China Direct

Important UK Visa Update *Stop Press*

 

[Image courtesy of the UK Border Agency]

 

Dear CBI members,

Kindly find the latest important update re: UK Visa applications.

For further online information please refer to page 9 of the 10 page summary document below.

Download UK_Visa_Brochure_2012_final  

Business Visa Fast Track Scheme - what companies in China need to know

 

 

China Direct readers will hopefully find this additional note useful - particularly if they are sending staff to the UK on a regular basis...

The UKBA operates a Business Fast Track (BFT) scheme in China.

The BFT scheme is currently free to join, and members enjoy a priority service. Visa applications for BFT members are normally returned in three to five working days.

Business visit visa applications sponsored by a BFT member require minimal paperwork whilst long-term business visit visas of up to five years are available without the need for the applicant to have previously travelled to the UK. BFT members can submit their application at any of the UKBA's Visa Application Centres across China.

To join the Business Fast Track scheme, your company must:

     1. Have sent 10 people to the UK in the previous 12 months

     2. And must be either:

          • a UK company with a presence in China
          • a multi-national company
          • a Chinese company which is an investor in the UK 
          • a university which is partnered with a UK university, OR
          • be recommended for membership by:

• CBI
• British Chamber of Commerce,
• China-Britain Business Council,
• UK Trade & Investment.
  
  For more details of how to join the scheme and an application pack, please email:
  businessfasttrack.beijing@fco.gov.uk
  
  Applicants for UK visas should also be aware that applications during the May-August period will take longer to process than during the rest of the year as this is the busiest time for the UKBA. Applicants should always submit their applications in plenty of time, especially in the summer.
  
  For full details on each visa route, please visit the UK Border Agency’s website here. Click here to view the full visa presentation by the UK Border Agency.  

UK Visas and China - more info for business

 

Dear CBI member viewers of China Direct, kindly find the full overview provided to the CBI Beijing team by the UKBA following last week's visa briefing. I trust that you find this useful.

Download UKTI Visa presentation, June 2011

 

UK Visas and China - latest updates for business

 

The British Embassy in Beijing held a very useful workshop on UK visa applications yesterday at the UK Visa Application Centre in Beijing.

There are a number of different visa routes available to enter the UK for business and work purposes, including business visit visas, long-term visit visas, the Points-Based System including visas for highly skilled workers, intra-company transfers, investors and entrepreneurs.

Detailed guidance on each visa route is available on the UK Border Agency website at www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas.

When submitting a UK visa application, applicants should be aware of the following:

     • Applications are only accepted in English (translated guidance available online)
     • Applicants are responsible for proving that they meet the rules/points of their application (checklist 
       available online)
     • If you submit a forged document or lie on the application form, you will be refused and banned from 
       making any further application for 10 years.
     • The UKBA has set the target of processing non-settlement applications in 15 working days.

The UKBA also operates the Business Fast Track (BFT) scheme in China.

The BFT scheme is currently free to join, and members enjoy a priority service. Visa applications for BFT members are normally returned in three to five working days.

Business visit visa applications sponsored by a BFT member require minimal paperwork whilst long-term business visit visas of up to five years are available without the need for the applicant to have previously travelled to the UK.

BFT members can submit their application at any of the UKBA's Visa Application Centres across China.

To join the Business Fast Track scheme, your company must:

     1. Have sent 10 people to the UK in the previous 12 months

     2. And must be either:

          • a UK company with a presence in China
          • a multi-national company
          • a Chinese company which is an investor in the UK 
          • a university which is partnered with a UK university, OR
          • be recommended for membership by the British Chamber of Commerce, 
            China-Britain Business Council, Confederation of British Industry or UK Trade & Investment.

For more details of how to join the scheme and an application pack, please email:
businessfasttrack.beijing@fco.gov.uk

Applicants for UK visas should also be aware that applications during the May-August period will take longer to process than during the rest of the year as this is the busiest time for the UKBA.

Applicants should always submit their applications in plenty of time, especially in the summer.

For full details on each visa route, please visit the UK Border Agency’s website here.

China's Foreign Direct Investment - on the rise in 2011

 

 

 According to China's Ministry of Commerce this week, foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country rose 32.9% year-on-year in March, reaching $12.52 billion.

FDI in China increased 29.4% in the first quarter to reach a total of $30.34 billion. China approved 2,538 new foreign-invested enterprises in March, up 10.5% in comparison to the same period last year.

Last year, FDI in China rose an impressive 17.4%, reaching a total of $105.74 billion.

According to the Ministry of Commerce, China's total outbound direct investment reached $8.51 billion in the first quarter this year, up 13.2% year-on-year.

Please read more here.

Making the UK 'the best place to invest' - work in progress?

 

 
Today, the CBI released its report, "Making the UK the best place to invest," which calls on the government to bolster the UK’s attractiveness to investors, warning that without action, investment and jobs will be lost to other countries. 

Foreign investment in the UK fell significantly during the global recession, dropping from $186.4 billion in 2007 to $45.7 billion in 2009, and the UK’s reputation as a good place to invest is under threat.

In its report, the CBI has identified the main drivers for and barriers to investment, based on research from 400 companies, including interviews with senior business leaders.

Key drivers of investment in the UK include:
     • A well-developed innovation ecosystem and science base
     • The English language
     • Cultural aspects and quality of life
     • Strong rule of law

Key barriers to investment in the UK include:
     • The lack of long-term predictability and certainty
     • The 50% personal tax rate
     • Skills shortages in the UK
     • The impact of regulation, dismissal periods and strike activity

Please find the Executive Summary below:

1. Download CBI UK Best Place Invest Summary April 2011

2. Our Full Report is here  and today's Press Release is here

China Direct would like to thank CBI Beijing Policy Analyst Ben Cooper for preparing this note.

UK Visas - Tier 2 Statement of Intent - important update for UK Business

 

 
[Images courtesy of www.politics.caledonianmercury.com & www.getin2china.com]

 

China Direct has been asked to circulate to CBI members an update on changes to Tier 2 of the UK Border Agency's points based system for visas.

Background:

"On 23 November 2010 the UK Home Secretary announced the UK Government’s plans for changes to Tiers 1 and 2 of the points based system, including a limit on the number of migrants admitted through those routes.

Yesterday (21 Feb 2011), the UK Immigration Minister Damian Green issued a “Statement of Intent” setting out how Tier 2 will operate from 6 April 2011.

The statement is not definitive as the rules will still be subject to UK Parliamentary scrutiny. However, it is intended to provide migrants and employers with enough information to make effective plans about working in, or recruiting to, the UK over the coming months.

Please download the Summary of the Statement of Intent below:

http://bit.ly/eoXLlg