New points based Immigration system to start in 2008
About the Author
Louise Boyes is a Solicitor and Partnership Member at Fisher Jones Greenwood specialising in all aspects of commercial and personal immigration.
Immigration Minister Liam Byrne has today unveiled the timetable for introducing the UK’s new points based system for migration, during a fact finding visit to Sydney.
The new scheme, which the Minister says is based upon the Australian system, is to be phased in from early 2008. The Government says that it will help them to manage migration to the UK more effectively, tackle abuse and attract the most talented workers into the UK economy.
The new system, which will allow migrants to come to the UK under one of five tiers replacing more than 80 existing routes of entry, will begin its rollout at the beginning of 2008.
- Tier 1 of the system, which will cater for highly skilled migrants such as scientists and entrepreneurs, will be launched at the beginning of 2008;
- Tier 2, skilled workers with a job offer (e.g. nurses, teachers, engineers) and Tier 5, for youth mobility and temporary workers, will be introduced in the third quarter of 2008; and
- Tier 4, for students, will follow at the beginning of 2009.
No date has been given yet for the introduction of Tier 3 which is aimed at lower skilled workers filling labour shortages in specific sectors.
A system of sponsorship by employers and educational institutions is also being introduced as part of the new system at the beginning of next year.
Last month the Home Office also announced that it will be setting up a Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to advise Ministers on where migration might fill gaps in the labour market.