The UK government has made a number of changes to the immigration rules affecting the popular Tier 2 visas, such as increasing salary thresholds and toughening English language requirements for parents and partners. The changes will come in to effect for the applications from 24 November 2016.
Key changes to the Tier 2 Immigration Rules
- General – salary threshold for experienced workers has increased to £25,000 from just £20,000 until now.
- Intra-Company Transfer [ICT] – salary threshold for short-term staff has increased to £30,000. The earlier threshold was just 20,800 pounds.
- Intra Company Transfer – skills transfer sub-category is closed for entry
- Intra-Company Transfer – graduate trainee salary threshold has reduced to £23,000. Number of places increased to 20 per company per year.
The Indian companies will be the worst affected by these changes because 90% of the tier 2 – intra company transfer – visa is used by them. The Tier 2 ICT is the most popular visa route used by the Indian IT companies in Britain to migrate workers to their UK offices.
An English language requirement at level A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages is also being introduced in the teir 2 visa. This requirement will affect the Indian applicant’s partners and parents whose current live under the family Immigration Rules and is due to expire on or after 1 May 2017.
UK government is also making changes to the Tier 4 visas. The changes are to the academic progression rule, maintenance requirements for the Doctorate Extension Scheme and evidence of overseas qualifications, UK qualifications used as evidence, and a series of minor and technical adjustments.
By Premji
