 2007
Home Office Backs Down On Deportations - Victory For Senior Care Workers
The Home Office has finally announced new guidelines on Senior Carer Work Permits, signalling a dramatic turn around of events.
13 August 2007
Border and Immigration Agency Announcement - Bulgarian and Romanian Workers
In a document entitled: "Controlled Access To UK Labour Market For Romanians and Bulgarians", the Government is inviting contributions aimed at gathering evidence related to the restrictions placed on Romanian and Bulgarian migrant workers since January 2007.
12 August 2007
Senior Carers to be given reprieve
The Government will shortly make an announcement on the future of the estimated 25,000 Senior Carers working in the UK Care Industry, according to an article in the ‘Philippine Inquirer’ yesterday.
10 August 2007
English Community Care Association Press Release
The English Community Care Association (ECCA), the leading representative body for independent care homes, has met with the National Care Association and the Registered Nursing Homes Association. The three associations said:
10 August 2007
UNISON Appeals for Urgent Action over Care Worker Deportations
Unison is calling on the Government to take "urgent action to stop the wholesale deportation of much needed, highly skilled senior care workers".
09 August 2007
Rule Change Unfair to Skilled Migrant Workers says Parliamentary Report
Thousands of skilled migrants will face deportation from the UK following the Government’s unlawfull and unfair change to the rules allowing them into the country, a parliamentary committee says.
07 August 2007
Senior Carer Crisis - How to Write to your MP
As part of action taken to fight the senior carers, crisis, we have suggested that overseas workers, employers and supporters should write and ask for the support of their Member of Parliament (MPs), but many of our readers have asked for suggestions on what to say. Please use the attached template (or edit as you wish) to write to your Member of Parliament.
31 July 2007
UK Government to introduce new accreditation scheme for colleges recruiting Overseas Students
The UK Government will will introduce tougher measures for colleges wishing to bring in overseas students under the points based system next year.
30 July 2007
UNISON Announcement on Senior Carers
Attention all Filipinos in London Region working as Senior Carers. Most of you should be aware as to the present situation in which applications for renewal of Work Permits is being refused by the Home Office. UNISON London Region & Nationally are addressing this issue.
27 July 2007
UK Deports an Illegal Immigrant every Eight Minutes
Illegal immigrants will have no place to hide in the United Kingdom, according to the Border and Immigration Agency (BIA).
26 July 2007
Action Group Started to Help Overseas Senior Carers
An action group has been formed under the ‘Alliance’ banner to spearhead the campaign to “Save Our Senior Carers”.
21 July 2007
Filipino Family Saved From Deportation After MP Raises Case In UK Parliament
A Filipino Nurse, and his family, are celebrating this week after Immigration Minister Liam Byrne granted them a temporary reprieve from a removal order, Balita Pinoy reports.
18 July 2007
Ambassador Espiritu Takes Up Cudgels For Filipino Senior Carers And Encourages Online Petition
PRESS RELEASE FROM PHILIPPINE EMBASSY
16 July 2007
Calls For Amnesty For UK Illegal Immigrants But Action Urgently Required To Stop Legal Immigrants Being Deported
Half a million illegal immigrants should be given the right to stay in Britain, a think tank has said. But Government action is required to protect thousands of legal migrants currently working in the UK from deportation.
12 July 2007
Care Workers Kicked Out By Government
International workers who have been caring for elderly people around Huntingdonshire for years have been told to pack their bags and head home by the Government.
07 July 2007
Meet The Immigration Experts at the Barrio Fiesta
Family Day out, and a chance to show the kids what Fiesta time in the Philippines is really like! Make it a place to Renew Old Friendships and Make New Ones!
06 July 2007
Senior Carers Vow To Fight On
Immigration Matters has received an overwhelming response from many hundreds of worried overseas care workers and their employers, following this week’s exclusive report “Home Office tells Leading Care providers that Senior Carer Work Permits will not be Renewed”.
02 July 2007
Gordon Brown Turns On Immigrants In Popularity Boosting Move
The News of the World reports that new Premier Gordon Brown will pledge "British jobs for British people" as he launches a yet another shake-up of immigration laws.
30 June 2007
Home Office Tells Leading Care Providers That Senior Carer Work Permits Will Not Be Renewed
The Home Office has held secret talks with one the UK’s biggest care providers, informing them that their overseas Senior Carer Work Permits will not be renewed.
21 June 2007
UK to Lift Bulgarian and Romanian Restrictions
The UK government has announced it will review its temporary limits on Bulgarian and Romanian workers with a possibility of lifting them completely.
19 June 2007
UK Economy Gains From Migrant Workers Says TUC
A Trades Union Congress (TUC) study 'The economics of migration' (published 19 June 2007) says the British economy is benefiting from the influx of migrant workers to the UK.
15 June 2007
Save Our Overseas Senior Carers (SOS)
SOS message to Immigration Minister Lyam Byrne – If you get rid of all our overseas Senior Carers there will be a staffing crisis in the Care Industry.
12 June 2007
Senior Carer Work Permits 'On Hold' Pending New Guidelines
The Border and Immigration Agency has put all Senior Carer Work Permit Applications “On hold”, pending new policy guidelines.
12 June 2007
Minister Launches Consultation on Simplifying Immigration Law
Liam Byrne, Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, and Nationality, has launched a consultation paper on simplifying immigration and citizenship law. The aim of this initial consultation paper is to seek a range of views to inform a fundamental overhaul of the legal framework within which the Border and Immigration Agency operates.
06 June 2007
National 'Britain Day' To Unite People
A national “Britain Day” to promote a stronger sense of British identity has been suggested by two prominent government ministers the BBC reports.
06 June 2007
Work Permit Holder Finally Arrives in UK After Successful Visa Appeal
Eric obtained a Work Permit in 2005 as a Senior Carer through Bison UK in London in 2005. What followed over the next 18 months was a series of events which seemed to thwart his every attempt to come to the UK.
05-06 June 2007
Who Cares? Seminar Update: Are You Employing Staff Illegally?
Charles Kelly, Immigration Adviser, opened the “Who Cares?” and “What Disability?” Show at Exeter last week. His subject: Are You Employing Staff Illegally?
01 June 2007
Are Senior Carer Work Permits History?
The Borders and Immigration Agency (Home Office) are refusing virtually all Senior Carer Work Permits, prompting widespread fears that no further permits will be granted for new or existing overseas staff.
27 May 2007
Sponsors Role in New 'Points' System Revealed
With less than nine months to go before the biggest shake-up in Work Permit history, employers and migrants have no idea how the new points system will actually work.
27 May 2007
One Million Foreign Nationals Given British Passports Under New Labour
Over one million foreign nationals have been given British citizenships during the Labour party’s decade in office official figures reveal.
25 May 2007
Yes, Students Are Coming To The UK
With the Home Office tightening the rules on Work Permits, increasing numbers of Filipino Carers and Nurses are choosing to come to the UK on Student Visas.
23 May 2007
Home Office Compliance Visits Start to Bite
Coping with a compliance visit from any official body, let alone the Home Office, can be a nightmare if not handled correctly. But the process need not be so stressful provided you are on the right side of the law.
19 May 2007
Home Office Announce New Crackdown on Employing Illegal Workers
As the government struggles to cope with the estimated 500,000 undocumented migrants in the UK, this week Immigration Minister Liam Byrne announced a further crackdown on employers who employ illegal immigrants.
11 May 2007
MPs Call for An Amnesty
Six Members of Parliament (MPs) have laid an early-day motion (EDM) in Parliament, calling for a one-off regularisation of hundreds of thousands of 'illegal' immigrants in the UK.
03 May 2007
Migrants To March On Westminster
Thousands of migrants will take to the streets in London on 7th May to celebrate immigration and call for an amnesty for illegal immigrants and overstayers.
27 April 2007
Overseas Nurses No Longer Welcome In Britain
The leading specialist nurse recruitment consultant, Ron Hoppe, firmly believes that “nurses are no longer welcome in the UK”.
20 April 2007
Points System To Start January 2008
Britain will next year adopt an Australian-style system for restricting immigration to those with skills it needs.
17 April 2007
Immigration Helps Fuel UK's Buy-To-Let Property Boom
The UK is the second most profitable country in Europe, after Poland, for buy-to-let investors, with large numbers of immigrants fuelling the boom, according to figures.
03 April 2007
"Best of British" To All Immigrants Wishing To Settle In The UK
Migrants who wish to settle in Britain will face a "Britishness" test to prove their knowledge of British history and customs.
02 April 2007
New Borders and Immigration Agency Gets Started
A newly revamped immigration agency that is more accountable to the public was launched on Monday.
31 March 2007
ANNOUNCEMENT: Work Permit Forms and Fees to Change on 2 April 2007
30 March 2007
UK to increase the minimum age for marriage visas
from 18 to 21
The UK government plans to increase the minimum age for a marriage visa from 18 to 21 in a bid to combat forced marriages.
30 March 2007
New Government body to investigate the social impact of UK immigration
Home Office Minister Liam Byrne has announced the creation of a new government committee which will examine the social impact of immigration.
23 March 2007
A Million Overseas Workers Come To The UK
The Telegraph reports that “More than a million foreigners have been allowed to come to work in Britain in just three years - and given the right to remain indefinitely.”
13 March 2007
Romanian and Bulgarian Workers Confused By Home Office Restrictions On Work
Anna Marie, a bright young Romanian citizen, came to the UK for the first time as an au pair in 2003. She went back to Romania a couple of years later before her visa expired. Like thousands of other Romanian and Bulgarian citizens, she thought she was about to have another chance to work in the UK when they joined the European Union on 1st January 2007.
09 March 2007
Visa and Leave To Remain Fees Are Set To Double
The Home Office and UK Visas have announced a hike in visa and Leave to Remain fees.
John Reid, also announced a raft of measures to clamp down on illegal immigration and ‘benefit theft’ by ‘foreigners’.
07 March 2007
Reid Targets Illegal Immigrants and Employers
As the Home Office announces yet another immigration clampdown, mainly targeting employers and landlords, many Care Providers will be asking how this will help them find staff. The short answer is: it won’t.
05 March 2007
Domestic Workers To Lose Rights
The domestic worker concession, introduced in 1998 by a Labour Government, is to be removed.
21 February 2007
How To Protest To The Prime Minister
Want to organise a petition directly to Tony Blair against a government policy, but not sure how?
16 February 2007
Visa Refusals - Lagos Tops League Table
Ever wondered which country has the highest number of UK Visa refusals? The Independent Monitor’s 2005 report shows that the British Embassy which declined by far the highest number of visa applications (without the right of appeal) was Lagos, Nigeria.
08 February 2007
Home Office Crackdown on Working Migrants
John Reid’s immigration crackdown has started, not on the real criminals and people traffickers, but easy targets such as working migrants and employers who accidentally fall foul of the rules.
02 February 2007
New Border Bill And Employer Sanctions
Home Secretary John Reid has announced tough new border controls to prevent illegal immigration, but offers no respite for beleaguered employers.
26 January 2007
Embassies Ignore Immigration Judges' Rulings
Rulings laid down by Immigration Judges at appeal tribunals are being flouted by Entry Clearance Officers (ECO’s) in British High Commission posts.
19 January 2007
Home Office Consultation - Have Your Say
The UK Government is planning to set up a ‘Migration Advisory Committee’ (MAC), to independently advise on the UK’s migration needs and trends.
11 January 2007
Highly Skilled Migrants March on Parliament
Thousands of highly skilled migrants from India and other non-European Union countries took to the streets this week in protest against recent changes in immigration rules.
09 January 2007
Charles Kelly will be speaking at the Care Fair, Plymouth Guildhall
The Devon & Cornwall Care Fair, to be held on 30 January 2007, at Plymouth Guildhall, is a FREE event for care providers across the South West. With a full seminar programme and exhibition, this is a must for all involved with the care of older people and adults with learning difficulties.
04 January 2007
Home Office Rules on Bulgaria and Romania Confusing
On 1st January 2007, Bulgarian and Romanian citizens were given the right to move and reside freely in any EU member state. Despite the tabloid headlines, (the Daily Express predicts that 600,000 will make there way to the UK), the “invasion” has so far failed to materialise.
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