And now the other shoe drops...

Greets,

Tristessa and Persephone from the Advocacy Team have posted here recently about the new Biometrics scheme along with upcomming changes in the Family Formation Programme.  These have been known and in the cards for quite some time.   You've also been advised about Lord Goldsmith's Citizenship Review, which is a bit further down the pipeline, but will require some advocacy from our side nonetheless.

Next week, Thursday 13 Dec, to be precise, Lords will enter into debate on the fees to be levied for the Biometric ID cards which all immigrants will be required to carry.  They will also debate on authorizing the BIA to levy fees for Certificates of Sponsorship. 

Both of these are entirely new revenue streams and are intended to pay for the new system.  Although the premise of the debate is on the MM side, Lord Avebury will be speaking in the debate.  What that means in a nutshell is that the Family Formation side is going to take some collateral damage.

ILPA will brief the sympathetic Lords prior to the debate, but once again we might be calling upon you (or your British half) to contact your MP's about it if the fee levels appear to be discouraging family life in the UK. 

On another front, the proposed merger of UKvisas into the BIA has caused UKvisas to suspend any further American representation in the Entry Clearance User Panel.  This is also deeply worrying because Americans make up the lion's share of HSMP applicants.  And we may be back asking you to have your MP's question this irrational line of policy.

We're really grateful for the support shown in the forum to date. 

Eyes wide peeps.

Should we start drafting letters now, or wait a little while?

That's the spirit!   

We'll read the proceedings of the debate, which should be published on Parliament's web site by Friday mid-day or so.

Then we'll know...

Well, it was not an encouraging result.  The Research Team will huddle over the next few days and revert back with some sample letters and additional advice.

Have they said if the fees and cards requirements will extend to those here under EEA freedom of movement?

Have they said if the fees and cards requirements will extend to those here under EEA freedom of movement?

Eventually I think the plan is to roll out and all in the UK will be required to have an ID card, including British citizens.  They're starting with the immigrants, with the requirements supposedly coming in for Brits a year or so after that.  (I read that a while ago, so I don't know if things have changed since then.)  And, of course, I'm sure the immigrants will bear the lion's share of the cost.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7146527.stm

Visitor visas to be reduced to 3 months.  OK, that was in the cards for quite some time.

Immigrants need to put up a GBP 1,000 bond for each visiting relative who enters the UK!    We'll have to dig in our heels on that one...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7146527.stm

Immigrants need to put up a GBP 1,000 bond for each visiting relative who enters the UK!    We'll have to dig in our heels on that one...

OK that's ridiculous!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7146527.stm

Visitor visas to be reduced to 3 months.  OK, that was in the cards for quite some time.

Immigrants need to put up a GBP 1,000 bond for each visiting relative who enters the UK!    We'll have to dig in our heels on that one...

Oh my god, that is INFURIATING.  We would have to do this for my father-in-law when he visits if this goes through.  I am so angry! 

Immigrants need to put up a GBP 1,000 bond for each visiting relative who enters the UK!    We'll have to dig in our heels on that one...

Ugh. That's something I was hoping wouldn't see the light of day.  Am I right though in thinking it wouldn't apply to most Americans who come to visit family in the UK, only those who need a visa before they visit?   (I'm just trying to figure out how this would work practically if they applied it to non-visa nationals as well as visa nationals and it seems a nightmare to me.)

I see someone's already beat me to posting the news!  Saw this just now when checking out BBC News.  Ridiculous!

The 3 month thing, to be fair, IS the same treatment Brits get when going to the US, so it's not that element that I so much have a problem with, but rather the new £1000 bond now required!  Ridiculous...they further endeavor to not only make immigrants feel unwelcome, but blatantly exploited for cash.  It's anti-family and disgracefully making Labour less and less a friend of the honest foreigner.

Yes, I'm not so bothered about the 3 months, it's the cash bond.  This type of thing makes it more and more likely I will choose to return to the US.   

Who is it supposed to stop anyway?  If you are planning to stay and need a visa you would just lie and say you didn;t have family.  Lots of people have the same last name.

The cash bond is simply a way to dissuade those from developing countries from applying.  Pure and simple.


Vicky

Is this cash bond only applicable to relatives visiting from non-Visa Waiver Program countries, then?