Are you considering applying under Tier 1 General? Do you believe that you qualify? If so contact Commonwealth Contractors immediately to find out about submitting an application. In April of next year Tier 1 General will be abolished altogether however this does not mean that you have until next April to apply. Under the temporary Immigration Cap cases are worked month by month by the UK Border Agency however they are assessed on a first come first served basis. Undoubtedly the number of applications will increase significantly over the next month following the announcement therefore the number of Tier 1 General Visas may run out altogether by the end of this year! Contact Commonwealth Contractors immediately to discuss applying under Tier 1 General or alternative visa options for post April next year!
The end of Tier 1 General
The end of Tier 1 General has come as something of a surprise due to the fact that it only deals with truly highly skilled professionals. However following the recent publication of a Home Office report which found that 33% of Tier 1 General visa holders are working in low-skilled jobs such as shop assistants and supermarket cashiers the Government found that it had a case to abolish Tier 1 General in favour of a new route for persons of exceptional talent. This new visa category will be limited to 1,000 places and will be for those migrants who have ‘won international recognition in scientific and cultural fields, or who show sufficient exceptional promise to be awarded such recognition in the future’. Migrants applying under this category will need to be endorsed by a competent body in the relevant field.
Recently, in response to the report the Coalition Government’s Immigration Minister, Damian Green, said that ‘While it is important that low-skilled jobs are filled, there are hundreds of thousands of British people who could be doing them instead of a migrant. Those coming into the UK under the highly skilled migrant route should only be able to do highly skilled jobs – it should not be used as a means to enter the low-skilled jobs market. Investors and entrepreneurs aside, this report questions the value of this route into the UK, and the findings will play a key part in discussions on how the annual limit will be shaped.’
Commonwealth Contractors
Commonwealth Contractors is a collection of highly skilled professionals from the Commonwealth and beyond. We partner with OISC Registered Immigration Partners capable of professionally representing a Tier 1 Visa Application / Extension and Tier 2 Licensed Consultancy & Associated Trust Partners who may be prepared, where required, to sponsor a doctor on a Tier 2 Visa (formerly UK Work Permit). Commonwealth Contractors also provides updates on UK Immigration News.
To find out more call Commonwealth Contractors now on 0330 390 9021 or Submit your Details and we will get back to you. Please be prepared to send a copy of a recent CV so that we can pass to interested partners