Work Permits (UK) is part of the Managed Migration Directorate which manages non-asylum immigration routes within the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) of the Home Office. Each level of the organization has its own specific aims that support the overall purpose of the Home Office.

To work with individuals and communities to build a safe, just and tolerant society enhancing opportunities for all and in which rights and responsibilities go hand in hand, and the protection and security of the public are maintained and enhanced.

The Immigration and Nationality Directorate is responsible for delivering against the Home Office’s Aim , which is:

To regulate entry to and settlement in the United Kingdom effectively in the interests of sustainable growth and social inclusion. To provide an efficient and effective work permit system to meet economic and skills requirements, and fair, fast and effective programmes for dealing with visitors, citizenship and long term immigration applications and those seeking refuge and asylum. To facilitate travel by UK citizens.

To provide, develop and promote legal routes for economic migrants which contribute to economic growth/development, and to ensure that routes are used legitimately.

The Managed Migration Directorate is responsible for managing legal migration into the UK by those who satisfy the requirements of immigration law and policy. The legal routes for economic migrants which we will manage in 2004/05 are:

The bulk of applications processed by Work Permits (UK) relate to the
Work Permit scheme, designed to help employers who need to recruit personnel from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) where no suitable resident worker is available.

This scheme is for the consideration of applications from UK employers who need short-term, low-skilled workers to fill vacancies in specific sectors where there are continuous difficulties in recruiting resident workers (currently the scheme is used for two sectors; food manufacturing and hospitality).

The Business Case Unit considers applications direct from Investors, Sole Representatives, Retired Persons of Independent Means, Business Persons and Innovators. The Highly Skilled Migrant Programme is for applications from highly talented individuals who wish to work in the UK.

This scheme allows UK farmers and growers to employ students (in full-time education and over 18) from outside the EEA to undertake short-term, seasonal agricultural work. It is administered on Work Permits (UK)’s behalf by contracted Operators.

In addition, to administering the schemes listed above, Work Permits (UK) is also responsible for making some immigration decisions connected with employment related applications.

Work Permits (UK) makes immigration decisions on overseas nationals (and any dependants) for whom a work permit application (either core business, SBS or HSMP) is granted when that individual is in the UK at the time the application is submitted.

This new scheme was established on 1 May 2004. Its purpose is to monitor access to the labor market and benefits by workers from eight of the ten countries which joined the EEA on 1 May 2004.

Work Permits (UK) is committed to providing a high quality service to its customers. We aim to deal with all applications quickly and fairly, we aim to be as accessible as possible to customers by telephone, e-mail or post and to deal with all queries and complaints in a thorough and professional manner. From 1 October 2004 our performance is monitored against the following service standards:

» Make decisions on 70% of all work permit applications within 5 working days and 90% within 15 working days of receipt by Work Permits (UK).

Work Permits (UK) has set itself 6 key objectives to achieve in 2004/05. These objectives (listed below) are intended to secure improvements to the way we develop and deliver all work streams and to the management of our business.

1. To develop operational policies that take account of, and are based on, an
understanding of:

» The needs of the UK economy and UK employers.
» The impact of employment-related migration on the UK economy, the resident labor force, overseas workers and UK regions.

2. To promote legal employment-related routes.
3. To provide a high quality service in considering applications that is efficient and promotes effective immigration control.
4. To improve the robustness of the consideration process and to enable action to be taken against those who have abused the system.
5. To manage resources, processes and systems to maximise efficiency within the allocated budget and, so far as possible, recover full costs from income earned.
6. To ensure that we have the right people at the right time, in the right place, who are equipped with the necessary tools and skills to develop their potential and enable delivery of all business objectives.

BRC Services Schedule (Fee Structure)

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