Myth Buster on Tier 1 General follows below:

a) Tier 1 General is only relevant for IT professionals: This is not true at all. There is nothing in the tier-1 general scheme which precludes or excludes individuals of specific sectors to apply. People working in FMCG, Banking , Operations, Marketing etc. can apply. It is true to some extent that perhaps the job opportunities for IT professionals are a bit more prevalent and highlighted...but it does not mean that being in Banking or Marketing you cannot have a good career in UK. You should assess the same objectively considering input from friends, job sites etc. before making a decision

b) Tier 1 General visa stamping means I will get a job offer in India itself: This is very much possible but there is no guarantee of the same. In fact most UK firms and consultants prefer face to face interaction with prospective candidates and the fact that you have landed in UK also assures them that you are serious about making a career there. So it is more likely that you will get a confirmed job offer in UK after landing than in India just thinking about it.

c) I will not be treated at par with UK citizen during job considerations even if  I am on Tier 1 General: While it is difficult to comment on opinions and incidents with individual people, there are very stringent laws in UK which penalize firm if they discriminate between individuals on basis other than merit. Moreover Tier 1 General (new name of HSMP) is a long term scheme towards settlement which is meant for people from other country's who can be considered highly skilled in their various professions. Hence it is very unlikely that such a scheme endorsed and permitted by government with checks and balance to get the cream from various countries will then discriminate these people with the native population. This would be counterproductive. However UK employers do expect you to have very decent English conversation skills and any UK or European exposure is a plus.

d) A lot of bad press surrounding HSMP/ Tier 1- Keep hearing they are deporting people - changing rules (What the **** is going on ) :  Well the fact of the matter is that yes there were some instances where new rules were launched which affected people who had settled there earlier. The new rules made the system more objective and transparent but should not have been launched with retrospective effect. The same was successfully contested in some particular case and the UK government is unlikely to make the same sort of mistake. On the whole the HSMP scheme is successful, and the greatest proof of this is - If you are visiting this site - most likely you will have atleast one friend or one friend of friend, who is in UK on HSMP and on the whole happy !  While rules have changed, they don't change every week or month. Last changes were in December 2006 post which changes in India were bought out in April 1, 2008 - nearly 1.5 years later. Now some minor changes recently bought about on 31 March 2009.   Each change costs them hell lot of money ( to adopt, understand and propogate within their immigration system).

Comparing the Tier 1 General with the older HSMP visa

HSMP Visa - Old system prior to April 1, 2008

1. Costs: HSMP was processed in 2 phases. 400 GBP for evaluation by British home office and 17,000 Rs. for main applicant and dependents (each)

2. Convenience: I would say this was pretty inconvenient - First sending all your original document to UK  and then following up with them on ISD calls as to the status. Then applying for entry clearance (visa) once approval letter was sent by them.

3. Benefit: Is granted for 2 years, spouse can work (though not to support main applicant). Preferred by employers. Renewable for another 3.

4. Objectiveness: The hsmp process had some vague points or issues in it in terms of evaluating certain things and also objectiveness was lost because in some cases the decision of hsmp team could be over-ruled during entry clearance

5. Delays: Due to to-and-fro of documents in and out of India, definitely there, but also provided a lot of relaxation as approval letter was valid for 6 months and a  lot of planning could be done.

 Tier 1 General - new name for HSMP post April 1, 2008

1. As per the new Tier 1 General process , the costs may sting a little those with dependents ( i.e spouse, kids ). In Tier 1 General, each individual (i.e dependent as well) is charged 600 GBP currently calculated at 48,000 INR - keeps changing. For a single person it almost comes to be same as earlier charges ( You do the maths)

2. Definitely a more convenient process both for us as well as client. The decision is provided in a single step and all processing happens within country (i.e India). This cuts months of delays. Visa turnaround times have even dropped to couple of weeks* (as around mid of July- may change).

3 Its a bit better in the sense that now granted for 3 years initially instead of two. Other conditions remain the same.

4. As one team or one set of individual makes the single or final decision definitely more objective. Also, some improvements in the rules. Hopefully the case workers will understand the rules properly. Tier 1 general allows people to assess themselves properly.

5. Delays: Some delays occur due to mainly the maintenance clause, wherein many people eligible for Tier 1 General on other counts need to wait due to this.

Information coming soon

HSMP Visa UK (or Tier 1 General)

Comparison coming soon.

If in doubt call me on 93109 73060, 9811243375 ,011-23844370 (mtnl sucks), 011-47098505 or send in your resume with all relevant details and a short note to  umesh.sethi@workandstudyoverseas.com .