Hi folks - I am an adviser and have been keeping close tabs on PBS' development for the last 3 years. I have been saying to UKBA all along that they need to have some system for dealing with recording artists and songwriters under tier 2. they agreed once they understood. But naturally Tier 2 is now live and they have not implemented anything for recording artists.
What I mean here is people from overseas signed to UK record / publishing deals. The work permit system used to cover them as long as the deal was lucrative enough to cover them financially for the 1 or 2 years the permit was granted (note I am not talking about the self-employed 'writer / composer' visa here).
Tier 2 has a mandatory requirement for an RLMT, which is ridiculous when we are talking about a singer-songwriter who is already signed to a label. Anyone have any thoughts on this?
Also - I have just helped assign a Tier 2 cert to a racing driver. We and the racing team were told they needed to register under tier 2 if they wanted a non-EEA racing driver to come here and race for them, not Tier 5. But now the overseas national is moaning because tier 2 has an English language requirement whilst T5 does not. This will delay his entry clearance and give him more to do at his end.
I noted an article online last week which said sportspeople have had the English language requirement waived, but that has been removed now (was on Law-Now). Other articles I have seen say that only footballers have been exempted the language test - and that the exemption is more of a work-around:
The footballers would have to go into Tier 5 for the first year.
But this makes no sense, becase T5 is a no-switch and no-extend category. So the players would be forced to leave after 12 months and then get a Tier 2 cert, take a language test and then re-apply for entry clearance (this would be during the football season so not exactly handy).
What a joke that only footballers get an exemption! And what a joke that the exemption is ill thought out. Why not just exempt all sports people from needing the English language test for their first entry clearance? Where's the harm?
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