Changes made to UK Tier 1 visa applications

UK immigration has revised the guidance notes for all Tier 1 visa categories today. The changes include revised policy guidance for all Tier 1 visa categories to include a paragraph about the circumstances under which UK Border Agency officials will contact applicants about missing or incorrect documents.

The current guidance states that if the applicant does not provide the correct specified documents for their Tier 1 visa application, UKBA may contact them to request these documents. If the applicant then fails to send the correct documents the application may be refused.

The new guidance states that if the correct documents are not received, UKBA will only contact the applicant for the correct documents if they have submitted:

• A sequence of documents, and some of the documents in the sequence have been omitted (for example, if one bank statement from a series is missing);
• A document is in the wrong format;
• A document that is a copy and not an original document.

After UKBA contacts the applicant, the documentation must be received by UKBA within 7 working days, otherwise UK immigration may refuse the application. If the applicant does not submit all of the documentation necessary within 7 working days (for example an English language certificate is missing), UKBA will not request these documents and the application may be refused.

These changes affect policy guidance for Tier 1 General, Investor, and Entrepreneur categories.

In addition to these guidance changes, there were also changes to the application procedure announced for the Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) application form for use by applicants who are already in the UK. The Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) application form and policy guidance have been revised to allow applicants to use money invested in a UK business while they were in a different immigration category towards the funds necessary for an entrepreneur visa application.

The new form is now available, although the old version will be accepted until 5 March 2012.

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