Planned changes to UK Immigration Rules April 2017
As a reminder, the following changes affecting business immigration take effect on 6 April 2017: Tier 2 salary threshold increases The second stage of minimum annual salary increases announced last year will be implemented from 6 April, raising the threshold from £25,100 to £30,000 for experienced workers. Applicants initially granted leave to enter or remain […]
Overseas Criminal Record Certificates Extended to Tier 2
From 6 April 2017, Tier 2 skilled worker applicants within education and healthcare required to provide overseas Criminal Record Certificate New duty placed on education and healthcare sector employers to inform applicants of requirement Rules for Overseas Criminal Record Certificates Currently, individuals applying for entry clearance under the following routes are required to provide an overseas criminal record certificate: […]
UK Registered Traveller Service expanded to 16 new countries
The Home Office has announced the expansion of its Registered Traveller Service to include 16 additional countries. Membership will now be open to passengers from: Argentina Belize Brazil Brunei Chile Costa Rica El Salvador Guatemala Honduras Israel Malaysia Mexico Nicaragua Panama Paraguay Uruguay The changes take effect Monday 21 November 2016. According to Home Secretary […]
Recruiting Nurses from outside the EEA
According to the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), recruiting nurses from outside the EEA may be the only solution to the national nursing shortage, due to a lack of Government foresight. Since 2009, approximately 15,500 Tier 2 certificates of sponsorship have been issued to healthcare providers in the UK to recruit non-EEA nurses. A 2015 survey revealed […]
Biometric Residence Permit Checks
When hiring citizens from countries outside of the European Economic Area (EEA), UK employers must carry out biometric residence permit checks to confirm work entitlements of each applicant and avoid the possibility of a civil penalty for illegal employment. All other documents, such as the vignette printed in the job applicant’s passport, are considered insufficient proof […]
Hiring International Students – Additional Document Checks
As well as the usual Right to Work checks that all employers should perform when hiring staff, there are additional document checks specifically relevant when hiring international students holding Tier 4 (Student) Visas. Employers must carry out prescribed document checks in order to avail themselves of the ‘statutory excuse’ and avoid the possibility of a civil penalty for illegal employment […]
Changes to UK Tier 2 (Intra-Company Transfer) Visa
The Tier 2 (Intra-Company Transfer) Visa system will soon be amended, making it more difficult for multinational companies to transfer foreign employees into the UK. The changes to the UK Tier 2 (Intra-Company Transfer) Visa were announced in March and are scheduled for initial implementation this Autumn. The amendments were enacted in response to allegations of […]
Tier 2 Visa Reforms: Update for Employers
On 24 March 2016, in a written parliamentary statement, the Immigration Minister, James Brokenshire, announced a number of imminent Tier 2 visa reforms, aimed at restricting the number of Tier 2 visas that are granted. “For too long we have had a shortage of workers in certain roles, and in the past, it has been […]
6 ways to prepare for UK Tier 2 visa changes
With UK Tier 2 visa changes imminent, organisations are advised to start planning now and ensure the survival of their business. Responding to criticism of increased salary thresholds, a spokesperson from the Home Office recently said: “This shouldn’t be catching employers by surprise; after all, they’ve had since 2011 – when the new rules were first […]
Scottish Skills Crisis: Is Independence the Solution?
Scotland needs more migrants to address the Scottish skills crisis. That is the view of the Scottish National Party, as expressed in its white paper entitled Scotland’s Future, which set out its vision for an independent Scotland ahead of the September 2014 referendum. The paper envisages an immigration system that would “encourage more talented people […]