letmec2006 wrote:Having applied interim limit for extension applicants for Teir 2, I cant see why they wont do this for Teir 1 extension, I am worried now???
First of all, I don't think the limit applies to Tier 2 in-country extension applicants.
Regarding Tier 1: one reason why it may be difficult to cap extensions is the sheer number of people competing for the visas. In 2012, for example, the new applicants will be applying together with those who got their visas in BOTH 2009 and 2010 (because of a switch to 2 year validity). Assuming a current cap applies to all applicants (new and extension), that would be about 3 people per 1 visa (at least).
For example, how do they take care of the different earnings and educational requirements across periods? How do they deal with the fact that some extension applicants got their original visas closer to the end of the year, meaning that all the capped visas would be gone by then?
I am not saying that the Government will not cap extensions. However, if they decide to go ahead with this, that would be a logistical nightmare, with huge human rights implications.
*UPDATE* MAC consultation document also mentioned putting dependents of Tier 1 migrants under the cap, so the reality can be even worse.