Update to UK Tier 1 Maintenance requirements

The United Kingdom's new five-tier points based system requires individuals applying under Tier 1 for General Highly Skilled Migrants (Tier 1 (General)) to prove that they have enough funds at their disposal to support themselves and their families.

The new Tier 1 rules have now come into effect for applications made from India. As such, the UK immigration rules have been updated to show the Maintenance requirements for these applicants.

For applications made from within the UK, the Maintenance requirement is a minimum of GBP 800, which must be proven to have been present at all times in the applicant's bank account for three months prior to the application.

For applications from India, the figure is much higher, and will presumably be the same for other countries once they come under the new Tier 1 (General) rules later this year. The amount of funds an applicant in India must have at his or her disposal is GBP 2800, subject to the same three-month requirement.

In addition, transitional arrangements have been put in place for individuals already in the UK applying for the first time under Tier 1 for General Highly Skilled Migrants or seeking further leave to remain (FLR) as a Tier 1 (General) migrant.

According to the UK Border Agency, up to and including 29 June 2008, applicants within the UK will only be required to show the GBP 800 at their disposal at the time of their application -- not for all times during the previous three months. All applications received after 29 June will be subject to the three-month time period. However, the documents supporting the evidence of the GBP 800 must be no older than one month prior to the application.

Unfortunately, there seems to be no word that applicants in India will get the same break. For people applying from India wishing to live and work in the UK as a highly skilled migrant, the GBP 2800 requirement with the three-month stipulation seems to be in force from 01 April 2008.