pdd123 wrote:will this affect HMSP ?(or any other category ?)
The UK government reserves the right to amend its immigration policy including the removal/ termination of existing schemes. However the HSMP is the rolls royce of employment based immigration designed to bring people to the UK with exceptional skills and abilities to develop and maintain global leadership of the country's economy and has been extended for an 'indefinite' period after a 1 year trial. There are currently 1,000+ applications received per month the majority of which are chargeable at GBP 150 (which will rise at some point to maintain the original service standards). Do the math and see how the revenue + political selling point factors = a programme that will be around for long time.
Other schemes such as the WHM which is the target are not so safe - I can't help but laugh very cynically of course at allegations of abuse of the WHM scheme by New Commonwealth 'read African and Asian' nationals given that 20,000 Australians enter the UK every year under the scheme. These New Commonwealth countries appear to have no political will to include the WHM as a part of their economic blueprint the way the Old Commonwealth (Oz, NZ, Canada, South Africa) do to the extent of having ministerial comments on the issue.