Tier 1 Immigration Cap

On the 19 July 2010 the UK Government introduced a temporary Immigration Cap which will be in place until the full Immigration Cap is Introduced in April 2011. The Temporary Immigration Cap affects out of country Tier 1 General Visa Applications. If you are applying to extend your Tier 1 General visa or you are ‘switching’ into this visa category from another (e.g. Tier 2 Work Permit) you will not be affected by the cap.

How does the Tier 1 Immigration Cap work?

The Tier 1 Immigration Cap is administered by the UK Border Agency (UKBA) on a monthly basis. If your application is submitted in a month in which:

The Immigration Cap has not yet been reached: The UKBA will process and approve the visa application in the normal way
The Immigration Cap has been reached: The UKBA will either:
- Defer your application until the following month if you appear to meet application criteria
- Return the application if you clearly do not meet the requirements

Please be aware that the Immigration Cap does not affect the way in which you prepare or submit your visa application. Applications can still be submitted even if the UK Border Agency has reached the limit for that month.

Tier 1 applications are processed by the UK Border Agency on a first come first served basis.

Tier 1 Visa Processing Times

The temporary Immigration Cap will lead to longer processing times due to the nature of the first come first served system. Once the limit has been reached for a month the UK Border Agency will start to defer applications until the following month. This is expected to lead to a build up of cases and longer processing times.

Please see Commonwealth Contractors latest news section for up to date information on Tier 1 General approval times.

How will the Temporary Immigration Cap affect Tier 1 General Approvals

The Temporary Immigration Cap is unlikely to significantly affect the number of highly skilled professionals coming to the UK under Tier 1 General due to the fact that the limit has been set at 5% below last years total approval number. However, the full Immigration Cap (due for implementation in April 2011) may significantly affect the number of migrants gaining approval under Tier 1 General. The permanent limit is currently being devised by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) and the Government.

If you are considering applying for a Tier 1 General Visa and you currently meet application criteria you are strongly advised to prepare and submit an application sooner rather than later.

Tier 1 General Applications & Extensions

If you are planning on applying for or extending a Tier 1 General Visa Commonwealth Contractors can help. We can provide professional representation to ensure visa approval.

For more information call now on 0800 294 4388 or try our
Tier 1 Calculator.

Related Tier 1 (Highly Skilled) Visa Pages:

[ Back to Top ]