Modifications to the British Tier 2 visa programme for skilled workers from outside the European Union looking to work in the UK will be effective from 24 November. These will be applicable to all sponsorship certificates assigned from that date onwards.

Affected mainly will be those going in for intra company transfers, whose salary bracket cap would be raised to £30,000 from £20,800 and for experienced  jobs in the general income bracket, it would be raised to £25,000.

On the other hand, in the graduate trainee salary bracket, the cap will be lowered to £23,000, with the number of places being increased to 20 per company each year.

Although people applying for a work visa in Britain in the intra company transfer scheme  will not be immediately subjected to pay for the new immigration health surcharge, they would  need to do so in the future, the date for which is yet to be announced.

These changes, which are based on recommendations made by the MAC (Migration Advisory Committee) earlier this year, will also be including a new rule that parents and partners of immigrants would need to pass a new English language test if they want to extend their stay after two and half years in the UK.

Expatforum.com quotes MAC as telling the government not to issue visas to many IT employees from countries such as India so that it would deter employers in Britain from training their local workforce.

MAC, in its report, had said that they did not see adequate proof of the long-term mutual arrangements which truly afforded British staff the opportunity to learn skills or gain experience by working in India.

If you want to migrate to the UK, approach Mahandru Associates to avail professional counselling to file for a visa.