Changes to Visa requirements for Antipodeans

The UK government has announced changes to skilled migrant visas which will affect Australian and New Zealand migrants planning on applying for a Tier 1 (General) visa and skilled non-EU migrants without job offers.

From April 2011, the number of Tier 1 visas issued will be severely restricted as part of a permanent cap of 21,700 on skilled immigration from non-EU countries. Tier 1 visas will be cut by 13,000 to 1,000 while Tier 2 visas issued to skilled non-EU migrants with job offers will increase by 7,000 to 20,700. There have been no changes made to the Tier 5 Youth Mobility visa most commonly used by young Australian and New Zealand travellers to the United Kingdom.

Bernie Kelly of Global Career Link says “We are seeing a return to the qualification levels required 10 years ago to gain a Tier1/High Skilled Migrant visa.”

While a significant reduction in the number of Tier 1 visas is disappointing, the impact on Australian and New Zealand migrants to the United Kingdom needs to be put in perspective.

The numbers of Tier 1 visas issued are significantly less than the numbers of Tier 5 visas issued to young New Zealanders and Australians heading to the United Kingdom. Furthermore, just 131 of the monthly quota of 600 Tier 1 visas (available to be issued each month by all British High Commissions around the world) were issued in New Zealand and Australia in September 2010.

For those people thinking about applying for a Tier 1 visa, Mark Garside of UK visa specialist, Restless World advises “Anyone considering applying for a Tier 1 visa needs to do so as soon as possible. With a monthly quota of 600 Tier 1 visas until March 2011, there are only 2,400 visa applications available under the current terms before April 2011 comes around.”