News Release issued by
the COI News Distribution Service on 24 September 2009
Skilled migrants
renewing their visas to stay in the UK will be issued with an ID
card from the New Year the Home Secretary Alan Johnson announced
today, three months ahead of schedule.
From January 2010 skilled foreign workers under Tier 2 of the
Points Based System (PBS) will be issued ID cards. This brings the
roll out forward from April 2010 and will add around 30,000
foreign nationals a year to those currently being issued with
identity cards.
Since their introduction 90,000 cards
have been issued, mainly to students renewing their visa under
Tier 4 of the PBS and those renewing marriage visas.
Today’s announcement means that in addition to accelerating
the roll out to include foreign nationals in the UK renewing their
right to stay under Tier 2, the Government has exceeded its target
to issue 75,000 cards by November 2009.
The UK Border Agency is also to trial technology at 17 Crown Post
Offices to provide foreign nationals applying for identity cards
with alternative and more accessible venues where they can enrol
their fingerprints. The trials will start rolling out from
October.
The Home Secretary said:
"Identity cards have been issued to 90,000 foreign
nationals, exceeding our target by 15,000, a month ahead of schedule.
"By speeding up the roll out of the cards more people
will benefit from a secure and simple way to prove they are
entitled to live, work or study here and it will prevent those
here illegally from benefiting from the privileges of Britain.
"Our partnership with the Post Office will provide vital
extra capacity enabling the UK Border Agency to further speed up
the enrolment process and give extra work to help safeguard the
Post Office network. It will also give more choice and convenience
to migrants about where they can enrol."
Identity cards for foreign nationals who came to the UK from
outside the European Economic Area were introduced in November
2008. They require them to have their photograph and fingerprints
taken, securely locking them to one identity and helping foreign
nationals prove their right to live and work in the UK and
businesses to crack down on illegal working.
Skilled migrants and temporary workers under Tiers 1 and 5 of the
PBS, will also be brought forward from 2011 to 2010.
From October foreign nationals who are being issued with ID Cards
will be given the choice of providing their fingerprints and
photograph at one of the participating Crown Post Offices for a
fee of £8 or at one of the UK Border Agency or Identity and
Passport Service Offices currently included within the scheme,
which will remain free.
The Post Office will not be making decisions on whether someone
can stay in the UK and detailed checking of enrolment details will
continue to be conducted by the UK Border Agency. It provides
extra capacity for the UK Border Agency and gives customers an
alternative for enrolment.
Alan Cook, Managing Director of the Post Office, said:
"The Post Office is very pleased to be supporting this
trial as our reputation for trust and the unparalleled reach of
our network means we can offer secure and efficient transfer of
personal data while the potential for earning additional income
would help support and sustain the nationwide branch
network."
Regulations setting out the next stage of the roll out of
Identity Cards for Foreign Nationals will be laid in Parliament in
October.
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. The UK Border Agency started to issue biometric immigration
documents, known as identity cards for foreign nationals to
non-EEA nationals on 25 November 2008.
2. Currently ICFN are issued to those applying in the UK to
extend their stay for more than 6 months in the following
categories :
* Tier 4 (students)
* Spouses, civil partners, unmarried or
same-sex partners
* A selection of application types from the
‘other category’:
* Academic visitors granted leave for a
period exceeding six months
* Visitors for private medical
treatment
* Domestic workers in a private household
*
United Kingdom ancestry
* Retired persons of independent
means
* Sole representatives
* Transfer of conditions (for
those with existing limited leave transferring details from a
passport or other such document into a new document)
3. It is estimated that by the end of 2014/15 about 90 per cent
of all foreign nationals will have been issued with an Identity
Card.
4. The Points Based System (PBS) is the biggest change to the
immigration system in a generation. Approximately 80 immigration
routes have been consolidated into a 5 Tier system, one of which
is suspended (Tier 3).
* Tier 1 is for highly skilled workers who do not require a UK
sponsor, and are applying for a UK Visa in their own right.
*
Tier 2 is for skilled workers with a UK Sponsor and a UK job
offer. Tier 2 was introduced in November 2008.
* Tier 3 is for
low skilled workers and is currently suspended due to the current
economic climate. Jobs in this sector are generally currently
covered by the Workers Registration Scheme, Bulgarian and Romanian
Case Work, Seasonal; and Agricultural Workers (SAWS) and workers
from the EEA.
* Tier 4 is for adults and children with a
School/College/University sponsor who wish to come to the UK to
study.
* Tier 5 is for temporary Workers (people coming to the
UK to satisfy primarily non-economic objectives). It brings
together the application process for temporary workers, providing
clearer indicators to the options available and making the
immigration routes more transparent.
Contacts:
NDS Enquiries
Phone: For enquiries please contact the above department
ndsenquiries@coi.gsi.gov.uk
Home Office Press Office
Phone: 020 7035 3535
NDS.HO@coi.gsi.gov.uk