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UK Economic Slump Further Hinders Immigration for Highly Skilled Professionals

February 23, 2009 07:17 by visa news

The UK Border Agency has once again announced a further clamming of immigration law, set to adversely affect young aspiring professionals wishing to spread their wings and pursue a career abroad. A new addition to the radical UK immigration regime, issued by the UK Border Agency (UKBA), has imposed a new criterion on Tier 1 Visa applications, where any highly skilled foreign national must possess a master’s degree (rather than a bachelors degree) and earn an annual salary of £ 20 000 to gain permission to work in the UK.  According to expert immigration firm 1st Contact, the new legislation is set to protect the interests of British nationals in the face of the economic slump.

1st Contact affirm that, in an attempt to safeguard UK citizens from potentially losing their jobs to foreign workers, the UK are also imposing restrictions on UK based companies wishing to recruit foreign workers, according to Tier 2 Visa regulations, where the following restrictions have been implemented to date:

  1. UK employers will need to advertise job posts to UK residents through a UK job Portal, JobCentre, before they are able to consider recruiting a foreign employee outside of the EU.
  2. The UK Skills shortage list will no longer be used as a tool for recruiting foreign workers, but rather as a means of upskilling British nationals to decrease the UK’s dependency on foreign skills.
      

1st Contact urges all highly skilled professionals who are in the process of obtaining their Tier 1 Highly Skilled Migrant Visa, to live and work in the UK, to move extremely quickly in confirming their applications, since the new legislation governing UK Tier 1 Visas is set to come into full effect, as early as, April 2009. In addition to this it has been alleged that further restrictions to the Tier 1 Highly Skilled Migrant Visa may still take shape.

UK Home Secretary Jacqui Smith says “ Just as in a growth period we needed migrants to support growth, it is right in a downturn to be more selective about the skill levels of those migrants, and to do more to put British workers first”.

For more information, please visit www.1stcontactvisas.com

  


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Comments

February 23. 2009 10:17

In reference to the proposed changes to the Tier 1 category requiring a Masters degree, will this also be a requirement of current HSMP/Tier 1 holders looking to extend their visa's?

Andrew

February 23. 2009 10:52

thanks for theupdate on HSMP 1st tier.this was forwarded to me by a friend.however,am not clear with this.
how does the £20,000 annual salary affect those waiting to renew FLR HSMP,whose earning from current is less than required but more than £20,000 if they combine their salary.thanks.

Jones

February 23. 2009 11:42

Jeezuz h-crise

ek is so bly dat ek al reeds in besit is van my Britse Passpoort. Onder die Huidege toestande, dink ek dat ek nie so anvaar word nie. Dankie ma, dat u in daai modder-eiland gebore was.

groete

Jimmy Castor

February 23. 2009 13:29


Which application form does one complete if one is applying for a Tier 1 HSM visa from OUTSIDE the UK?

Prof I. E. Haffejee

February 24. 2009 04:13

Will you please let me know when the UKBA announces the date from which these new rules will be applied.

Ben

February 24. 2009 06:07

How will this affect those already in the UK on HSMP visas but needing an extension? Will the masters provision be applied to them as well? It's extremely unfair if it does!

Kylie

February 24. 2009 07:36

what about those who have already HSMP/Tier 1 General visa and need to expand their stay. Will they get extension based on the old criteria or new one?
can you please make it clear?

Ahmed

February 24. 2009 10:21

hi,
thanx, very much for letting me inform abt new immigration law for the hsmp people, and hope u will further more guide and informe me abt the latest i thank u once again by.

jamal

February 24. 2009 17:05

Hi,

Could someone please provide clarification on whether these changes are likely to apply to HSMP Visa Holders (post Dec 2006) already in the UK running Businesses etc (without masters degrees). I expect that if this is the case another legal storm is brewing.

Thanks,

Dustin

Dustin Mommen

February 25. 2009 08:17

I am on a work permit and just about to move across to a Tier 1 General Visa, but the changes for Master's qualifications and extra earnings are for those applying from outside the UK, as I am in the UK will these new rules still apply?


Ray

February 25. 2009 08:18

HEY i have MCS Masters degree from PAKISTAN and if i want to apply for TIER 1 visa can i apply after MARCH 31st. thanks

TAQI

March 3. 2009 06:52

Hello

Do you know if this will apply to people who are already living in the UK and now need to renew their highly skilled visa and update it to a tier 1.

Thanks
J

J

March 3. 2009 11:30

I am on a HSMP which expires in July, I want to extend my stay by going onto the Tier 1 visa, will this impact me, i.e. will I need a Masters degree in order to stay?

Greg

March 4. 2009 12:42

I have a HSMP that is to expire in Jan 2010, but I have heard that I cannot apply for a Tier 1 extension unless the HSMP is within a certain timeframe from expiry (ie. 6 months)?

Is this true?

Thanks
Tones

Tones

March 9. 2009 06:23

Hi all,

Thank you for your comments.

As no official policy guidance have been released by the UK Border Agency (home Office), we here at 1st Contact are unable to comment further regarding the impending changes to the Tier 1 visa, specifically relating to those currently in the UK under either the HSMP or Tier 1 schemes.

We will update accordingly as clarification becomes available.

Stephen Atkinson

May 3. 2009 05:44

In 2005 i was given an ancestral visa for 4 years. the requirement is now 5yrs. how do i go about extending my visa and have there been other changes with regards to 'leave to Remain' period? and how many years will i have to work before i can apply for my British passport please? I work as a carer.
I don't have degrees only certificates for the nature of the job i do and don't earn 20 000 p.a. i wish !
Thanks
Merryl

Merryl Mufford

May 4. 2009 06:11

Hi Merryl,

Thank you for your enquiry.

Policy changes which came into effect on 3rd April 2006 stipulate that Ancestral visa holders will now qualify for Indefinite Leave to Remain following 5 continuous years on the Ancestry visa.

As your current visa will expire after only 4 years, you will need to first apply for an extension to make up the time so that you have actually spent 5 continuous years here in the UK on the Ancestry visa conditions.

1st Contact would be delighted to assist you with this extension application. Our recommendation is that you submit this extension application when you are within 3-6 months of your current visa expiring.

Also, there are plans before parliament at present to extend the residency period from 6 years to 8 years before one is eligible for full British citizenship and ultimately, a British passport. We will continue to update our website when further details come through.

Thank you for giving 1st Contact the opportunity to assist you.

1st Contact Visas

May 6. 2009 12:58

Postgraduate medical qualifications of MS/MD from Indian Universities and M.Med from Singapore are accpeted by UKBA as Masters level qualifications. These same qualifications are considered to be equivalent to the UK qualifications of MRCP/FRCS by the respective medical councils in India and Singapore but the UK qualifications of MRCP/FRCS are still not being recognised by UKBA as Masters level. How can I get my postgraduate qualification of FRCS accepted as at least Masters level qualification. The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh has stated that is considers FRCS to be at least equivalent to the MSc from the UK universities. How can I get the UKBA accept this?

Dr. Maqbool Ashraf

May 17. 2009 12:22

The qualifications of FRCSEd and M.Med are being awarded after passing the same joint examination held by the National University of Singapore and the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh(UK). The academic level of these two qualifications should inevitably be identical.The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh has confirmed that it considers its FRCS to be at least equivalent to the MSc or ChM from the UK universities. The UK NARIC currently recognises the M.Med from the National University of Singapore but not the FRCSEd from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh! What can I do to make the UK NARIC take a notice of this absurd situation?

Dr. Maqbool Ashraf

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