UK announces new immigration norms

April 20, 2007: In a bid to sort out wrong cases of immigration, UK Immigration department announced points based system, much on the lines of Australia or US.

Under the new system, all immigration applications would be judged on points scale depending upon their skill and qualification. This would be radical shake up in the UK immigration procedures and with greater the skill and qualification the more points the applicants would earn and number of points progressively declining for those with low or no skills.

This would be to the advantage of professionals and Skilled categories like Doctors, Engineers and IT professionals would get the most points, followed by other soft skilled applicants like nurses, teachers and plumbers.

This system would come into force by 2007-2008 and would ring as bad news for hundreds of low-skilled workers from the Indian subcontinent who come to Britain as cooks, waiters or domestic help. As per new policy, they would be granted work permits to fill specific job vacancies for a fixed period after which they must leave. To ensure that they do not linger on, they would be banned from bringing their dependants and required to hold open return tickets and give refundable bonds before coming.

The fourth category would comprise students and special sectors such as sports people and employees of U.K.-based international companies. It would also include visiting workers such as musicians or those on working holiday visas. Universities and colleges would be told to make sure that those on student visas do not overstay.

The Government said the new system would simplify the existing rules which were too complicated and left too many loopholes for illegal immigrants to exploit.