Autumn 2016 changes to the Tier 2 immigration route

Earlier this year, the UK Home Office has, in its response to two reviews of the Tier 2 policy, done by the Migration Advisory Committee, announced some future changes. We would thus like to make Tier 2 employers and employees aware of these changes.

The changes that will be made during Autumn 2016 include the following:

• The minimum salary threshold for experienced workers applying under the Tier 2 (General) category will be increased to £25,000. Certain education and health professionals will be exempt from this higher threshold until July 2019. The minimum threshold of £20,800 for new entrants will be maintained.
• Those education and health professionals, who are exempted from the higher salary threshold will further be given extra weighting when their Certificate of Sponsorship applications are being considered by the Home Office. This weighting will also be enforced until July 2019.
• Nurses will remain on the Shortage Occupation List, but employers will need to conduct a Resident Labour Market Test before recruiting nurses from outside of the EEA.
• UK Graduates on Tier 4 Student Visas, will still be able to switch to a Tier 2 Visa without their Certificate of Sponsorship applications being subject to the annual and monthly caps imposed on most other Tier 2 (General) applicants. Their employers will also still be permitted to sponsor their employment without being required to carry out a Resident Labour Market Test.
• Extra weighting will be given within the Tier 2 (General) limit to businesses sponsoring overseas graduates. Graduates will be allowed to switch roles within a company once they have secured a permanent job at the end of their training programme.
• All Tier 2 Intra-Company Transferees (ICT) will be required to pay the UK Immigration health surcharge.
• The Tier 2 (ICT) Skills Transfer Category will be closed for new applications and the minimum salary threshold for the Tier 2 (ICT) Short Term category will be increased to £30,000.

For more information on Tier 2, please feel free to contact our dedicated Tier 2 Department.

www.bic-immigration.com or info@bic-immigration.com