The Migration Advisory Committee have recommended to keep the cap on Tier 2 immigration at the same level as in 2011. This means, there will be 21,700 places for migrants from outside the European Union wishing to come and work in the UK between April 2012 and April 2013.
No changes have been proposed with regard to the policy on intra-company transfers which are not subject to the current limit.
Among other government proposals, MAC have assessed the potential impact of raising the required skill level for Tier 2 migrants from NQF 4 to NQF 6. This would significantly reduce the number of occupations covered by the Tier 2 scheme and would exclude office managers, IT technicians and health and safety officers.
A recommendation has been made to exempt highly paid jobs in the bracket of £70,000 – £150,000 and PhD level jobs from the requirement to be advertised in Jobcentre Plus.
