VISAS – Is it all bad news?

With the resignation of David Blunkett MP, who was found to have used his influence to expedite a visa application for his lover’s nanny, visa applications made headline news.

The press coverage of this high profile story highlighted a very overworked and under-resourced system, subject to delays and administrative inefficiency.

However, the immigration system is not all bad news. Despite the failings spotlighted in the Blunkett saga, the wide variety of permits, visas and schemes now available under UK immigration law provide a diverse and flexible range of options for would-be employers and employees alike.

Good News: Highly Skilled Migrant Programme

One particular success story in recent months has been the “Highly Skilled Migrant Programme” (known as “HSMP”), which was initially introduced on 28 January 2002, and is now a very popular route for particularly talented people who wish to apply to work in the UK.

Significant changes to HSMP took place in late 2003. These changes, which effectively lowered the threshold criteria for the scheme, have resulted in a huge increase in the number of people who can now qualify for HSMP, making it one of the most attractive routes for work-related immigration to the UK.

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