On Wednesday, the government announced new rules regarding work visas for non-EU nationals.
As from the 6th April, employers will need to apply to the UK Border Agency for a job specific Certificate of Sponsorship if they want to bring someone to this country. However, if employers are filling a vacancy with a salary of £150,000 or more, they will not be subject to a cap on the number of COS they can apply for.
The government set an annual cap of 20,700 Certificate of Sponsorship visas at the end of 2010. 4,200 of these will become available in April followed thereafter by 1,500 per month. If a monthly allocation is over subscribed, applications will be assessed on a points based system which favours trades on the shortage list, high earners and scientific researchers.
People from out-with the EU wanting to come to the UK will need to have been offered a graduate level position, speak at least intermediate English, and meet specific employment and salary requirements.
Intra-company transfers are not covered by the new regulations but the government has also taken measures to stamp out the way companies abuse ICTs. As from April, it will no longer be permissible for a company to use an ICT to bring a worker earning less than £40,000 to the UK for more than 12 months.
According to the PCG, this should reduce the displacement of skilled UK workers and the exploitation of overseas workers who are brought here to work on low wages.
The PCG intends to monitor closely the enforcement of these new rules and hopes that ICTs will eventually be incorporated into the general immigration cap.
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