Client Payment Portal

UNITED KINGDOM: Update on post-Brexit immigration system

Sep 23, 2020 | Global

Summary: The Home Office has published further details on the new post-Brexit immigration system. Also, there was an update on international travelers arriving in the United Kingdom (UK).

Overview: The Home Office recently published further details on the proposed new immigration system. The new system will start on January 1, 2021, immediately after the end of the Brexit transition period.

The consequences of the proposed changes will be huge, but the new statement does not add a great deal to what the Home Office has said before. The new immigration system will apply to both European Union (EU) citizens and non-EU citizens. The visa application process will be simpler for EU citizens because they will not be required to attend a biometric appointment to get a visa, but otherwise the rules will be the same for everyone.

Below are highlights:

  • The main work visa will be the Skilled Worker visa, which is a revised version of the Tier 2 (General) visa.
  • The skills threshold for a Skilled Worker visa will be lower than for a Tier 2 (General) visa. The boundary between the types of jobs that will and won’t qualify for a Skilled Worker visa appears arbitrary. Bricklayers, chefs, PAs, and au pairs will all qualify for a Skilled Worker visa. Scaffolders, cooks, legal secretaries, and care workers will not.
  • The general salary threshold will be £25,600—down from £30,000 for a Tier 2 (General) visa. In most cases the employer will still have to pay the “going rate” for the job, which may be higher than the general salary threshold.
  • The resident labour market test will be abolished.
  • There will be no cap, so no need to apply for restricted certificates of sponsorship.
  • The English language requirement will stay.
  • There will be an intra-company transfer visa. The skills threshold and salary threshold for this visa will be the same as for the current Tier 2 (intra-company transfer) visa. The only people likely to use this type of visa are those who cannot pass an English language test.
  • Government fees will be high. In most cases, the fees for a 5-year skilled worker visa will be around £10,000. For a family of four, the fees will be well over £20,000. There are reductions for small sponsors and jobs on the shortage occupation list.

Employers that will be recruiting staff from the EU next year will need to spend a lot more in visa fees. Those that do not already have a sponsor license should apply for one now.

Also, related to the COVID-19 pandemic, almost everyone now must provide their journey and contact details by filling in an online Public Health Passenger Locator Form before they travel to the UK. Most must quarantine (self-isolate) for 14 days after they arrive.

Details:

Related Posts:

Ukraine: Ways You Can Help

Below is a non-exhaustive selection of nonprofit organizations providing help with various aspects of the Ukraine crisis and taking donations. There are many other legitimate charities. Some have Ukraine-specific funds, while others use the money for their work in Ukraine and elsewhere. WR Immigration encourages anyone wishing to donate to do independent research on their charity of choice and can recommend the use of a research tool, Charity Watch. Americares is supporting health services on the ground in Poland for families affected by the escalating humanitarian crisis. Americares is also sending medicine and medical supplies to Ukraine for hospitals and responders there. Medical teams provide primary care and emergency treatment, in addition to mental health services. Catholic Relief Services and Caritas partners on the ground are providing safe shelter, hot meals, hygiene supplies, transport to safe areas, and counseling support across Ukraine and in bordering countries. Direct Relief is working directly with Ukraine’s Ministry of Health and other on-the-ground partners to provide urgently needed medical aid, including emergency response packs intended for first responders, oxygen concentrators, critical care medicines, and other supplies. Doctors Without Borders has teams in Ukraine, Poland, and other bordering countries to provide surgical care, emergency medicine […]

Read More

Global Newsletter

In this look around the globe, find the latest immigration news regarding Australia’s Temporary Salary Migration Income Threshold , Canada’s federal worker’s strike, the Hague Convention on Apostilles and much more! But first, we start with this month’s WReview. WReview: WR Immigration at EuRA The WR Immigration team recently attended the European Relocation Association (EuRA) conference in Dublin, Ireland. Highlights included: Back to Top Australia: Temporary Salary Migration Income Threshold Increased The government will increase the Temporary Salary Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) from AUD 53,900 to AUD 70,000 for all new subclass 482 work visa applications filed from July 1, 2023 onwards. The market salary for the occupation a foreign national will be offered must be greater than the TSMIT. If the market salary for the occupation is lower than the TSMIT, it is not possible to sponsor a foreign worker for a subclass 482 work visa for the role. Note that if the market salary for an occupation is higher than the TSMIT then the foreign worker must be paid more than the TSMIT. This change in the income threshold will decrease the number of occupations in which it is possible for employers to sponsor foreign workers. Back to […]

Read More