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UK Immigration Strategy

UK Immigration - 5 year strategy on Immigration & Asylum. How will it affect you?

10 February, 2005

UK Home Secretary Mr. Charles Clarke announced UK's 5 year plan on Immigration & Asylum titled 'Controlling our borders: making migration work for Britain' which includes following major reforms to UK's Immigration policies:

  • The emphasis is to ensure that only those who benefit Britain can come to the UK to work or study
  • To start a Points based system similar to HSMP for Work Permits and Student Visas. There will be categories like Highly Skilled, Skilled, Low Skilled and Student / Specialists.
  • To make Employers responsible for reporting if the Work Permit holder leaves the job
  • To make Educational Institutes and Colleges responsible if the Student does not report for studies or leaves before completing the course
  • To phase out the low skills scheme like sector based scheme and seasonal agricultural workers schemes in view of inclusion of 10 more countries in the EU since the citizens of these countries have complete freedom to come to the UK to seek work.
  • Highly Skilled individuals like Doctors, IT Professionals and Finance Professionals will be welcome to come to the UK even when they do not have a job in hand and they would be free to find jobs on arrival.
  • Permanent Resident status will be allowed after 5 years in place of current 4 years and that too after test of English and knowledge about UK.
  • To restrict the sponsorship of family dependents
  • Stricter Fines for Employers employing illegal workers

These new changes will come into effect over next few months but it is worth noting the recent changes to various UK immigration / visa schemes:

  • From 1st October 2004 there have been some changes to the rules regarding in-country applications and switching status from one visa category to another. Students can not now switch to Work Permit or HSMP unless they have completed the Graduate or Masters Degree for which they were granted initial student visa.
  • From 8th February 2005 Working Holidaymaker visa scheme is changed and employment incidental to holidays is only to be allowed with maximum 12 months cap to employment under this visa.
  • There have been changes to rules related to getting married in the UK to stop sham marriages


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Whether you are an individual looking to apply for a UK Visa / Entry Clearance Application from outside the UK or Leave to Remain / Extension application from within the UK, HSMP Immigration Services UK Ltd. will be happy to help. If you are an Employer wishing to apply for Sponsor License, we can help.

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