As previously announced a number of changes to the Immigration Rules come into effect today, Tuesday 1 October 2013. The changes offer greater flexibility for businesses and workers and include:
- removing the English language requirement for intra-company transferees;
- making it easier for graduate entrepreneurs to switch into Tier 2;
- waiving share ownership restrictions for some senior staff; and
- allowing some students to work as interns under the Tier 5 government authorised exchange scheme;
Tourist and business visitors will benefit from the following changes:
- Allowing tourists and business visitors to do some study where it is not the main purpose of their visit.
- Expanding the activities a business visitor can do in the UK.
- Removing the prospective student route.
Further changes affect points-based system and family routes, and include provision for participants and personnel of the 2014 Commonwealth Games and locally engaged staff in Afghanistan.
For full details of the changes see the Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules (HC 628). The written ministerial statement can be found on Gov.uk.
(Source: UKBA Site)