Actuarial Skills Travel Well but immigration regulations are being updated frequently.
If you are considering moving abroad it is important to ensure that you are aware of the various procedures that need to be followed when applying for international visas and work permits.
To help you we have created a list of links to the relevant pages of international immigration websites.
Posted in Australia, China, France, Great Links, Immigration, India, International, Ireland, Malaysia, news, South Africa, UK, USA
The UK Border Agency has published new guidance detailing how to calculate the 5 year period of continuous residence in the UK needed to be eligable to apply for indefinite leave to remain.
The new guidance can be downloaded here.
This category will also be closed to UK based applicants after April 2011.
“UK based applicants” include those living and working in the UK on a substantive visa – such as a work permit, Tier 2 visa or Post Study Work visa.
These changes should NOT affect those who have already secured a Tier 1 (General) visa and wish to apply for an extension in the UK. This should still be possible, as normal.
We advise anyone interested in applying for a Tier 1 (General) visa in the UK, to look at starting this process immediately, before this category is closed in April.
Tier 2 visas
Following a report published by the Migration Advisory Committee, the Home Secretary has announced details of the new migration “cap” or quota for non EU workers.
From April 2011 – April 2012, the Tier 2 (General) visa category will be subject to annual limit of 20,700. This is a reduction of 6,300 compared to 2009 levels. However, there are many applicants that are NOT subject to the cap. These include;
- Tier 2 Dependents
- Those already in the UK on a Tier 2 visa or work permit
- Tier 2 Intra Company Transfer applicants
- New applicants with an offered salary of over £150,000
It is already clear that the government are providing many exceptions to their plans to cap migration levels. However, the imposition of a cap is a new development in UK immigration. Businesses will need to ensure that they plan their recruitment of non EU workers to stay within their annual allocation.
Other Proposals
The Tier 1 General visa category will be abolished for new applicants and will be replaced by a new category for “persons of exceptional talent”. A limit of 1,000 visas will be available in this category. We await the publication of further details on this, however it is likely to apply only to those who have international recognition in their field.
More positively, the government have stated they will be looking to reform the Tier 1 Entrepreneur route to make it more attractive. This will include more flexible criteria than the current rigid £200,000 requirement. Again, we await further details on this.
A major new consultation has been launched on reforming the student visa system. Several new proposals are included as part of the consultation including stricter entrance requirements and limitations on in-country student visa extensions.
Most importantly, the 2 year Post Study Work visa is earmarked for abolition. This is the work visa, that many graduates obtain allowing them to work in the UK and then switch to a Tier 1 or Tier 2 work visa.
We thank Commonwealth Immigration for providing this information.
Posted in Immigration, UK
Tagged Changes, Coalition, Immigration, Legislation, Tier 1, Tier 1 (General), Tier 2
A new points system for Australian immigration has been proposed by the Immigration Minister. The early signs are that it will make it easier for Actuarial professionals to qualify.
The current system currently awards Actuaries fewer points than many trade occupations – something that the Immigration Minister is keen to change.
The proposed new system would remove this occupational weighting and replace it with a system much more focused on qualifications, experience and English language ability.
Degree qualified Actuaries would only need one year of experience to meet the general entry requirements for this occupation. Then, they would be assessed on a points system for age, English language ability, experience and other factors.
Furthermore, there is a shortage of Actuaries in Australia. So much so, that the state government of New South Wales has included the profession on their list of occupations that they wish to attract.
Although the new system has yet to be signed off and would not come into effect until July 2011, we think many of the proposed changes are likely to be introduced.
We would like to thank Commonwealth Immigration for providing us with this information.
If you are interested in moving to Australia, register with www.gaaps.com for actuarial opportunities down under.
Posted in Australia, Immigration, International
Tagged Australia, Immigration, Points
The UK Border Agency have announced that the Tier 1 General visa category will be abolished after April 2011.
This will apply to new first-time applicants both in the UK and applying from overseas.
This will NOT affect those who have already secured a Tier 1 General visa and wish to apply for an extension in the UK. This will still be possible, as normal.
However, this is a major policy change which will greatly affect the plans of many applicants. Already the number of overseas applicants for Tier 1 (General) visas is starting to impact on processing times.
UK based extension applications will need to be prepared thoroughly, as a refusal will mean the applicant will not have the current option to re-apply as a new applicant.
We advise anyone interested in applying for a Tier 1 (General) visa either in the UK or overseas, to look at starting this process immediately, before this category is closed.
We thank www.commonwealthimmigration.com for this information.
Posted in Immigration, International, UK
Tagged Changes, Immigration, Tier 1, Tier 1 (General)
The UK Border Agency has announced that the monthly quota for Tier 1 General visas for October has now been reached.
This is the first time that this has happened since a new temporary quota was
introduced from July.
This affects all applications for Tier 1 General visas, submitted OUTSIDE the
UK. It does not yet affect Tier 1 General applications submitted from within
the UK.
Applications can continued to be submitted as normal, however no new Tier 1
General visas can be issued until 1st November. This may lead to a “knock on”
effect from month to month until the new annual quota is set from next April.
We would urgently advise all applicants interested in applying for the Tier 1
General visa to look at doing so promptly before the processing times for such
applications are increased. Although the quota currently only affects
applicants outside the UK, we would advise applicants in the UK to look at
applying as soon as possible, in case any new quota is introduced.
We thank Commonwealth Immigration for this information.
Posted in Immigration, UK
Tagged Immigration, Monthly quota, Quota, Tier 1, Tier 1 (General)
There are two important changes for migrants making initial applications under Tier 1 (General) of the points-based system:
Interim limits for Tier 1 (General) applications
The Interim limit will be administered on a monthly basis. However, the way that you apply for permission to enter the UK under Tier 1 (General) remains the same.
If your application meets all the requirements and the limit has not been reached for the month when you applied, you will be issued a visa in the usual way.
If your application meets all the requirements but the limit for that month would be exceeded if we issued you a visa, your application will be deferred to the next month when the limit allocation reopens. All applications will be processed in the order in which they are received.
The interim limit will not affect:
The Monthly Tier 1 (General) immigration limit page on the UKBA website contains more information about the interim limit.
Increase in the points required for Tier 1 (General) applications
The number of points required for an initial Tier 1 (General) application has increased from 95 to 100. Additionally:
These changes apply to all initial Tier 1 (General) applications paid for on or after 19 July 2010, whether they are made inside or outside the UK.
The points requirement will remain at 95 points for applicants who are currently in the UK under one of the following highly skilled worker categories:
Posted in Immigration, UK
Tagged Immigration, Interim, Interim limit, Points based system, Tier 1, Tier 1 (General), UK
In this month’s Actuary Magazine Tim McMahon outlines the new requirements for actuaries wanting to work in the UK and provides a summary of the UK governemnt’s points based immigration system.
The requirements for the Tier 1 (General) visa (previously known as the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme) were changed in April 2010 to permit applicants with only a Bachelor’s degree to apply but requires higher previous earnings.
The trade-off between lowering the minimum educational requirement to a Bachelor’s degree, while increasing the earnings requirement, has benefited actuarial applicants. This in turn helps employers as the Tier 1 visa does not require the employer to sponsor the overseas employee or to apply for a work permit. The Tier 1 visa readily permits the holder to work in the UK and to switch employer as they wish.
Dr Geraldine Kaye, managing director of GAAPS Actuarial, says:
“We are delighted about these welcome changes to the points-based system, and these will allow UK employers to continue to tap into the international market for the right skills / experience.”
Search for Actuary Jobs in the UK
Posted in Articles, Immigration, UK
Tagged Articles, Experience, Immigration, Points based system, Skills, Tier 1, UK
Actuaries are included on the new Skilled Occupations List (SOL) for migration to Australia that has been published by the Australian Department of Immigration.
Search for Actuarial Jobs in Australia
Download our Top Tips for Australia
The UK Government has launched a consultation on the limits on non-EU economic migration, through Tiers 1 and 2 of the Points Based System. It is consulting on how limits should be implemented, including the mechanism for doing so. At the same time, the Government commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee to provide advice on the levels at which limits should be set for the first full year of their operation, and in doing so, to consider the social and public service impacts of migration as well as the economic impacts. The Government has asked the Committee to provide this advice by the end of September.
The consultation document sets out the issues that the MAC is consulting on and how it is doing it. It also contains the MAC’s consultation questions and details of how written evidence may be submitted. Please note that responses are required by 7 September 2010.
