Changes to Tier 2 General Limit

The Home Office is proposing to change the operation of the Tier 2 (General) limit to maximise the number of places which can be allocated each month, within the overall annual limit of 20,700. If the limit is oversubscribed, as it has been in each of the past three months, available RCoS are allocated based on the highest points scores.

The Tier 2 (General) limit applies to Restricted Certificates of Sponsorship (RCoS).  RCoS are needed to sponsor migrants who apply for Tier 2 outside the UK, except very senior staff earning £155,300 or more and Tier 4 dependants who apply to switch into Tier 2.

Some of the points bands in the current table are relatively wide; for example, jobs paying £32,000 to £45,999.99 all score 15 points for salary.  To improve flexibility, the Home Office intends to increase the number of salary bands in the points table.  The new table will not affect the 11 September allocation meeting, which will use the current table, however from the 12 October allocation meeting the new table will apply.

The Home Office also intends to make one further change relating to the limit.  Under the existing rules, RCoS must be assigned by Sponsors within three months or they will expire.  The change will enable them to return any such unused places to the limit, increasing the number of RCoS available.