UK Government: more Tier 2 visas in 2011

The permanent cap affecting skilled immigration which the UK is implementing in April 2011 is causing a lot of controversy and consternation among immigrants and businesses alike. But while Tier 1 (General) is in effect being abolished and will in future only apply to 'exceptionally talented' people (with an annual cap of 1000), Tier 2 visas (for ONP nurses, for example) will actually see an increase in its quota to 20,700 visas; This is a significant increase over the current interim immigration cap.
Moreover, this limit will not apply to the following groups of people seeking Tier 2 visas:

• in-country applications from people already in the UK
• dependants of Tier 2 migrants
• Tier 2 (General) applicants who are filling a vacancy with a salaryabove £150,000
• Tier 2 (Sportsperson) applicants
• Tier 2 (Minister of religion) applicants
• Tier 2 (Intra-company transfer) applicants

People who fall under the above categories will not come under the immigration cap.
A limiting factor to the new Tier 2 visa rules is the requirement that Tier 2 (General) applicants be limited to graduate level job vacancies when the new rules are put in place next year.

In addition, the intra-company transfer route, while not subject to the cap, will have some new limitations put in place. Intra-company transfer applicants with salaries above £40,000 will be able to stay in the UK for up to five years, while applicants with salaries between £24,000 and £40,000 will only be able to stay in the UK for up to 12 months at a time.

It's clear that the UK is focusing its attention on migrants who already have a bonafide job offer from a UK employer. For people who wish to immigrate to the UK based upon their skills and experience alone, now is the time to apply under Tier 1 (General) before the UK closes the door on this popular immigration scheme.