The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in profound reductions in the U.S. Department of State’s (DOS) visa processing capacity. Consequently, the DOS in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on December 31, 2021 that consular officers had been granted the discretionary power to temporarily waive in-person interview requirements for certain nonimmigrant visas until
Temporary Visa route announced by UK Government
The UK Home Office announced over the weekend that it will be introducing a visa route (amongst implementing other measures) to help ease the current shortage of HGV drivers. With full details yet to be confirmed, the announcement indicates that up to 5,000 HGV drivers (together with up to 5,500 poultry workers) will be able
Budget – Immigration Proposals
In addition to the measures referred to in the Budget which are aimed at addressing the immediate challenges of COVID-19 and putting the UK’s public finances on a sustainable footing in the medium term, the Government stated in the Budget that it recognised the importance of creating the conditions for an investment-led recovery driven by
Australian 457 working visa to be abolished – reforms to employer sponsored skilled migration programme announced
The Australian Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, announced yesterday afternoon that the 457 visa will be abolished and replaced with a new Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa to better address genuine skill shortages and protect the Australian local labour force. The implementation of these reforms will begin immediately and will be completed in March 2018.