Roll-out of ID cards for UK visa holders speeds up
September 25 2009 by Matt Jones
Alan Johnston on UK visas
Home secretary Alan Johnston has announced that ID cards for foreign nationals will be available to people renewing their Tier 2 UK visas three months ahead of schedule.
Skilled foreigners who are on work visas and living in the UK under Tier 2 of the points-based system are to receive their identity cards from January 2010. The roll-out of the ID cards was originally scheduled for April 2010.
Since the ID cards for foreign nationals were introduced, some 90,000 cards have been issued to people who have passed through UK immigration, mainly under Tier 4 of the points-based system or those who have renewed their marriage visas. The government originally had a target of issuing 75,000 cards by November 2009 - a target that it has clearly met and exceeded.
The new roll-out of the cards among Tier 2 immigrants will add a further 30,000 people to the list of immigrants who hold ID cards.
The Home Secretary stated, “by speeding up the roll-out of the cards, more people will benefit from a secure and simple way to prove they are entitled to live, work or study here and it will prevent those here illegally from benefiting from the privileges of Britain.”
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