UK Immigration News

If you are already in the UK and wish to switch into a Tier 1 (General) highly skilled visa, you should apply as soon as possible. On 6 April 2011, this category will end and be replaced with the 'exceptional talent' visa which will be very difficult to obtain.

Exceptional talent visas will be limited to 1,000 visas per year, making the chances of entry to the UK under this visa even less likely.

The UK Border Agency (UKBA) has provided further details of the changes that will take place in April 2011 which include a permanent immigration cap on skilled immigration, a new exceptional talent visa, and new criteria for skilled workers with a job offer and intra-company transfers. There will in effect be significant changes in the rules for sponsoring non-EU workers.

The BBC reports that the UK's National Health Service (NHS) is recruiting junior doctors from India in an attempt to head off a shortage caused by tighter immigration rules brought in over the last few years.

"We pulled the plug on overseas recruitment far too quickly," said Professor Derek Gallen, postgraduate dean of medical training for Wales.

"[We didn't] realise what the implications of that action would be two, three or four years down the line," he added.

Ignacio Galan, the chief executive officer of Iberdrola SA, which owns Scottish Power Ltd has said recently that UK plans to develop renewable energy and improve power-generation and transmission systems will be serious affected by the shortage of engineers. Galan said that 80 percent of Scottish Power's engineers are likely to retire in the next 15 years.

Vince Cable the UK Business Secretary in the UK Coalition Government has also raised the issue of shortages of engineers in the UK.

The UK manufacturing sector grew by 4 percent in the 12 months leading to June 2010, twice the amount of the financial sector during the same period. But over 500 jobs remain unfilled.

Employers are complaining that the regional workforce do not have the skills to fill these positions, with those who do possess the skills working abroad.

The manufacturing sector is coming out of a downturn that was relatively short-lived.

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has recommended reducing the number of occupations that are eligible for migration under Tier 2 of the points based immigration system.