Personal service
FEBRUARY 2020
Our regular round-up of changes and planned amendments to UK visa and immigration rules, plus a summary of related information from around the world
COMMENTARY
Welcome to the latest edition of ‘Vignette’ – our regular round-up of news relating to visas and immigration for the UK and a selection of important stories globally.
In this edition, we focus on recommended changes to the Tier 2 and Tier 1 schemes in the UK as the government, fresh from its election victory and finally signing off on our withdrawal from the EU, seeks to attract talent from all over the world.
The Migration Advisory Committee has recommended a number of changes to make the system more flexible and easier to understand (and administer!) and we expect the government to accept all of these recommendations
We can therefore anticipate that removal of limits on skilled workers and an expansion of occupations included on the list of those eligible for visas will go ahead as planned.
In the meantime, the new Global Talent visa is just one of a number of new schemes which we expect to see introduced in 2020 to encourage scientific and business leaders to move to the UK - while existing schemes will continue to flourish
We would be delighted to expand on the above or any other items in this newsletter – or of course to provide advice on any other aspect of immigration to the UK or globally.
Please feel free to contact me by phone or email at any time – or via our website at www.i-vars.com
Chris Mills
01908 470859 | chris.mills@i-vars.com
February 2020
UK VISAS & IMMIGRATION
Brexit is done (kind of!)
After more than three years of impassioned argument (and not much action), the UK formally left the EU on January 31st.
There will be no immediate changes to any of the rules pertaining to EU citizens, with the 'transition period' running to December 2020 and the deadline for registration on the EU Settlement Scheme being 2021 (at the moment).
More details to follow as changes are announced or the deadlines approach but in the meantime please feel free to call or email with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your status in the UK
Migration Advisory Committee Review
Even before the UK General Election, the government had asked its expert panel, the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) for its views on the current, Points-Based work visa system (known as Tier 2 for Skilled Employees and Tier 1 for individuals and business owners - although this latter category has recently seen the addition of Start-Up and Innovator visas to replace the old 'Entrepreneur' visa.
The MAC recommends a number of changes, for implementation in 2021 (or later), including previously flagged changes to remove the Resident Labour Market Test for Tier 2, add in medium-skilled jobs and simplify the threshold for minimum salaries.
It also recommends significant changes to the Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) stream and to the process for Settlement.
The Government is likely to adopt all these recommendations over time.
Brexit and EU Settlement Scheme
Following Brexit, the Government has confirmed that the transition period will end in December and all applications under the EU Settlement scheme must be complete by June 2021. Please contact us if you need help or have any questions relating to the scheme.
Going forward, the UK plans to have the same rules in place for potential immigrants from all over the world (including former partners in the EU).
The Government has decided not to proceed with plans to separate border and immigration staff into a new department (at least for now!)
Photo by Frederick Tubiermont on Unsplash
New Visa Scheme for Top Scientists
The previously advertised new visa scheme for Top Scientists will open on February 20th 2020. The 'Global Talent' visa will have no limits on numbers - each applicant will need to be endorsed by UKRI.
It coincides with investment of £300million into new mathematics research
INTERNATIONAL UPDATE
Updates to Denmark's 'Positive List'
Denmark's list of in demand skilled occupations was revised at the beginning of the year. Fees and other related rules and regulations were also updated. Newly-added occupations include a number of medical jobs (doctor, radiographer) while some business-related occupations have been removed. Application fees have been reduced but minimum salary requirements increased. Do contact us if moving to Denmark is on your agenda for the year.
Photo by Maksym Potapenko on Unsplash
Turkey reduces length of residence permits for tourists
Until recently, the short-term tourist Residence Permit (RP) has often been used by dependent family members joining work permit holders in Turkey. The short-term RP for family reunion is not available until the principal applicant has held their work permit for at least one year, and even then is harder to obtain than a short-term tourist RP, so many family members have chosen the short-term tourist RP and have renewed it beyond one year but as of January, this option has been removed.
Photo by Daniel Burka on Unsplash
Faster work permit processing for highly skilled foreigners in China
Certain Category A (highly-skilled) applicants seeking permission to work in Shanghai can apply for their work and residence permits simultaneously under a new "single window" procedure, shaving several days off the processing time.
The new system is currently available in limited areas but is expected to become more widespread during 2020.
Photo by Edward He on Unsplash
OTHER NEWS
Events of Interest
Migration Conference, N Macedonia, June 2020 - call for papers now published
IARMJ Conference will be held in San Jose, Costa Rica in February 2020
Latest Guides from International Visas
We publish and update guides to a variety of UK visas and these are available free of charge to our customers.
In the past month we have published the following:
•Representative of Overseas Business
• Tier 1 (Investor) - including Settlement
• Family Settlement (Spouse, Partner, Fiance)
If you would like a copy of any of the above or a guide on any other UK visa please get in touch
Success Stories & Testimonials
It is always tremendously gratifying to hear of our clients (and friends!) successfully completing their applications.
In January, highlights included Pedro receiving his EEA Family member permit, more Tier 5 and Tier 2 successes, a new Representative of Overseas Business and a large number of settlement and citizenship applications
New Partnership - US visa advice
We have entered into an informal arrangement with renowned US law firm Ellis Porter to refer complex immigration cases to them in order to provide a seamless service for our clients who wish to explore the possibilities of moving to the USA, either for work or to join family.
Please contact us if this is of interest.
