The UK Home Office has announced that they are setting up new arrangements for skilled workers that came to the UK under routes that are now closed. This is being done, so that these workers can extend their stay in the UK to a total of five years, in order to qualify for permanent residence, provided that all the relevant criteria are met.

The additional leave will be granted free of charge.

In order to qualify under these arrangements, you must have previously been given permission to stay for less than 2 years as a Business and Commercial work permit holder; a Sports and Entertainment work permit holder; a Jewish agency employee; a member of the operational ground staff of an overseas-owned airline; or a minister of religion, missionary or member of a religious order.

Additionally, you must inter alia also have applied for, and were granted, leave to remain under Tier 2 through the transitional arrangements in place for migrants in these categories, are still working for the employer who assigned the certificate of sponsorship, being paid the appropriate salary for the job; currently have valid leave to remain in a Tier 2 category (General, Intra company transfer, Minister of religion or Sportsperson); were granted the maximum period of 3 years' leave to remain under Tier 2; and can prove that you still meet the conditions of your existing leave.

Please contact our offices for more information in this regard, or if you would like to apply for this extension.