Tier 2 or Work Permits enable British companies to sponsor foreign workers to come and take up employment in the country. This requires the applicants to have a confirmed offer of employment or a Certificate of Sponsorship with a British company.

The Tier 4 or Student Visa allows foreign students to study in the country and has no time limit. If the course of study lasts only for six months, the applicant may enter the country on a UK visit visa. Apart from student visas, the country offers the Post Study Work Programme and Youth Mobility Scheme. These allow foreign students to work during their stay, but for a limited time only.

Anyone who wishes to travel and stay in the UK for more than six months must obtain a Tourist Visa. This includes those coming for business trips, medical treatment and passing through the country. Anyone entering the country for medical treatment can renew and extend their stay if required.

With a validity of two years, the Business Visitor Visa can be granted for either single or multiple entries, in order to free the applicants from having to constantly renew their visa every time they wish to travel.

There are several types of visas, which are designed to suit the needs and purposes of potential UK immigrants. To work, a foreign individual must obtain a Tier 1 visa or a Tier 2 work permit. Investors who wish to live and work in the UK should apply for the Entrepreneur visa. This is also required for anyone intending to invest capital and start a business under the UK visa rules. UK visas of this type provide the holder with the potential to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK (ILR), which is commonly known as permanent residency in the country.

For students who wish to study in the UK, the Tier 4 Student visa is required. The Post Study Work Programme and Youth Mobility Scheme, however, should be applied for if the student has already graduated, but then wishes to remain in the country to work for a limited time.

The UK Marriage visa and UK Fiancé visa, De Facto visa or the Unmarried Partner visa, are categories of family-based visas offered by UK immigration. A UK Marriage visa permits the husband, wife or civil partner of a person who is already present and settled in the UK to live permanently in the country. The UK Fiancé visa permits a person who is already present and settled in the country to petition for their fiancé to join them in the UK.

Of course, some countries will be more stringent than others. The UK immigration laws are among the strictest in the world, but the US is now seen as one of the most difficult destinations when it comes to obtaining an immigration visa. Many travellers have now chosen to emigrate from their country of origin to Canada instead, as although there is still a thorough visa application procedure the requirements are not as demanding as with the US. Partly as a result of the visa application process, Canada is now one of the more popular destinations for people wishing to move abroad.

For an Australia visa, it can be relatively easy to enter the country on a working visa for up to one year, but long-term immigration visas are harder to come by and require you to be a highly skilled worker. However, there is a demand for trades people in Australia and this is another option to consider when applying for Australian immigration.

South Africa has recently become another popular destination for people wanting to work and live abroad. A South Africa visa will have a similar application procedure to Australia, but the rules are quite stringent when it comes to providing evidence of a clean criminal record and the availability of finance to cover you for at least your first few months in the country.

The Highly Skilled Migrant Program has free assessment that was updated on 7 November 2006. It is now found online, using the first HSMP points calculator to be published under the current HSMP rules. For all those who want a qualified consultant to assess their application, one can simply upload their CV at the end of the whole process and it will fully assess one’s chance of approval, which can also be used for extension applications.

H.S.M.P. visa points are assessed through different ways, such as an interview. One can confidently interview with potential employers, knowing that they already has the right to work. Being an MBA graduate provides one full qualifying point toward an HSMP application. This was introduced in 12 April 2005. The MBA is enough to give one approval through the new HSMP scheme announced on 7 November 2006. The ILPA work permits (UK) approved only 44% of the applications in January 2005. 

The work permits (UK) H.S.M.P. criteria were significantly changed on 7 November 2006. They stated that the Highly Skilled Migrant Program qualifying points were increased to 75 points. During the application, a wider range of points were made available for the applicant age at the time.

According to one’s level of education, past earnings, and UK experience, more points were made available. For those who had the English language ability to at least IELTS level 6, this was added an important requirement. All the available points for work experience, senior or any specialist experience, significant achievements, and spouse were removed.

As time passed by, significant changes were made to the H.S.M.P. Extension process. The application process for H.S.M.P. must not meet the same criteria as those of the new H.S.M.P. applications. One can assess his or her H.S.M.P. Extension by using the new points calculation.

Other employees under the Tier 2 Work Permits are still being properly finalised.  These employees will be evaluated on qualifications and potential earning power.  A table of the required qualifications according to the Tier 2 points system is as follows:

NVQ Level 3 – 5 points
BA – 10 points
Master’s – 10 points
PHD – 15 points
A table of potential earnings according to the Tier 2 system is as follows:
GBP 17 000 to 19 999 – 5 points
GBP 20 000 to 21 999 – 10 points
GBP 22 000 to 23 999 – 15 points
GBP over 24 000 – 20 points

If a position is in short supply then fifty points is immediately allocated.  An Intra Company Transfer also gets an immediate fifty points.  If a position is not in short supply then thirty points are given.

If a Tier 2 employee wants to change his or her job it is allowed.  But the whole procedure must be done again.  The employee will have to be reassessed.

Each of the six main categories has a maximum value assignment. The purpose of the point system is to provide for immigrants who are able to easily care for themselves and their dependents and who will assimilate quickly into society. If you have enough points your application can be submitted. The application is not automatically approved, but each one is determined on a case-by-case basis. The Tier 1 Visa is used as a general visa for those who want to live and work in the country and is used as the first step towards permanent residency. After five years the Tier 1 Visa holder is eligible to apply for permanent residency and after another year can then take steps to become a naturalised citizen.  The initial Tier 1 Visa process can take some time so you need to ensure that you submit all the necessary paperwork at the onset.

The Tier 2 Work Permit must show that the position that is offered cannot be filled with a UK citizen.  This can be shown in a number of ways based on the type of employment. The more specific the job function and the more education and experience necessary to perform the job the more likely it will be to get a Tier 1 Visa.  In most cases the company must prove that they have advertised for at least a month to fill the position with no results.  The advertisement must have been made recently – within the past 6 months. The applicant for the Tier 2 Work Permit must submit the application along with the substantiating documentation for approval.  Tier 2 Work Permits approval process typically takes about a month.

Tier 1 visas are designed to attract the best and brightest of potential UK immigration candidates. Tier 1 visas do not require you to have an offer of employment to be in place. The requirements of the Tier 1 assessment ensure that the government can select those applicants who are most highly skilled.

Tier 1 Visa applications for the UK will be assessed on a range of criteria. In sub-categories of Tier 1, candidates are assessed against a specific set of requirements. The following generic requirements will apply to all applications: English language proficiency and the self-sufficiency.

The Tier 1 application is a single process, whether initiated from outside or inside the UK and the applicant needs to submit a range of supporting documentation to substantiate their application. Candidates may apply for a Tier 1 visa to either enter the UK or extend their stay.

Many countries participate in the working holiday visa programme and they tend to operate reciprocal arrangements, as a way of providing young people with an opportunity to see and experience different cultures and ways of life. There are currently around 25 countries that participate in the working holiday visa programme and they include the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Cyprus, Italy, Estonia, Belgium, France, Ireland, Malta, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong SAR, Taiwan, Turkey, Argentina, Chile and the United States. In order to visit the country you must agree to adhere to the rules, regulations and health codes in place for that country. 

It is advisable for any applicant to know exactly what he or she wants to do in the UK and understands the requirements clearly before applying for any Tier Visa. By way of example, for any person who wants to apply for Tier 2 Visa, they must prove beyond doubt to the UK authority that there is nobody in the European Union who cannot do the kind of job is he or she is applying for instead, if the visa applicant is not from the European Union themselves. By knowing the type of Tier Visa to apply for will help the applicant avoid disappointment.

Tier Visa holders should bear in mind that just being a Tier Visa holder does not automatically guarantee British citizenship, when applying you will need to have been living in the UK for some time to prove to the UK government that you are person of integrity and good character. This is because if they find out that the Tier Visa holder is ‘misbehaving’ in their country the person is liable to deportation to his or her country of origin.

The Tier Visa was introduced recently to make the process of application for any category of the visa easier and also to reduce chances of cheating especially by illegal immigrants, who enter UK without permission.