The VNN Forum has reported on a recent announcement by the European Parliament that the proposed European Blue Card scheme for skilled immigrants will need to pass a crucial vote in the Civil Liberties Committee in early November.

Personneltoday.com has reported that campaigners have officially filed for a second judicial review against the Government's handling of changes to the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP). They claim that the Government has not done enough to adhere to the terms of a judgement made by the High Court in April 2008.

Employers...find out everything you need to know about Tier 2 and applying for your sponsor licence with our upcoming seminar.

November marks the start of Tier 2 of the new Points Based Immigration System that requires all employers who fill positions with migrant workers to be Sponsor Licence holders on the Employers A list. Due to a lack of awareness about the new process, only 237 UK employers have completed the application stage.

Don’t let the deadline pass you by and affect your ability to hire migrant workers to fill positions in your company. Join us at our morning seminar when we will go through the new Tier 2 requirements so that you can get a head start with your application.

WHERE: Tower 42, 25 Old Broad Street, London, EC2N 1HQ, www.tower42.co.uk
WHEN: Thursday, October 16th 2008, 0800am - 11.30am

Cost per ticket is only £65 + VAT per delegate so book your place soon. To book please call Rebecca Hall on 07870 250 854.
 
Topics will include:
    * Overview of the New 5 Tier Points Based System
    * Tier 2 and gaining a Licence, Application Process and what are the Hurdles?
    * The changes in UK immigration

We look forward to seeing you all there!

Perez Hilton has commented on the recent events surrounding Busta Rhymes being detained by UK border officials in a London airport when he travelled to the UK to appear at a charity gig.

Don’t miss out on our Immigration Seminar, 3 October, focusing on the new requirement for employers to have a Sponsor’s License to engage foreign workers. Your clients could find themselves at a disadvantage by not taking action now to secure their Sponsor’s License.

Give yourself the competitive advantage by being clued up about the new immigration requirements and safeguard your clients’ hiring capacity.

Our morning seminar on Friday, 3 October will give you an expert view on:

    * The new 5 Tier Points Based Immigration System
    * Tier 2 - Applying and gaining an Employers License
    * Review of the changes in UK Immigration

Tickets: £65 + vat per delegate. Group discounts available.

Venue: Tower 42, 25 Old Broad Street, London, EC2N 1HQ Time: 08:30-12:00.

To reserve your ticket, please call Rebecca Hall on 07870 250 854. Places are restricted so please book your tickets now to avoid disappointment.

The BBC has reported the unveiling of the first identity cards from the Government's controversial  national scheme.  Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said it will allow people to easily and securely prove their identity. The cards will detail the immigration status of the individual and will be distributed initially to non-EU students and marriage visa holders from November.

Let us know your views on the identity cards by commenting below.

Immigration and world permit news has repoted that the UK Border Agency published statistics showing the number of Eastern European immigrants coming to the UK is continuing to decrease. This can be good news for non-EU nationals hoping to live and work in the UK. Fewer Eastern European immigrants in the UK could mean improved labour market prospects for third country nationals.

Computer weekly have reported immigration lawyers and industry bodies predict that employers will NOT find it harder to get the IT skills they need when new immigration rules come into force in November, despite IT skills not being included on a new list of "shortage skills".

Personneltoday.com is reporting results of a survey carried out by PriceWaterhouseCoopers showing 88% of 170 HR Directors polled are yet to apply for a sponsorship license to employ non-EU migrant workers. The UK Border Agency can only guarantee applications received by 1 October, 2008 will be processed in time for the introduction of the new points-based system in November.