U.K. Proposes Changes for Tier 2 Requirements February 11, 2011— The United Kingdom’s independent advisor on migration issues, the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), has recommend restricting Tier 2 immigration to occupations that fall at level 4 or higher on the National Vocational Qualification standards (NVQ4+). This NVQ4+ skill level is roughly the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree, though makes no strict requirement for a degree. The current skill level is 3 of the NVQ. If these proposals are implemented, the list of qualifying occupations would be reduced to 121, eliminating 71 that were formerly eligible for Tier 2 applications. The MAC proposals have been expected since the U.K. government announced that it would be implementing a permanent immigration cap. On April 1, 2011, the U.K. plans to limit the Tier 2 category to “graduate level” jobs (NVQ4+) rather than just requiring a bachelor’s degree. To determine the NVQ4+ status, the MAC measured median salary, formal educational qualification requirements, minimum skill level, and innate abilities and on the job training. While the MAC recommendations are not binding to the U.K. government, the proposed list of occupations is likely to hold. The U.K. government has also asked the MAC for a recommendation regarding a limit to the Shortage Occupation List, which is expected at a later date. |
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