New UK visa curbs to hit India, non-EU nations from April 6
A series of new visa restrictions that will affect India and other non-EU countries will come into effect from April 6, including an “immigration skills charge” of £1,000 per year, higher salary thresholds and a health surcharge.
The skills charge has been put in place with a view to “incentivising employers to invest in training British staff”, sources said.
The funds collected are meant for programmes to provide skills to British nationals. It is levied per non-EU employee recruited, per year.
The measures will substantially increase the cost of application for Tier 2 visas by employers and is intended to reduce Britain’s perceived dependence on non-EU workers.
The same curbs may be applied for EU citizens seeking to work in the United Kingdom.
New curbs will also apply to the Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) visa, which is mostly issued to Indian IT and other companies to transfer employees to their offices in the United Kingdom.
From April 6, both ICT visa holders and their dependents will be required to pay health surcharge of £200 per year.
The closure of the Tier 2 (ICT) Short Term Staff category means all ICT professionals, except graduate trainees, must qualify under a single route with a salary threshold of £41,500.
The salary threshold for ICT Long Term Staff category has been reduced from £155,300 to £120,000; these high earners can stay in the route for up to nine years, rather than the usual five years.
From April 6, non-EU nationals coming to take up jobs in the UK in the health, education and social sectors will be required to furnish a police clearance certificate also.
Canada’s defence minister Harjit Sajjan is expected to travel to New Delhi this month.
Sajjan’s visit and schedule are yet to be formally announced, but if it happens, he will be the fifth Canadian minister in India just this year, and the eighth within only nine months, upping the intensity of the dialogue process.
India’s defence ties with Canada are at a nascent stage, but it could benefit from the North American nation’s technological skills, cold climate expertise, and explore the possibility of Canadian defence manufacturers becoming part of Make in India.
While he would not comment on or confirm any forthcoming visits, India’s high commissioner in Ottawa, Vikas Swarup, was delighted with the rising engagement. “We’ve had a lot of activity between the countries and this augurs well really for the future of the India-Canada partnership. It shows tremendous interest on the part of Canada in deepening ties with India and making it as broadbased as possible.”
Those who are engaged in the partnership welcome the attention Canada is paying to India.
Kasi Rao, president and CEO of Canada-India Business Council or C-IBC, said: “The number of ministers and the diversity of portfolios represents the need for a broad country-to-country relationship. And the rise of India, in that sense, is deeply relevant to Canada. All of this speaks to the widening scope of the relationship.”
SAJJAN’S VISIT AND SCHEDULE ARE YET TO BE ANNOUNCED, BUT IF IT OCCURS, HE WILL BE THE FIFTH CANADIAN MINISTER IN INDIA JUST THIS YEAR