Under new restrictions to the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP) successful people with major achievements, such as the world’s richest man Bill Gates, will not gain sufficient points to qualify.

The Home Office suspended the current Highly Skilled Migrant Scheme (HSMP), pending the introduction of a revised scheme next month, leaving thousands of applicants no time to submit their applications.

According to Forbes Magazine Gates, a Harvard University drop out, is worth $46.5 billion. Unfortunately, even with his high salary and considerable past achievements, Mr Gates would be refused by the Home Office under the new HSMP rules being introduced on 5^th December.

Example of Mr Gates points calculation:

Academic Qualification – 0 points

Salary maximum – 45 points

Age – 0 points

Points required – 75

Result – refused.

Significant Past Achievements – no longer applies.

The HSMP guidance notes state that in addition to reaching the required points, applicants: ‘must have a good knowledge of English and provide evidence (IELTS Test Report) otherwise the application will be refused’. I think we can safely assume that the founder of Microsoft, the company which gave us ‘Word’, will pass the English test.

John Larkins, Deputy Director of Managed Migration, announced the sudden suspension to a stunned group of Immigration Advisers at the annual conference of the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner OISC in London on Tuesday.

Advisers reacted angrily to the news accusing the Home Office of working against advisers by once again making important changes without warning.

Mr Larkins defended the Home Office saying that giving notice of impending changes would only cause “closing down sales which flood the Home Office with applications”.

Pardon me for stating the blindingly obvious, but wasn’t that the point of the scheme - to attract more “highly skilled” migrants to the UK?

Even Britain’s richest man, Lakshmi Mittal, worth $25 billion and owner of the most expensive house ever sold in this country, would only qualify if his degree, obtained at St Xavier's College Calcutta, was considered by UK NARIC to be equivalent to British standards.

Bill might scrape through the immigration rules and gain entry to the UK as an ‘Investor’, provided he can come up with the minimum £200,000 investment.

He could also come in a student and finish his studies, as long as he can convince the Entry Clearance Officer at the British Embassy that he has “sufficient funds to support himself with recourse to public funds.”

For more news on how this decision could affect your HSMP application contact your adviser or visit the Home Office website.