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IMPROVED BENEFITS FOR CARERS ON SPONSORSHIP ( POLICY CHANGES ) MARCH 2010

8 March 2010

During the key immigration changes in the lead up to the eventual points system over the period of late 2006 - November 2008, it has been hard for specialist HEALTHCARE immigration companies such as overseasangels to have fixed prices as the work load varied even at times on a daily basis due to the non stop changes. The shake up caused a lot of damage and confusion to the healthcare sector of immigration which was the worst area of immigration impacted by the changes,
, with it already having been the toughest work permits to successfully drive through pre points system and healthcare transitional arrangements.

This meant a never ending fluctuating work load.

Most of the changes, in healthcare , were implemented by the Minister of immigration at the time who was in place and had the responsibility to drive through the key changes ( Liam Byrnes). Liam Byrnes officials , were obliged, to take emergency action during home office ( bia slow downs) and the instructed healthcare blocks whereby immigration specialists were asked to sit on any work in hand whilst changes went through and the applicants were not at risk,in fact on a number of occasions overseasangels and angelique blin were advised to hold back on applications due to long backlogs at the bia which were documented. The changes that were emergency status were not done by statute but by other measures and redeployed in stages.

These changes included, other factors falling into place impacting the changes in the healthcare sector, that is the restructuring of the Home office ( now BIA), the restructuring of work permits uk ( now UKBA), the change over of the home office policy unit with changes at board level including putting in place new departments to monitor some gov immigration bodies, and the healthcare transitional changes which meant sudden and unexpected emergency changes whilst the BIA changed the system fully, it has as such been challenging to have fixed prices scales in immigration due to the fluctuations in the law, all the transitional changes or at least the majority of the changes, specifically in the healthcare sector were carried out without statute, by way of emergency measures, implemented by the minister of immigration who at the time was liam Byrnes with the healthcare industry being the market sector that was impacted the most, with the greatest confusion and fluctuating changes. Since things only just started to settle in the confusion,
Overseasangels has now been able to fix prices and fee scales again as of the 7th March 2010, and has put in place policy changes to complement the points system changes by way of encouraging genuine applicants succeed in a speedy manner, and block fake applicants / system abusers. The point of the points system according to Paula Higson at the time director general of managed migration, at a speech held for ARIA members in July 2007, attended by overseasangels, and where overseas angels also spoke later, was to introduce a two edged sword to smooth the path of genuine applicants who will prosper themselves in the uk as well as benefit their employers but to put in blocks to reduce the high level of system abuse. Overseas Angels has introduced an immigration registration fee to all applicants applying to our services, for duediligence & screening to ascertain that applicants are genuine this fee is 500 pounds. In addition to which overseas angels no longer give free advice as we have done for the past 10 years, and all applicants are required to both now pay a fee of 1,500 for any evaluation work, job offer arrangements under the points system ( with an employer on the register), and the immigration service delivery proposal, which again in the past has been free of charge. Overseas Angels has also developed a payment and financial planning for overseas workers to pay any immigration services balance in installments either whilst the work is being done or after completion & overseas angels clients ( the employers )are now paying towards the immigration work for successful applicants as well as reimbursing those, who follow the correct process and demonstrate they are serious. The amount of the reimbursement and contribution will vary according to work needed. Within those changes any overseas applicants or overseas employee on the new work permit arrangements, who causes troubles for their employer or overseas angels, or damages or / and slows down the immigration work of others will now be immediately reported to the immigration police, and the CSCI and CRB. The employers need to be very careful and sure now of the overseas workers genuine committment and with that assurance they will offer the applicants of overseas angels financial support for their immigration legal costs. If the overseas worker causes troubles in this country, the employer can be fined as well as loose their right to hire from overseas, as well as be obliged to go through more " hoops" and processes when hiring from overseas. This also impacts all overseas workers and all carry a responsibility now and accountability if they cause or orchestrate such troubles. Overseas Angels will now have a O level tolerance to such behaviour as will the employers affiliated to overseas angels in an effort to ensure the genuine applicants get the highest benefits, and success and no further time is waisted on the system abusers. The points system was introduced to prevent system abuse and ease the path of the genuine applicants, as Paula Higson director general of managed migration explained to us, at a meeting in June 2007 in the mid way lead up and outlined her serious concerns of the issues impacting the healthcare sector at that time. The meeting was held by ARIA ( Association of Regulated Immigration Advisors ) where Angelique Blin medical visa advisor of overseas angels was also a guest speaker.

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