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Tier 2 (Sponsored Skilled Workers)
Tier 1 (General Skilled Migrants)
Family & Settlement
Tier 1 (Entrepreneurs)
Tier 1 (Investors)
Tier 4 (Student Visas)
Tier 1 (Post Study Worker)

Sponsorship Licence application

The Work Permit scheme has been replaced Tier 2 of the new Points Based system which now covers skilled workers from outside the European Economic Area who have a job offer from a British employer.

Tier 2 is made of 2 stages:

1. Sponsorship by the British Employer
The first stage is the issuing of a Certificate of Sponsorship by a British employer. In order to issue a Certificate of Sponsorship the British employee must apply for and be granted a Sponsor License.

The Sponsor's License gives Briitish employers to issue permission to work to non E.E.A. Nationals. In return for this delegation of power – the British employer must show that it can conform t the duties imposed upon it. These duties are as follows;

• Record keeping
• Reporting
• Compliance
• Co-operation

Medivisas is able to offer a 4 stage service to help your organisation apply successfully for a Sponsor License.

Stage 1
Consultation and advice in your office including reviewing your current practice when employing non EEA nationals

Stage 2
Document administration

Stage 3
On-line application for sponsorship license in your office

Stage 4
Attending visa audit conducted by Home Office officials in your office

Timeline
In our experience, it can take up to 6 weeks for clients to prepare for for the on-line application. However, we will work with you to reduce this period as much as possible.

The Home Office will require us to send in the hard copies of the supporting documentations within 2 weeks of us completing the on-line application. Within 4 weeks of receiving that supporting documentation, the Home Office will contact me to arrange for their officials to attend your offices in order for them to conduct the audit.

Fees
Our fee structure will be as follows;

Stage 1 £350.00 plus VAT
Stage 2 £650.00 plus VAT
Stage 3 & 4 £1250.00 plus VAT

Please note that you can choose any or all of the above stages.

2. Points Based System application by the non E.E.A. National
Subsequent to the British employer issuing the Certificate of Sponsorship, the prospective employee can then apply for permission to live and work in the United Kingdom. The employee's application is assessed on the following criteria;

• qualifications;
• future expected earnings;
• sponsorship;
• English language skills; and
• available maintenance (funds).

3. Costs
The Home Office charges £300.00 for a Sponsor Licence application by a small employer and £1000.00 for an application by a a large employer. There is also a fee of £170.00 for each Certificate of Sponsorship.

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A points based work permit application for highly skilled individuals

Aimed at: Highly skilled individuals, typically degree-educated high earners.

Overview:

This points based immigration scheme, originally conceived in January 2002, aims to encourage the top 10% of the global work force from all industries to come and work in the UK. A prior offer of employment is not required. In February 2008 the old scheme was brought under the UK government’s new Tier System.

In order to qualify, a candidate must show that he or she is able to score 75 points or more in any of the following points categories:

• Academic Achievement (eg UK equivalent Degree or Professional Qualification)
• Past Earnings (most recent 12 months of gross earnings)
• Previous UK work experience or study
• Age Allowance (applicable to candidates under 33 years old only)
• In addition, all applicants must be able to satisfy an English Language
• Requirement as well as Maintenance criteria, worth 10 points each.
  

Advantages:

Very flexible. Allows you to work both as a PAYE employee or in a self employed capacity. No prior offer of employment required.

Limitations:

Renewal application required after initial 36 month issue. You will also be required to re-qualify for points when renewing. Very strict documentation requirements. High processing fee.

Processing Time: Approximately 3 - 6 weeks

Validity of Visa: Initial 3 year visa.
Permanent Residence: Available after 5 continuous years.

Please note that the documentation requirements for the Tier 1 category are extremely rigorous. Many applications are refused on the basis of insufficient or insufficiently detailed supporting documentation.

If you would like MediVisas to assess your eligibility for the Tier 1 Points Based System, please complete our Assessment Form :

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As well as helping professionals come to the UK to work, MediVisas also specialises in helping families who have been separated or are under threat of separation. We can help you if you are in the UK illegally and have married a UK/EU national, if you have married overseas and had your application to enter the UK refused, if you have been in the UK legally or illegally for 10 years or over, or if you have married a non-EEA national and are applying for him/her to join you. We have a track record of assisting and advising people in every possible situation.

Some of the cases we have been successful with:

• Applications for leave to remain in the UK for spouses of UK nationals who entered the UK illegally.
  
• Indefinite leave to remain applications for those who have been in the UK illegally for over 14 years.
  
• Appeals for those who have married UK nationals and have had their leave to enter applications refused multiple times.
  
• Fiancée visa applications for those who have previously had refusals of entry or had visa applications refused or visas cancelled.
  
• Applications for Indefinite Leave to Remain for elderly relatives who are in the UK as visitors and who decide they would like to stay.
  
• Ankara Agreement applications for Turkish nationals who has previously been in the UK legally as spouses.
  
• Applications for those with a bad immigration history or previous periods of overstay in the UK

If you would like MediVisas to assess your eligibility for Family or Settlement, please contact one of our consultants :

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The Entrepreneur category is for those investing in the United Kingdom by setting up or taking over, and being actively involved in the running of one or more businesses in the United Kingdom.

You can apply to enter the UK as an entrepreneur subject to personal investment funds available to you.

Requires at least GBP £ 200,000 of your own money which you intend to invest in your UK business

Aimed at: Experienced Businesspersons intending to set up and run their own business in the UK.

Overview: In February 2008 Entrepreneurs were brought under the UK government’s new Tier System.

You must obtain a visa to set up in business in the UK and all cases are referred to the Home Office in the UK before a decision can be made and a visa issued.

Points are awarded for what are called "Attributes", for which you need to score 75 points.

In order to gain enough points to qualify under the Tier 1 Entrepreneur category, you will need to show:

• That you will be acting as Director of the company, on a full-time basis.
• That you will have a controlling interest in the business.
• That the financial projections show that there will be sufficient profits to support you and your dependants.
• You have access to not less than £200,000
• The money is held in one or more regulated financial institutions
• The money is disposable in the United Kingdom
• You agree to hire at least 2 UK / EU nationals during your first year of business
• You meet the English Language Requirement
• You meet the Maintenance Requirement

Validity of Visa: Initially granted for 12 months, after which you will need to show that all your business commitments have been kept in order to extend your Leave.

Permanent Residence: Available after 5 continuous years

If you would like MediVisas to assess your eligibility as an Entrepreneur under the Tier 1 Points Based System, please complete our assessment form. We can also help with other aspects of the application such as the drafting of a business plan.

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You should also attach a copy of your business plan (if available).

You do not need a job offer to apply under the investor category. When you apply you will be awarded points based on your ability to invest £ 1,000,000 in the United Kingdom.

          You will need to show that:

• Money of your own held in a regulated financial institution which is disposable in the United Kingdom amounting to no less than £1 million; or
• Personal assets, taking into account any liabilities, which have a value exceeding £2 million. Assets held by your husband, wife, civil partner, unmarried or same sex partner either jointly or in your partner’s own name can be taken into account when assessing your net worth; and
• Money under your control held in a regulated financial institution which is disposable in the United Kingdom amounting to no less than £1 million which has been loaned to you by a financial institution regulated by the UK Financial Services Authority (FSA). You may not mix personal funds and borrowed funds in order to meet the total £1 million investment.
  
  You must also show that you:
  
• Intend to invest not less than £750,000 in active and trading UK registered companies or UK government bonds
• Intend to make the UK your main home, and
• Can support yourself and your dependants and live without having to work as an employee or getting any help from public funds.
  
  You can invest in the following :
  
• Unit trusts: you can invest in a regulated collective investment scheme such as a unit trust as long as you invest £750,000 in companies that meet the requirements of the investor rules.
• Private companies: you must provide evidence of shareholdings or loans you have in the form of legal documents signed by or on behalf of the company (for example, audited accounts).

Validity of Visa: Initial 12 months.
Permanent Residence: Available after 5 years as a passive investor.

There is no English Language or Maintenance Requirement.

If you would like MediVisas to assess your eligibility as an Investor under the
Tier 1 Points Based System, please complete our assessment form.

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You should also attach a copy of your business plan (if available).

The key features of Tier 4 are as follows;

There are 2 types of student categories;

a) Adult student – for students coming to the United Kingdom for post 16 year old education

b) Child student – for children between 4 and 17 years old – those between 4 and 15 may only be educated at independent fee paying schools

Applicants must have met the requirements of the immigration rules and have 40 points in total;

30 Points which is proved by a Visa letter from the licenced education provider
10 Points for having enough money to cover the course fees

The Education Provider otherwise known as the Sponsor
The school or college must have a licence from the UK Border Agency.

The Visa Letter
The Sponsor will issue a visa letter which is an official and unconditional offer of a place on a course of study.The visa letter must be issued no more than 6 months before a visa application is made.

Money required

The money needed must cover the course fees for your first year of study and living costs for up to a maximum of nine months.

The money must be held in cash and have been in the possession of the applicant for at least 28 days.

The following amount of money must be shown to meet basic living costs (not including fees)

• £800 per month if living in London
• £600 per month if living outside London

Proof of the money can be shown by way of;

Cash in an account in your name or;
A loan in your name or;
Official financial or government sponsorship

General conditions of stay in the United Kingdom

Not claim any state benefits
Register with the police
Work no more than 20 hours a week during term time and full time during vacations

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The post-study worker category was introduced with the purpose of retaining UK educated graduates by offering them permission to work in the UK without the need of sponsorship or a prior job offer.

Aimed at: The most able international graduates who have studied in the United Kingdom. It also enhances the United Kingdom's overall offer to international students.

Overview: In February 2008 Post Study Workers (formerly IGS) were brought under the UK government’s new Tier System.

Points are awarded for what are called "Attributes". You need to score 75 points.

In order to gain enough points to qualify under the Tier 1 Entrepreneur category, you will need to show that you have:

• A United Kingdom qualification (A Degree or Post Graduate Diploma)
• Met the English Language Requirements
• Met the Maintenance Requirements

Validity of Visa: Granted for a maximum period of 24 months, after which you will be expected to ‘switch’ into another immigration employment category or leave the UK.

Permanent Residence: Not available unless you switch into another category

If you would like MediVisas to assess your eligibility as a Post Study Worker under the Tier 1 Points Based System, please complete our assessment form.

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