Scotland lacking skilled migrants

Hi folks,
I saw following news on www.workpermit.com
The first minister of Scotland, Jack McConnell, is determined to bring Scotland back on the map as a country where foreign skilled professionals would want to live and work. Without immigrants, the Scottish population is expected to decline drastically over the coming years.

McConnell's Fresh Talent initiative aims at promoting Scotland enough to attract 8,000 foreign professionals each year from now to 2009. There are also plans to grant visa extensions to foreign students who wish to stay after graduation. The first minister is presently discussing with the UK Home Office on a number of immigration initiatives.

Still, Scottish opposition leaders say McConnell's Fresh Talent will not solve the declining population problem in the country. They say Scotland is in need of 10,000 new immigrants every year just to keep the population steady.




Can someone have update on this issue?

TIA

zhassan wrote:There are also plans to grant visa extensions to foreign students who wish to stay after graduation.

I thought this programme is already up and running for scientists and engineers

Scientists and engineers? What about we philosophers??? We are highly skilled too you know.

Alagomeji wrote:Scientists and engineers? What about we philosophers??? We are highly skilled too you know.

You are telling me?! You do not tell me - you tell Mr Blankett!
My wife is a professional Counsellor and Psychotherapist and she will not fall into the category under the SEGS after graduation.

Jeff,
As you are saying that this scheme is already up and running, what VISA category it is? What I can imagine you are talking about HSMP or newly started schemme by Home office for Business graduates.

Mine case is different.I am IT professional living in Melbourne Australia, but do not fall neither under HSMP , due to shortage of 5 points. nor I am Business graduates form UK Institute.

Can anyone expalin what are the other possible VISA categories for Scotland/UK that I can applied for?

TIA

zhassan wrote:Jeff,
As you are saying that this scheme is already up and running, what VISA category it is? What I can imagine you are talking about HSMP or newly started schemme by Home office for Business graduates.

Mine case is different.I am IT professional living in Melbourne Australia, but do not fall neither under HSMP , due to shortage of 5 points. nor I am Business graduates form UK Institute.

Can anyone expalin what are the other possible VISA categories for Scotland/UK that I can applied for?

TIA

I was talking about SGSC Scheme - the newly introduced scheme for Scientific and Engineering graduates from UK institutions.
So I guess this scheme will not apply to you since you have not studied here.
Perhaps you should amass more experience to qualify for HSMP or/and get promoted to a higher position with higher salary band, which would give you those points you are lacking in at the moment.
Or you could try to find an employer who would recognise and value your skills to apply for a work permit for you.
But out of curiosity - what is essentially wrong living in Australia? Why do you want to come here?
I am trying now to apply to go to Australia as a Skilled Migrant because I believe Australia is a better welfare state and the cost of living is much cheaper than in the UK. Or am I wrong? You can write privately to me if you wish.

zhassan,

The first minister of Scotland, Jack McConnell, is determined to bring Scotland back on the map as a country where foreign skilled professionals would want to live and work. Without immigrants, the Scottish population is expected to decline drastically over the coming years.

McConnell's Fresh Talent initiative aims at promoting Scotland enough to attract 8,000 foreign professionals each year from now to 2009. There are also plans to grant visa extensions to foreign students who wish to stay after graduation. The first minister is presently discussing with the UK Home Office on a number of immigration initiatives.

Still, Scottish opposition leaders say McConnell's Fresh Talent will not solve the declining population problem in the country. They say Scotland is in need of 10,000 new immigrants every year just to keep the population steady.

I also saw this article, and interpreted it (Like you) as something beneficial to happen in the future. Could be a way for more of us to get work permits or to expedite our attempts at the HSMP. Perhaps the program did already start a number of years ago, but I perceived this article to suggest a possible expansion of the program to non-science and non-engineering careers. With so few details given, however, it is very difficult to confirm the expansion, to know in what direction the expansion would take, or at what rate the expansion would go.

I'm very interested in working and living in Scotland (i.e., I would prefer it to London), and am also an IT professional. I was fortunately barely able to qualify for HSMP application this year, but as they are backlogged 6-10 months in HSMP processing, unfortunately even this would not be an easy road into Scotland.

Scotland is nice to visit but not to live. That is why young Scots are leaving Scotland in droves.

Scotland is nice to visit but not to live.

Yeah, but you see where I come from, they would say the same thing about England!