Quick Menu
Moving from a Tier 5 Visa to Tier 1 or Tier 2
Is your Tier 5 (Working Holiday) Visa expiring? Do you want to stay in the UK? If so you will either need a Tier 1 Visa (HSMP) or Tier 2 Visa (Work Permit). At Commonwealth Contractors we partner with Immigration Firms who specialise in Tier 1 visa applications & Consultancies prepared to sponsor Tier 2 visas where required.
If you hold a Tier 5 Youth Mobility Visa or a Working Holidaymaker Visa you will not be able to transfer in country to either a Tier 1 General Visa (formerly HSMP) or Tier 2 General Visa (formerly UK Work Permit). In order to apply you must go back to your home country.
To ensure Tier 1 or Tier 2 qualification it is highly recommended that you plan well in advance. However, you should be prepared for changes to be made to application criteria at the drop of a hat; therefore a back up option is always a good idea. For example in April 2009 the Government announced that the minimum requirements for Tier 1 would increase from a Bachelors Degree to a Masters Degree. Thousands of applicants who had been planning to apply suddenly had to make alternative arrangements, such as seek Tier 2 employment.
How can Commonwealth Contractors help?
At Commonwealth Contractors we partner with OISC Registered Private Immigration Firms and Tier 2 Licensed Healthcare & IT Consultancies who are prepared to sponsor workers on Tier 2 Visas where required.If you are planning to apply under:
- Tier 1 General: We can assess you circumstances and plan out how best to go forward with an application. Our OISC Immigration Partners can recommend the best way to ensure any contract income qualifies against Tier 1 criteria
- Tier 2 General: We can pass your details to Tier 2 Licensed Healthcare & IT Consultancies prepared to sponsor skilled workers on Tier 2 visas where required.
For more Information call now on 0800 294 4388 or Submit your Details and we will get back to you.
Moving from Tier 5 (Working Holiday) to Tier 1 (Highly Skilled)
In order to qualify for a Tier 1 General visa you must hold at least a Masters Qualification or better. If you do not hold a Masters see ‘Moving from Tier 5 (Working Holiday) to Tier (Work Permit)’ below.The biggest problem most skilled consultants on Tier 5 visas face when submitting Tier 1 applications is proving highly skilled income. Many individuals are recommended to either:
- Open a Contractor Limited Company (Personal Service Company), OR
- Join an Umbrella Company
However both of these structures can cause problems when submitting visa applications. For example Consultants who open Contractor Limited Companies do so in order to gain a tax advantage. By setting an artificially low salary (normally of around £12k) & taking the bulk of the income in the form of Dividends it is possible to avoid Class 1 Employers & Employees National Insurance. This is find if you are a UK National however if you are applying for a Tier 1 General visa it will be difficult for you to prove a highly skilled wage when you have been receiving a salary of around £12k per annum.
To find out more about applying for a Tier 1 General visa see Tier 1 (General) Visa Applications
Moving from Tier 5 (Working Holiday) to Tier 2 (Work Permit)
A great alternative to a Tier 1 visa application is to gain Tier 2 (Work Permit) Sponsorship. At Commonwealth Contractors we partner with ‘A rated’ Tier 2 Licensed Healthcare & IT Consultancies prepared to sponsor workers on Tier 2 visas where required. If you are a skilled professional send a copy of your CV to us today. We can then pass your details to our Consultancy Partners.The Benefits of Tier 2 Sponsorship:
- No Degree or Masters Qualification Required
- Applications normally approved within 1-3 weeks
- Tier 2 Sponsors may be prepared to cover the Maintenance Requirement
- Tier 2 Sponsors cover all Professional Immigration Costs (£2,500). Consultants only need to cover the Government Processing Charge
- Time spent on Tier 2 counts towards Permanent Residence
- Visas are approved for up to 3 years initially, but may be extended for a further 2 years
Latest News