UK issued 30,210 licenses for general immigration, work, family, student visa sponsors

LONDON: Home Office, after getting more criticism from public, parliamentarians and peers, has issued/renewed licenses in three categories i.e. Tier 4, Tier2 and Tier 5. These categories deal with student, family, workers and family visas.

Sources in Home Office confirmed that 1236 licenses to sponsor were issued under Tier 4 and total 28974 licenses to sponsors under Tier 2 & 5 were issued to difference institutions located in UK, it includes information about the category of students they’re licensed to sponsor and their sponsorship rating.

The list shows the sponsors’ name, their primary location, their sponsor type, the location of any additional centers being operated (including centers which have been recognized by the Home Office as being embedded colleges), the rating of their license against each sub tier(s), the sub tier(s) they are licensed for, and whether the sponsor is subject to an action plan to help ensure immigration compliance. Legacy sponsors cannot sponsor any new students.

The licenses granted under Tier 4 are 17 for legacy sponsors, 60 for probationary sponsors and 1163 are for Tier 4. Now one can apply for a Tier 4 (General) student visa to study in the UK if he is 16 or over and you have been offered a place on a course, can speak, read and understand English. The applicant must have enough money to support himself and pay for his courses.

Student visa can apply 3 months before to start the course. Home office further said that Tier 4 visa applications would cast £335 to apply from outside the UK. The applicant also must pay the healthcare surcharge as well. A student in UK could be allowed for work as a student union sabbatical officer but cannot work as professional sportsperson or sports coach.

Home Office further clarified that a student may be able to bring in family members (dependents).

Under Tier 2 & 5 total 28974 licenses to sponsors have been issued. 27013 licenses are issued under Tier 2 where as 3813 licenses issued under Tier 5. The licenses issued are at the rating base of each tier. A sponsor may be licenses under more than one tier. Now one can apply for Tier 5 which is a youth Mobility Scheme, if he is aged between 18 to 30 and wants to live and work in UK for 2 years. The applicant must have £1890 in saving.

The applicant can apply for visa of 6 month before travelling. The visa application fee for Tier 5 is £235. He can be self-employee but cannot work as professional sportsperson unless qualified in UK.

As for as Tier 2 is concerned, a person can apply for this category of visa if he has offer of a skilled job in UK. The visa application fee for this category is £587. For this category of visa, one must pay healthcare surcharge as well.

Under the category one can come and stay for maximum of 5 years or the time given on the certificate of sponsorship plus 1 month, whichever is shorter. Community leader and the applicants are not fully satisfied upon the decision announced by the Home Office. They are of the views that the conditions imposed for spouse visa especially for `British Pakistani are unjustified and fall in the category of discriminations.