HSMP Extension- Do You Fit The Bill!

Well, are you aware of HSMP? No! Let me explain the same to you, it stands for “Highly Skilled Migrant Programme”. Thus the full form itself explains you what exact information it is providing. This is basically a visa which is used by those immigrants who are either working in UK from past many years or who are going for migrating in UK for work. HSMP allows foreigners to work in the United Kingdom on good and highly talented jobs.

Employers who hire workers who are foreigners with HSMP visa, then the foreign worker is allowed to enter the United Kingdom for five years before the HSMP extension. Also, foreign workers can bring their families to UK. To satisfy the HSM visa requirements, foreign workers will have to be stable. HSMP extension is more likely to be attainable to those workers who are already employed from a long time.

United Kingdom has provided HSMP visas to all the immigrants who are working in UK from past many years. But, now government tried to revise few points in the HSMP visa and they were qualifications, current salary, age, UK Experience, and UK Study. These points were amended by the country’s home office in 2006 to make it more difficult for new foreigners to obtain visa and present visa holders for HSMP extension. Thus, in this way new set of rules and regulating acts were proposed.

But soon after the stringent rules were imposed for HSMP visas, they were opposed from the groups that represent migrant workers, such as HSMP Forum. The same issue was taken up in High Court. They were asking for the revision of the changes which were made in the terms and conditions of the programme in November 2006. This scheme was initiated in 2002, but the government was looking to tighten more conditions of entry and hence they delayed it by November 2006. The Forums were acting on behalf of thousands of highly skilled workers, which included engineers, scientists, doctors, professors and many more who migrated to UK to earn with the help of HSMP visa. The forum told the judge that if the updated new terms and conditions will be forced then the migrants may not be able to go for HSMP extension and they may have to suffer big losses because of all these new set of rules.

The changes processed meant that anyone who is currently enjoying the benefits under the previous HSMP visa acts; would have to meet again with immigration officials for re-examination under the new scheme. In order to get HSMP extension, migrated workers would have to show a higher annual income. But, opposing the same, Forum said that many migrants would not be able to meet this demand and thousands of the migrants, who have come up with HSMP visa, may have to leave the country.

Thus judges of the High Court have ruled that these conditions were unfair. They said that HSMP visa were made to allow talented migrants to seek employment with UK businesses. Hence these rules should not be forced with so many stringent acts.

About the Author:

Mervin King is the author of this article on Indefinite Leave To Remain. Find more information about HSMP Extension here.