End of the UK Tier 1 visa

End of the UK Tier 1 visa

End of the UK Tier 1 visa

Yesterday the UK immigration cap for 2011-2012 for non EU citizens, including South Africans, was announced with a limit of 21,700 total for skilled and highly skilled applicants. The biggest surprise of the announcement is that the Tier 1 (General) category will be completely removed as of April 2011.

The Tier 1 (General) is a point based visa application that defines applicants who hold tertiary qualifications with high past earnings as highly skilled. The Highly Skilled visa currently offers no work restrictions and a route to British nationalisation, subject to showing sufficient intent to permanently reside in the UK. From April 2011, Tier 1 category will only be granted to non EU citizens who apply as Entreprenuers, Investors and/or Exceptionally Talented.

A total restricted amount of 20,700 Tier 2 applications will be allowed to enter the UK from April 2011, meaning that South Africans will have to secure a job offer over 40,000 from Tier 2 licensed employers in order to work in the UK.

Motivation for the removal of the Tier 1 (General) was justified by a study that was published on the 28th October 2010. The study sampled 1184 Highly Skilled applicants out of the 18,780 that arrived in 2009 and found that 30% were doing low skilled jobs. The study only assessed candidates 6 months after arrival and targeted majority of nationals from India, Pakistan and Nigeria.

Ryan Rennison, the founder of Move Up UK Immigration Consultancy said "The removal of the Tier 1 visa has come as a shock. With the current 5% immigration cap, we recommend that South Africans seeking to further their careers in the UK next year under the Tier 1 category should look to lodge before February 2011".

The coalition government has vowed to reduce net migration and, to achieve this goal, changes are being made across the immigration system - with the tightening of the economic routes just one part of a package of measures.

Home Secretary Theresa May said:

'Today's announcement has set out a clear, rational approach to which workers we will allow into the UK job market. We have set out an approach which will not only get immigration down to sustainable levels but at the same time protects those businesses and institutions which are vital to our economy.

'We will take action on all routes into the UK, and these changes are crucial if we are to limit the numbers coming here to work while still attracting the brightest and the best to the UK.

'We have worked closely with businesses while designing this system, and listened to their feedback, but we have also made clear that, as the recovery continues, we need employers to look first to people who are out of work and who are already in this country.'

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