Archive for November, 2008

The story below comes from our India Office where hard working people are emigrating…

We think it is a story that rings true the world over…

An Old Story

The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and laying up supplies for the winter.

The Grasshopper thinks the Ant is a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away.

Come winter, the Ant is warm and well fed. The Grasshopper has no food or shelter so he dies out in the cold.

Indian Version

The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and laying up supplies for the winter.

The Grasshopper thinks the Ant’s a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away.

Come winter, the shivering Grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the Ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others are cold and starving.

NDTV, BBC, CNN show up to provide pictures of the shivering Grasshopper next to a video of the Ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food.

The World is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be that this poor Grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?

Arundhati Roy stages a demonstration in front of the Ant’s house.

Medha Patkar goes on a fast along with other Grasshoppers demanding that Grasshoppers be relocated to warmer climates during winter.

Mayawati states this as `injustice’ done on Minorities.

Amnesty International and Koffi Annan criticize the Indian Government for not upholding the fundamental rights of the Grasshopper.

The Internet is flooded with online petitions seeking support to the Grasshopper (many promising Heaven and Everlasting Peace for prompt support as against the wrath of God for non-compliance).

Opposition MPs stage a walkout. Left parties call for ‘ Bengal Bandh’ in West Bengal and Kerala demanding a Judicial Enquiry.

CPM in Kerala immediately passes a law preventing Ants from working hard in the heat so as to bring about equality of poverty among Ants and Grasshoppers.

Lalu Prasad allocates one free coach to Grasshoppers on all Indian Railway Trains, aptly named as the ‘Grasshopper Rath’.

Finally, the Judicial Committee drafts the ‘ Prevention of Terrorism Against Grasshoppers Act’ [POTAGA], with effect from the beginning of the winter.

Arjun Singh makes ‘Special Reservation ‘ for Grasshoppers in Educational Institutions & in Government Services.

The Ant is fined for failing to comply with POTAGA and having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, it’s home is confiscated by the Government and handed over to the Grasshopper in a ceremony covered by NDTV.

Arundhati Roy calls it ‘ A Triumph of Justice’.

Lalu calls it ‘Socialistic Justice ‘.

CPM calls it the ‘ Revolutionary Resurgence of the Downtrodden ‘

Koffi Annan invites the Grasshopper to address the UN General Assembly.

Many years later…..

The Ant has since migrated to the US and set up a multi-billion dollar company in Silicon Valley,

100s of Grasshoppers still die of starvation despite reservation somewhere in India
AND
As a result of loosing lot of hard working Ants and feeding the grasshoppers,

India is still a developing country and will remain forever !!!!

These are just some of the frailties facing Immigration Minister, Phil Woolas and the Border Agency in the lead-up to the roll out of the new immigration system at the end of the month.

Shadow Minister for Immigration, Damian Green, leads an already long list of parties expressing concerns to Global Visas at laws being rushed through before the points-based system goes live on November 27.

“We want a proper discussion of these regulations before they come into force,” Green told Global Visas.

The most controversial aspect relates to the apparent lack of registered sponsors on the scheme. There were under eight-hundred in early October, compared to the many thousands using the work permit scheme that is being replaced.

Employers have expressed their disapproval at being asked to take on the extra responsibility of unpaid immigration officers by checking details of potential employees.

In the current system, a UK government official decides who can and cannot come into the UK, under the points-based system the responsibility falls to the sponsor.

An ill-informed decision results in a hefty fine and possible imprisonment. Those willing to run the risk and profit illegally from immigration need not worry. The decision by Border Agency staff to stop reviewing applications before registering sponsors provides a definite weakness in the system benefiting the fraudsters.

The apparent lack of resources available to immigration officers has infuriated academics also. Last week two hundred of them signed a petition organised by Ian Grigg-Spall, academic chair of the National Critical Lawyers Group, signed also by leading academic lawyers, the head of the lecturers’ union and Tony Benn.

They are unhappy at being asked to monitor the movements of international students and argue “police-like surveillance is not the function of universities”, they have called on MPs to oppose the new rules.

Sir Andrew Greene, founder of MigrationWatch, an independent think tank concerned with the present scale of immigration into the UK also voiced concerns to Global Visas adding he is, ‘standing by to see what the government says’.

Perhaps the loudest call of trepidation has come from the Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association (ILPA), a professional organisation of barristers, solicitors and advocates practicing in all aspects of immigration, asylum and nationality law.

Having urged both Houses of Parliament to ‘pray against’ the Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules presented on November 4, they are encouraging an open debate and opportunity for the points-based system to be scrutinised and challenged for the first time.

Are you an employer, academic or international student affected by the new points-based system?

Leave your story or comments.

There were about 61,000 successful applications made for the Working Holidaymaker visa in 2006/ 07.

About 1,000 of those were from South Africa.

In two weeks time the door to the Working Holidaymaker program will be permanently shut when the Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) kicks into practice and South Africans will have to find alternative and more difficult and less flexible visa entry to experience life in the UK.

In all fairness the South African government has known for an adequate amount of time that to qualify as a participating country they must have a reciprocal program running for British 17-30 year olds.

For reasons only they know they have not done this. I have put in calls and sent emails but am still waiting for a response.

The current Working Holidaymaker scheme allows people under thirty to work in Britain for up to one year of a two year visa. The Youth Mobility Scheme allows the participant to work for two. Previous participants of the scheme can not reapply for the YMS.

A spokesperson for the British High Commission in Pretoria has confirmed South Africa will not be participating from the ‘outset’.

“We made the South African government aware of the introduction of the new scheme some time ago but they have not, as yet, expressed an interest,” says Apsara McNaught, spokesperson for the British High Commission.

“In order to become a participating country, South Africa would be required to meet certain criteria, including the establishment of a reciprocal scheme for young British nationals to come here.”

Robbie Ragless, regional manager of Global Visas (South Africa) said, ‘This will have a huge impact. Young South Africans will not be able to do what every other young South African did in the past. The only other alternatives are student permits or work permits.

Despite the short-comings I’m hopeful they’ll get a reciprocal program up and running soon. If it is to be believed high unemployment levels are being blamed for the flip-flopping around, it could be argued jobs should be created to develop and manage a reciprocal program and letting a similar number of young people out of the country in exchange for letting a similar amount in surely isn’t going to threaten local levels of unemployment significantly.

I know over a dozen south africans living in London and the south-east. I’m putting together their thoughts and opinions over the next couple of days for a story I’m writing on the subject.

If you have comments on the subject leave them here. I’m interested in hearing your experience - did you come here on a working holidaymaker visa? How did it change your life, what opportunities presented themselves to you? Did you take that knowledge back to RSA or did you stay on in the UK? The story will be picked up by national newspapers and the issue will be highlighted.

I’m sure South Africa is a great place but today I think a lot of South Africans have been robbed, I don’t think I entirely care whose fault it is, I don’t think that’s the point, but I believe not seeing a springbok about Soho is a loss for me and a loss for Londoners and I want others to know to what’s going on.

I have worked in Immigration now for nearly 20 years.  I want to ask our readers to leave their comments on the following question.

Will people want to Emigrate in greater numbers now before the world goes into deep recession or would they prefer to see it through and not leave home in times of trouble?

and

What do you believe will be the main reasons to justify their decision? 

I am certain there is no right answer to this question but I would love to hear your views.  In the last down turn in the early 90’s emigration rose sharply as people looked for a better standard of life.  Will history repeat itself?

Thanks for taking the time to add your thoughts :) 

When british journalist, Adam Smith, flew to Miami on a B2 tourist visa to cover the US elections, little did his editor at the Birmingham Mail know McCain wouldn’t be the only loser that night.

Intoxicated and apparently being interviewed by a stranger with a video phone, Smith sets about explaining his reasons for covering the historic Obama win, how he copies and pastes his story for his Birmingham readers from the BBC website and declaring he came to Miami ’cause that’s where the party’s at!’

When asked what he thinks about the Obama win, in legendary comedic fashion he drops his head back and raises an eyebrow to ponder the question.

His response is a gem and truly worth watching: Broadcasting himself: Adam Smith

He ends the interview saying: “My name is Adam Smith, also known as Steve Zackaranda, who has just resigned from the Birmingham Mail, Birmingham Post and Birmingham Sunday Mercury to set up my own magazine. F*** you, I’m doing what I want to!”

If you’re reading from your room at the Gansevoort South Hotel in Miami Alan and need some advice extending your visa or indeed on permanent residency, fell free to give us a call, there are many avenues you can explore including, H1-B (up to 6 years away from Birmingham), L1 Visa (you need an employer in the UK to transfer you and I think you’ve burnt that bridge), the J1 Visa could be good for you, it’s for students, or the EB1Visa is for individuals possessing extraordinary abilities in the arts. Rum and coke aside though, give us a shout and one of our lovely advisors will give you counsel.

In May 2006, 63million votes were cast in the American Idol finale, a figure that drew more votes than had ever been cast for a president in a US election. Today it is Barack Obama living the American Dream and today it is he with 63 million votes, more still to be counted.

In the same month Taylor Hicks was earning a spiritual following, Barack Obama was at the beginning of a two year journey for the Presidentship and the opportunity to represent the soul of a divided nation.

Speaking at an immigration rally in Chicago to thousands of Spanish, Hispanic and Latino immigrants he declared his pride that a national movement had started in Chicago, ‘because Chicago has always been ahead of the curve’.

Like a natural born leader he moulded an excited a crowd into a directed design and spoke of ‘lifting people out of the shadows to give them the same rights and responsibilities of all American citizens’.

Obama was sending a clear message to the 9.5 million immigrant workers lost in the system, also known as aliens and it appears the minority voters and legal immigrants from this movement have played a significant role in Obama’s success.

“The pathway to citizenship should be earned. They should pay a fine, learn English and go to the back of the line.’ The line now includes Obama’s Boston-based aunt.

‘To those concerned who think we can simply seal off the borders and deport, there is nothing to fear, people who have come here have come here for the same reasons as generations of Americans before them, they want a better future for their children’.

The President –elect believes America can be a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants. In a statement that could be interpreted as being directly associated to the recent H1-B visa scandal, he warned of holding employers accountable.

In October, the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) released a report revealing 13% of petitions filed for H1-B programme on behalf of employers were fraudulent and another 7% contained some sort of technical violations.

Some US tech firms advertise positions requiring candidates to perform a wide variety of highly skilled tasks on a salary that does not necessarily reflect the high level of the work.

For this reason US citizens do not apply for the jobs and in turn the tech firms can advertise the positions under the H1-B programme.

By the time some skilled migrants begin working in the US some aren’t always doing the jobs they apply for. One ended up working in a laundromat servicing washer and drier machines.

Bigger Tech companies like Oracle, Microsoft and Google have pushed to get more visas, claiming that a shortage of skilled workers is hampering U.S. competitiveness. The US currently grants 65,000 H1B visas a year. Microsoft Chairman and co-founder Bill Gates has twice testified in front of Congress on the raising the number of visas for skilled foreign workers..

So what now for the H1B program?

Immigration, a sticky subject in both races for the title, was an issue both parties were happy to leave until after the finish line.

Obama is for increasing the numbers but he also wants to integrate the illegal immigrants into society and hold companies accountable for abusing the system.

Whatever the outcome, Obama’s ideas seem revolutionary.

Mr. Obama is the first black President and as such will be setting further precedents in the years to come. Some people will be watching for mistakes but the vast majority will be praising great progress.

Given the support he has received from his landslide victory at home and from his followers around the world, this man just might breathe life back into a dream, which for millions of immigrants, has been dead for years.

Two Kiwis, Ian and Craig are walking down a street in Bondi. Ian happens to look in one of the shop windows and sees a sign that catches his eye.

The sign said ‘Suits $10.00 each, Shirts $4.00 each, Trousers $5.00 per pair’

Ian says to his pal, ‘ Craig, look! We could buy a whole lot of those, and whin we get beck to InZid, we could make a fortune.

Now whin we go unto the shop, you be quiet, okay? Just lit me do all the talking cause uf they hear our accint, they might not be nice to us. I’ll speak in my bist Aussie accint.’

‘No worries, smiled Craig, I’ll keep my mouth shut.’

They go in and Ian says, ‘I’ll take fufty suits et $10.00 each, 100 shirts et $4.00 each, and fufty pairs of trousers et $5.00 each. I’ll beck up my truck and…’

The owner of the shop interrupts, ‘You’re from New Zealand, aren’t you?’

‘Well… yis,’ says a surprised Ian. ‘How the hill dud you know thet?’

The owner says, ‘This is a dry cleaners’ .