UK opens doors for exceptional talent from four fields for overseas applicants

21st July 2011: Aiming for global excellence from across the world, the government has decided to encourage exceptionally talented leaders from science, humanities, engineering and the arts field to come to the UK.

The new Tier 1 (Exceptional talent) category will open on 9 August this year. This new category will make easy not only had those who have already been recognised but also those with the potential to be recognised as leaders in their respective fields.

 Those admitted under Tier 1 (Exceptional talent) category will initially be granted permission to stay for three years and four months. They will then be able to extend their stay for a further two years, and settlement may be available after five years’ residence in the UK.

The four sciences, engineering and arts bodies will be able to nominate 1,000 leading individuals in their fields to live and work in Britain under a new "exceptional talent" immigration route.

There will be a limit of 1,000 applicants in the first year of operation. There will be 500 places available between the 9 August and 30 November and a further 500 places available from the 1 December to 31 March 2012. The number of places will be reviewed at the end of March 2012.

Tier 1 (Exceptional talent) will be overseen by world-renowned 'competent bodies', which will advise the UK Border Agency on these 'exceptionally talented' migrants to ensure that they are the brightest and best in their field:

The Royal Society, a fellowship of the world's most eminent scientists, will be able to nominate up to 300 talents; Arts Council England, the national development agency for the arts, will also be able to nominate up to 300 places; the Royal Academy of Engineering, Britain’s national academy for engineering, will have up to 200 places to nominate; and the British Academy, the national academy for the humanities and social sciences will be able to nominate up to 200 places.

The Immigration Minister Damian Green said that UK was a global leader in science, humanities and engineering and they were a cultural centre for the arts. He added that they will continue to welcome those who have the most to offer and contribute to the society and economy.

Green said the decision comes at a time of major reform of the immigration system to bring net migration back down to the tens of thousands, tackle abuses and make sure that the immigration system meets the needs of the country.

 Migrants seeking entry to the UK under Tier 1 (Exceptional talent) will not need to be sponsored by an employer, but will need to be recommended by one of the competent bodies.

 Alan Davey, Chief Executive of Arts Council England, said: 'We welcome the launch of this special visa scheme, which will enable the very best artists of international standing to live and work in the UK”.

He added the international exchange of artists enriches their art, and was sure audiences will welcome the opportunity to experience the finest artistic talent from across the world.

 Davey asserted “It will be for each competent body to select those who will qualify for recommendation, and we have also published the criteria for their endorsement.’

The President of the British Academy, Sir Adam Roberts, said that the Humanities and Social Sciences were flourishing in the UK and attracted many excellent scholars from overseas.

 Roberts added the British Academy was ready to play its part in identifying those outstanding scholars for whom Tier 1 is the appropriate visa category.

 While the government has allotted a number of places to each body, it will be open to the bodies to transfer additional places to those with more demand if this becomes necessary.

The President of the Royal Society, Sir Paul Nurse, said that the UK was a global leader in science because they can attract the best minds from around the world to work with their own home-grown talent.
  
 He said “The government has listened to the science community’s concerns about jeopardising our international leadership by restricting the immigration of scientists and the Royal Society will play its part in ensuring that the very best international talent can continue to come to the UK to work.”

President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, Sir John Parker FREng, said in order to safeguard the UK's future competitiveness, they must ensure that it remains an attractive destination for world class engineers.

New changes to Tier 4 -UK student visas come into effect from 05 July 2011

05 July 2011: The changes to the Tier 4 - the student tier - of the points-based system came into effect from July 4. The UK Border agency claims the aim of the amended rules is to deliver a strong migration system which tackles immigration abuse, while allowing genuine students to study at authentic colleges.
Restricted work entitlements, by only allowing students sponsored by higher education institutions (HEIs) and publicly funded further education colleges to work part-time during term time and full-time during vacations are among some of the changes to the student visa system.

It also included restricted sponsorship of dependants to those of students sponsored by HEIs on postgraduate courses lasting 12 months or longer, and of government-sponsored students on courses lasting longer than 6 months.

UKBA asserts as per the amended system the institutions require to confirm that courses represent genuine academic progression from any previous courses studied by the student in the UK and create a streamlined application process for low-risk nationals sponsored by Highly Trusted sponsors.

UKBA have revised the application forms for Tier 4 (General), Tier 4 (child) and dependants under the points-based system. The new versions of these forms would be used with immediate effect.

The changes to the Immigration Rules were laid in Parliament on 13 June. The latest revisions follow the changes to the immigration rules were announced by the Home Secretary in a statement to Parliament on March 22.

As per the Immigration Rules, UKBA will continue to accept applications made on the previous version of each form up to and including 24 July.  From July 4, UKBA will consider all applications under the current Immigration Rules, regardless of the application form that was used.

UKBA has also updated the studying in the UK section of this website with current information for Tier 4 migrants, including changes to their right to bring their dependants to the UK.

China opens world's longest sea bridge

This photo taken Tuesday, June 21, 2011 released by China's Xinhua news agency shows the Jiaozhou Bay Bridge in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province. China opened Thursday, June 30, 2011, the world's longest cross-sea bridge, which is 42 kilometers (26 miles) long and links China's eastern port city of Qingdao to an offshore island, Huangdao.

China's history in the 20th century has been marked by occupation and civil war. This experience has fueled its strong desire for Great Power status and at the same time put it decades behind the West in technological development. Under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping, China has undergone a transformation, which has produced a tremendous economic turnaround. China is now a major trading nation which has built up an impressive foreign currency holding and is predicted to be the world's largest economy by 2010. The Chinese leadership has recognized that economic reform is the only way to achieve the status it desires on its own terms.
Despite not facing any threat to its security, China has embarked on a path of radical change to both its military strategy and capabilities. The realization in the 1980s that the Soviet Union was no longer a threat for major conflict and the Gulf War have had a profound effect on Chinese military thinking. The strategic focus has now shifted to the offensive. The main theme is power projection and the ability to fight a modern war with advanced technology.
China has also used its economic boom and change in military strategy to commence an ambitious military modernization program. The PLAAF is acquiring some of the most advanced fighter/bomber aircraft and weapons in the world. They are also purchasing state of the art air defence systems and developing supporting aircraft roles such as in-flight refueling and airborne early warning. The PLAN is also upgrading its fleet with power projection in mind. China has an active submarine replacement program in place and has purchased Russian Kilo-class submarines. New surface vessels are being built and the PLAN is paying more attention to replenishment at sea capability. While the PLA has not received the same attention as the navy or air force, it has formed a large RRU of well-equipped soldiers. China has also continued to upgrade its nuclear weapons and has developed a solid fuel missile with a MIRV capability. A space program has also been active and there is a program to trial a space shuttle by 2005.
It is clear that China's economic and military transformation has been aimed at challenging the balance of power that has existed in the region since World War Two. China has demonstrated hegemonic intentions through its territorial claims in the South China Sea and in its recent actions against Taiwan. A more aggressive and expansionist policy may occur as China faces more pressure to provide food and resources for one quarter of the world's population. If the current transformation continues, China will have, in the future, the economic and military might to threaten both the countries in the region and the West. The closer ties with Russia have already resulted in a strategic relationship that is designed to counter the influence of the US. How long this relationship will be required is unknown. With its ongoing effort to develop a high technology economic system, China has set the foundation that will likely ensure that it is much stronger than the former Soviet Union and perhaps even more powerful than the US.
A communist government, that has demonstrated that it is unhappy with its status in the world, also rules China. While Western governments have devoted a great deal of time and thought on how to treat China, their policies have not had any effect on the current regime's respect for human rights or democracy. The fundamental issue is that the stability of the CCP itself represents a concern for both Asia-Pacific and world security. Any movement by the West to promote human rights and democracy in China represents a direct threat to the existing regime. The brutality of the Tiananmen massacre should serve as a warning of the importance the CCP places on maintaining power. China more and more sees itself as a counter to Western values and way of life. In its effort to emerge as a great power, China has changed its security strategy from defensive to offensive. If China wants to be a dominant world power, and chooses to act based on the example of the former Soviet Union, it will have the potential to seriously undermine the current world order.
The economic and military transformation of China is well underway. It is critical that the West not be naive to its intentions. With its ambitions concerning territorial claims, the challenges it will face providing for its population and the insecure and suspicious nature of its communist government, Canada and the West face a potentially serious threat from China in the future.