On 11 January 2018, the immigration rules were amended and new provisions were introduced which affect how the Home Office assesses continuous residence for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) applications. Whilst the changes affect all Points Based System migrants, we will be focusing on Tier 2 General workers. ...
Campaign groups are continuing to increase pressure on the government to reconsider the ‘immigration exemption’ in the Data Protection Bill which could prevent people from gaining access to immigration data held on them. The Bill had its second reading in the House of Commons yesterday where Tory MP Matt Hancock confirmed that the exemption was necessary, so the government could “properly police [its] borders”....
The Government intends to double the Immigration Health Surcharge in the near future. This is a charge paid by non-EEA nationals (main applicants and dependents) who are applying to work, study or join their family in the UK for more than 6 months....
The non EEA skilled worker cap has been hit again this month, now for the third month running. Many Tier 2 sponsors have seen their Restricted CoS applications refused causing delays to new recruits start dates. ...
Last month, we posted an article on the role of the Authorising Officer and explained that this person does not have access to the Sponsorship Management System (SMS) unless he/she is a Level 1 or 2 user. Since then we’ve received enquiries from HR staff wanting to know more about the SMS, who has access to it and the differences between a Level 1 and 2 user....
Tier 2 sponsors should have by now received an email from UK Visas & Immigration reminding them that the CoS annual allocation process will soon begin and any unused unrestricted CoS in the SMS will expire on 5 April 2018. Sponsors should start thinking about how many unrestricted CoS they’ll need from 6 April 2018 to 5 April 2019....
Tier 2 sponsors will be pleased to hear that rules which came into effect from 11 January 2018 now allow Tier 4 Students on non-PhD courses to switch to a Tier 2 General visa when they have completed their course....
A few weeks ago we wrote about how the Home Office’s Restricted CoS limit was reached in December and many employers saw their applications refused. ...
Businesses with sponsor licences have a huge responsibility to ensure that the points based system is not abused. The role of the Authorising Officer is to effectively manage the licence and ensure the employer is not in breach of its sponsor duties. ...
For the first time since July 2015, the Home Office’s monthly Restricted Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) limit was reached and many employers saw their applications refused. Data published on the government’s website shows that 1,527 applications were granted. Successful applications had to score a minimum of 55 points as opposed to the usual 21 points (see data for previous months)....
In 2017, we saw the government push ahead with its policy to reduce net migration to “sustainable levels.” Businesses saw the introduction of the Immigration Skills Levy, the closure of the Tier 2 Intra Company Transfer (ICT) route and an increase to the minimum salary threshold for skilled workers. ...
Last year, UK Visas & Immigration launched the Tier 2 and 5 priority change of circumstances service for business sponsors. UKVI’s current processing time for requests via the SMS is 18 weeks – which as our clients know is 18 weeks too long....
The Home Office has recently published its quarterly figures for the number of illegal workers identified between April and June 2017. The figures show that illegal workers are not just isolated cases....
The London Mayor has kicked off a week long trade mission to India and Pakistan by criticising the British government’s current stringent visa policy. Speaking in Mumbai, Sadiq Khan said he was “lobbying” with the government to change its visa policy and it was in London’s best interests to keep Britain open to highly skilled workers....
The Tier 5 visa route enables international students from outside the EEA to undertake temporary work experience, internships or approved training in the UK during or after their studies. Here, we consider the Government Authorised Exchange (GAE) and Youth Mobility schemes under Tier 5 of the Points Based System. Both routes allow a student/graduate to live and work in the UK for 12-24 months....
On Wednesday, the government announced its intentions to double the number of visas to individuals who show promise in the technology, science, art and creative industries. Home Secretary Amber Rudd confirmed that the number of visas available through the Tier 1 Exceptional Talent route will increase from 1,000 to 2,000 a year....
Last night, Theresa May confirmed that the EU Withdrawal Bill would be amended to formally commit to Brexit at 23:00 GMT on 29 March 2019. This comes after the government published a ‘technical document’ on Tuesday setting out further details of how the new settled status scheme for EU nationals and their family members would operate as the UK leaves the EU. The document seeks to reassure the 3 million EU citizens currently living in the UK of their immigration status post-Brexit....
Some international students from outside the EEA are allowed to work in the UK, depending on the conditions of their visas. Where they are permitted to work, students can work part time during their studies, full time during vacation periods and any period of time between completing their studies and the expiry of their student visa. Employers wishing to take on such students should be aware of the additional right to work checks required....
Tier 2 sponsors are required to fulfil certain duties throughout the duration of their sponsor licence. Failure to comply with any of the sponsor duties, is likely to lead to a licence being suspended or in a worst-case scenario revoked and sponsored workers seeing their leave curtailed....
Sponsor licence holders are all too familiar with the challenges of maintaining compliance with UKVI requirements. All sponsors should expect a compliance visit at some point and any visit should be taken very seriously!...