Q: With all the proposed immigration changes in the pipeline, especially those affecting Tier 2 workers, do you foresee a change in the annual limit imposed on the Tier 2 worker category?
A: In the light of the recent recommendation by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), the annual limit will in all probability stay at its current level.
The MAC recently recommended that the annual limit should remain unchanged for the new financial year, starting April 2012. The MAC further said that although the current Tier 2 limit is undersubscribed, they recognises that cutting it may affect the perception of the UK as an attractive place to do business.
When the annual limit on the number of Certificates of Sponsorship for Tier 2 workers came into effect on 6 April 2011, 20,700 certificates were made available for the first year. In April 2011, 4,200 certificate of sponsorship were made available and thereafter a monthly allocation of 1,500 places. Unused places are rolled over to the next month.
This lead to a rollover of Tier 2 sponsorship certificates that is getting bigger every month, and according to the latest information from the UK Home Office there are 12,441 sponsorship certificates available for allocation in March 2012!
This is thus a golden opportunity for employers and employees, interested in the Tier 2 scheme!
Breytenbachs Immigration Consultants
JP Breytenbach
Director of Breytenbachs Immigration Consultants
www.bic-immigration.com
info@bic-immigration.com