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People wishing to come to the United Kingdom as skilled immigrants from India may no longer use the HSMP scheme. Tier 1 must now be used for skilled migration. Everyone else in the world will be required to use Tier 1 from some time beginning this summer.

New rules coming into effect for UK Tier 1 applicants from India revise the Maintenance requirement. The Maintenance requirement is intended to prove that immigrants have enough funds to support themselves and their dependents when arriving in the United Kingdom. Applicants from India must be able to document GBP 2800 or more in funds for 90 days prior to submitting their application. At no time during this period may their funds be below this level.

workpermit.com has opened an office in New Delhi, India. Please feel free to make an appointment now and discuss how we may help you with work permits, residency and other immigration-related issues. Visit the "Contact Us" section of our website for details.

Major British political opposition parties are voicing their support of a High Court ruling two weeks ago in favor of HSMP visa holders. In December 2006, the government changed the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP), making it more difficult for some people to score enough points to renew their visa. Retroactive application of these changes caused extensive controversy.

The High Court ruling overturned the retrospective application of the changes, finding the actions of the government to be in violation of the law.

A new report out by a non-profit organization, The Work Foundation, analyses the impact of recent immigration trends in the United Kingdom. Findings generally show that Britain has benefitted from the high levels of immigration over the last ten years. Inflation and interest rates have been lower than expected as a result of increased migration, according to the report. Labor shortages have been alleviated and the economy has been growing steadily.