How we help you with acquiring tier 2 general sponsorship- Basic step by step process

This article is for all the Tier 2 sponsorship aspirants who want to know how we at Lionwave Overseas Consultants Private Ltd.  help them to get tier 2 sponsorship. Below is the basic step by step process-

1- You Let us know if you are looking for Tier-2 sponsorship. Send your query through Linkedin ( https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=165219457&authType=name&authToken=KBok&trk=mp-allpost-aut-name ) or mail us at apply@lionwaveoverseas.com or lioneduconsults@gmail.com, or just fill a form at our  website http://lionwaveoverseas.com/

2. Once we receive your query, we'll send you initial introductory mail about the sponsorship we are going to get you & the process. And if you have given your phone number our client relationship manager will give you a call & you can have all your queries sorted.

3. Send us your updated resume. we'll go through it & check if we can find a sponsor for you. If the answer is yes, we'll send you a list of documents. As soon as you send us those documents, we'll forward them to our pool of sponsors (Pls make a note that we have only A-rated sponsors working with us).

4. If any of the sponsors gives green signal for you, we'll send you an application of pre approval. you have to fill that application, scan it & send back to us. You also have to pay our one time all inclusive fee at this juncture, to proceed further.

5. once fee is deposited & you send us scanned application, we'll schedule your interaction with your prospective sponsor. After interaction is done & terms & conditions are agreed upon, your sponsor will start conducting resident labor market search test.

6. Upon completion of that test you'll be issued with a CoS ( Certificate of Sponsorship).

7. With that CoS in your hand you can file for your Tier 2  general visa or if you want we could file it for you.

The whole process takes around 2-3 months time to complete.

If you have any question/doubt regarding the process post your query below the post or mail us at apply@lionwaveoverseas.com, we'll reply you in due course of time. 

Frequently Asked questions about tier 2 General (set -1)

Can I get a work permit and then go to the UK to look for work?

No, all Tier 2 work permits must be sponsored by a UK employer. So once you have a work permit, you have already accepted employment with a UK company. You can enter on a Tier 1 or Tier 5 visa (if you qualify) and find work after you have landed. Note that you are not allowed to use a tourist or business visa to try to find work in the UK. If you enter the UK on a business or tourist visa with the objective of getting a job whilst you are in the UK, you run the risk of being refused entry.

I’m already in UK, can I change sponsor? 

Yes you can. If you’re on a Tier 2 General then you can change sponsors without having to leave the country.

Do I need to be in the UK for the sponsorship process to start? 

No you don’t. The process can take place with you outside of the country. Only once the Certificate of Sponsorship is issued and you have received Entry Clearance from the UK Consulate in your country of origin do you need to enter the UK to activate your Work Permit.

Can I work for more than one client? 

Yes you can, you can work for as many clients as you like.

How much will I net after tax? 

Between 55-65% of your gross earnings depending on your earning rate and your level of claimable expenses.

Can I switch visa?

T1 to T2? YES
T4 to T2? YES
ICT to T2? YES 

but not if you’re in the UK on a Short Term ICT or if your ICT was issued after April 2011. In the both of these cases you need to sit out a 12 month ‘cooling off period’.

Do I have to work full time?

 Yes

Can I setup my own business whilst on a UK work permit? 

Yes as long as the role that you’ve been sponsored on remains your ‘primary source of income’.

Do I need a degree? 

Not necessarily but it depends on your earning rate, experience and skill set.

How much commercial experience do I need? 

Generally 7 years or more.

What documentation do I need to supply? 

Copy of your passport, degree certificates/professional diplomas and copies of your professional references (last 3 years at least)

Can my spouse also work in the UK?

Yes

Can my children come with me? 

Yes, on dependent visa.

How long will it take? 

If you are in UK on a Work Permit already it can be as quick as 2 weeks. Otherwise from outside the UK it will take 2-8 weeks but this depends on the processing times with UK government.

courtesy- http://contractortaxation.com/uk/workpermit

Looking for a job under tier 2...???? here comes help :-)

If you’d like to apply for a job to obtain Tier 2 General sponsorship, you generally need to work in a profession that is in the  approved list of shortage occupation ( see the list here-https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/308513/shortageoccupationlistapril14.pdf ).  Note that the list tends to heavily favor professionals in engineering, computer programming/IT, hard sciences, medical industry, and fine arts. Furthermore, only companies that have applied to become sponsors can offer Tier 2 visas.

Look for a job Keeping in mind that Tier 2 jobs must command a gross salary of 35k  GPB (approx. 56k USD) per year or more and are typically related to skill shortages in the UK. These tend to include positions in the IT and engineering sectors.

Job sites with UK job listings 

http://www.indeed.co.uk/

http://www.reed.co.uk/

http://www.jobsite.co.uk/
http://www.londonjobs.co.uk/
http://www.fish4.co.uk/london-and-home-counties/
http://www.cityjobs.com/
www.jobserve.co.uk
www.cwjobs.co.uk
www.monster.co.uk


Goodluck...

New Language Testing Arrangements for UK visa...IELTS to continue to play leading role

• The UK government has announced important changes to Secure English Language Tests (SELT) for visa purposes. IELTS and IELTS Life Skills have been approved for UK visas that require proof of English language level; 

• The new test–IELTS Life Skills–will be introduced for people who need to prove their speaking and listening skills at level A1 or B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference. 

• The UK government has announced important changes to language testing for visa applications, reducing the number of tests accepted for visa purposes and bringing in new requirements for the way the tests will be administered.
• IELTS is the world’s most popular test of English for higher education and global migration – has been approved for all UK visas that require applicants to provide proof of their level of English. This continues the important role which IELTS has long played in language testing for immigration in the UK and other countries, including Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
• Under the new arrangements, IELTS tests for UK visa applications will be offered throughout the year in more than 100 key locations throughout the world, and a new test – IELTS Life Skills – will be introduced for people who need to prove their speaking and listening skills at level A1 or B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).
• IELTS tests for visa purposes can only be taken at authorised centres and the centre must follow procedures specified by the UK government. When a test is booked, the customer must specify what the test is for and ensure that the centre is authorised to run tests for this purpose
• IELTS tests for UK Visas and Immigration are managed by the IELTS SELT Consortia, which comprises British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge English Language Assessment.
• IELTS, which is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge English Language Assessment, has played a key role in language testing for immigration purposes throughout its 25 year history and is recognised by more than 9,000 organisations around the world including universities and employers in many countries, as well as by professional bodies, immigration authorities and other government agencies. More than 2.5 million IELTS tests were taken in 2014 in more than 140 countries.

sponsors can only employ migrant workers for a genuine vacancy

 UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) has issued new guidelines for sponsors on how to sponsor Tier 2 and 5 migrant employees and announced that sponsors may only employ migrant workers for a genuine vacancy.

UKVI will assess genuineness of each Tier 2 vacancy . The new guidance stipulates that, in order for a vacancy to be classed as genuine, it needs to satisfy certain criteria. These criteria can be set out as follows:

• The vacancy must require the jobholder to perform specific duties and responsibilities for the weekly hours and length of the period of engagement.
• The position must meet all the requirements of its Tier and Standard Occupation Classification (SOC) code.
• The vacancy must not include any dissimilar or lower-skilled duties to that of its Tier and/or SOC code.
• The position may not have an exaggerated or incorrect job description to keep it in line with its Tier and SOC code.
• The Resident Labour Market Test (RLMT) must not have been tailored to suit a particular migrant and thereby excluded resident workers.
• If the applicant is not appropriately qualified for the vacancy at the time of application, they must be able to prove that they can reasonably be expected to accrue the appropriate qualification(s) by the time they begin the job, example- a letter from the relevant exam board confirming that the applicant has registered to sit the necessary exam.

How will this impact on Tier 2 sponsors and their duties?

This new approach to Tier 2 and 5 vacancy assessment will have a direct effect on Tier 2 sponsors because Entry Clearance Officers and caseworkers have the right to refuse an application if they have reasonable grounds to believe that the vacancy is not genuine, if any of the above criteria are not met or if requested information is not supplied within the 28 day time frame.

UKVI will most certainly request additional information for applications made on or after 6 November 2014, but it is unknown whether such requests will be carried out on a random basis, whether certain types of applications will be targeted or whether all applications will face some sort of request for additional information. The sponsor then has a period of 28 days to respond to the request before risking the application being refused.

Tier 2 latest developments

On 16 October 2014 the Home Office laid its latest Statement of Changes in relation to its rolling-out of measures provided for in the Immigration Act 2014. 

Tier 2 (from 6 November 2014)

Genuine vacancy

The Home Office will enjoy the power to refuse Tier 2 applications if it has a reasonable belief that a genuine vacancy does not exist. As part of this test, decision makers will be looking at the job description in more detail to ensure that it has not been “exaggerated to meet the Tier 2 Skills threshold, or been tailored to exclude resident workers from being recruited or that the applicant is not qualified to do the job”. This is widely interpreted as ushering in a subjective element into the Points Based System, which was designed to remove such subjectivity.

Migrants off-site on client contracts

The Home Office will be assessing applications where the Tier 2 migrant will be working on a third party site to ensure that they are not undertaking an ongoing routine role or providing an ongoing routine service. This is to clarify the current guidance that states that Tier 2 migrants can be located at a client site where it is part of a client contract to provide project based services. In practice the effect could be that the Home Office may ask to view more client contracts to show that the work is indeed project based. As at what point contractual work becomes routine is not currently defined.

Out-of-time extension applications

The Home Office will accept Tier 2 (General) extension applications that are out of time but submitted no more than 28 days after the expiry date of the previous visa, and no Resident Labour Market Test shall be required (despite their previous leave having technically ceased).

Net immigration to UK increases

Good news to all skilled workers looking for relocating to UK... Recently released statistics reveal that the net immigration to UK has increased to 298,000.  

When UK Prime Minister David Cameron came to power in 2010, he said that the UK wanted to see net immigration in the tens of thousands instead of hundreds of thousands. However, the recent figures show that the net UK immigration has reached a peak level, since 2005.

The latest immigration figures have revealed some vital points about  the UK immigration which includes; on a whole 271,000 individuals arrive to the UK for the sake of employment, in line with the latest released statistics, representing a rise from 217,000 when compared to previous year. Out of those, 57% were EU nationals and 25% were foreign nationals, and remaining were British nationals.

Among the people who migrated to reside in the UK for the purpose work, 62% (167,000) came with a valid job offer and 38% (104,000) came to seek a job.

A major rise in net immigration was from outside EU, the net immigration was 190,000 during the end of September 2014, up from 138,000 in 2013.

the net migration is the difference between total number of individuals who arrive to reside in the UK for a minimum period of one year and the number of individuals who are departing the country at least for a period of one year.

In 2005, the net immigration has peaked at 320,000, and at the time of 2010 elections it was 252,000.

According to the ONS (Office for National Statistics), the huge rise in the latest immigration statistics was driven by a statistically major rise in migrants coming to the UK.

In the previous year up to September, the immigration was around 624,000 when compared to 530,000 earlier that year.

This surge was driven due to the increase in total count of people arriving to the UK for the purpose of work. Presumably, the increasing strength of the UK economy and creation of job opportunities had baited people to migrate to the UK.

Fraudsters 'marrying' their way out to obtain UK visa

It is so difficult to obtain a UK visa through legal route that hundreds of immigrant fraudsters con Britons into getting married to obtain a UK visa. Increasing number of 'Sham marriages' is becoming a growing problem in UK as overseas nationals look to circumvent tough UK visa laws. It's estimated that 1,000 cases of 'fake' marriages' have been reported in the 2014 alone. Victims complain that the UK Home Office is not doing enough to combat the problem. 

Scam

Following marriage, perpetrators lodge an application to settle in the UK with their spouse, before leaving them "high and dry" after being granted indefinite leave to remain or citizenship, say 'victims'.

Once the marriage has ended, it is frequently the case that the immigrant fraudster spouse is a co-owner of the marital home. It is very possible that the fraudster has been able to persuade the UK spouse to add their name on the title deeds for the property with the Land Registry.

Quite often, fraudsters will also rack up huge debts on credit cards and loans, which are secured against the property owned by the victim.

James Brokenshire, the UK's Immigration Minister, has said that the Home is tightening the rules on UK citizens marrying overseas partners.

Immigration Fraud UK

Kim Sow, of victim support group Immigration Fraud UK, said: "These cons are calculated and well planned. What the authorities need to realize is that is more than just gaining citizenship, they're after as many material assets as they can get."

Mrs Sow, 58, has been an advocate for action after her Senegalese husband, Laye, left her in 2013 once he'd acquired British Citizenship. She was also left £50,000 in debt.

 

Following the split, Mrs Sow set-up Immigration Fraud UK with another victim, Delene Alouane, who lost £150,000 to her Tunisian ex-husband.

The group has since been contacted by over 600 people, 70 percent women and 30 percent men, duped into marriage so that their immigrant spouses can acquire a visa.

It's these kinds of actions that Mrs Sow fell victim to when marrying Laye. She met him at a London nightclub in May 2007; he misled her right from the beginning. He claimed that he was a widower with three children back in Senegal. In 2010, Laye was granted UK citizenship and that's when Mrs Sow found out the truth about her husband. She discovered his wife was still alive, and that he was the father of an unborn child expected by another British woman he'd been having an 'affair' with. It transpired that Laye was also under investigation by Dutch immigration police, after marrying a Dutch woman in 2002. He is accused of bigamy and fraud.

 Home Office sets up Intelligence Unit, UK amends laws

The Home Office has also set up an intelligence unit to deal with the growing problem, but victims say the Government needs to 'wake up' and begin investigating cases.

 The United Kingdom has also amended its laws to crack down on sham marriages. Registrars will now have to refer to the home office all proposed marriages, which involve non-European Economic Area (non-EEA) nationals such as Indian citizens, who have limited or no immigration status in the UK. An extended period of time will also be available to the authorities to investigate the genuineness of a proposed marriage. 

The tightened norms spell bad news for unscrupulous Indian citizens who hoped to resort to this shortcut to stay on in the UK. Many rackets of sham marriages involving Indians have been busted in the past. 
A UK's home office report said sham marriages are typically entered into when a migrant's visa is about to expire and it is unlikely that the person will be able extend it, or if a person has overstayed his visa. But on the basis of their marriage to a UK citizen or even an EEA national, such persons can continue to stay in the UK.

Tier 2 visa acquirement - Basic Step-by-Step Process

Step 1 – Offer of Employment

In order for a Company to issue a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) it must follow  a strict recruitment processes otherwise it could find that its Tier 2 license is downgrading by the UK Border Agency at an Immigration Audit.

Before issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship the Company will need to ensure that it has:

1-    Advertised the vacancy in a suitable publication across Europe (not just the UK),

2-    Advertised the vacancy with the Jobcentre Plus Waited a satisfactory period of time for responses from resident workers

3-    Conducted a Resident Labour Market Search (for non Shortage Occupations) &

4-    prepared accurate, up to date human resources files for the worker

Failure to follow correct recruitment process could result in the sponsor receiving a fine, having its license downgraded or even cancelled.

Step 2 – Tier 2 Application Prepared

As no appeal rights exist under Tier 2, applicants need to ensure that their visa application is prepared 100% correctly & succeeds first time around. Immigration Officers will reject an application on the smallest error;  therefore accuracy is essential.

It is important to keep oneself updated about the complicated and ever changing Tier 2 Immigration laws and processes.

.

Step 3 – Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) Issued

Once a sponsor has satisfied rigorous recruitment processes and has ensured that the worker can qualify for the visa, a Certificate of Sponsorship can be issued.

To issue a Certificate of Sponsorship the license holder must enter information about the employment using the UK Border Agency Sponsor Management System & pay the corresponding fee. Once fee is paid, a 10 digit Certificate of Sponsorship reference number will be produced immediately which the worker can then use when applying for the visa.

Step 4 – Tier 2 Submission Slot Booked

The UK Border Agency works with two overseas commercial partners; Worldbridge Services and VFS Global. These partners operate all Visa Application Centres (VACs) and run all front end services including; biometric collection, basic document checking, document transfer to and from the diplomatic post, appointment management etc.

In order to submit an application, an individual must first book an appointment with a Visa Application Centre at which biometric information is provided (full face photograph, digital fingerprint scans etc). To do this, an online application form must be completed.The online system will require the individual to book a slot, pay the submission fee and print out a biometric appointment notice.

Step 5 – Biometric Appointment Attended

The applicant and any dependents must attend the biometric appointment on the appropriate day prior to submitting the visa application. The only exception to this is in the case of children under the age of 5 years old who are exempt from providing biometric information.

After this process, applicant is provided with a biometric confirmation letter which must be included with the Tier 2 application.

Step 6 – Tier 2 Application Submitted

Following the collection of biometric information the applicant can proceed to submission of the visa application. The Visa Application Centre (VAC) attended for the biometric appointment will normally have a drop box submission point for final applications.

The Immigration Cap does not affect the process of applying for a Tier 2 Visa.

Step 7 – Tier 2 Application Approved

The time it takes for a Tier 2 visa to be approved depends upon:

1-The efficiency of the diplomatic post in question,

2- The volume of work the diplomatic post has in the season in which the application is submitted (August & December are normally slower processing months due to staff and public holidays).

Once processed, Worldbridge Services or VFS Global normally send out an SMS message to say that the application will be returned shortly. These messages do not include details of whether or not the application has been successful. Soon afterwards the application is returned to the applicant.

Step 8 – Flight to the UK / Work Begins

Following Tier 2 Visa approval the migrant can travel to the UK to begin work. However travel should be no more than 10 days prior to the start of employment date detailed on the Certificate of Sponsorship.

Be sure that your sponsor is a genuine one !!!!

An employer who is on the Home Office list of tier 2 general licensed sponsors, can issue a certificate of sponsorship to a potential employee who would not otherwise be allowed to work in the UK. If you want to be in the UK under Tier 2, you must be sponsored by an employer who has a Tier 2 sponsor licence.

If you are not sure about which employers in the UK in your area of work are Tier 2 sponsors, or if you have to apply through recruitment agencies, you should check in UKBA register of licensed sponsors to ensure that the sponsor who is going to sponsor you is genuine & have a Tier 2 sponsor licence.

You can check it here - UKBA register of licensed  sponsors
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/407927/Tiers_2__5_Register_of_Sponsors_2015-02-27__2_.pdf 

According to UKBA Home office statistics, most jobs for which people are sponsored under Tier 2 are in the following sectors:

·         Information and communications

·         Health and social work

·         Professional, scientific and technical

·         Education

·         Financial and insurance

Shortage occupations

Shortage occupations are jobs that UK employers find difficult to fill using settled workers only. If a job is on the shortage occupation list, your employer does not have to carry out the resident labour market test before offering the job to you.

PhD level jobs

PhD level jobs are mainly research posts. You do not necessarily have to have a PhD in order to be offered a PhD level job, and some occupations that require a PhD are not on the list of PhD level jobs. They are still subject to the resident labour market test. However, the advertising requirements for PhD level jobs are more relaxed than for most other posts and an employer will be able to offer you employment if you are the best applicant even if settled workers who apply could undertake the work.

Wage levels

The lowest wage you can be paid for a Tier 2 (General) job is £20,500. The minimum wage for each different occupation varies.  In many cases, the minimum wage is more than this, and you cannot be sponsored under Tier 2 if your job will pay less than the minimum wage associated with your occupation.

Sometimes wages below £20,500 are mentioned in the occupations tables. This is because some people who are already in the UK with Tier 2 or work permit immigration permission (leave) can rely on lower wage levels if they need to apply to extend their leave. There is also an exception for nurses and midwives who are working towards registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. If these two exceptions do not apply to you, you cannot rely on wages lower than this minimum level.

For example, the minimum wage for engineering managers is £13,500 for new entrants. If you meet the definition of new entrant, the lowest wage you can be offered is £20,500. If you do not meet the definition of "new entrant", the minimum wage you can be paid is £27,500 (the "experienced worker" rate).

Skills Shortage in London...? local businessmen demand reforms in tier 2 visa type

UK has hit the headlines in September last year over a peculiar demand by the Entrepreneurs based in London. They demanded the government to make reforms to the existing Tier 2 visa type in order to fill gaps in the skilled workers category.

The research carried out by KPMG and the Confederation of British Industry about the skills’ shortage in London is to be blamed for this demand. The results, which stressed on the opinion of revamping the existing immigration rules, has also mentioned that more than 50% of entrepreneurs expressed grief as they were not able to find the skilled employees for their businesses.  

While science and technology fields showed this gap, it was apparently applicable to all industries, said the report. Further, it said that employers were constantly in search of technical skills besides soft skills. 

Whether the UK high commission is going to consider these recommendations or not is a million dollar question, but one thing is sure there is a big demand for skilled workers in UK.

Cpurtesy- http://www.visareporter.com/

Major changes in UK visa applications

   

On 16 October 2014 the Government announced a number of important changes to the UK visa system. Some of these changes have already taken place. Further changes will follow.

Tier 2 visas

Recent figures have suggested that the demand for Tier 2 certificates of sponsorship is increasing; monthly quotas for companies applying may soon be reached. Employers need to have a Tier 2 certificate of sponsorship and need to apply for certificates of sponsorship to employ workers from outside of the EU. Employers may have to wait longer for COSs which will lead to greater delay in the processing of Tier 2 visas. From 6 November 2014 immigration officers have had greater powers to refuse Tier 2 visa applications if they believe that it is not a genuine role. Also if immigration officers believe that the migrant worker does not have the necessary qualifications to do the job a Tier 2 visa can be refused.

Tier 1 (General) visas

For most new applicants the Tier 1 (General) visas program has already ended; the government continues to allow existing Tier 1 visa holders to renew their visas. But, from 6 April 2015 you will no longer be able to apply for Tier 1 General extensions. Existing Tier 1 General visa holders will have to consider alternative visa options if they wish to continue to live and work in the UK. The Tier 1 (General) category was created for highly skilled foreign workers to come to the UK to work for any employer. However from 6 April 2015 those on Tier 1 General Visas will, if they qualify, have to apply for UK indefinite leave to remain, or in many cases apply for employment with an employer with a Tier 2 sponsorship licence.

Visitor visas

From 6 November 2014 the number of visit visa options available to foreign nationals was reduced. The previous fifteen different travel visa types was reduced to four broader visa types; simplifying the process.

UK-Ireland joint visa

As previously announced, the UK and Ireland have agreed a joint visa scheme which will allow visitors to travel to both countries under the one visa.

Landlord checks

From December 2014 UK landlords in the West Midlands will be required to check the immigration status of all prospective tenants, or face a fine for failing to do so. The scheme if considered successful will be rolled out across the rest of the country.

Courtesy- http://www.workpermit.com/