who are interested in protest against changes of 4-5

[tutu1005]

I have started excel now and will forward to those who are interested in protest retrospective effect. I have also opened another post and we only welcome those who against the rule to come in, no negative responses are welcomed.

[indian_in_uk]

Please include my name as well, I am ready to contribute my time, efforts and money for this.

Thanks

[timefactor]

Please include me as well and agreed to contribute my time efforts and money on this.

Also PM'ed email addy to OP for communications.

[abcd1]

I am with you.

[tutu1005]

only few minutes, we have got a few people here. Great.

Please email or PM your email address to me for group emailing.

[Eugene_UK]

PLEASE COUNT ME ON

[timefactor]

Living post - check for latest additions

News
http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/ind/en ... ation.html
http://www.official-documents.co.uk/doc ... 4/0974.pdf
http://www.newzimbabwe.com/pages/immigr ... 13903.html
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0, ... 83,00.html
http://lkcn.net/eubbs/index.php?showtopic=102162&st=180
http://www.petitiononline.com/ILR45/petition.html
http://www.greattrek.co.uk/showthread.p ... ge=1&pp=10
http://lkcn.net/eubbs/index.php?showtop ... t&p=869754
http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetai ... ESSION=875

Solicitors
http://www.gherson.com
http://www.plsimon.co.uk
http://www.christine-lee.co.uk/index.htm
http://www.maliklaw.com/
http://www.oharasolicitors.co.uk/service.asp - still i'm not very convinced with them, as they themselves claim as conveyencing experts

Find your local MP
http://www.locata.co.uk/commons/

Immigrants welfare website
http://www.jcwi.org.uk/index.html

Newspaper contact details
http://www.mirror.co.uk/contactus/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/consumer/tv_and_radio/watchdog/

editor@guardianunlimited.co.uk
news@ukmetro.co.uk
camerond@parliament.uk - David Cameron's e-mail address
politics.editor@guardianunlimited.co.uk

[Rjohn]

Count me in

[tutu1005]

Great. Let stick on ideas we had so far:

1, group people who would like to protest by anyway.
Action has been taken by tutu1005. I am setting up excel sheet and now Thread for those who would like to contribute their time, money for the actions. No negative responses are welcomed.

2, Using solicitor. TVT and Shoegazer have proposed 2, could anyone take lead on this? We should start to contact them and find out the fee details etc.

3, Write to Media. Thanks for those who have done so. Please could anyone feedback on this? I still have not found any news from big ones. We need to raise our voice ASAP. I believe there is time limitation for us to be able to change or modify the rules, as concerned by other member in this board.

4, Write to MP. Thanks for those who have done so. I will do so as well but just do not know if I have right on this. I am not from commonwealth country.

5, Protest in front of the HO and Parliament. Someone has suggested we should start from HO and finish at Parliament. I strongly agree with it and I believe if we notice media before we do so, we will get attention.

Could anyone take lead on each of these? We do need to do something. I believe we could achieve something. As immigrants in this country, we have been keeping silence for too long. How many positive reports on immigrants have you ever read? We need to raise our voice and it is the time.

Special thanks for those who are not immigrants but support us.

I will post this on this thread and also the new thread.

[shoegazer]

Count me in as well. email is <my forumname> at gmaildotcom

your local MPs should be the first ones to write to. I would like to sound out anyone working in the medical/nursing/NHS staff fields (sadly, I am not) to come forward if possible, as your voices will be more credible.

Media are your second port of call. I suggest readers' columns, politics editor (as mentioned above - Guardian is a good one), and forums if you're already members. Again, would be good if anyone managed to score an interview with these guys.

[first2last4]

tutu1005,

Great work. I was reading the previous post and user like Lemess etc were really discouraging. I am feeling encouraged by such a quick response from so many members. Hats off to all those who have given such a quick response.

please count on me, email : first2last4 at yahoodotcom

[first2last4]

News
http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/ind/en ... ation.html
http://www.official-documents.co.uk/doc ... 4/0974.pdf
http://www.newzimbabwe.com/pages/immigr ... 13903.html

Solicitors
http://www.gherson.com
http://www.plsimon.co.uk

Find your local MP
http://www.locata.co.uk/commons/

Immigrants welfare website
http://www.jcwi.org.uk/index.html

Newspaper contact details
http://www.mirror.co.uk/contactus/

editor@guardianunlimited.co.uk
politics.editor@guardianunlimited.co.uk

Timefactor this is amazing. I have already emailed my local MP and also forwarded this link and a message to support this protest to all my contacts. I would request all to do the same, especially NHS Staff in the similar situation.

[indian_in_uk]

I have emailed to Local MP, have posted to Guardian, mirror and BBC. Still waiting for response

[basis]

Guys,

I totally sympathise with you. I have an immigrant myself - naturalised a few months ago.

I know the pains one goes through to complete four years (and now possibly five years). The layoffs, economic / financial challenges, family circumstances, job related issues.....to name a few.

And cannot forget the struggle that many of my colleagues have to put up or are having to put up get to completion of four / five years. Meet the stringent residence, good character requirements.

Whilst UK laws have been and are, compared to many other countries, better for the immigrants and UK as a nation embraces the immigrants so well. It does not mean that people (at least those who are caught in quick and therefore, unfair transition) should suffer a significant change in it.

I am really glad to see that finally the anger, anxiety, emotions have subsided And common sense, logic, pragmatic and democratic approaches have prevailed.

My good luck to the '4 NOT 5' movement. And would like to assure my effort to support this in whatever form possible.

And I am sure all the members of the board - who are / were migrants or not - support the legitimate and constructive means to achieve well defined objectives of the '4 NOT 5' movement.

regards,

Basis

[tutu1005]

Timefactor this is amazing. I have already emailed my local MP and also forwarded this link and a message to support this protest to all my contacts. I would request all to do the same, especially NHS Staff in the similar situation.[/quote]

Great!here are 2 more from old post.
Tindpublicenquiries@ind.homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
http://www.bbc.co.uk/consumer/tv_and_radio/watchdog/

[tutu1005]

To those who will write to their MP, cited this letter for your information. (Thanks for original writer)

RE: Change of qualifying period for Indefinite Leave to Remain from four to five years for existing work permit holders.

I am writing to you to express my concern over a recent change to the immigration rules (HC974) put forward by the Rt Hon Charles Clarke MP on the 13th March 2006 to take effect on the 3rd of April 2006.

The specific change I am referring to is the one which changes the length of time required to obtain Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK for a work permit holder from four to five years. Although this proposed change was announced in February 2002 in the paper ‘Controlling Our Borders: the Five Year Strategy for Asylum and Immigration’ the suddenness of the implementation of this change has left a large number of individuals unfairly affected as a result of it.

This change does not affect me personally as I have already completed my four years as a work permit holder and am now well on my way to becoming a British Citizen, however it affects a large number of individuals who were close to obtaining ILR but now have to wait twelve months upwards to achieve it.

There are numerous benefits awaiting an individual on obtaining ILR, one benefit that immediately comes to mind, is the willingness of Lenders to provide mortgages to such individuals. This goes a long way to establishing one’s home in the United Kingdom. Reaching the end of the four year period is a significant milestone for all immigrants who are looking to settle in the United Kingdom in an employment related category. Having this milestone moved so suddenly for people nearing the completion of this four year period is very unfair.

I am not asking for the rules to be changed back to four years, I am asking that the rules not be applied retrospectively so as not to affect current work permit holders. I am asking that these concerns and suggestions be raised with the Rt Hon Charles Clarke MP. At the very least transitional procedures should be put in place to deal with those individuals who are nearing the completion of their four year period to be dealt with using the old rules.

As I am sure you are aware, Commonwealth Citizens who have long term residence in the United Kingdom (this includes work permit holders) are able to vote in general elections here, this change affects these voters who may be residing in your constituency.

I look forward to your response and your support in this matter.

Yours Faithfully

[tutu1005]

There are a lot of great comments in the old post, I have cited some words to encourage us to continue our protest.

"Unless it will be emphasized that it creates a dangerous precedent of retrospective rule enforcement, and having this precedent will subsequently affect the UK citizen and their rights. Given we are the prospective UK citizens, how can we care less?

This CONTROVERSIAL retrospective policy should be challenged in way or another. Remember the saying "United We Stand, Divided We Fall".

At least we will not repent for not taking any action even if we had to lose."

[Smit]

This story is interesting: There is room for challenge!

http://www.newzimbabwe.com/pages/immigr ... 13903.html

[Eugene_UK]

I have at least 5-6 people on WP who will join our protest. They are not memebers of this forum but will come with me. I am sure all of us have at least 4-5 symphatetic people who would join us. Crowd could be as big as 1000 people or more. And we will not stand quiet, we will call newspapers, TV channels - they will love it! And we should attract attention of International media with offices in London too - it will be another good news story for them! And chance to critisize! We welcome NZ, US and Australian media, I am sure that there are lots of people from these countries who know how to find their media tel. numbers in the UK. And another good thing - we urgently need to prepare PRESS-RELISE for media and send it to all of them. May be someone with good English could do.

[tutu1005]

This story is interesting: There is room for challenge!

http://www.newzimbabwe.com/pages/immigr ... 13903.html

Great! at least there are 2 things we could legally challenge it now as suggested by article.

1, sue

2, MP

Should we contact the writer?

[gaurav]

Great effort tuttu 1005, I am in ....

[andhraguy]

Hi friends,

It's a good article creating lot of hope.

I have dropped an email to the author with our concerns. Appreciate if ALL of you could mail him too.

Our main point should be that these changes should be applied only to NEW entrants. OR they should give a relaxation of atleast one year before this is implemented.

I have spoken to 10 of my friends and forwaded this article. I have asked them to mail to this Lawyer. (Author) . All of them are due for ILR this year.

I am happy to contribute.

Thanks,
AndhraGuy.

[manty]

Great efforts tutu Pls count me in ...and pls send me the excel I have few friends who are affected and will be intrested to join in this movement

I have started excel now and will forward to those who are interested in protest retrospective effect. I have also opened another post and we only welcome those who against the rule to come in, no negative responses are welcomed.

[K2004]

i just texted 25 people that i know that they may be affected or know somone who will, and asked them to log on into this site and this topic.

[andhraguy]

I have droped an email to my MP and asked around 30 of my friends and collegues email to their MPs as all of them are affected. All the emails are sent this evening.

I thought it might be worth sending FAX message as well. I thought it would have more impact. Can you please FAX the same letter to your MP , Home Office & Press(any one you like.).

Thanks for the letter template guys.It looks great... I modified a bit and sent it to my MP . I have also faxed to my MP.

************************

RE: Change of qualifying period for Indefinite Leave to Remain from four to five years for existing work permit holders.

I am writing to you to express my concern over a recent change to the immigration rules (HC974) put forward by the Rt Hon Charles Clarke MP on the 13th March 2006 to take effect on the 3rd of April 2006.

The specific change I am referring to is the one which changes the length of time required to obtain Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK for a work permit holder from four to five years. Although this proposed change was announced in February 2005 in the paper ‘Controlling Our Borders: the Five Year Strategy for Asylum and Immigration’ the suddenness of the implementation of this change has left a large number of individuals unfairly affected as a result of it.

This change affect me personally as I am completing my four years as a work permit holder in just 35 days, also it affects a large number of individuals who were close to obtaining ILR but now have to wait twelve months upwards to achieve it.

There are numerous benefits awaiting an individual on obtaining ILR, one benefit that immediately comes to mind, is the willingness of Lenders to provide mortgages to such individuals. This goes a long way to establishing one’s home in the United Kingdom. Reaching the end of the four year period is a significant milestone for all immigrants who are looking to settle in the United Kingdom in an employment related category. Having this milestone moved so suddenly for people nearing the completion of this four year period is very unfair.

Since my arrival into UK almost four years ago , I have been paying my Income tax , council Tax and contributing to Society as a Tax Payer ( Even though I am not claiming any benefits from the country .)

I am not asking for the rules to be changed back to four years, I am asking that the rules not be applied retrospectively so as not to affect current work permit holders. I would like you to understand how much such a sudden change would have an impact on the plans of the individual and their families. I am asking that these concerns and suggestions be raised with the Rt Hon Charles Clarke MP. At the very least transitional procedures should be put in place to deal with those individuals who are nearing the completion of their four year period to be dealt with using the old rules.

As I am sure you are aware, Commonwealth Citizens who have long term residence in the United Kingdom (this includes work permit holders) are able to vote in general elections here, this change affects these voters who may be residing in your constituency.

I look forward to your response and your support in this matter.
*********************************