HSMP- just another migration route ? Facts prove !

[John]

For example:: HMRC (former Inland Revenue) issued UTRs for yearly TRs and those NI no:s linksonly for 8% of the total HSMP applicants come for SA in 2004-2005
Which only suggests to us that , those 67% who are still living in the UK are doing CASH IN HAND jobs - unofficially and there is no source in the earth can verify this.

As a Tax Consultant I can say that the conclusion you reach from the statistics is completely wrong.

Many people in employment in the UK do not get issued with a Self Assessment tax return form. No way does that mean that they are just doing "CASH IN HAND jobs".

Indeed HMRC are trying to cut down on the number of SA returns they issue each year. That is, quite a number of people who have received such a form each year in the past have received a written notice from HMRC say they will not get such a form in the future.

[Smit]

Sharat,

Please post your information if it is correct and not "manufactured", I would really like to see the true picture of HSMP immigration in this country.

I couldn't agree more with Sashi. I know a number of friends here in the UK on HSMP visas who are doing menial jobs despite being "highly skilled" and having left behind successful careers in their home countries.
It just shows that the grass is not always greener on the other side.

If it really is true that 35% of HSMP visa holders returned back to their home countries within 7 months, this to me shows that there is something going wrong somewhere with the HSMP Scheme, considering that all applicants declared that they intended to make the UK their main home!

And we haven't even started talking about the brain drain affecting third world countries...

[yodiyokun]

If it really is true that 35% of HSMP visa holders returned back to their home countries within 7 months, this to me shows that there is something going wrong somewhere with the HSMP Scheme, considering that all applicants declared that they intended to make the UK their main home!

And we haven't even started talking about the brain drain affecting third world countries...

Smith,
There has to be some give and take.
For the "brain drain", my country in return gets a whole lot of inflows coming in form of foreign monies from other economies. All of a sudden funds transfer has become another successful form of business even the stock exchange is getting a lot of it from immigrants investing back home.

Then what exactly is soo called brain drain.... in my opinion that dosent apply in nigeria. more than 70% of graduates do not even get decent paying jobs here at home. My husband has been out of a job for 2 months, with his 6 years+ experience and soo much networking he has only been able to get 5 interviews whereas posting his CV on just 2 jobsites in Uk last year october ..he has not stopped receiving phone calls and emails for interviews. he still got one yesterday.
I really cant wait for his appeal to come thru. There simply are no jobs here as well, relative to the number qualified and seeking, and if you get a well paying job, you have to contend with conditions of living. I have had electricity for only 4 hours in the last 3 days. And i live in a commercial zone in the heart of the city. Thank God for generators

lets be real, some third world countries are closer to 1st world countries more than others. You really cant compare india with nigeria (my own opinion), at least they have made a mark in IT, my bank uses one of their softwares and almost every bank worth its salt is signing up to that software. Unfortunately, my country has a lot of potential but im not interested in waiting till im 50 to realise the potential.

For people like ssashi who are close to be nobel laurets in their country..theres no point in leaving, but they should look for ways of giving their kids better choices and opportunities than they had.

On the whole, everyones situation is just different. There are challenges but i would gladly brace the western worlds challenges than nigerias challenges at least for now. If I work half as hard as I do here, then I know I cannot but succeed sooner or later in a land of more opportunities.

[sharat]

Please be adviced that tax consulting and HMRC SA does not have any links so as to prove the info I furnished is incorrect.

If you sound like you know MORE then I will only tell you LITTLE :: Each year, HMRC issues and withdraws SA based on a rudimental process, atleast you are right there:- not everyone gets it.

For HSMP individual its easy to apply a FILTER based on their NI and the link with the database and the new supported toolset that are REALLY SOPHISTICATED. This is for the report generation and decision makers- rest assured, everything is in the right place. This is technical bits but lets not divert the topic

For example:: HMRC (former Inland Revenue) issued UTRs for yearly TRs and those NI no:s linksonly for 8% of the total HSMP applicants come for SA in 2004-2005
Which only suggests to us that , those 67% who are still living in the UK are doing CASH IN HAND jobs - unofficially and there is no source in the earth can verify this.

As a Tax Consultant I can say that the conclusion you reach from the statistics is completely wrong.

Many people in employment in the UK do not get issued with a Self Assessment tax return form. No way does that mean that they are just doing "CASH IN HAND jobs".

Indeed HMRC are trying to cut down on the number of SA returns they issue each year. That is, quite a number of people who have received such a form each year in the past have received a written notice from HMRC say they will not get such a form in the future.

[ajani]

Yodiyokun,
I am a Nigerian living in UK under the HSMP visa. I note your comments regarding the job situation in nigeria.
Unfortunately, pastures are not as green here and in most foreign lands as its always painted. A large proportion of the influx of foreign currency you mentioned may not have been earned through honest means as some in the minority engage in all sorts of scam.
The truth is that a large percentage of money earned here is retained in the economy through various taxes and bills, where then will the so called influx of money come from?
Its always difficult to explain issues to people who have not actually seen things for themselves.
We may not have a very good economy back home, people survive and are happy. Majority of people here are unhappy and miserable despite the so called prosperity.
I normally tell my kids that i am making a sacrifice for them by living here, once they have the indefinite leave to remain in their passports, i will take the next plane home.
I wish your husband success with his appeal.

[John]

Please be adviced that tax consulting and HMRC SA does not have any links so as to prove the info I furnished is incorrect.

Wait a minute, you spend a few months in the UK, as I understand it you never worked here, and you are questioning what I say about Self Assessment in the UK?

I have no reason to doubt your statistics ... but your conclusion is very wrong.

Each year, HMRC issues and withdraws SA based on a rudimental process, atleast you are right there:- not everyone gets it.

In fact the great majority of employed taxpayers do not have to submit a Self Assessment Tax Return. and it has never been any different, since SA started in the UK in 1996-1997.

[webhunter]

I think the gentleman who told that he had a miserable life here (with 2 phds etc.,) and had to go back to his country, I believe was because of not planning things properly.

there are two things about Highly skilled people in UK. Some of them can start practicing with their current skills(example software professionals) and some need to clear some tests(or gain additional qualifications) to practice here (such as doctors/dentists/ for that matter university professors). Had he cleared (what ever exam they were asking) he would have become a university professor here. I dont know the reasons why he did'nt clear it ( but thats a different story).

My honest opinion is if you are really(i really mean the word really) skilled then you dont have to work at McDonalds or go back to your country. On the contrary,A highly skilled doctor in X country can not come here and start working here the next day. He need to have relevant qualifications to practice here. If he is intelligent enough he would have cleared them before coming here on HSMP.

On the other hand, I know a few students who put in fake experience and documents and got their HSMPs. They are happy to work here at McDonalds ( even though their visa says HSMP), because they are fit for nothing anyway in their home country. They work day and night and send some money home(that will be huge when you apply the currency conversion) .

[sharat]

Smit,

The POA (Plan Of Action) is for the HSMP stakeholders, that is, none other than our Home Office ministry.

Thanks for the encouragement to write and I sincerely hope it helps other HSMP folks who are applying and in their decision making process.

When HSMP was piloted in 02/03 and the govt initially targeted 10% of TOP PROFESSIONALS from other countries to migrate to UK.

When the scheme started running, they saw huge influx of professional that are aged between 25-35.
Since the office in Sheffield is working based on the targets set for HSMP by IND and their stakeholders, most of the HSMP applicants (outside or inside 10%) secured the Visa which let them enter the UK and seek work.

Last year (04/05) they realised that the scheme has not attracted 10% and now doing a sanity check to see what percentage of people that they THOUGHT would come to UK, and in reality how many ended up.

The data that I furnish here is WITHIN THAT BRACKET which gives me access to lots of information and profiles in general about the applicants and their current situation

[John]

I am now locking this topic for reasons I shall not go into.