BritBound confirmed a recent announcement regarding changes to the UK Tier 1 visa policy:
This week The British High Commission has announced that from the 1st of April it will change the Tier 1 Highly Skilled Migrant program to restrict new applications to individuals that hold a Masters degree qualification.
This means that people who currently only have a bachelors degree and qualify under the current points matrix will be no longer eligible for the Tier 1 General visa (previously the HSMP) after the 1st of April – unless they have a Masters degree qualification.
For those of you that do not have a Masters degree and were thinking of applying for the first time have now only approximately 5 weeks in order to make your application for it to be successful.
Unfortunately for those of you already in the UK on a working holiday maker visa have a very short time to arrange this process.. In practice if you are wishing to switch to the Tier 1 visa, then you will need to: prepare an application, book flights, book and attend a biometrics test in their country of legal residence and apply prior to the cut off date. Please note that you will need to already hold at least 8 weeks evidence of available funds of £2800 to meet the minimum maintenance requirements.
We expect that flights and more importantly biometrics appointments, will book up fast and that this will be the main restricting factor in successfully lodging an application before the 1st April cutoff.
We recommend you apply immediately if you were considering the Tier 1 Highly skilled Migrants visa and don’t have a Masters degree.
What I am most surprised about is the speed that the High Commission make changes to border policy. Ultimately I believe this policy change will be positive. Encouraging more students to complete post-graduate study, especially in British commonwealth countries.
I don’t really see how it will do anything for the UK but direct highly skill labour elsewhere. Are highly skilled migrants (that can’t claim benefits) really an issue for the economy?
Funnily enough I have just received an almost identical letter from OE Registrations [http://www.oeregistrations.com/]. The major difference being the links to their products and that they believe the bottle neck is more likely to be biometric appointments, with their majority demographic being persons who have not yet travelled to the UK.
This sux! I’m a web project manager in London on a working holiday visa at the moment. Have racked up a good amount of £ so far but have only been here since Sept 2008 and I only have a Bachelors degree.
Why do they need to change it so fast! I was planning on going home (Aus) in Oct to get the Tier 1, now it looks like that plan will be useless if they bring it forward to April which does not leave enough time for anyone to attempt a swapover.
I can understand why they’re doing it, but on the flipside wouldn’t it be a good idea to keep skilled workers in the country?
Turns out they probably would have rejected your application for tier 1 anyway. I have heard reports that the BHC in Australia are reading the working holidays rules a little differently to everywhere else. You’d need to have been on holiday for 50% of your time in the UK for them to have decided that you hadn’t been in breach of the visa conditions! Considering that NZ tier 1 visa are now processed out of Canberra, I imagine that would apply to kiwis coming home to apply for tier 1 as well.
I don’t understand why they’ve done restricted applicants to holders of Masters degrees; that would severely reduce the intake of skilled labour, which I’d have thought would be beneficial to the economy? I suppose that will change now.
Hello !
Could someone please let me know that the qualification criteria change (only Masters Degree allowed) is applicable for the entire Tier1 (General) Highly Skilled Migrant Visa OR is it applicable only for those wishing to enter UK for studying purpose under Tier 1 (International Graduates Scheme) category?
Thanks & Regards,
Junaid
Hi,
I’m hoping someone can help me out with this. I’m currently on the HSMP visa but it expires Sept 2009, which is when I’ll need to extend it. Does anyone know if the home office will honour the original conditions of this visa and extend it as I have a bachelors degree? It wouldn’t be fair for them to change the rules half way through the process. Also, when would I be able to apply for the extension?
Thanks,
Christel.
I’m hoping that the conditions don’t change! I’m about to come to the UK on a Tier 1 visa.
Hi James,
Thank you so much creating such a helpful blog. My name is Krish. I am planning to apply for Tier 1 General in April 2009. I understand that an applicant has to provide 12 months pay slips and tax return acknowledgement form.
Please could you help me with the following question:
1. In the past 12 months, I have worked in two different countries with two different companies (India and Singapore)
India (April 2008 to August 2008)
Singapore (September 2009 to March 2009)
India comes as Band D and Singapore as Band A
In India tax year is “April to March” whereas in Singapore the tax year is “January to December”
I have filed my tax returns in India for “April 2008 to August 2008″ and in Singapore for “Sep 2008 to Dec 2008″.
How do I handle this situation, please advice.
Thanks & regards
Krish
Hi,
Does anyone know if this new Tier 1 policy of eligibility for people with a Masters Degree will be reverted back to its current state once this recession blows over and the job market gets better.
Thanks,
Candida
I hope so, but it really depends on the feedback that politicians receive.
Working in two different countries makes the calculations a little more difficult. My money is with you entering the amount earned and calculating the value in each country and adding it together. With only 12 contiguous months considered in the calculation. It is much easier to provide payslips from one company, but as long as you have payslips and bank statements.
Hi James,
I thought BHC in Canbera changed the rule based on 50% thingi? If not, then my application will get rejected then.
I hope they have changed it to – it seems quite unreasonable, what if your situation changed, or the BHC changed the rules so you had to change your plans?
Good luck on your application.
Christel,
The changes to Tier 1 will apply to initial applications for entry from outside the UK and to applications to switch into Tier 1 from another category.
Applications for Tier 1 extensions will be unaffected by the changes.
-Candida
Hi
My name is gee I am a HSMP holder based in UK. My HSMP runs out in May 2009, I intend to apply for Tier 1 visa.
I have 2 type of earnings.
No;1 A salaried income of £15000 between May 2008 till April 2009, I have got Pay slip and also Personal Bank statement for this.It is fine.
No;2 I have a earning of £15000 between Oct 2008 till March 2009, through the ltd company i set up in oct 2008, I have Business Bank statement, Invoice receipts.
My quest is Do i need to file tax returns for this 6 months between 0ct 08 till march 09?
What other documents i need to claim the points for this earning
Please kindly advice
P Gee