UK immigration department is set to introduce several new immigration changes such as new exceptional talent program, a permanent cap on skilled immigration and changed rules for skilled labors with job offers, changed rules for non-EU worker sponsorship and intra-company transfers. These impending immigration changes will be effective from April 2011.

UK government is set to end General skilled migration visa (Tier 1) program in April 2011. The replacement of Tier 1(General) visa will be made by a new visa program named the exceptional talent visa from 6th April 2011. The exceptional talent visa program will be provided with an annual quota of 1000 visas as well as Tier 2 visa with 20700 annual limits.

Tier 2 (Skilled Worker) will be allocated with 20700 annual quotas distributed over 12 monthly allocation involving 1500 places. The monthly quota for April’11 will be around 4200 citing the great demand expected due to the permanent immigration cap.

Presently, certificates of sponsorship allocated to employers on annual basis but the new laws will enforce employers to apply separately for a specific post to earn a sponsorship certificate. And the employers have to assign it to prospective employees within three months from the date of sponsorship certificate issued. Sponsorship certificate applications will follow an occupation list demand hierarchy following over flooding of monthly allocation applications.

Tier 2 (General) visa will enforce new eligibility criteria for skilled workers from April’11 such as speaking English at intermediate level, engaged in UK in a graduate level work along with few jobs and wages conditions.

Access our website or mail address ajay@abhinav.com for detailed information about impending changes in UK Tier 1 and Tier 2 visa and assistance to UK immigration services along with worldwide immigration solutions.