The UK Government has responded to the reviews made by the Committee on Migration Advisory (MAC) on its Tier 2 visa.
UK Tier 2 visa is for non EU citizens who always been looking to work in the UK under this visa. The planned reforms are kept balanced for making sure that the employers are incentivized for training and up skilling the resident workers while ensuring that they could continue get access to the migrant employees when required.
The important changes that have been made by the UK Government are:
Raising the income threshold of experienced employees on Tier 2 visa by 25,000 pounds in this year’s autumn and 30,000 pounds in the month of April 2017. The least threshold of 20,800 pounds for new comers would be maintained.
There wont be any limit on number of students on Tier 4 visa looking to switch on Tier 2 visa and their sponsor doesn’t require to take the local Labor Market test.
Nurse occupation would stay on the list of shortage occupation, and sponsors would require to take RLMT test before hiring a non EU nurse.
The present conditions for intra firm transfer are simplified by requiring entire intra firm transferees to succeed under a solitary visa category with least income threshold of 41500 pounds with exception of graduate trainees.
PhD occupations, Tier 4 students who are switching to Tier 2 visa and Tier 2 Graduate Trainees are exempted from the Immigration skills charge for Tier 2 employers.
The immigration regulation for categories of job would be made easy for the applicants and sponsors for better understanding and utilizing it.
These changes will come into force in twin stages ie from this year’s autumn season and next year month of April to make sure that the businesses have time for preparation.
