Tier 1: UK Professional bodies to Judge Overseas Qualifications, not NARIC

17 May 2008

The UK Border Agency (which was previously known as the UK Border and Immigration Agency) has today implemented temporary changes for applicants hoping to obtain a Tier 1 (General) visa. The changes affect the assessment of professional qualifications obtained overseas.

UK NARIC, a privately owned company, normally verifies professional qualifications as being equivalent to a UK Bachelors, Masters, or PhD. However, UK NARIC is "unable to verify the full range of professional qualifications at this time", the UK Border Agency said in a release.

When applying for leave to enter or remain as a Tier 1 (General) migrant (the immigration category which replaces HSMP), applicants should obtain evidence of their professional body?s approval of their professional qualifications. For the time being, an original letter from the relevant UK professional body confirming that an applicant's overseas qualification is equal to either a UK Bachelors, Masters, or PhD degree will be acceptable when claiming points for a professional qualification.

The UK Border Agency explained this as follows:

"At this time UK NARIC is unable to verify the full range of professional qualifications. We have therefore put transitional arrangements in place for establishing the level of professional qualifications that are not included on the self-assessment tool.

If applicants are unable to find their professional qualification on the self-assessment tool we will instead accept an original letter from the appropriate UK professional body confirming their qualification is equivalent to a UK degree at either Bachelor, Masters or PHD level."

This appears to be yet another victory for common sense. It will be interesting to see whether what was indicated by the UK Border Agency to be a temporary solution to UK NARIC?s inability to perform this role becomes standard practice.  

fastUKpermit?s lawyers are experienced in assisting professional clients who wish to apply for leave to remain under the HSMP and now under Tier 1, and who have in the past faced difficulty in persuading the UK Border Agency of the validity of their professional qualifications.

The United Kingdom's Tier 1 for General Highly Skilled Migrants category is in the process of being phased in for highly skilled workers who wish to immigrate to the UK. It will eventually replace the HSMP. Both programs are points based systems which assess applicants based upon their age, qualifications, and proficiency in English, amongst other criteria.