Support migrant centric journalism today and donate
The UK Government will not issue any more Tier 1 (General) visas for the month of October 2010 to first time applicants from outside the UK. The limit does not affect applications from dependents, applications from people in the UK switching into Tier 1 (General) from another category, or people extending their current Tier 1 (General) visas.
The UK implemented an interim cap on immigration on 19 July, 2010. There is a monthly UK immigration limit on Tier 1 (General) Visas; new applications will start to be accepted again on 1 November 2010.
People applying from outside the UK can still lodge a Tier 1 (General) visa application in October 2010. However, if the application is successful, a visa will not be issued until the limit allocation reopens.
The Tier 1 (General) Visa is a highly skilled immigration visa which allows non-EU citizens, if they successfully pass a points-based test, to live and work in the UK The points test is based on criteria such as age, previous earnings, English language ability, and academic qualifications.
The processing delays for Tier 1 visas are likely to increase in future. Each month it is likely that the visas will run out earlier and earlier. Uncompleted applications will then have to be considered under the visa allocation for the following month. Then in April 2011 the permanent immigration cap will mean that even fewer visas are available. Unless the Government changes it's immigration policy the situation will become worse and worse.
If you are interested in applying for a Tier 1 (General) visa, test your chances using our free Tier 1 (General) points calculator. If you qualify and wish to avoid lengthy processing delays in the future you should consider applying soon.
