Changes to UK work visa requirements announced

March 19 2010 by Robbie Ragless

The UK Government has announced several changes to the requirements for migrants seeking Tier 1 and Tier 2 UK visas. The announcement follows a series of recommendations from the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC).

From 6th April 2010, the application process for the highly skilled Tier 1 visa will be simplified for people who do not hold a Master’s degree. It will also be more straightforward for multinational companies to arrange short-term transfers. Immigration Minister Phil Woolas has said the Government will continue to protect against companies using these transfers to fill vacancies that should go to resident workers.

The points table for Tier 2 UK visa applications has been altered to align it more closely to the salary bandings for resident skilled workers. There will also be a new requirement for intra-company transferees to have a minimum of twelve months' company experience before transferring into the UK.

Liam Clifford of world-leading visa company Global Visas welcomed the announcement: "We have been asking for this for some time. This is fantastic news long overdue. UK employers have been fighting during the past recession with one hand behind their back. Hopefully UK Plc can now get back to securing the skills in desperate demand."

See the latest Immigration News