UK Yankee News

A woman has been jailed for setting up scam marriages to help Indian men skip immigration procedures. Jaswinder Gill, 41, from Hayes, west London, is the latest in a long list of people convicted for setting up marriages of convenience.

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Registrars say the drop in the number of foreign nationals giving notice to marriage is already "nothing short of remarkable" and will have "a very significant impact" on the number of bogus marriages - estimated by the Home Office as up to 15,000 a year.
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Registrars' spokesman Mark Rimmer said: "In some areas, particularly in London, it's looking like an 80% decrease of which a good proportion will have been bogus marriages.
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"We'll have to wait and see but it looks as though it will make an incredible difference."
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But they had been introduced to "avoid disruption of genuine marriages while providing firm controls to prevent abuse", she said.

Extract from the BBC site: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4480729.stm

LONDON When expats get a craving for comfort food from home, be it Vegemite from Australia, soek from South Africa or Cap'n Crunch cereal from the United States, they can usually turn to a local shop, although often there is a hefty price tag.
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When the craving is more intangible, when expatriates want to connect with people who share their own culture or with those who are struggling with the same issues, they can also go to a shop. But in this case, the goods are virtual, and in most cases, they are free.
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extract from the IHT - http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/03/25/news/aonline.html

The UK Government is launching in April 2005 its new provision for graduates of the top 50 business schools (below) to work in the UK for up to 12 months upon completion of their MBAs. This provision is part of the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP), although the government has not yet clarified how the HSMP and the MBA provision are related.


The HSMP is designed to attract highly skilled individuals who wish to work in the UK. The MBA provision is designed to attract highly qualified and talented managers to the UK. It differs from other schemes because participants need neither a specific job offer in the UK, nor a detailed business plan.


The list of 50 institutions contains 10 UK institutions and 40 from the rest of the world. The inclusion of a quota of 10 UK institutions reflects the fact that students choosing to study in the UK have already shown a commitment to that country and have begun to integrate in the UK, making it easier for them to continue their career there.


Individuals who graduate from one of the eligible MBA programmes at the time it is on the list will be eligible to apply for the MBA provision. Successful applicants will be awarded the minimum number of points necessary to qualify under HSMP, but will still need to meet the remaining requirements of the programme. These requirements have not yet been announced. Check this site frequently for the latest updates on the remaining requirements for the MBA programme.

extract from workpermit.com