Tuesday, 9 April 2013

US Senators Say Immigration Reform Bill Has 'Substantive Agreement'



Senator Chuck Schumer, one of the so-called 'Gang of Eight' Republican and Democrat senators who are working on a comprehensive US immigration reform bill has said there is 'substantive agreement' on the principles of the bill. Speaking on 1st April 2013, Senator Schumer added 'It's not a done deal. We have to draft the legislation. We have to have the group of eight sign off on the specific language but we have substantive agreement on all major issues between the eight of us now'.

Senator Schumer, from New York, is one of four Democrats who have been working with four Republican colleagues to create a comprehensive reform bill that will reform the US immigration system which almost everyone in Washington accepts is 'broken'.
One of his Republican counterparts Senator Lindsay Graham from South Carolina echoed Senator Schumer speaking on CNN on 1st April. He said 'I think we've got a deal. We've got to write the legislation but 2013, I hope, will be the year that we pass bipartisan immigration reform. He added the warning 'We haven't signed off. There are a few details yet but conceptually we have agreement'.

Obama pledged to make immigration a priority

 

After his re-election last November, President Obama pledged to make immigration reform a priority in his second term. The President later told a Spanish language TV station that he was happy to leave the drafting of the comprehensive reform to Congress. All sides in Washington believe that the reform bill must contain the following elements
  • The establishment of a 'path to citizenship' for the 11m illegal immigrants currently living in the US.
  • Strengthening security along the Mexican border
  • More resources to be put into tracking foreign nationals in the US on visas.
  • Overhauling the US visa system to reduce backlogs.
  • Awarding green cards to foreign technology graduates from US universities
  • Rolling out a national 'e-verify' system to prevent illegal aliens from working in the US
  • Establishment of a low-skilled migrant worker visa which would allow US employers to employ foreign workers in sectors such as agriculture where it is impossible to recruit US citizens.
One of the sticking points between the Senators recently was believed to be the establishment of the low-skilled migrant guest worker programme but on Friday 29th March 2013, a deal was reached. There will be a new 'W-visa' programme which will see between 20,000 and 200,000 work visas granted each year. Workers will work in agriculture and in construction among other lower-skilled occupations.

Agreement between unions and employers on 'w-visa'

 

Both unions and employers have agreed to the 'w-visa' scheme. Senator Schumer told ABC news 'The fact that business and labor have come to an agreement overcomes the last major substantive hurdle we've had in our negotiations.'However supporters of immigration reform should not put the champagne on ice just yet.
The US press is reporting that the Gang of Eight's law act will introduce a waiting time of up to 13 years for illegal immigrants to gain US citizenship. There are also reports that there will be substantial fines to punish them for entering the US illegally in the first place. This, critics fear, could mean that many will be discouraged from 'coming out of the shadows' and applying for a green card putting them on the "path to citizenship".
There is also a dissenting voice in the Gang of Eight. Right wing Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida has poured cold water on talk of a deal. He said that there had been 'substantial progress' but said that talk of an agreement were 'premature'.

Rubio calls for public debate

 

Mr Rubio said that he wanted the American people to have their say. He said that the bill would need to be 'properly submitted for the American people's consideration through the other 92 senators from 43 states that weren't part of this initial drafting process'. He said the process could not be rushed and called for a public debate.Mr Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants to the US, is seen as a potential Republican presidential challenger in 2016. Commentators say that he is trying to position himself to please all sides. There is a substantial body of Republican voters who are opposed to any deal that would allow illegal immigrants to gain US citizenship and Mr Rubio may be trying to appeal to these voters in preparation for a presidential challenge. If he is, then it is still possible that the reform process will falter.
A White House spokesman said that the President is 'encouraged' by progress on the bill.

If you would like to apply for a UK visa, GlobalMigrate.com can help. GlobalMigrate.com is a specialist visa consultancy . We can help with a wide range of visa applications to your country of choice. Please feel free to contact us for further details. Visit Us At: www.global-migrate.com Or Contact Us At: +44 (0) 207 - 993 - 4762


Saturday, 6 April 2013

Murdoch Enters Australian 457 Temporary Work Visa Debate


Rupert Murdoch, the international media mogul, has criticised the Australian government's public pronouncements on skilled work based immigration saying that they have been 'disgraceful and racist'.

Members of the Australian Labor Party government have claimed that there is widespread abuse of the 457 visa system. In March, Australian immigration minister Brendan O'Connor said that Australian firms were engaged in 'rorting' or abuse of the Temporary Work (Skilled) (Subclass 457) visa by Australian employers. Mr O'Connor said 'Rogue employers are deliberately employing people from overseas without giving a local a chance.'

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard supported the immigration minister. She said she would introduce legislation to stop this abuse and to 'put Aussie workers first'.

Gillard is 'demonising foreigners' - Abbott

The leader of the Australian opposition Coalition, Tony Abbott said that Ms Gillard was 'demonising foreigners'. Mr Abbott is a long-standing supporter of 457 visas. He made a speech in April 2012 in which he said that 457 visa holders are 'the best immigrants'. He said, 'provided they are paid the same wages and provided there aren't Australians who could readily fill these jobs, businesses should be able to bring in the workers they need to keep growing, and create more local jobs. Under a Coalition government, section 457 visas won't be just a component, but a mainstay of our immigration program'.

Commentators say that Ms Gillard is attempting to win support from the opposition by making Mr Abbott defend 457 visas publicly. Paul Kelly, editor-at-large of The Australian newspaper said that Ms Gillard's Labor government runs a successful 457 visa program. 189,784 people went to Australia, including family members, on 457 visas in the year to January 2013.

457 visas are 'a brilliant innovation'

Mr Kelly says that 457 visas 'are a brilliant innovation of immense benefit to Australia' but he says that the Gillard government is 'playing politics as part of a re-election tactic. … It's deliberately exaggerating the rorts, denigrating 457 visas as a John Howard idea and attacking Tony Abbott on the grounds that he will give the scheme free licence and sell out "Aussie jobs".

In order to be eligible to work in Australia with a 457 visa, a foreign worker must first be sponsored by an Australian employer. The employer must nominate the worker to work in an occupation that is on the Australian Consolidated Occupation List (CSOL). This is a list of occupations for which the Australian government accepts there is a shortage of Australian workers who can do the job. It is therefore happy to allow foreign workers into the country to do those jobs. Once nominated for a job on the CSOL, the foreign worker can apply for a 457 visa. The visa can last for up to four years and allows its holder to bring their family to Australia while they are there.

Mr O'Connor alleged in early March that there were Australian firms that were bringing in foreign workers on 457 visas to work as 'administrators', an occupation on the CSOL, but then employing them as security guards, an occupation not on the CSOL. Ms Gillard said she would put 'Aussie workers first' and 'stop foreign workers being put at the front of the queue with Australian workers at the back'.

Australian Union leaders too said that the system is being abused. Dave Oliver of the Australian Council of Trade Unions said that, in 2012, the number of 457 visas granted rose by 40% while the number of jobs available in the Australian construction sector had fallen by 70,000. This showed, he said, that Australian workers were losing out to foreign workers with 457 visas.

Immigration is 'the future' - Murdoch

Speaking on a visit to Australia, Mr Murdoch told his own Sky News Australia TV channel that Ms Gillard's comments were 'pretty disgusting and racist'. He said I'm a big one for encouraging immigration. I think that's the future'.Mr Murdoch was born an Australian but became an American citizen in 1985. In 2012, he joined New York mayor Michael Bloomberg in calling for foreign-born graduates of US universities to get a US permanent resident visa (green card) on graduation.

David Bradbury, the Australian Minister Assisting for Deregulation and a member of Ms Gillard's Australian Labor Party, responded to Mr Murdoch saying 'there is nothing racist about standing up for jobs and job opportunities for Australians.' The Australian opposition insists that abuse of the 457 system is limited.

457 visa system is 'quite efficient'

Peter McDonald of the National University's Australian Demographic and Social Research Institute told Australian business magazine BRW that the 457 system was 'quite an efficient system'. He said that 457 visas were useful in that they enabled employers to find the workers they needed fairly quickly and efficiently. He said that Australia needed a lot of skilled tradespeople as it did not have enough home-grown people with the right skills. He thought that fraudulent applications might account for about 2 to 3% of the total number of 457s granted.

In the year to June 2012, 48,080 temporary work (457) visas were issued.
If Ms Gillard was hoping to gain public support by promising to crack down on abuse of 457 visas it doesn't seem to have worked. There is an election in Australia in September in which, polls show, Ms Gillard's Australian Labor Party will be heavily defeated.

Mr Murdoch's company News Ltd, which owns seven out of 12 Australian newspapers and controls 70.5% of the market, is supporting the opposition.

If you would like to apply for a UK visa, GlobalMigrate.com can help.GlobalMigrate.com is a specialist visa consultancy . We can help with a wide range of visa applications to your country of choice. Please feel free to contact us for further details. Visit Us At:www.global-migrate.com Or Contact Us At: +44 (0) 207 - 993 - 4762 

Friday, 5 April 2013

Australian immigration cuts number of visitor and business visa types



As of 23rd March, the Australian government has reduced the number of visitor visa subclasses from nine to five. Australian immigration minister Brendan O'Connor said it would simplify the system and eliminate red tape.
he changes have been introduced as part of Australia's Visitor Visa Simplification and Deregulation Project. In a statement on the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) website, Mr O'Connor says that this is a simplification only and that there will be 'no change to current visa eligibility for tourism, business visitor activities, sponsored family visits and medical treatment and care has been taken to ensure there is no impact on program integrity settings'.

There is one new visa announced; the Temporary Work (Short Stay Activity) visa (subclass 400) which will allow people to stay in Australia for six weeks for 'short-term, highly specialised, non-ongoing work. It seems that the new visa might be of particular use for performers and other creative people travelling on tour to Australia.

Nine visas axed

The following visas have been abolished. DIAC will not be accepting any further applications after 23rd March.
Tourist visa (subclass 676)
Sponsored family visitor visa (679)
Business (short stay) visa (456)
Sponsored business visitor (short stay) visa (459)
Medical treatment (short stay) visa (675)
Medical treatment (long stay) visa (685)
Electronic Travel Authority (visitor) 976)
Electronic Travel Authority (business – short validity) (977)
Electronic Travel Authority (business – short validity) (956)
These visas have been replaced with the following

Temporary work (short stay activity) visa (subclass 400)

Cost AUS$145

This visa allows you to enter Australia to do

'short-term, highly specialised, non-ongoing work'
Participate in an event or events on a non-ongoing bases at the invitation of an Australian organisation'
You can only stay in Australia for 6 weeks
You must be outside Australia when you apply
Visitor visa (subclass 600)

Cost AUS$115

This visa is broken into four streams

The tourist stream
This stream is for 'genuine visitors' who may come for tourism, recreation or to visit family and friends. You can stay for no more than 12 months in an 18 month period and will need to have health insurance and must leave Australia and apply from outside the country when your visa expires.
Business visitor stream
This stream is for businesspeople with 'a good reason for travelling to Australia' such as business research, conferences, as long as you are not paid. You do not need a sponsor but must apply from outside Australia.
Sponsored family stream
This is for 'genuine visitors' who are intending to visit their family. You must be sponsored
Approved Destination Status stream
This is for Chinese citizens travelling in a tour group and can be booked through a reputable tour company.
Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601)

Cost AUS$20

This visa lets businesspeople and visitors enter Australia as many times as they want in 12 months. You

Can stay in Australia for three months on each visit.
Must apply from outside Australia.
The visa is linked electronically to passports so that it can be seen by immigration staff and airline staff at airports. You can carry out business activities such as research and attending seminars but must not be paid.

Medical Treatment visa (subclass 602)

Cost: in Australia $245 outside $0

This visa allows you to

Stay in Australia for medical treatment
Study for up to three months (unless you are under 18)
Visit Australia as many times as you need for your treatment while your visa is valid
eVisitor (subclass 651)

Cost Nil
You must

hold a passport from an eligible country and
be outside Australia to apply. eVisitor lets you visit Australia for up to 12 months.
You can stay for three months on each visit. The eVisitor electronic visa links automatically to your passport.

All EU countries are eligible countries as are
European Economic Area states including Norway, Lichtenstein, Switzerland and Iceland.
British Nationals Overseas, British Dependent Territories Citizens and British Subject passport holders are not eligible for an eVisitor.
You may be barred if you have active tuberculosis.
If you would like to apply for an Australian visa, Global Migrate.com can help.    Global Migrate.com is a specialist visa consultancy . We can help with a wide range of visa applications to your country of choice. Please feel free to contact us for further details.

www.global-migrate.com
Uk Visas And Immigration Services

Thursday, 4 April 2013

UK Ministers Considered Barring Children Of Illegal Immigrants From Schools





The Guardian, a national UK newspaper, has received a leaked email trail from UK civil servants which seems to show that UK ministers considered the possibility of preventing the children of illegal immigrants from attending free UK state schools to prevent 'education tourism'. It seems that any such plans were quickly dropped but ministers are now considering asking schools to check on the immigration status of both pupils and their parents as part of the admissions process.


An Oxford University study suggests that there are approximately 120,000 schoolchildren in UK schools who are in the country illegally.
The emails between civil servants in the UK's Department for Education (DfE) seem to show that a group of ministers had considered barring the children of illegal immigrants from the education system as part of the Coalition government's efforts to eliminate the 'pull factors' which draw some migrants to the UK.

However, the emails also seem to show that, if the ministers did consider such a move, they rejected it pretty quickly, perhaps because civil servants advised that to do so would breach Article 26 of the UN Convention of Human Rights.

Cameron's 'common sense test'

 

In February, David Cameron, the UK's Prime Minister, announced that he was establishing a committee to look at ways of limiting the rights of migrants to use the UK's social system. Mr Cameron said 'There are many parts of our current arrangements which don't pass a common sense test in terms of access to housing, access to the health service and access to justice and other things which should be a right for British citizens but they're not the right of anyone who just comes here'.

Mr Cameron established an inter-ministerial group chaired by the immigration minister, Mark Harper which has been looking at ways to cut access to social housing, healthcare, the law and other UK services.

A Labour MP, John McDonnell, said that even considering such proposals was 'scraping the barrel of morality'. Mr McDonnell said 'The government were considering barring migrant children from school and were only deterred by the potential reaction of the UN…Teachers may now be drawn into checking the migrant status of their pupils. The government is scraping the barrel of morality in its attack on migrant children.'

Brian Lightman of the Association of School and College Lecturers told The Guardian that it was not the job of schools to check up on the nationality or immigration status of pupils. Lesley Gannon of the National Association of Headteachers said that it was wrong to 'hold children responsible for the behaviours of their parents; and warned that such a scheme might make some illegal immigrants withhold education from their children.

If you would like to apply for a UK visa, GlobalMigrate.com can help.GlobalMigrate.com is a specialist visa consultancy . We can help with a wide range of visa applications to your country of choice. Please feel free to contact us for further details. Visit Us At:www.global-migrate.com Or Contact Us At: +44 (0) 207 - 993 - 4762


Wednesday, 3 April 2013

Australian Immigration Cuts Number Of Visitor And Business Visa Types


As of 23rd March, the Australian government has reduced the number of visitor visa subclasses from nine to five. Australian immigration minister Brendan O'Connor said it would simplify the system and eliminate red tape.

The changes have been introduced as part of Australia's Visitor Visa Simplification and Deregulation Project. In a statement on the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) website, Mr O'Connor says that this is a simplification only and that there will be 'no change to current visa eligibility for tourism, business visitor activities, sponsored family visits and medical treatment and care has been taken to ensure there is no impact on program integrity settings'.
There is one new visa announced; the Temporary Work (Short Stay Activity) visa (subclass 400) which will allow people to stay in Australia for six weeks for 'short-term, highly specialised, non-ongoing work. It seems that the new visa might be of particular use for performers and other creative people travelling on tour to Australia.

Nine visas axed

The following visas have been abolished. DIAC will not be accepting any further applications after 23rd March.
  • Tourist visa (subclass 676)
  • Sponsored family visitor visa (679)
  • Business (short stay) visa (456)
  • Sponsored business visitor (short stay) visa (459)
  • Medical treatment (short stay) visa (675)
  • Medical treatment (long stay) visa (685)
  • Electronic Travel Authority (visitor) 976)
  • Electronic Travel Authority (business – short validity) (977)
  • Electronic Travel Authority (business – short validity) (956)
These visas have been replaced with the following

Temporary work (short stay activity) visa (subclass 400)

Cost AUS$145
This visa allows you to enter Australia to do
  • 'short-term, highly specialised, non-ongoing work'
  • Participate in an event or events on a non-ongoing bases at the invitation of an Australian organisation'
  • You can only stay in Australia for 6 weeks
  • You must be outside Australia when you apply

Visitor visa (subclass 600)

Cost AUS$115
This visa is broken into four streams
  • The tourist stream
This stream is for 'genuine visitors' who may come for tourism, recreation or to visit family and friends. You can stay for no more than 12 months in an 18 month period and will need to have health insurance and must leave Australia and apply from outside the country when your visa expires.
  • Business visitor stream
This stream is for businesspeople with 'a good reason for travelling to Australia' such as business research, conferences, as long as you are not paid. You do not need a sponsor but must apply from outside Australia.
  • Sponsored family stream
This is for 'genuine visitors' who are intending to visit their family. You must be sponsored
  • Approved Destination Status stream
This is for Chinese citizens travelling in a tour group and can be booked through a reputable tour company.

Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601)

Cost AUS$20
This visa lets businesspeople and visitors enter Australia as many times as they want in 12 months. You
  • Can stay in Australia for three months on each visit.
  • Must apply from outside Australia.
The visa is linked electronically to passports so that it can be seen by immigration staff and airline staff at airports. You can carry out business activities such as research and attending seminars but must not be paid.

Medical Treatment visa (subclass 602)

Cost: in Australia $245 outside $0
This visa allows you to
  • Stay in Australia for medical treatment
  • Study for up to three months (unless you are under 18)
  • Visit Australia as many times as you need for your treatment while your visa is valid

eVisitor (subclass 651)

Cost NilYou must
  • hold a passport from an eligible country and
  • be outside Australia to apply. eVisitor lets you visit Australia for up to 12 months.
You can stay for three months on each visit. The eVisitor electronic visa links automatically to your passport.
  • All EU countries are eligible countries as are
  • European Economic Area states including Norway, Lichtenstein, Switzerland and Iceland.
  • British Nationals Overseas, British Dependent Territories Citizens and British Subject passport holders are not eligible for an eVisitor.
  • You may be barred if you have active tuberculosis.
If you would like to apply for a Australian visa GlobalMigrate.com can help. GlobalMigrate.com is a specialist visa consultancy . We can help with a wide range of visa applications to your country of choice. Please feel free to contact us for further details.
www.global-migrate.com

Tuesday, 2 April 2013

Tier 4 (Students)- Applications For Student Visa Extension In The UK


From the 5 April 2013, all Tier 4 (General) applications that are made in the UK must be submitted to the UK Border Agency through an online application form.  The only exceptions are:
  • Applicants who are using the Super Premium Service
  • Applicants who have already booked a Public Enquiry Office appointment
If you are currently preparing your application but intend to apply after 5 April 2013, you will need to use the online application form.

This is suitable for Tier 4 applicants who are:
  • applying before 6 April 2013 OR 
  • using Super Premium Service OR 
  • attending a pre-booked Public Enquiry Office appointment
For More Info Check This Link: http://goo.gl/MY1jM
Global-Migrate.com is a specialist visa consultancy. We are OISC registered. We can help with a wide range of visa applications to the UK or your country of choice. Please feel free to contact us for further details.Visit Us At : www.global-migrate.com Or Contact Us At: +44 (0) 207 - 993 - 4762

Monday, 1 April 2013

UK Immigration Provides 'Unacceptable Service'


A committee of MPs has issued a report about the UK Border Agency (UKBA) which states that its already poor performance is getting worse. The report says that senior staff should not receive any performance-related bonuses until 'there is evidence that the backlog [of unresolved cases] is being substantially reduced and new backlogs are not emerging'.

The report, issued by the House of Commons' Home Affairs Committee, was split into two sections. In the first it dealt with the UKBA's disastrous handling of a historic backlog of 450,000 asylum cases. It says that the UKBA's handling of these cases has been appalling. It contains scathing criticism of the former chief executive of the UKBA, Lin Homer. 


The second part of the report, The Work of the UK Border Agency (July-September 2012) deals with the UKBA's day-to-day management of the UK's immigration system including issuing of visas, locating and removing foreign-born offenders from the UK and making decisions on fresh asylum claims.
The report finds that the UKBA is failing in almost all areas. It complains 'We report quarterly on UKBA's performance and with each quarter a new backlog is revealed'. It finds that in the processing of applications, in fighting court cases and in finding foreign criminals the UKBA has backlogs and is missing targets.

Small improvements in some areas but still missing targets

The Report found that there have been small improvements in some fields but, overall, it continues to perform poorly. Even where there were improvements, the UKBA continued to miss its performance targets. For example,
  • The UKBA processed a higher proportion of Tier 2 skilled worker visa applications and of Tier 5 temporary worker visa applications within its service standard target times (four weeks) in July to September 2012 than it had managed in the previous quarter. However, although it had improved, processing 79% of Tier 2 applications within 4 weeks, this still fell 11% short of its target of 90%.
The UKBA did not meet its target for processing any of the four active tiers of the UK's five tier immigration system. Its performance was particularly poor with the processing of postal applications for Tier 1 high value migrant visas and Tier 4 student visas. The UKBA service standard says that it aims to process 90% of Tier 1 applications within four weeks.
  • Between July and September 2012, it processed just 18% of postal applications for Tier 1 visas within four weeks.
  • Only 14% of Tier 4 applications made by post were processed within four weeks.

Three quarters of visas processed late

The measure of the UKBA's dismal performance in the processing of visas is perhaps best illustrated by these figures. In total, the UKBA succeeded in meeting its performance target in 10,842 cases between July and September 2012, 27.5% of the total. It failed to do so in 28,558 cases or 72.5% of cases, nearly three quarters. The report says that this must improve.
The UKBA also failed to deliver an adequate service for its premium customers. The UKBA offers a premium service to applicants who pay a hefty fee. It says that it 'aims' to process these applications within 24 hours. However, it failed to do so in many cases. it processed
  • only 73% of Tier 1 applications,
  • 72% of Tier 2 applications,
  • 73% of Tier 4 applications and
  • 75% of Tier 5 applications within the twenty-four hour period.
The report says 'This is an unacceptable performance considering that the Agency is charging main applicants between £661 and £1,800 for premium applications. In Tier 2, where a premium application costs £306 more than the postal route, the Agency processed more postal applications on time than premium applications. This is unacceptable'.

UKBA failed even to attend 10% of its own court cases

Turning to its performance in the courts, the report states that the UKBA had failed to improve its performance to any notable degree during the latest period for which figures are available. This period was April to June 2012. The report states that the UKBA did not even turn up to some court cases.
  • It had representation at only 90% of appeals in which it was involved.
  • It was only able to submit case bundles to court in accordance with the court's timetable in 66% of its cases.
There was little if any change in the number of cases the UKBA won.
  • It won 64% of its appeals between April and June 2012.
  • It won 60% of deportation cases,
  • 52% of family visit visa cases,
  • 38% of entry clearance cases and
  • 46% of managed migration cases.
  • There was no significant change in the number of appeals made against UKBA immigration decisions. 

UKBA ignores Home Affairs Committee recommendations on unannounced visits

The UKBA delivered a worse performance for Tier 2 sponsorship visits too. Only 8% of Tier 2 sponsor applicants received a visit pre-registration. There was a decrease in the number of unannounced follow-up visits to Tier 2 sponsors, Tier 4 sponsors and Tier 5 sponsors. The Home Affairs Committee expresses its concern at these falls. The report says 'We reiterate the recommendation made in our previous reports that the majority of post licence visits should be unannounced'. The MPs said that unannounced visits would increase the confidence of the public in the system.
The report says that the UKBA had not managed to provide the MPs with figures about how many non-compliance notifications it had followed up during the quarter. When Tier 2, Tier 4 and Tier 5 sponsors receive information about a change of circumstances or a breach of the terms of a visa by an individual they have sponsored, they are obliged to contact the UKBA and inform it of the breach. The UKBA received approximately 25,000 notifications but could not say how many it had followed up. This failure is 'unacceptable' according to the MPs.
The report also states that the Migration Refusals Pool grew during the quarter by 12% to 181,541 cases. The Migration Refusal Pool is an archive of immigration and asylum applications which have been refused by the UKBA. The UKBA has then done nothing about these cases because it doesn't know where the applicant is. The committee expressed its dismay that the Pool was growing after it had said that it had claimed to be trying to reduce it for seven years.
The committee also said that it was concerned that the UKBA has appointed Capita, a private sector company to try to find people whose cases are in the Pool. It is concerned that this may be in breach of data protection legislation. It also says that the Capita contract involves Capita phoning or emailing the targeted individuals and asking them to leave. The MPs say they do not see why the UKBA was not able to do this itself nor why it paid Capita as much as it did for this service.

UKBA even late in responding to requests for information from MPs

The UKBA also missed its target of replying to 95% of emails from MPs within 20 working days. It did so in only 83% of cases. It also failed to meet its target of responding to queries made by MPs via the MP's inquiry line within 10 days. It did so in only 78% of cases. The report says that the UKBA was six days late in responding to its own request for data to be used in the compilation of the report.
The UKBA may take a small crumb of comfort from the fact that the worst of its criticism is reserved for Lin Homer who left the agency in 2010 but this cannot disguise the fact that the MPs report has found fault with virtually every area of the UKBA's activities.
The MPs cautiously welcome the decision of the new chief executive, Rob Whiteman, to establish a Performance and Compliance Unit to try to improve the quality of data that the UKBA produces and provides to parliament and the public. They say, that 'if indeed it will actually ensure that the data provided are robust and reliable and really can be relied on' then it is to be welcomed. They state that they have considerably more confidence in the Performance and Compliance Unit because its activities will be overseen by the Chief Inspector of Immigration, John Vine. The MPs conclude 'we expect this to mark the beginning of a move towards greater transparency on behalf of the Agency; transparency that is evidenced by accurate and clear information provided to Parliament in a timely manner.'

If you would like to apply for a UK visa, GlobalMigrate.com can help. GlobalMigrate.com is a specialist visa consultancy . We can help with a wide range of visa applications to your country of choice. Please feel free to contact us for further details. Visit Us At: www.global-migrate.com Or Contact Us At: +44 (0) 207 - 993 - 4762