UK Immigration News

Tightening tier 2 visa rules is a massive threat to London's status as a world-leading, global talent hub. That's the view of a top UK business group, who has warned the government that stricter rules for employing foreign workers from outside the EU will have detrimental impact on the UK's capital city to attract international talent.

Craig Allen, the director of hospitality recruitment company The Change Group, said a shortage of chefs in the UK could be eased temporarily by relaxing the country's tier 2 immigration rules. Mr Allen said: "Britain's immigration laws are preventing a 'freer movement of chef talent' around the globe." It should be easier for employers with a Tier 2 sponsorship licence to obtain Tier 2 visas.

Newcastle upon Tyne's NHS Trust faces a staffing crisis as UK Immigration is preventing them from employing more nurses from the Philippines. The Home Office have refused to issue enough certificates of sponsorship (COS), which is one of the requirements to enable the NHS Trust to employ more workers from outside the EEA. The Trust's chief executive, Sir Leonard Fenwick, said that the new nurses will 'form the backbone of its workforce.'

More and more companies are seeing their Tier 2 sponsorship licences suspended or revoked as the Home Office visits companies and looks for non-compliance with the Tier 2 sponsorship licence requirements.

Companies with Tier 2 sponsorship licences have a range of responsibilities to adhere to on an ongoing basis and authorities are becoming increasingly hardline in enforcing the Tier 2 sponsorship licence requirements. Those with Tier 2 sponsorship licences are at greater risk than ever before of having their licences downgraded, suspended or withdrawn.

On 1 September 2015 one of the UK's largest private colleges had its Tier 2 licence to sponsor overseas workers and Tier 4 licence to sponsor students from outside the EEA suspended. The London School of Business and Finance [LSBF], which forms part of an umbrella group that now owns the University of Law, is currently prohibited from sponsoring new students or workers from outside of the European Union.

It has become increasingly difficult to enter the UK under the Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa category.

The current rejection rate for applications is about 70%. The reason for the high rejection rate is the "Genuine Entrepreneur Test" which has made it much more difficult to meet the requirements of the Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa category.

The Tier 1 entrepreneur visa application will be looked at in detail by immigration officers, who must be convinced that you will meet the investment requirements and that you are genuinely able to start a business in the UK.