UK Tier 2 Visa – the new rules in 2012

Q: I am currently working in the UK on a Tier 2 Visa, and confused about the new rule changes on the pay threshold for settlement that will come into effect. Can you please give me a summary of the rule changes and how it will affect me?

A: The UK Home Office has announced new settlement pay threshold rules that will apply to migrants who entered or switched into Tier 2 of the Points-Based Visa System under the rules in force from 6 April 2011. The new settlement pay threshold rules will NOT apply to persons who entered Tier 2 under the visa rules in force on 5 April 2011.

The new rules for UK Tier 2 Visa migrants that will come into force on 6 April 2012 are:

• Tier 2 migrants must be paid at least £35,000 per annum or the going rate for the relevant occupation, whichever is the higher, in order to apply for settlement. This new settlement pay threshold will be held at this level until April 2018.
• Migrants doing jobs which are on the shortage occupation list will be exempted from the pay threshold rules, but still need to be paid the appropriate rate for their occupation.
• “PhD-level’ jobs and Ministers of Religion will be exempted from the pay threshold rule, but will have to be paid the appropriate rate for the occupation.

Please contact our offices for further information.

JP Breytenbach
Director of Breytenbachs Immigration Consultants Limited
www.bic-immigration.com or info@bic-immigration.com 

Also read: UK Tier 1 Visa closure — Are there alternatives?