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News » Proposed changes for Tier 1 General Highly Skilled Migrants Visa
07 December 2009
Earlier this year, the government asked the Migration Advisory Committee(MAC) to consider whether the criteria for Tier 1 should be changed in 2010/11 to reflect changing economic circumstances. The MAC's report says that Tier 1 is generally operating well, but also recommends some changes.
Regarding the Tier 1 (General) route for highly skilled workers, the MAC's recommendations include:
- The salary multipliers, which are used to convert previous earnings outside the UK into a UK equivalent, should be rapidly and thoroughly reviewed
- Migrants with a bachelor's degree but no master's degree should be allowed to come to the UK under Tier 1 (General), if their previous earnings are high enough
- Professional qualifications (in law and accountancy, for example) should be considered as equal to a master's degree
- The pay thresholds should be substantially increased, with no points for previous annual earnings below £24,000
- Migrants with previous annual earnings of at least £150,000 should not need to meet the educational qualification requirements
- Applicants should receive points for their age if they are 39 or under
- Successful applicants should initially be allowed to come to the UK for two years, rather than three as at present, with a three-year extension later if they are in highly skilled employment
Immigration Minister Phil Woolas had the following to say:
'The MAC has delivered a robust and thorough report, and the government will consider it carefully over the coming weeks.'
The Government will consider the recommendations and make an announcement in early 2010. It should be noted that normally the UK Government accepts MAC recommendations in full.
