Migrant workers face tougher test to work in the United Kingdom

Measures to raise the bar for foreign workers wishing to enter the United Kingdom, and to give domestic workers a greater chance of applying first for United Kingdom jobs, were unveiled by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith today.

Jacqui Smith pledged to use the flexibility built into the points-based system (PBS) to respond to changing economic circumstances - helping British workers through the hard times of the recession.

The Government has already suspended tier 3 of the PBS to ensure no foreign national from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) can come to the United Kingdom and work in a low-skilled job.

Jacqui Smith announced three significant changes to support British workers and to be more selective about the migrants coming to the United Kingdom from outside the EEA. From 1 April the Government will:

• strengthen the resident labour market test for tier 2 skilled jobs so that employers must advertise jobs to resident workers through JobCentre Plus before they can bring in a worker from outside Europe;
• use each shortage occupation list to trigger skills reviews that focus on up-skilling resident workers for these occupations, which will make the United Kingdom less dependent on migration for the future; and
• tighten new criteria against which highly skilled migrants seeking entry to the United Kingdom are judged, by raising the qualifications and salary required for tier 1 of the PBS to a Master's degree and a minimum salary of £20,000.

The Home Secretary has also asked the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), chaired by Professor David Metcalf, to report on:

• whether there is an economic case for restricting tier 2 (skilled workers) to shortage occupations only;
• his assessment of the economic contribution made by the dependants of PBS migrants and their role in the labour market; and
• what further changes there should be to the criteria for tier 1 in 2010/11, given the changing economic circumstances.

Jacqui Smith said:

"All workers now coming to the UK from outside Europe have to meet the requirements of the Australian-style points system, which allows us to raise or lower the bar on who can come here.

"We have always said it is important to be selective about who comes here to work, and we have already put a stop to low-skilled labour entering the UK from outside Europe.

"Just as in a growth period we needed migrants to support growth, it is right in a downturn to be more selective about the skill levels of those migrants, and to do more to put British workers first.

"These measures are not about narrow protectionism - a flexible immigration system, rather than an arbitrary cap, is better for British business and the British economy. We recognise that migration continues to play an important role in the UK, at the same time as we are giving greater support to domestic workers so that we can all come through the recession stronger.

"Given the economic circumstances and the action we are taking to be more selective, I expect the number of migrants coming to the UK from outside the EEA to fall during the next financial year. Today I am also asking the independent Migration Advisory Committee, led by David Metcalf, to consider further changes to the way in which foreign workers are currently able to enter the UK to work.

"By being more selective, as well as through tough enforcement measures to tackle illegal immigration, I have tasked the UK Border Agency with delivering this reduction. I have also set out 10 further immigration milestones for the UK Border Agency to meet this year."

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Reason for the continuous fall of the Pound.

How bad is this fall in the pound? In a word: hideous.

Measured against a basket of other currencies – the best way in this globalised era to test a currency's strength – the pound has fallen in the past year by around a quarter.

This is more than any previous devaluation in the past century – greater even than in 1931, when, under Ramsay MacDonald, the UK was forced to abandon the gold standard and saw the pound plummet by more than 24 per cent against the dollar. Greater than after Black Wednesday and the abandonment of the Exchange Rate Mechanism; worse than in 1967, when Harold Wilson was forced to make an extraordinary televised statement to the nation claiming that the "pound in your pocket" would not be worth any less after his devaluation.

As anyone who has been overseas recently will know, it has fallen from over $2 against the dollar to under $1.40. This week it touched the lowest level since the Plaza Accord of 1985 – in which year the pound very nearly went to parity against the US currency. Against the euro, the pound has slid from €1.35 to just above €1 in the past year.

In practice this means that anyone travelling to the Continent will find it tough to get anything more than a euro for every pound they want exchanged, after the bureau de change has taken its cut and commission.

For Gordon Brown, who mocked the Conservatives in 1992, it is acutely embarrassing. Back then, he said: "A weak currency arises from a weak economy which in turn is the result of a weak Government." This time he is staying conspicuously quiet about the whole thing.

But why is sterling sliding?

In large part because it reflects Britain's economic prospects. The UK is facing a nasty recession – one that is likely to be as bad as any experienced by the Western world. House prices are falling at the fastest rate
since the 1930s, unemployment is on the rise and will soon climb beyond two million, consumer spending is sliding.

In such circumstances, investors are naturally likely to withdraw their money from the UK. On the one hand, they will sell sterling shares and investments since they are likely to fall in value as a result of the recession. On the other, those who invest their cash in the UK will pull it out of the country, since the Bank of England is cutting interest rates as a response to the slump. Any money in sterling in a UK bank account is earning very little interest, so overseas investors calculate they might as well take it elsewhere.

How worried ought we to be?

If the above was all that was happening, not unduly. In a world of floating exchange rates, the falling pound is not merely a symptom of the disease (the recession) but its cure. All else being equal, a weak pound should boost the exports of British companies, since it makes their products cheaper than those of their overseas rivals.

Machinery produced in the north of England is fast becoming cheaper than that produced in eastern Europe. And this goes not just for visible trade – actual physical goods – but for invisible trades such as legal or financial services.

So, although Britain's manufacturing sector has shrunk significantly since the 1980s and 1990s, the comparative value of UK products should nevertheless help boost the economy. The same goes for tourism, which has already picked up significantly as foreigners come to the UK to pick up bargains. London's days as Europe's most expensive city are well behind it.

The problem, however, is that all else is not equal at the moment: the appetite abroad for exports of any type has dried up in a way never before experienced. From Europe to the Americas to Asia, trade has almost entirely seized up as the recession has turned global. And let's not mention financial and legal services – the appetite for which has evaporated.

In the 1990s and the 2000s, successive governments decided to focus the UK's economy on financial services. A decision was taken to put almost all our economic eggs in one basket. Unfortunately, that basket has come crashing to the ground.

So is this now a full-blown sterling crisis?

Until recently, it wasn't a crisis. There are, broadly speaking, two types of devaluation – one benign, the other far less so. The good one is much as described above – a competitive devaluation in the pound which, over time, provides a cure. After the pound fell in 1992, it ushered in years of recovery and then prosperity for the economy.

The bad version is a full-scale crisis – a run on the pound. It is a vote of no-confidence in a country's economic policies, and occurs when investors start pulling their cash out of the UK not because of a temporary period of recession but because they are worried about the direction the economy is taking (over years and decades rather than months).

In the months up until this week it was possible to argue that this represented a competitive devaluation, and would be a boon for exporters. All of that changed on Monday. Following Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling's announcement of a second bail-out package for struggling banks, the pound suffered what can be described as a minor run. Investors took fright that the UK was drawing closer to insolvency, and as a response sold off their stocks of government debt.

It is difficult to overstate the significance of this. Britain's power and prosperity since the earliest days of the Union have been founded on its reputation for being a good risk.

Whereas other countries, such as Argentina and Russia, have occasionally defaulted on their debts, Britain's government has always been among the best borrowers in the world. For the first time in decades this is being questioned.

The rumour around the market this week was that Standard & Poor's, a ratings agency which tells traders what has and does not have the stamp of approval, was set to downgrade Britain's government sovereign debt. The agency has since denied this, but the UK fulfils many of the criteria for such a humiliating decision.

Does it really matter if Britain's creditworthiness comes under question?

Yes – immensely. Britain has a large current account deficit – of about £7.7 billion. This means we, as a nation, spend more money than we generate each year. This is no problem while we can borrow the difference, but that £7.7 billion chunk has to come from overseas investors. Should they stop lending to the UK, Britons would face a sudden, painful jolt and their living standards would fall even faster and more painfully than they are at the moment.

The Government would have to seek assistance from the International Monetary Fund which would, most likely, dole out a baleful dose of economic medicine – higher interest rates, lower government spending and immediate austerity.

Although, in the long run, Britain does need to borrow less and save more, such an adjustment should ideally take place over years, not weeks.

Isn't this all really the fault of the bankers as well as the Government?

Indeed it is. Now that the majority of the banking system is effectively nationalised (and the Government has promised to insure the nastiest debts of the remaining private banks) the taxpayer is effectively standing behind another massive liability. The banking system has about $4.4 trillion of foreign debts, and most analysts predict that around £200 billion of these could default.

What scared investors this week was the sudden realisation that the Government, rather than the banks, will have to pay the bill. The UK, unlike Iceland, does not have the luxury of being able to default on those foreign debts (remember the fracas when Britons faced losing their savings in Icelandic banks?)

Were the UK to do the same as Iceland, the size of Britain's liabilities are such that it would trigger an international panic and financial meltdown worse than when Lehman Brothers collapsed last year.

This all sounds unremittingly gloomy. Is there any solution?

Mainly to hope that the economic medicine served up by the Bank of England and its fellow central banks does the trick. As long as house prices are falling and unemployment is rising, the liabilities of the Government will swell and the pound will remain weak. But when, eventually, the economic backdrop improves, so should the financial outlook, and, eventually, the pound.

However, there is little hope of returning to the heady days of a near-80p euro and a $2 pound. The pound was significantly stronger than it ought to have been over the previous decade. It is probably undervalued now, and if all goes well it should bounce back in the coming years.

However, everything now depends on trust: that trust will return to the beleaguered financial system; that investors will start to trust the Government again and that Britons trust that there will be life after the recession.

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Britain to shut doors to foreign workers

Britain is planning to ban advertising jobs overseas due to economic meltdown, a process which could hit Indian professionals aspiring for employment opportunities in UK.

The government is mulling an idea to ensure that existing jobs go to British workers. The employers are being forced to notify vacancies in employment agencies within Britain to prioritize local candidates.

Indians are among the largest foreign professionals working in Britain. Every day, thousands of jobs are being cut across the sectors in Britain. Official figures suggest that unemployment figures is reaching the 2 million mark, for the first time since the mid-1990s.

Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, has announced plans to force thousands of nursing, primary teaching, hotel management and other "skilled migrant" jobs to be advertised in employment agencies such as Jobcentre Plus.

Smith said "When it comes to immigration, in difficult economic times, I believe we need a tough system that offers British workers the first crack of the whip for jobs here."

Companies that break the new rules could have their licence to employ non-European Union migrants revoked.

Officials believe that the change will curb the number of migrants coming to Britain, because they will not be able to obtain a work visa without having a specific job offer.

Official figures show that immigrants have taken four out of every five new jobs in Britain since 1997. The Office for National Statistics says that there are currently 5,62,000 unfilled vacancies in the British economy.

Documents for Dependents

Dependants

The evidence provided can relate specifically to the dependant or it can also include evidence for the main applicant which has not been used as evidence of funds on the main applicant’s own application or that of other dependants.

Dependants must send one or a combination of the following:

Personal bank or building society statements covering the previous three-month period

The personal bank or building society statements should clearly show:

• the name of the main applicant and/or the family member making the application, or (for children only) the name of their other parent who is also legally present in the United Kingdom;
• the account number;
• the date of the statement;
• the financial institution’s name and logo;
• transactions covering the three-month period;
• that there are enough funds present in the account for the past three months.

If you wish to send electronic bank statements from an online account these must contain all of the details listed above. You must also send a supporting letter from your bank, on company headed paper, confirming the authenticity of the statements provided.

Statements which only show the balance in the account on a particular day are not enough.

Letter from bank confirming funds and that they have been in bank for at least the previous three months

The letter from a bank or building society should state:

• the name of the main applicant and/or the family member making the application, or (for children only) the name of their other parent who is also legally present in the United Kingdom;
• the account number;
• the date of the letter;
• the financial institution’s name and logo;
• the funds held in the your account; and
• that the funds have been in bank for at least three months and are at least the amount needed.

We will not accept letters which simply show the balance in the account on a particular day as these documents do not show that you hold enough funds for the full period required.

Applications by dependants

How dependants can come to the United Kingdom

If your application to the points-based system is successful, you are allowed to bring dependants (children under 18 years of age, or your husband, wife, civil partner, or unmarried or same-sex partner) with you to the United Kingdom, as long as we give them entry clearance or permission to stay (known as ‘leave to remain’).

Completing the dependant application form

If you have dependants who wish to join or remain with you in United Kingdom, you or they should complete the separate dependant application form.

We encourage you to send dependant applications at the same time as the main application.

Dependants should state if they are submitting their application at the same time as your application. This tells us that both applications should be considered together.

If you are the main applicant and you have already received official notification from us that your application has been successful, this should also be indicated in this section.

Dependants should also state the category under which you have submitted an application.

Partners

The conditions partners must meet to get permission to stay

If the application succeeds, the partner will be given entry clearance, or permission to stay, subject to the following conditions:

• he/she must have no recourse to public funds, which means he/she will be unable to claim most benefits paid by the state;
• he/she must register with the police, if paragraph 326 of the immigration rules requires him/her to do so;
  • as the spouse, civil partner, unmarried, or same-sex partner of a migrant given permission to stay under parts 3, 5 or 6 of the immigration rules; or
  • as the partner of a highly skilled worker (provided that permission was not subject to a condition prohibiting employment as a doctor in training).

Employment and switching rules

The work dependants can do

Your dependants are allowed to work, though your partner may not be allowed to work as a doctor in training.

Switching in to the points-based system

Dependants may not switch into any category of the points-based system in their own right. If your dependants later want to be in the United Kingdom under the points-based system in their own right, they will have to leave the United Kingdom and apply for entry clearance (permission to enter the United Kingdom).

Switching in to the dependant route

How you can switch in to the dependant route

You can apply for permission to stay here as the dependant of a highly skilled worker without having to leave the United Kingdom and apply for entry clearance if your last grant of entry clearance or permission to stay here was as the partner or child of:

• an innovator;
• a participant in the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland Scheme;
• a participant in the International Graduates Scheme (or the previous Science and Engineering Graduates Scheme);
• a postgraduate doctor or dentist,
• a student;
• a student nurse;
• a student re-sitting an examination;
• a student writing up a thesis; or
• a work permit holder.

Dependants’ maintenance

What maintenance dependants must have

To qualify for leave to remain (permission to stay) as a dependant of a highly skilled worker, your dependant must show that he/she has enough personal funds to support himself/herself for the entire period of stay here.

You and your dependants should have already assessed the potential living costs, based on past living expenses, to ensure that you have enough funds to support yourselves.
You will not be successful in your application if you or your dependants are unable to meet the maintenance requirements.

If the main applicant under the highly skilled worker category is outside the United Kingdom or has been in the United Kingdom for less than 12 months, the family member must show that the main applicant or the dependant has at least £1,600 to support the dependant as well as the funds needed to support the main applicant.

If the main applicant has been present in the United Kingdom for 12 months or more, the main applicant or the family member of the highly skilled worker must have £533 to support himself/herself.

How we assess maintenance evidence for online bank accounts

Accounts held with other banks

If you have a bank account that does not operate exclusively online but you receive your bank statements electronically and you wish to use these statements as evidence of funds for maintenance, you should provide:

• electronic bank statements printed at the bank on their official stationary; or
• electronic statements printed by the applicant and bearing the official stamp of the bank in question. This stamp should appear on every page of the statements; or
• a supporting letter from the bank, on the banks company headed paper, confirming the authenticity of the statements.

All evidence must meet the requirements listed in the policy guidance which you can download from the right side of this page. Mini-statements from cash points are not acceptable as evidence.

Tier 1 Documents

Supporting evidence

Photographs and passports

You must send two recent passport photographs of yourself and any dependants for whom you are including applications. All the photographs must have the name of the person in the picture written on the back.

All the photographs should:

• measure 45mm x 35mm; and
• be in colour; and
• be taken against a white background; and
• be clear and of good quality; and
• not be framed or backed; and
• not be digitally altered, for example, you cannot use Photoshop to change anything in the image; and
• be full face, without sunglasses, hat or head covering unless you wear this for religious reasons.

The photograph you send will be used on your visa (known as vignette) which is fixed in your passport.

You must send your original passport or travel document and the original passport or travel document of all dependants.

Qualifications

You must send proof of your qualifications. This must be an original document, issued by the awarding institution on the official headed paper of the institution.

If you have been awarded a qualification

If you have been awarded a qualification, you must provide the original certificate of award.

The original certificate of award must be on the institution’s official paper clearly showing:

• your name;
• the title of the award;
• the date of the award; and
• the name of the awarding institution.

We will not accept original provisional certificates. The original certificate of award must always be provided unless you are awaiting graduation or you no longer have the certificate and the institution that issued the certificate is unable to issue a replacement.

Previous earnings

How many documents you should send

It is essential that earnings are corroborated by more than one source, so you must send at least two of the following from different sources as proof of your earnings:

• payslips;
• personal bank statements;
• letter from your employer;
• official tax document;
• dividend vouchers;
• letter from your managing agent or accountant;
• invoice explanations or payment summaries;
• company or business accounts.

You must send at least two different types of supporting document for each source of earnings claimed. Each piece of supporting evidence must be from a separate source and support all the other evidence so that together they clearly prove the earnings claimed.

Employees who receive a salary

A salaried employee could provide a combination of personal bank statements covering the full 12-month earnings period and either:

• payslips for the full 12-month earnings period; or
• a letter from your employer.

(We consider that payslips and letters from an employer are from the same source and you should therefore not provide a combination of these two types of document.)

Earnings	Points available
£40,000 +	45 points
£35,000 - £39,999	40 points
£32,000 - £34,999	35 points
£29,000 - £31,999	30 points
£26,000 - £28,999	25 points
£23,000 - £25,999	20 points
£20,000 - £22,999	15 points
£18,000 - £19,999	10 points
£16,000 - £17,999	5 points

We will not make any uplift calculations on overseas earnings for extension applications. The applicant must clearly show on the application form which of the earnings were made in the United Kingdom and which were earned overseas. We will add the pounds sterling value of these overseas earnings to any United Kingdom earnings. We will then consider the total figure against the points-scoring table above.

Annex A - Previous Earnings Uplift Conversion Rates

Conversion Rate – 5.3 Angola; Armenia; Azerbaijan; Bangladesh; Benin; Bhutan; Burma (Union of Myanmar); Cameroon; Comoros; Congo (Republic of); Cote d’Ivoire; Cuba; Djibouti; Equatorial Guinea; Gambia; Georgia; Guinea; Guyana; Haiti; India; Indonesia; Iraq; Kenya; Kiribati;

Payslips

What the payslips must show

These should be either formal payslips or on company headed paper. If payslips are on unheaded paper or you receive all pay slips online, you must authenticate the evidence by asking the employer to sign and stamp a printout.

If you send payslips, they must cover the whole period claimed (for example, if payslips are produced monthly, you must provide the payslip for each month of the period claimed).

What the bank statements must show

Bank statements you send must be on official bank stationery, and must show each of the payments that you are claiming. If you wish to send electronic bank statements from an online account you should also send a supporting letter from the bank on company headed paper confirming that the documents are authentic.

United Kingdom experience

Proof of your previous earnings made in the United Kingdom

There are no specific documentary requirements for claims for earnings made in the United Kingdom because the necessary documentation will have been sent to prove your earnings to score points in the attributes area.

English language

Proof your degree was taught in English

Where the degree was taken in another country we will always assess it using the points based calculator on our website. The calculator contains information from UK NARIC on whether overseas qualifications are equivalent to United Kingdom Bachelors level or higher.

Applicants can claim points when the points based calculator confirms that the degree:

meets or exceeds the equivalent level to

• United Kingdom Bachelors degree and was taught to a competent standard of

• English equivalent to level C1 on the Council of Europe’s Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (CEFR).

Checking qualifications

An applicant should check his/her 191. degree by referring to the points based calculator on our website at: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/pointscalculator

Where the points based calculator is unable to confirm these details, points will not be awarded for the qualification in question.

Where the applicant is unable to find details of their qualification on the points based calculator, UK NARIC will not be able to verify whether a qualification satisfies the English Language requirement. In these circumstances, applicants should either present an alternative qualification from the points based calculator if they possess one, or select an alternative means of satisfying the English Language requirement.

If you have been awarded a qualification

If you have been awarded a qualification, you must send the original certificate of award.

The original certificate of award must be on the institution’s official paper clearly showing:

• your name;
• the title of the award;
• the date of the award; and
• the name of the awarding institution.

We will not accept original provisional certificates. The original certificate of award must always be sent unless you are awaiting graduation or you no longer have the certificate and the institution that issued the certificate is unable to issue a replacement.

Maintenance (funds)

What the documents must show

If you are applying from within the United Kingdom, the balance must show that you have had at least £800 in your account at all times over the three-month period.

If you are applying from outside the United Kingdom, the balance must show that you have had at least £2,800 in your account at all times over the three-month period.

Evidence must be in the form of cash funds. Other accounts or financial instruments for example, shares, bonds and pension funds, regardless of notice are not acceptable.

If you wish to rely on a joint account as evidence of available funds, you must be named on the account along with one or more other named individual.

For applications submitted outside of the United Kingdom, all evidence must be dated no more than seven days before the application is submitted.

For applications submitted in the United Kingdom, all evidence must be dated no more than one month before the application is submitted.

The documents are:

Personal bank or building society statements covering the three-month period immediately before the application

The personal bank or building society statements should clearly show:

• your name;
• the account number;
• the date of the statement;
• the financial institution’s name and logo;
• transactions covering the three-month period;
• that there is enough funds present in the account; and
• that there has been enough money present in the account for the past three months.

If you wish to send electronic bank statements from an online account these must contain all of the details listed above. In addition, you will need to send a supporting letter from your bank, on headed paper, confirming that the statements are genuine. Alternatively, electronic bank statements with the official stamp of the bank that issued the statements will be accepted. The stamp must appear on every page of the statement.

We will not accept statements which simply show the balance in the account on a particular day as these documents do not show that you hold enough funds for the full period required.

Letter from bank confirming funds and that they have been in bank for at least three months

The letter from a bank or building society should state:

• your name;
• the account number;
• the date of the letter;
• the financial institution’s name and logo;
• the funds held in your account; and
• that enough funds have been in the bank for at least three months.

We will not accept letters which simply show the balance in the account on a particular day as these documents do not show that you hold enough funds for the full period required.

Dependants

The evidence provided can relate specifically to the dependant or it can also include evidence for the main applicant which has not been used as evidence of funds on the main applicant’s own application or that of other dependants.

Dependants must send one or a combination of the following:

Personal bank or building society statements covering the previous three-month period

The personal bank or building society statements should clearly show:

• the name of the main applicant and/or the family member making the application, or (for children only) the name of their other parent who is also legally present in the United Kingdom;
• the account number;
• the date of the statement;
• the financial institution’s name and logo;
• transactions covering the three-month period;
• that there are enough funds present in the account for the past three months.

If you wish to send electronic bank statements from an online account these must contain all of the details listed above. You must also send a supporting letter from your bank, on company headed paper, confirming the authenticity of the statements provided.

Statements which only show the balance in the account on a particular day are not enough.

Letter from bank confirming funds and that they have been in bank for at least the previous three months

The letter from a bank or building society should state:

• the name of the main applicant and/or the family member making the application, or (for children only) the name of their other parent who is also legally present in the United Kingdom;
• the account number;
• the date of the letter;
• the financial institution’s name and logo;
• the funds held in the your account; and
• that the funds have been in bank for at least three months and are at least the amount needed.

We will not accept letters which simply show the balance in the account on a particular day as these documents do not show that you hold enough funds for the full period required.

Dependant application form

The information below tells you which sections are relevant and gives a brief guide to the information required in the highly skilled worker category dependant application form. A full guide to what is required in each section is provided in the policy guidance, which you can download from the right of this page. You should read this before you complete the application form.

Section A - payment details

Page 1 of the application form contains the payment details. The current fees and details of how you can pay are on the costs page.

Section B - personal details

You should complete this section of the application form fully. If you do not provide all your personal details we will not process your application.

Section C - passport or travel document details

You should give details of your current and all previous passports and travel documents.

Section D -immigration status

You should give details of your current immigration category, how you obtained it and when your permission to stay ends.

Sections E - personal history

You should complete this section of the application form fully. The information you provide in this section may be checked with other agencies, so you should make sure you include all relevant details. If necessary you can continue your answers to this section on a separate sheet of paper.

Section F - main applicant’s details

You should complete this section fully stating the main applicant’s PBS migrant number or Home Office number if known.

Section G - dependant’s relationship to the main applicant

You should complete this section fully stating your relationship to the main applicant.

Section H - further details

You should complete this section fully.

Section J - maintenance

You should complete this section fully. You should read the supporting evidence page for dependant maintenance for full details of the documents you should send with your application.

Section K - public funds

You should complete this section even if you are not receiving any public funds.

Section L - dependant declaration

You must sign and date your completed application form. Your application will not be valid unless you complete this section.

Section M - representative details and declarations

You should only complete this section if a legal representative is making the application on your behalf.

Summary sheet

You should complete this section to make sure you have provided us with all the information we require to process your application.

Tier 1 (General)

Tier 1 (General) applies to highly skilled potential migrants looking for a job or wishing to become self-employed in the UK, and has replaced the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP). Applicants to Tier 1 (General) are awarded points for attributes including age, previous or prospective salary and qualifications. Applicants must score at least 75 points for primary attributes and 10 points each for English language and having the necessary funds to ensure maintenance in the UK. Applicants do not need to have a formal job offer made by a licensed UK employer in order to apply under this category.

The current Highly Skilled Migrant Programme has been phased out over the course of 2008 and highly skilled migrants already in the UK now come under Tier 1 of the new points-based system.

Tier 1 Application Info

Cost

If you are inside the United Kingdom

The fee you must pay

There are two different fees for the highly skilled worker category:

• £350 if you submit a valid HSMP approval letter with your application for initial entry (switching) into Tier 1 General (this is because you have already paid for the approval letter); and


• £750 for all other applicants (including applications for extension within the highly skilled worker category if you are currently in the United Kingdom under HSMP).

Dependant applications for your spouse, partner or children under 18 which are sent together with your own form are free of charge. Dependant applications for children over 18, or any dependant applications sent separately or later, will have to pay an extra fee of £395.

You must send in your fee or we will not consider your application.

How to fill in the payment slip

It is very important that you complete the payment slip correctly. Errors prevent the payment being processed and will delay the decision-making process.

Fill in the details of the person who is making the payment in case we have a payment question. If we cannot deal with the payment, the application and payment are returned to the contact name and address given in section 1.

Your fee if you withdraw your application

Once your application is received by the payment handling service, the fee is charged and cannot be refunded.

How to pay inside the United Kingdom

What payment types we accept

The payment slip must be filled in fully and accurately.

Payment may be made by:

• a cheque in sterling on a United Kingdom bank account (this should be made payable to Home Office, have your full name and date of birth written on the back and be attached to the front of the completed payment slip);


• United Kingdom postal order (this should have your full name and date of birth written on the back and be attached to the front of the completed payment slip); or


• credit or debit card including MasterCard and Visa. We will only accept Delta, Switch and Maestro (including Electron and Solo) if issued in the United Kingdom. Include the card number, the amount paid, the payer’s name as it appears on the card, valid from and expiry dates, card verification value (CVV) code, signature and date. The issue number is also needed for Switch and Maestro cards.

Payment by any other method is not accepted.

You must send the full amount to cover the total cost of the application, or we will not consider your application and will return both the application form and part payment to you.

We start considering the application when the payment has cleared. Clearance takes place:

• after five working days for cheques;


• after one working day for credit or debit cards; and


• immediately for postal orders.

Using a payment handling service

You can use a government-approved payment handling service to help with your application. It will check that:

• a payment is needed;


• the payment slip is completed correctly;


• the payment method is correct;


• the application has been marked correctly as paid or free from charge; and


• the payment has cleared.

The payment handling service is independent from us and does not process any applications.

Waiting times

During the week commencing 22 December 2008, we expect to be considering applications that were received on or before 10 December 2008.

Please be aware that the customer contact centre is currently experiencing very high call demand and therefore you may experience difficulties in contacting us.

Please may we apologise for this and for any inconvenience this may cause you.

Sending your application

Where to send the form if you are applying from inside the United Kingdom

Before sending us your form, you should make sure you fill in all sections that apply to your application.

Attach your cheque or postal order for the fee to page 1 of the application form, and send them with your supporting documents and passport(s). You can send in more documents as long as they reach us before a decision has been made.

Your application must arrive during normal business hours (0830 to 1630, Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays), or receipt cannot be guaranteed.

You should send your form to:

UK Border Agency
Tier 1
PO Box 496
Millburngate House
Durham
DH99 1WQ

If you would like to send your application by courier, you should send it to:

UK Border Agency
Tier 1
Millburngate House
Durham
DH97 1PA

If you are sending applications for your dependants at the same time as your own application, make sure all applications are sent together in one envelope so any eligible dependant applications are considered free of charge. Dependant applications sent separately or later will have to pay a fee and we will not consider them unless you pay the right fee.

If you are a dependant applying separately (not at the same time as the main applicant), you should send your form to:

UK Border Agency
Tier 1 (Dependants)
PO Box 496
Millburngate House
Durham
DH99 1WQ

If you would like to send your application by courier, you should send it to:

UK Border Agency
Tier 1 (Dependants)
Millburngate House
Durham
DH97 1PA