Experts have urged those planning to apply for a Tier 1 highly skilled visa to urgently move forward with their applications after the UK Government announced tough new changes tightening the rules governing the entry of non European Economic Area EEA) workers to Britain.
It’s expected that tens of thousands of non EEA workers, including Australians, New Zealanders and South Africans, will no longer be eligible for the Tier 1 visa as a result of the changes, announced by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith on Sunday, February 22.
Under the changes to be introduced from April, Tier 1 visa applicants must hold at least a masters, rather than a bachelors degree and have a previous salary of at least £20,000.
Smith also announced changes to the Tier 2 work permit visa scheme which mean all skilled jobs will now have to be advertised for a minimum of two weeks in Jobcentre Plus branches before businesses can seek skilled workers from outside the EU.
The Home Office also foreshadowed further changes by asking an official advisory committee to consider whether there is an economic case for restricting Tier 2 (skilled work permit workers) to shortage occupations only.
The committee will also look at further future changes to the criteria for Tier 1 visas and will also examine the economic contribution made by the dependents of points-based system migrants and their role in the labour market.
Visa specialists 1st Contact said the Tier 1 visa is one of the only viable immigration options left for South Africans who are no longer eligible for the Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme.
”We urge all South Africans who are in the process of obtaining their Tier 1 Highly Skilled Migrant Visa, to live and work in the UK, to move extremely quickly in confirming their application, since the new legislation governing UK Tier 1 Visas is set to come into full effect , as early as, April 2009,” 1st Contact said in a statement.
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