The UK has introduced a number of new UK immigration categories in the last few years.

Employers can apply for work permits under the following circumstances:

Employers can also employ people on Work Permit if they fall directly within the following "Shortage Occupations". This recognition acknowledges that there are acute shortages of suitably qualified and skilled workers within the resident labour market. The resident labour market is defined as countries within the European Economic Area including the United Kingdom.

Work permits are only issued for employment undertaken on a PAYE basis. Identification and classification of a shortage occupation only recognises that there are acute shortages of suitably qualified and skilled workers available to work in a PAYE capacity. Classification as a shortage occupation is not intended to provide any indication of trends or situations relating to recruitment or skills shortages affecting employment undertaken in any other capacity.

This visa category is for people wishing to come to the UK to start a business. You may start any type of business, but you must work full time in the management of the business.

If you are a national of a country that is not covered by the EEA association agreement, you will need to show that you will:

You will initially get a visa valid for a period of 12 months. During this time you must usually make the full investment and create the required 2 jobs. At the end of this first year, the visa can be extended by applying to the Home Office. The extension application will need to be accompanied by documentation showing the progress that your business has made; as long as the business looks viable, the investment has been made, and the jobs have been created, then the Home Office will normally grant a three-year extension to your visa. After a total of 4 years in the UK you may apply for indefinite leave to remain (Permanent Residence). A year after being granted indefinite leave to remain you may apply for naturalisation as a British citizen.

The UK government operates a programme to allow individuals to seek entry to work in the United Kingdom without having a prior offer of employment.

The HSMP aims to provide an individual route for highly skilled persons who have the skills and experience required by the United Kingdom to compete in the global economy.

For a successful application you will need to provide evidence that you score 75 points or more in the categories set out below and demonstrate that you will be able to continue your career in the United Kingdom. Please note that you do not have to score points in all categories to qualify under the programme, as long as you score at total of at least 75 points. You will need to show that you can support yourself and your family in the UK without using public funds during your stay. Please note that this is a requirement for both entry and extension of stay under HSMP.

PhD - 30 points

Masters Degree (eg MA, MSc or MBA) or Professional Level Qualification (eg Chartered Accountant) - 25 points

A Bachelors Degree (eg BA, BSc) - 15 points

5 years work experience in a ‘graduate level’ job - you don’t have to have been a graduate at the time, but the job must be one that would usually require a graduate - 25 points

PhD and three years of graduate level work experience - 25 points

5 years work experience in a graduate level job including senior or specialist level work experience for two years - This is likely to mean a high level management position in a small or large company or a specialist position requiring a very high level of technical or artistic - 35 points

10 years work experience in a graduate level job including senior or specialist level work experience for 5 years - 50 points

If you are a Commonwealth Citizen between ages of 17 and 30, you can do anytype of work in UK

Requirements / Conditions

If you decide to stay longer while you are in UK, you can take up employment on a Work Permit if you are eligible under the immigration rules at that point in time.

Permanent Residence and Citizenship are determined by the time a candidate must spend continuously in UK

Visa Type  Time Needed Before Permanent Residency 

Ancestry  4 years 

Work permit  4 years 

Marriage  1 year 

Unmarried partners  2 years 

Investors  4 years 

Writers, composers and artists  4 years 

Sole reps  4 years 

Persons establishing themselves in business  4 years 

Illegal stay on any basis  14 years 

legal stay on any basis  10 years 

Once permanent residence has been granted, there are no longer any immigration-related restrictions on the work or business a candidate may perform in the UK, and no time limits on staying in the UK.

Once a person has had indefinite leave to remain for a year they may apply for naturalisation as a British citizen.

Once a candidate has been physically resident in the UK for a year as a permanent resident, they may apply to become a naturalised British citizen. Unfortunately, naturalisation applications are likely to take one to one and half years to be processed. Those who seek naturalisation other than by marriage to an UK Citizen must meet the requirements outlined below:

In addition the candidate should have fulfilled the five year requirement as detailed below. The five year period is measured from the five years the date the application reaches the home office.

The article is a part of www.desipowerchat.com/immigration/uk/workpermit.htm