As a result, the British Home Office is now in the process of replacing the old system with a more straightforward system based on a system of allocated points.
The new visas are categorised into tiers numbering 1 to 5.
• Tier 1: Highly skilled individuals to contribute to growth and productivity; (implemented 29 February 2008)
• Tier 2: Skilled workers with a job offer to fill gaps in United Kingdom labour force (being introduced in Autumn of 2008);
• Tier 3: Limited numbers of low skilled workers needed to fill temporary labour shortages (currently suspended);
• Tier 4: Students (introduced spring of 2009);
• Tier 5: Youth mobility and temporary workers: people allowed to work in the United Kingdom for a limited period of time to satisfy primarily non-economic objectives.
Tiers 3 and 4 are for students and low skilled workers neither of which are applicable to legal specialists. The three visas of most relevance to lawyers are Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 5.
See: LawFuel.co.nz for full details on the revamped UK visa system.
LawFuel is the New Zealand legal jobs and news board.
