In a crackdown to curb its soaring immigration figures, the UK government has announced changes to its visa policy for non-EU nationals, which will affect a large number of Indians, especially IT professionals
London: In a crackdown to curb its soaring immigration figures, the UK government has announced changes to its visa policy for non-EU nationals, which will affect a large number of Indians, especially IT professionals.
Under the new visa rules announced last evening by the UK Home Office, anyone applying after November 24 under the Tier-2 intra-company transfer (ICT) category would be required to meet a higher salary threshold requirement of £30,000 from the earlier £20,800.
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The ICT route is used by Indian IT companies in Britain, and the UK's Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) had found earlier this year that Indian IT workers accounted for nearly 90 per cent of visas issued under this route.
The changes come just days before British Prime Minister Theresa May lands in India on Sunday for her three-day visit.
"The first of two phases of changes to Tier-2, announced by the government in March following a review by the Independent Migration Advisory Committee, will affect applications made on or after November 24 unless stated otherwise," a UK Home Office statement said.
Besides the Tier-2 ICT salary threshold hike, the changes announced include increasing the Tier-2 (general) salary threshold for experienced workers to £25,000, with some exemptions; reducing the Tier-2 (ICT) graduate trainee salary threshold to £23,000 and increasing the number of places to 20 per company per year; and closing the Tier-2 (ICT) skills transfer sub-category.
Many changes have also been announced for the Tier-4 category, which covers maintenance needs for the Doctorate Extension Scheme.
30k pounds
New salary requirement under Tier-2 ICT category
25k pounds
New Tier-2 general salary threshold
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