Tag: VISA

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Visa concessions, cheaper cars, scotch in India-UK trade pact

A spokesperson for the UK trade department said its made “good progress” in closing chapters and both countries are now “laser-focused” on goods, services and investment…reports Asian Lite News

India and the UK have softened positions on most of their points of contention as both nations try to wrap up trade talks ahead of expected national polls next year, according to people with the knowledge of the matter.

While New Delhi has agreed to slash tariffs on British cars and scotch whisky, the UK is willing to relax some visa rules for Indian professionals, Indian officials said, asking not be identified as the discussions are private. Nevertheless, with immigration a politically sensitive subject in the UK, a British official indicated any visa relaxations are likely to be limited.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Rishi Sunak are pushing to double bilateral trade by 2030 through a pact that slashes tariffs and increases market access. The two governments hope to wind up the trade talks before year-end, Indian and British officials said.

Britain is willing to accept New Delhi’s standards on environment protections and labor – a key Indian demand given the differences in economic development and sensitivities involved for its micro-, small- and medium-sized firms, the officials added.

Striking a trade accord is critical for India’s ambition to become a manufacturing powerhouse, while the UK is seeking to clinch new deals to highlight the benefits of Brexit. Rishi Sunak and PM Modi will have an opportunity to discuss the matter face-to-face at a Group of 20 summit in New Delhi next month.

A spokesperson for the UK trade department said its made “good progress” in closing chapters and both countries are now “laser-focused” on goods, services and investment.

“While we cannot comment on ongoing negotiations, we are clear that we will only sign when we have a deal that is fair, balanced, and ultimately in the best interests of the British people and the economy,” they said.

The negotiations on visas are likely to be particularly sensitive. India has long demanded increased access for its citizens, but the UK’s vote for Brexit in 2016 was fueled in part by calls for greater control over the numbers of people coming into the country, and immigration remains a hot-button topic ahead of the next general election.

Underscoring the difficulties Sunak’s government faces, net migration to the UK reached a record 606,000 people last year, while separate visa data has shown one in three residence visas were granted to Indian workers. A UK official said talks are centering on time-limited business visas for highly skilled workers.

The deal, if it materializes, will be India’s biggest and most ambitious free trade agreement to date. This comes at a time when many western economies are pinning their hopes on the South Asian nation to become a bulwark against China’s growing economic and military clout.

Even as the two nations have been reluctant to set a date for completing the talks after missing a deadline last year, negotiations have been progressing well, the people said. Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal’s decision to visit Britain last month put political momentum behind talks, one UK official said.

The Sunak administration is also considering signing an agreement that will help Indians claw back half a billion pounds in payments made by them toward Britain’s social security system, the Indian officials said.

India is looking to bring down the import duty on cars to 75% from the current 100%. However, this will exclude small capacity cars and there would be a cap on the number of vehicles sold under these lower tariffs, the people said.

Similarly, on scotch whisky, New Delhi may slash duties to 100% from the existing 150% charged above a minimum import price. The premium category may see a steeper tariff cut. Easier market access in both these sectors has been one of the main demands of the UK.

Most of the debate is now centered on determining the criteria for the import duty cuts on goods under the trade deal and India’s proposal for an investment protection treaty, the officials from New Delhi said.

The UK and India are yet to concur on the contours of the treaty promoting and protecting investments on a reciprocal basis, the officials said. New Delhi’s proposal to exhaust local judicial remedies before initiating international arbitration in case of disputes has still not found favor with the UK, they added.

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70 Indians sue US govt for denying them H-1B visas

The complaint stated that DHS violated the Administrative Procedure Act by exceeding its authority and deeming the plaintiffs inadmissible without a full record of the evidence…reports Asian Lite News

Nearly 70 nationals have filed a lawsuit against the US government for denying them H-1B visas due to fraud committed by their employers, as reported by Bloomberg Law.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) denied H-1B specialty occupation visas to Indian graduates despite their subsequent employment at legitimate businesses. A lawsuit was filed in the federal district court in Washington state this week.

According to the complaint, Indian graduates, employed through a training program for foreign graduates of US colleges and universities, were unfairly punished for their association with those businesses without having a chance to respond.

The Indians involved in the lawsuit worked for four IT staffing companies: Andwill Technologies, AzTech Technologies LLC, Integra Technologies LLC, and WireClass Technologies LLC. Each of these companies was approved to participate in OPT (Optional Practical Training) and was certified through the E-Verify employment verification program.

Many international graduates participate in the OPT program to start their careers in the US while attempting to secure an H-1B visa or other longer-term status.

The lawsuit reveals that DHS later uncovered the companies’ scheme to defraud the government, schools, and foreign national students.

“Rather than protecting the students, however, DHS later sought to sanction them as if they were co-conspirators who knowingly participated in the fraudulent operation,” Bloomberg Law said, citing the complaint.

Jonathan Wasden, an attorney from Wasden Law, who is representing the plaintiffs, stated, “The agency assumed that anybody who had been associated with these companies was somehow guilty of fraudulent misrepresentations to the US government in an attempt to obtain a visa or immigration benefit. DHS has to follow the process of giving the affected parties notice and the ability to respond.”

The complaint mentioned the case of Siddhartha Kalavala Venkata, who expressed being in “complete pain” after learning that he couldn’t enter the US. Venkata worked at Integra through OPT after completing a master’s degree in 2016 at the New York Institute of Technology.

The company, listed as one of the largest participants in the OPT program, employed more than 700 student visa holders as recently as 2019. The company informed students that they needed to pay for training to further upgrade their skills.

Venkata left within months for a position with another IT firm and later attempted to change his status from an F-1 visa to an H-1B visa last year. However, DHS denied his H-1B visa, deeming him inadmissible due to fraud or willful misrepresentation, according to the news report.

“If I made a mistake, I would accept it. It was a mistake made by someone else. The US has provided me with many opportunities that I cannot utilize now,” Venkata was quoted as saying in the report.

Venkata and others are asking the court to overturn DHS’ decision on their visa applications and order the agency to allow them to respond to any fraud allegations before making a determination on their admissibility to the US.

The complaint stated that DHS violated the Administrative Procedure Act by exceeding its authority and deeming the plaintiffs inadmissible without a full record of the evidence.

The agency’s actions were also procedurally deficient because it didn’t notify the visa applicants of the action taken against them, the complaint said.

More than 117,000 people participated in the program in the calendar year 2022, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the DHS component responsible for running the OPT program.

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UK imposes visa requirements on five nations

Braverman was allowing a four-week transition period for those who hold confirmed bookings to the UK to travel without visas before the new requirements come into force…reports Asian Lite News

The UK is imposing visa requirements for all visitors from five nations, with Suella Braverman citing “abuse” of the migration system as a reason.

The home secretary said the changes were being made “solely for migration and border security reasons” and insisted it is “not a sign of poor relations” with Dominica, Honduras, Namibia, Timor-Leste and Vanuatu.

In a written statement to MPs on Wednesday, she said Dominica and Vanuatu’s “operation of a citizenship by investment scheme has shown clear and evident abuse”. The two Commonwealth allies have been granting “citizenship to individuals known to pose a risk to the UK”, she said.

Braverman said there had been a “sustained and significant increase” in nationals from Namibia and Honduras who had “abused” their right to visit the UK for a limited period without a visa in order to claim asylum.

“As such, Namibians and Hondurans rank first amongst non-visa nationals for asylum claims,” she wrote. “These high numbers are unsustainable, contributing significantly to operational pressures which have resulted in frontline resource being diverted from other operational priorities.”

As for Timor-Leste, Braverman said there had been a “sustained increase” in its nationals arriving at the border as “non-genuine visitors”. She said they often had “the intention to fraudulently claim EU Settlement Scheme status as dependants or to work illegally in the UK”.

Braverman was allowing a four-week transition period for those who hold confirmed bookings to the UK to travel without visas before the new requirements come into force.

It comes as the government cracks down on migrants attempting to claim asylum in the UK by crossing the Channel, with the Illegal Migration Bill now poised to become law. It passed its controversial plans to tackle the small boats crisis this week after defeating a final series of Commons challenges by Tory moderates.

The provisional number of migrant crossings for 2023 so far is 13,774, which is still lower than the more than 15,000 arrivals recorded this time last year. Overall, 45,755 people made the journey in 2022.

The reforms will prevent people from claiming asylum in the UK if they arrive through unauthorised means. The government also hopes the changes will ensure detained people are promptly removed, either to their home country or a third country such as Rwanda, which is currently the subject of a legal challenge.

UN human rights chief Volker Turk and UN high commissioner for refugees Filippo Grandi led outrage at the plans. In an unusually critical joint statement, they warned the Bill “will have profound consequences for people in need of international protection” and breaks the UK’s obligations under international law.

Downing Street defended the Bill, with the prime minister’s official spokesman saying: “We are confident we are acting within international law.”

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UK govt relaxes visa rules to attract construction workers

Net migration to Britain reached a record high of 606,000 last year, data published in May showed, drawing fresh promises from Sunak to reduce arrivals…reports Asian Lite News

Britain has added a number of construction roles to its “shortage occupation list”, allowing the building industry to bring in staff from abroad more easily to help employers struggling to fill positions.

Bricklayers, masons, roofers, roof tilers, slaters, carpenters, joiners and plasterers will benefit from cheaper visas and more relaxed employment criteria under the changes.

Britain is suffering from acute labour shortages in some sectors meaning employers are keen to recruit workers from abroad.

But, doing so causes a political headache for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s governing Conservative Party, which has been promising to cut net migration for the last decade.

The interior ministry said in a statement on Monday that adding the new roles would “aid the delivery of key national infrastructure and stimulate growth for related industries” The independent Migration Advisory Committee recommended in March that the construction jobs be added to the shortage occupation list. The list already includes care workers, civil engineers and laboratory technicians, plus healthcare roles.

Net migration to Britain reached a record high of 606,000 last year, data published in May showed, drawing fresh promises from Sunak to reduce arrivals.

Critics of Brexit say the UK’s exit from the European Union has exacerbated labour shortages as EU citizens can no longer travel without visas to work in Britain as they could before.

Those working in a shortage occupation can be paid 80% of the job’s usual rate and still qualify for a visa, the government statement said. Applicants need a job offer from an employer and must meet an English language requirement.

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Visa fees health surcharge set to rise in UK 

The Sunak-led Conservative Party government has been under intense pressure with disputes over the public sector pay, leading to a series of strikes over the past year hitting schools and hospitals…reports Asian Lite News

The fees and health surcharge paid towards the UK’s state-funded National Health Service (NHS) by visa applicants from around the world, including Indians, are set to rise “significantly” to meet the country’s public sector wage increase, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Thursday.

The British Indian leader, who was under pressure to accept the recommendation of an independent review of pay for teachers, police, junior doctors and other public sector workers, confirmed a hike between 5 and 7 per cent across the board.

However, he stressed that this would not be met with higher government borrowing for fear of further stoking high inflation and therefore the costs would need to be found elsewhere.

“If we’re going to prioritise paying public sector workers more, that money has to come from somewhere else because I’m not prepared to put up people’s taxes and I don’t think it would be responsible or right to borrow more because that would just make inflation worse,” Sunak told reporters at a Downing Street press conference.

“So, what we have done are two things to find this money. The first is, we are going to increase the charges that we have for migrants who are coming to this country when they apply for visas and indeed something called the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), which is the levy that they pay to access the NHS,” he said.

“All of those fees are going to go up and that will raise over GBP 1 billion, so across the board visa application fees are going to go up significantly and similarly for the IHS,” he added.

Sunak reiterated this was “entirely right” as these fees have not been increased recently and the government believes it is appropriate given that the costs have risen since the last hike.

The second action to meet the country’s higher wage bill is about asking government departments to “reprioritise”.

He insisted this would not mean cuts to jobs and services but a re-focussing on different priorities.

The IHS, which applies to long-term migrants to the UK including a discounted rate for students, starts from around GBP 470 for a year and rises to thousands of pounds for multiple-year visa applications.

The full details of which categories of visas will face hikes and when the new higher rates come into force are expected to be laid out by the UK Home Office in the coming months.

The Sunak-led Conservative Party government has been under intense pressure with disputes over the public sector pay, leading to a series of strikes over the past year hitting schools and hospitals.

In fact, junior doctors in England began yet another five-day strike on Thursday after their demands for a 35 per cent pay hike were rejected.

In his wage announcement, Sunak warned that his offer was “final” and further industrial action would not change that decision.

“There will be no more talks on pay. We will not negotiate again on this year’s settlements and no amount of strikes will change our decision. Instead, the settlement we’ve reached today gives us a fair way to end the strikes. A fair deal for workers and a fair deal for the British taxpayer,” he declared.

He welcomed teachers’ unions expressing their backing, saying the government’s offer will allow teachers and school leaders to call off their strike action and resume normal relations.

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Education department opposes visa rule changes

The measure was put in place to pre-empt figures released which show that in the year to December 2022, net migration in the UK rose to a record level of 606,000…reports Asian Lite News

The Department for Education opposes the Home Office’s plans to reduce foreign student numbers, stating tuition fees can reduce costs for UK students.

Starting in 2024, Rishi Sunak’s government intends to ban international students other than those on postgraduate courses from bringing their families to the UK.  (AP)

Starting in 2024, Rishi Sunak’s government intends to ban international students other than those on postgraduate courses from bringing their families to the UK. (AP)

The Department for Education in the UK is reportedly opposing the Home Office’s plans to reduce the number of foreign students in the country.

According to a report by Telegraph, The ministerial department argued that tuition fees paid by international students can help reduce costs for those from Britain, according to the report. It said a drop in foreign pupil numbers would require either more taxpayers’ money going to universities or higher tuition fees for UK students, the Telegraph said.

Since 2017, tuition fees for students studying in England have been frozen at £9,250, according to the report.

Starting in 2024, Rishi Sunak’s government intends to ban international students other than those on postgraduate courses from bringing their families to the UK.

Informing the policy changes, Home Secretary Suella Braverman last month said, that only international students on postgraduate courses designated as research programs will be allowed to bring their family members, such as children and elderly parents, as dependants. Apart from that, the new law also removed the ability for international students to switch to work visa before finishing their courses.

She also pledged steps to clamp down on unscrupulous education agents “who may be supporting inappropriate applications to sell immigration not education”.

The measure was put in place to pre-empt figures released which show that in the year to December 2022, net migration in the UK rose to a record level of 606,000.

Indians top cross-sector skilled work visa list

Official immigration statistics released in London show that Indian nationals have become the top recipients of skilled worker and student visas in the UK. The data, compiled by the UK Home Office and the Office for National Statistics (ONS), reveal that Indians accounted for the largest number of skilled worker visas, including healthcare visas for addressing staff shortages in the NHS.

They also constituted a significant portion of students granted visas under the new Graduate post-study work route. The statistics indicate a substantial increase in skilled worker visas granted to Indians, as well as a rise in study visas for Indian nationals and their dependents.

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Indians corner highest number of UK visas

Cap reached for H-2B visas for second half of FY 2023

They also made up the largest group of students granted visas under the new Graduate post-study work route, representing 41 per cent of grants…reports Asian Lite News

Indian nationals top the tally of skilled worker and student visas issued by the UK over the past year, according to official immigration statistics released in London on Thursday.

The latest data comes days after UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman announced a clampdown on the right of student visa holders to bring dependent family members, limiting it only to PhD level students.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) data collated by the UK Home Office shows that Indian nationals were the top nationality for cross-sector skilled work, including specifically targeted healthcare visas aimed at filling staff shortages in the National Health Service (NHS).

They also made up the largest group of students granted visas under the new Graduate post-study work route, representing 41 per cent of grants.

“Indian nationals were the top nationality for visas in the ‘Worker’ category, representing one third (33 per cent) of grants, and were by far the top nationality for both the ‘Skilled Worker’ and ‘Skilled Worker – Health and Care’ visas,” the Home Office analysis notes.

“A total of 92,951 Graduate route extensions were granted to previous students in the year ending March 2023. Indian nationals represented the largest group of students granted leave to remain on the Graduate route, representing 41 per cent of grants,” it said.

According to the latest statistics, skilled worker visas granted to Indians rose 63 per cent, from 13,390 in 2021-22 to 21,837 in 2022-23. In the healthcare visa category, Indians registered an even higher 105 per cent hike from 14,485 to 29,726.

“There were 138,532 sponsored study visa grants to Indian nationals in year ending March 2023, an increase of 53,429 ( 63 per cent) compared to year ending March 2022 and the largest number of study visas granted to any nationality. Grants to study for Indian nationals have risen markedly since year ending March 2019 and are now around seven times higher,” the analysis notes.

“Nigeria had the highest number of dependants (66,796) of sponsored study visa holders in the year ending March 2023, increasing from 27,137 in the year ending March 2022. Indian nationals had the second highest number of dependants, increasing from 22,598 to 42,381,” it notes.

The latest data comes days after Home Secretary Suella Braverman announced a clampdown on the right of student visa holders to bring dependent family members, limiting it only to PhD level students.

“This package includes: removing the right for international students to bring dependants unless they are on postgraduate courses currently designated as research programmes,” Braverman said in a statement to the House of Commons announcing a new package of measures to curb migration.

It was widely seen as pre-emptive action ahead of the latest ONS figures revealing on Thursday that net migration to the UK hit a record 606,000 in 2022-23, up from 504,000 in the previous year and driven by a sharp rise in workers and students from outside the European Union (EU).

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UK govt promises 45,000 seasonal agricultural worker visas

London, Sept 07 (ANI): Indian-origin barrister Suella Braverman appointed UK's new Home Secretary, in London on Wednesday. (ANI Photo/ANI pic service)

The British agriculture ecosystem has traditionally relied on EU member states to thrive but tougher immigration rules and Brexit have made it difficult to hire workers from the bloc…reports Asian Lite News

In what surprised many political observers, the UK government promised to award 45,000 visas for seasonal workers in the agricultural sector next year.

The announcement was made on Tuesday despite calls from within the ruling Conservative party to discourage and reduce immigration. Official figures on immigration are expected on May 25th but British media says net migration is expected to hit a record high this year.

A day earlier, Home Secretary Suella Braverman said at a conference that there was “no good reason” Britain cannot train its own lorry drivers and fruit pickers to cut immigration.

Despite such a stance, Downing Street seems to go contrary and defended the decision to grant the visas again.

A spokesman said the current rules “provide us the flexibility to flex the system depending on UK need,” adding that Britain has a “historically low” unemployment rate.

The announcement of the visa allocation coincides with a new package of measures to support the farming industry and the government is also vowing to help the farmers who have had a hard time tackling soaring costs.

The British agriculture ecosystem has traditionally relied on EU member states to thrive but tougher immigration rules and Brexit have made it difficult to hire workers from the bloc.

The government seems to be pushing the agenda forward while providing succor to the farmers and said on Tuesday it will give farmers greater protections in future trade deals and prioritize new export opportunities.

“British farming and British produce simply cannot be an afterthought. I know that is how some of you felt in the past,” Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in an open letter to British farmers.

While the government at one end is announcing visas for seasonal agriculture workers, it is also exploring plans to prevent family members from joining foreign masters students at the country’s universities.

Three of the departments, the United Kingdom’s Department of Education, Home Office and Treasury are currently discussing the plan to stop dependents from traveling with masters students for one-year courses. If the plans to curb family members joining the students are materialized, students from India and Nigeria would be affected largely.

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Curbs likely on visas to foreign students’ families

The UK issued nearly 5,00,000 study visas in 2022, which was 81% higher compared to 2019…reports Asian Lite News

The United Kingdom government is formulating plans to prevent family members from joining foreign masters students at the country’s universities, the Financial Times reported on Thursday.

The number of visas granted to dependents of foreign students increased from 16,047 in 2019 to 1,35,788 in 2022, according to official figures. Students from India and Nigeria have reportedly been especially likely to bring family members with them.

Ahead of the 2019 election, the ruling Conservative Party had promised to bring down migration levels. However, official data slated to be released on May 25 is expected to show that migration reached record levels in 2022, according to the Financial Times.

In this context, the United Kingdom’s Department of Education, Home Office and Treasury are discussing a plan to stop dependents from travelling with masters students for one-year courses. “Many of these courses only last for nine months,” an unidentified official told the newspaper. “We don’t think this will have a big effect on our ability to attract global talent.”

The United Kingdom issued nearly 5,00,000 study visas in 2022, which was 81% higher compared to 2019.

From June 2021 to June 2022, net migration to the United Kingdom hit record levels, largely driven by migrants from outside European Union countries. According to the Office of National Statistics, an estimated 5,04,000 more persons arrived in the United Kingdom on a long-term basis than those leaving the country.

According to Centre for Policy Studies think tank, net migration in 2022 will be 7,00,000 – more than double the pre-Brexit record.

According to new immigration figures, 490,763 students were given visas last year.

They were accompanied by 135,788 dependants — spouses and children — up from 16,047 in 2019.

Of these, India became the largest source of students with 161,000 students, including 33,240 dependents, coming to the UK last year.

The surge in legal net migration is boosting the size of Britain’s workforce but the issue is politically problematic for the prime minister. Sunak is grappling with the separate and more contentious issue of illegal migration by people in small boats coming across the English Channel.

The Conservatives are trailing the opposition Labour party by about 15 percentage points in opinion polls and last week were hammered in local elections in England. Immigration has become one of the most explosive political issues.

Ministers are now finalising plans to tackle one recent boom area for legal migration: the number of dependants who come to Britain with overseas masters students, often from India and Nigeria.

Students have been one of the main drivers of the post-coronavirus pandemic surge in migration, with almost 500,000 study visas issued by the UK authorities in 2022 — a rise of 81 per cent compared with 2019.

Students, especially those coming from Nigeria and India, have become more likely to bring family with them, with 135,788 visas granted to dependants in 2022, up from 16,047 in 2019.

The Department for Education, the Home Office and the Treasury are finalising a plan that would stop dependants from travelling with master’s students on one-year courses, according to several officials close to the discussions.

One said: “Many of these courses only last for nine months. We don’t think this will have a big effect on our ability to attract global talent.”

One minister confirmed the focus was on the dependants of master’s students, saying: “It’s clear we have to do something. We’re a long way from David Cameron’s promise to reduce annual net migration to the ‘tens of thousands’.”

The Treasury, which normally favours higher migration, has accepted the political need to restrict the number of dependants of overseas students, while Gillian Keegan, education secretary, has also agreed to the plan.

But government insiders said Keegan was insisting that master’s students should be able to bring family members to the UK if they stay to work in the country after completing their studies.

“International education is popular,” Keegan said in a speech this week. “It makes us all richer. We all benefit as we build partnerships and lasting bonds. That’s something we value hugely.”

Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory at Oxford university, said that while net migration was unusually high, it would “fall over the next few years, all else being equal”, as people who recently came to the UK leave again, particularly if they are overseas students.

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All GCC expats can apply for Saudi tourist visa

Gulf residents can visit the eVisa page to apply for a tourist visa, at a cost of $80 in addition to health insurance…reports Asian Lite News

Saudi Arabia’s Tourism Ministry allowed all residents in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states to apply for a tourist visa online to visit the kingdom, regardless of their profession.

The eVisa will allow the Gulf residents to explore the various Saudi regions and perform Umrah rituals if they are Muslims, Xinhua news agency reported.

The move came as part of the Saudi efforts to provide an opportunity for the Gulf residents to visit Saudi tourist destinations, enjoy entertainment events, and explore the heritage and historical sites in the kingdom, it said.

“Saudi Arabia’s visa application is now simpler, more convenient and straightforward for residents of GCC states, regardless of their profession,” said Tourism Minister Ahmed al-Khateeb on Twitter.

Gulf residents can visit the eVisa page to apply for a tourist visa, at a cost of $80 in addition to health insurance.

Once the application is submitted, the applicant will get the eVisa by email, according to media reports.

Previously, only those GCC residents with occupations listed on an approved list were allowed to apply for an eVisa to visit the kingdom.

The transit visa for stop-over allows those in transit to enter the kingdom to perform Umrah, visit the Prophet’s Mosque, and attend tourism events. The visa is free of charge and will be issued immediately with the traveller’s plane tickets.

It allows for a four-day stay in the kingdom and has a three-month validity period, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Ministry said that the new service is available as of Monday on the electronic platforms of Saudia Airlines and Flynas and passengers can apply on the platforms and receive the digital visas in their email.

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