Changes to the Immigration Rules
The Home Office have announced that there will be changes to the Immigration Rules. The changes will only affect applications made on or after 24 November 2016.
Tier 2
The Home Office intend to increase the Tier 2 (General) salary threshold for experienced workers from £20,800.00 to £25,000.00; this is nearly a 21% increase.
There will also be changes to the Tier 2 (Intra-Company Transfer) salary threshold for short term staff from £24,800.00 to £30,000.00.
The Home Office will reduce the Tier 2 (Intra-Company Transfer) graduate trainee salary threshold to from £24,800.00 down to £23,000.00. There will however be an increase to the number of places to 20 entrants per company per year.
The route for the Tier 2 (Intra Company Transfer) skills transfer sub-category will close and applications under this route will no longer be accepted.
The above changes will come into effect for all sponsorship certificates assigned by Tier 2 sponsors on or after 24 November 2016.
English language requirement
If you are in the U.K on the 5 year settlement route as the family member of a settled or British person then you will be required to undertake another English language test at level A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. The level required is higher than the level required at the Entry Clearance stage.
The above has been implemented as the Home Office have confirmed that if individuals are living in the U.K after a period of 2.5 years, they must demonstrate that they have become more familiar with the English Language.
The new requirement will apply to partners and parents whose current leave under the family Immigration Rules is due to expire on or after 1 May 2017.
The Immigration Rules are constantly changing and it can be difficult to stay up to date with the latest news and announcements. Here at Carltons Solicitors we make every effort to stay current with the latest news so that we are able to advise our clients accordingly. Contact Carltons Solicitors today to obtain advice on the relevant rule changes.
Theresa May visits India to negotiate a ‘deal’
Theresa May travelled to India for a period of three days, this was her first trip to a country not within the European Union in order to negotiate a trade deal following Brexit.
India wants Theresa May to open Britain’s doors to more skilled Indian workers and students to boost the economy. In addition it was suggested that students should be allowed to stay longer in Britain after graduating. May confirmed that she would be willing to look at how the visa process for Indians could
be less stringent, in return for India’s prime minister, Mr Narendra Modi agreeing to help May return the individuals who are in the U.K without any leave to remain. Many have argued that the policy the British government currently have is ‘give us your money and then get out.’
May did however confirm that the system currently in place for visa applications is good. She stated that Britain issue more work visas to India than the US, Australia and China combined. In addition 9 out of 10 visa applications from India have already been accepted.
Aside from negotiations regarding Immigration May confirmed deals worth £1 billion have been sealed during her visit, creating more than 1,300 jobs in the UK.
Back to Carltons Solicitors news.
