By Charles Kelly

28 January 2008 

Overseas Senior Carers can now switch jobs to employers willing to pay at least £7.02 per hour and the BIA are issuing Work Permits for job-movers.

Last week The Border and Immigration Agency (BIA) introduced revised ‘transitional arrangements’ for Senior Carers, enabling overseas Senior Carers to change employers.

Special 12 month Work Permit extensions will now be granted to pre-2004 permit holders, without the need to meet the minimum £7.02 salary requirement.

The BIA has introduced two additional transitional measures affecting carers who wish to change jobs and those with Work Permit approved prior to 31 December 2003.

• Change of employment applications, which will benefit Senior Care Workers with no choice but to change jobs to a ‘£7.02 paying’ employer, provided they are still in the United Kingdom. 
   
• Senior Carers who have had Work Permits granted prior to 31 December 2003 will be granted an “exceptional extension” for a maximum of 12 months provided the person is in the United Kingdom, which should take them over five years continuous employment, enabling them to apply for Indefinite Leave (ILR).

Work Permits are now being issued for job moving Senior Carers

Cynthia Barker, Immigration Adviser and Recruitment Manager of Bison UK, said she was “delighted” that the BIA had finally made the new measures official and has employers lined up willing to take on Senior Carers who are forced to change jobs.

“We have the employer contacts and our team had already started submitting Senior Carer extension applications, in anticipation of the changes, for ‘job movers’ and I am pleased to say that we have received a number of successful approvals from the BIA this week.”

What if your application has previously been refused?

There is some relief for the hundreds of carers who have been refused extensions over the past six months, many of whom have had to return home. The BIA has said that:

“Customers who have had previous applications refused will not have their cases reopened but should apply again enclosing the correct fee”.

If the application was refused within the past 28 days, customers may apply for a review of the decision, which will be considered in line with the new transitional measures.

If in doubt, talk to a registered Immigration Adviser.

These transitional measures will continue at least until the introduction of Tier 2 of the points-based system later in 2008, at which time “all bets will be off” and a new regime comes into force.

You can read the BIA announcement in full at: http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk

If you need immigration advice and would like a free consultation please email me at:

info@immigrationmatters.co.uk

For the latest immigration news visit:

www.immigrationmatters.co.uk

For more information on jobs and Work Permits,
contact Bison UK direct on 020 8905 1822.

BIA announcement in full:

http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/newsarticles/seniorcareworkerchanges

Home Office Forms

To apply for a Work Permit Extension see form WP1X