Changes to the poorly crafted immigration rules have been announced. They will come into effect on 13th December. This is the link :

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/immigration/statement-policy-immig-rules

And these are the new rules :

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/statementsofchanges/2012/hc760.pdf?view=Binary

There are minor changes to many parts of the legislation, and to Appendix FM-SE, including the requirement for sole responsibility. That loophole didn't last long.

The new E-ECC.1.6 (a):

the applicant’s parent’s partner under Appendix FM is also a parent of the applicant;

looks harsh, but remember that the stepfather of a child whose actual father is dead is reckoned as a parent for the immigration rules.

These changes look excellent to me. In particular with regards criminality and so called 'students' who are in the UK just to work via these dodgy English schools and, in the recent example, universities too.

These include non-substantive changes for sponsors and migrants coming to the UK under the following routes of the points-based system:

• Tier 1 - entrepreneurs and investors
  
• Tier 2 - skilled workers, including changes for senior intra-company transfers
  
• Tier 4 - students, including extending the interim limit
  
• Tier 5 - temporary workers, including the requirements for the government-authorised exchange category and private servants in a diplomatic household
  
• sponsorship - revised sponsorship guidance will be published in December
  

In addition, there are changes to the rules affecting:

Criminality

• establishing a more robust and clear criminality framework to assess immigration applications against which immigration applications will be assessed
  
• recalculating the length of time, based on the length of sentence, before we will revoke a deportation order
  
• introduction of a re-entry ban, for some foreign national offenders who have been removed from the UK as part of a conditional caution and additional powers to end (curtail) a migrant’s visa or leave
  
• creation of a ‘route’ for ex-armed forces to remain in the UK.
  

Settlement

• amendments to clarify the absences from the UK that are allowed during the continuous residence period for Tier 1 (General), Tier 2 and pre-points-based system work routes (for example work permits, self-employment and business person).
  

Family and private life

• minor changes to the child and parent routes to make them as clear and comprehensive as possible
  

10,000 words/changes and not one that changes the unfairness of the spouse visa system.

What a waste of time and money!

The main problem in the past was poor people like i might add i was when i got my wifes settlement visa.

Then you bring the children over and these also get supported by the Government.

A crack down was needed and a crackdown we have.

Welcome to the year 2012

Any more posts made solely to bait other posters will earn their poster 3 days on the bench. If you have personal vendettas that you aren't grown up enough to get over please take them to PM and stop annoying those who come here for information.