What do the New Immigration Rules in the UK Mean for your Assignees?

A nation by definition is a large aggregate of people united by common descent, history, culture or language, inhabiting a particular county or territory. But, Ronald Reagan once said, "A nation that cannot control its border is not a nation." Whichever way you look at it, the UK has certainly been doing its bit in 2012, flying the Union Jack flag for the 'nation' on both counts.

With the UK celebrating the Queen's Diamond jubilee at the beginning of June, we were a nation by definition. Britain showed its patriotic side, as streets and homes were lined with bunting, and a four-day weekend honored the Queen's 60th year in reign. But whilst the Jubilee planning has been going on for some time, the UK Border Agency (UKBA) has also been busy implementing new rules for UK immigration, making sure we're a 'nation' in Ronald Reagan's opinion, as well.

The UK Government considers immigration to have strengthened our economy and enriched our culture, but they too believe that it must be controlled to install confidence in our immigration system. As a result, a number of changes to the UK's immigration rules were introduced earlier this year on the 6 April, with further changes following on 14 June. These changes will impact assignees coming into the UK, as well as expatriates moving from an assignment package to permanent residency in the UK as a ‘local.’

In addition, the limit of for non-EU skilled workers being allowed into the UK has been set to remain at 20,700 for the next two years, until April 2014. SIRVA does not see this limit being a concern for our clients or their relocation programs, bearing in mind that this imposed limit was not reached previously.

The changes to the immigration rules that came into effect as of the 6 April include changes to visa application fees, as well changes to various routes of the points-based system. The changes to the routes could affect those coming into the UK under the following channels of the points-based system, which include:

• Tier 1: High-value migrants
• Tier 2: Skilled workers
• Tier 4: Students
• Tier 5: Temporary workers

Those looking to apply for visas now will also need to review the latest amendments to the UK's immigration practices. In addition to the changes introduced on 6 April, the 14 June amendments state that the skill level required by assignees that are planning to work in the UK is higher; and the level of personal savings that applicants will need to show evidence of in order to support their visa application has increased for Tiers 1, 2 and 5.

Other changes include, but are not limited to:

• Amendments to curtailment, cutting short the leave a migrant has if they fail to start or cease work
• The creation of a new visitor route for permitted paid engagements, with a small group of professionals for example, being able to come to the UK for up to one month for work without formal sponsorship
• Changes to the overseas domestic worker routes
• An extension of the ‘leave to remain,’ with those on a Tier 2 visa now being able to extend their stay for another three years

For further information on the UK’s latest immigration practices, contact us and we will be happy to help. Partnering with our Global Certified Provider Network, SIRVA will make sure you understand the practical implications of the latest changes, as well as making sure that the new rules work for you.