There is a government consultation about the ability of foreign nationals to apply for citizenship of the UK happening, on-line, at the address below. Interested parties are invited to read it and respond to it for the following reason.
The key problem is that in the Arts, and particularly music, highly skilled individuals - such as Claude Werner and David Carnegie, musicians working in the North East - would potentially score low points because of their relatively low earnings. Musicians, and presumably other people in the arts, are often highly qualified but low paid and it would be very unfair if they were excluded from applying for citizenship because of this fact.
I think we need to make sure they write this new legislation in such a way that having low earnings does not exclude such people who are an asset to our community from being able to accumulate enough points to become a citizen of the UK.
The proposed point based system in Chapter 2 part 2 is still in a formative phase and we should have the ability to influence how it is written. There is an on line consultation form that any one can fill in, with boxes for comments. Please take a look and fill one in (- right hand side of the screen 'Respond to the consultation on line')
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/managingborders/managingmigration/earned-citizenship/points-test-citizenship/
Nicola Weaver
(Please note, no comments can be made other than via the above link - Lance)
