Canadians in the UK...
 

interesting to read...

U.K. immigration crackdown could hit 6,000 Canadian students - Canada - CBC News

Re: Canadians in the UK...
 

Seems like UK universities may have a reduction in revenue from international students in the future.

UK doesn't seem like a friendly country for immigrants of any sort.

Re: Canadians in the UK...
 

Please elaborate, I'm intrigued

Re: Canadians in the UK...
 

This article and others about immigrants always seem very anti-immigration when it comes to the government.

This article certainly doesn't portray a government friendly to immigration.

Re: Canadians in the UK...
 

Maybe they are "targeting" the wrong people. I personally feel that breaking point is very close. I will just deal with what I know best, the NHS/healthcare. It is, unless drastic action is taken under serious threat. One might say that that is the government's intention, blame lazy greedy doctors thereby opening up opportunities for private companies (often run by their colleagues/friends) .

I don't believe that anyone could really believe that the massive influx of immigrants into the UK hasn't contributed in a significant way to bringing the service to it's knees by sheer overloading the system seemingly due to unstoppable and unsustainable demand.

There are of course benefits from immigration but it has to be controlled. Due to the opening up of European borders, it most certainly hasn't been with significant consequences. The fences at the Channel Tunnel are I fear, being installed after the horse has bolted.

The Canadian students are a side issue, as a result of a governmental knee jerk reaction and they have sadly been caught up with these policy changes.

Re: Canadians in the UK...
 

But isn't the UK a commonwealth country and shouldn't Canadians be allowed to go there and study and get jobs etc etc Im pretty sure I have heard several UK residents say that about coming to Canada;)

I would certainly say Canada treats its foreign students somewhat better than the UK does. At least here they can work 20 hours a week while studying and work full time during scheduled breaks and then Post Graduate Work Permits where applicable.

Re: Canadians in the UK...
 

This isn't targeted at the lady in the article, it's a massive hole in the immigration system which is so widely known now they have the choice of opening the borders or stopping it, since they can't get any form of national ID or NHS registration going.

Here's how it works, you sign up for a course that gets you a visa. You're in the country and can legitimately sign up for NHS and pretty much anything. Once you've got an address, national insurance number and a few bills you're legit (think what they always ask you for when applying for a CC etc).

Then you just don't bother attending the course. The college is happy- they've taken 5K off you for nothing- and you're apparently a legit resident for life because there's no ID to prove residency.

Costs a bit but easily the cheapest and most straightforward way into the west.

And yes, I have very close knowledge of how this works.

Re: Canadians in the UK...
 

So what do you suggest ?

Re: Canadians in the UK...
 

If you accept that Britain realistically has no control of people within the country- ie once you're through the border checks your home- you might need to cut down on the educational "export". Or at least do a cost benefit analysis.

Tightening the rules and regulations will have zero effect if you can simply stay and enjoy all the benefits.

A better system would be to have some sort of idea who's running round in the green and pleasant land.

I actually like the OHIP cards, PR cards etc now I understand the ramifications of not having them. But it's hard to apply things retrospectively.

Re: Canadians in the UK...
 

One of my daughters emigrated there along with her partner. They had been working in a trauma unit in Toronto but moved for more excitement, more traumatic traumas, more pace. They had no trouble finding work but she was irritated to have to take the IELTs exam due to already speaking English like what I do.

Re: Canadians in the UK...
 

That is not an unreasonable assertion based on the international media coverage the UK gets around the issues in Calais.

Once you add in the tabloids (particularly The Daily Mail) then you get the impression that there is definitely a segment of populace who feel that outsiders are to blame for their economic and social circumstance.

Sadly the UK, like Canada and other Western Countries needs more workers to support the ageing population.

Re: Canadians in the UK...
 

She speaks proper then

Re: Canadians in the UK...
 

Shouldn't that be "She talks proper then" ! ;)

Re: Canadians in the UK...
 

Cameron's government are pretending to be 'tough on immigration,' in the hope that the voters don't notice they have very little control over immigration at all. If they actually were 'anti-immigration', they'd have left the EU by now.

Re: Canadians in the UK...
 

Britain's handling of the refugees/migrants at Calais is a disgrace. They should be let in and if possible vetted. Longer term the Britain, France and the EU need a more joined up policy, but the present shambles over a few thousand people is absurd.

Re: Canadians in the UK...
 

Then issue them with EHICs and ask the Daily Mail to pay for a ticket to another European country of their choice. :rofl::rofl:

Re: Canadians in the UK...
 

Just not Malta ;)

I agree with Jsmth. The UK doesn't seem very immigrant-of-any-kind friendly, including spouses of their own citizens ! (see spouse visa shambles)

Then, I shouldn't talk with Malta's track record. :tape:

Re: Canadians in the UK...
 

Yes, that bolded bit is particularly despicable. But then not many outside of the tory government actually agree with it.

Aside from a minority of bigoted individuals I don't think the UK is especially "not friendly" to immigrants, more that the bigoted minority tend to be in the present government :ohmy:

Re: Canadians in the UK...
 

I wouldn't say there is any bigotry going on, more a case of over-reaction in a highly populist fashion.

Re: Canadians in the UK...
 

I dunno...maybe...but thinking about two bits of legislation in particular...and I'm doing this by memory for the first bit...

Back when Thatcher was PM there was some new restriction on immigration that had some exceptions that effectively meant non whites were the ones with the problems. That was pretty bigoted with no great call for such restictions from the voters.

More recently, as Gozit mentioned, was the rule introduced in 2012 whereby Brits returning to the UK with non EU spouses, who they may have been married to for donkeys years, had to meet needlessly high income conditions.

There was never any public desire for that restriction as there may have been for others that haven't been introduced.

Re: Canadians in the UK...
 

Not aware of the first example.

The 'high' income rule is indeed a poorly constructed restriction. However, my guess is that it is nothing more than that, rather than being purposely discriminatory (in an ethic sense).

Re: Canadians in the UK...
 

Indeed, but I was just addressing your point about populist over reaction. On that particular restriction there hadn't been any desire for restrictions to be introduced for the government to act upon, unlike the different situation of arranged marriages for example.

Re: Canadians in the UK...
 

Well really Chaps, does one or does one not want to keep Johnnie Foreigner out of Blighty?

Re: Canadians in the UK...
 

It's a question of degree.

Re: Canadians in the UK...
 

http://pattilynnhenry.com/wp-content...at-300x300.jpg

:rofl:

Re: Canadians in the UK...
 

Friends of mine fell foul of this- she couldn't get he work permit until he earned over a certain threshold. Looked brutal to me.

As we noted in the immigration discussion leading from Canadian officials to watch out for wedding/ honeymoon photos from Niagara Falls, the scammers are probably way more aware of these restrictions than normal civilians.

Re: Canadians in the UK...
 

Yes, there have been quite a few stories in the press of completely legit couples/families being denied residency due to earnings requirements. Although I think Canada has a similar system?

Re: Canadians in the UK...
 

As a % of total population in UK and Canada, they both let in the same amount of Immigrants as each other. I read the %'s somewhere once.

Not sure that includes EU folk, although i'd doubt it.

Therefore, the UK is no better or worse than Canada. Stop ****ing moaning you lot.

Re: Canadians in the UK...
 

Although the sponsoring spouse cannot be in receipt of social assistance there's no minimum income condition for marrieds. :thumbup:
Not even if only married a short time.
Suspicion may be aroused as to whether genuine marriage of course, but our sponsorship application was in a few weeks after we married.

Re: Canadians in the UK...
 

It's been 10 years, but the first marriage when we had to go through the whole process my ex was only making 14-15,000 per year and no issues at all. I was actually surprised how easy the whole process was, took forever but wasn't difficult in any way for us.

Re: Canadians in the UK...
 

I did notice while watching the UK news on TV that there where fights in Greece between Syrians & Pakistanis.
Hmm Syria is at war and yes there will be genuine refuges as are Christians from South Sudan who face being murdered on sight but i don't think there's a war in Pakistan or have i missed that one ??? Those Pakistanis are Economic Migrants and should be sent back, as for Syrians & say South Sudanese they seem like genuine refuges and should be allowed in. I know they should stay at the country of entry into the EU but they don't want to live in bankrupt Greece and neither would i lol
There was also a report on numbers applying to stay in other modern EU countries and the UK isn't taking any more than others, the press make it seem as if that's happening though.

Re: Canadians in the UK...
 

There's pretty much a defacto war going on in Pakistan between the moderates and the Taliban.

Pakistan has playing their home cricket games in Sharjah for a while now because of this.