Australia Puts Pressure On UK To Relax Visa Regulations

14 Mar 2017

Australia has told the UK that it will need to relax visa regulations, if it wants to strike a free trade deal after Brexit! The suggestions came from Alexander Downer who is Australia’s high commissioner to the UK. He stated that Australians needed better access to the UK, before any post Brexit deal could be agreed. The appeals apply to changes for the Tier 2 visa and Tier 2 Sponsorship Licence.

It is predicted that the UK is eager to make a free trade deal with Australia, particularly as Donald Trump makes it clear that any UK-US deal must be of major benefit to the US. However, at the moment there are plans in place to make the Tier 2 visa less attainable with a new £1000 a year fee payable for Tier 2 skilled workers from April 2017.

Alexander Downer went on to say that reaching visa rules would benefit Australian companies which invest in the UK. He suggested that it could be made easier for these companies to bring their employees to the UK when necessary. He also said that any negotiations over a free trade deal after Brexit, should be done in line with talks over visa arrangements.

Discussions between the UK and Australia have already been underway, however no firm deal can be met until the UK officially leaves the EU.

The current rules state that an Australian citizen, coming to the UK for work purposes, requires a Tier 2 visa. This visa allows them to enter the country for a maximum of 5 years and 14 days. People entering the UK under this scheme must already be able to prove they have secure employment with a certificate of sponsorship from the employer. They also need to be earning a minimum of £25,000 or rate appropriate for their skills set and have at least £945 in savings.

Some exemptions to the above rules may apply.

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