31 March 2008

Scottish first minister calls for UK immigration changes

The first minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond, has called for the country to have more control over immigration policy. Mr Salmon claimed that Prime Minister Gordon Brown has "no British solutions" to international problems. These changes could cause drastic changes to UK immigration. He has also made fresh claims that Scotland should be made independent from the UK.

Mr Salmond said: "I don't think there are any particular solutions to the various arguments that he's put forward and some of them do have a particular Scottish aspect. Take immigration, for example. We're not full up in Scotland. We've got a key skills shortage." He added that Scotland has a "different attitude" towards international questions, particularly "skills and immigration". Mr Salmond was elected as first minister of Scotland in 2007. Britain has recently changed its UK immigration rules to move certain visa classes towards a point-based system, with more set to be added to the points tested programme in the future.

Anyone interested in getting a better understanding of their current position under UK visa regulations should request a call from a qualified UK Visa Bureau migration consultant to see if they are eligible for migration to the UK, or call direct on Freephone 0800 043 7011. Alternatively, HSMP visa hopefuls should try taking the HSMP online assessment.