Skilled migrants seeking to renew their visas will now be required to apply for a compulsory ID card, Border and Immigration Minister Phil Woolas announced today, as the roll out of the scheme continues ahead of schedule.
Since the scheme was introduced in November 2008 for students renewing their visa under Tier 4 of the Points Based System (PBS) and people seeking to renew marriage visas, more than 130,000 cards have been issued.
From today, the scheme will be extended to incorporate skilled foreign workers under Tier 2 of the PBS. This brings the roll out forward from April this year and adds around 40,000 foreign nationals a year to those currently being issued with the cards.
Mr Woolas said:
“Identity cards are a secure and simple way for foreign nationals to prove they are entitled to live, work or study in the UK. The biometric data contained on the card ties migrants to one identity and prevents those here illegally from benefiting from the privileges of life in Britain.
“Identity cards have already been issued to more than 130,000 foreign nationals, with a total of approximately 140,000 due to be issued by the end of the financial year.
“We are proud to be working with the Post Office to provide vital extra capacity and speed up the enrolment process. The greater choice this partnership provides for migrants is proving popular and already 1,432 have used the new technology in Post Offices to enrol their details.”
The cards – for non-Europeans who are applying to extend their stay in the UK – securely lock foreign nationals to one identity. They will also help foreign nationals prove their right to live and work in the UK while making it easier for businesses to crack down on illegal working.
Home Office full story
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