Statement of Intent - the Government confirms commitment to reviewing the immigration system

Posted: 01/03/2012

The Government has announced changes to employment related settlement, tier 5 and overseas domestic workers.

The proposed changes will mean that skilled migrant workers coming to the UK under tier 2 of the points based system will no longer be able to settle in the UK simply based on the amount of time they have spent in the UK.

There will also be a new minimum pay threshold of £35,000 for tier 2 applicants applying for indefinite leave to remain before they will be able to apply to stay in the UK permanently. This will apply to migrants applying for indefinite leave to remain from 6 April 2016.

Other changes include:

• allowing tier 2 migrants to extend their temporary permission to stay in the UK up to a maximum of six years, and introducing a 12 month 'cooling off' period;
• retaining a route for overseas domestic workers in private households, but only when accompanying a visitor and limited to six months' stay with no right to change employer;
• retaining the current route of entry for private servants in diplomatic households under tier 5 (temporary worker - international agreement), with a maximum stay of five years and no ability to change employer or to settle;
• changing the visitor rules to allow some professionals to enter the UK to carry out specific paid activities for short stays of up to one month.

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