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ARTICLE · 04 DECEMBER 2007

Major Changes To UK Immigration Procedures - A Summary Of The New Work Permit Regime

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Liam Byrne, the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, and Nationality has announced the publication of the Statement of Intent of Sponsorship under the Points Based System ("Statement of Intent").

United KingdomImmigration
Kamal Rahman
Kamal Rahman
Steven Bostock
Steven Bostock

Liam Byrne, the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, and Nationality has announced the publication of the Statement of Intent of Sponsorship under the Points Based System ("Statement of Intent"). The Points Based System ("PBS") is at the heart of the government's plans to radically overhaul the current UK immigration system and will categorise the more than 80 current routes of entry into the UK into a tiered system consisting of five categories.

Under the PBS, applicants will be assessed against an objective list of criteria and will be required to achieve a minimum number of points to enter the UK under each respective tier.

Overview of proposed changes

  • Applicants in four of the five tiers will also require sponsorship from a UK employer or educational institution in order to enter the country. Sponsors will first need to apply for a licence and will then be charged with assessing the suitability of the migrant to the proposed job or course of study. This is a crucial

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