Tier 5 visa to replace Holidaymaker visa

[AtheneNoctua]

Blimey, where have I been??? I've missed all of this. Apparently you have to come from acountry who has a reciprocal temp worker program. But what countries are those? And, looks like the South Africans are now not going to qualify. Damn, there goes a perfectly good source of English speakers. I wonder if the Americans can get in on the deal now?

www.workpermit.com/news/2008-05-12/uk/united-kingdom-releases-tier-5-details.htm

Okay, who has not had their head in the sand and can fill me in... (I bet nanny nick will pop up)

What... no one is isterested in not get Holidaymaker visas for future au pairs....

Exactly. I saaw on another site Nov. 2008, but there wasn't much information. In fact the site said the information had not been released. How do they expect us to plan for our domestic help.

Am dying to know if the US will now qualify. I have a few neices who will be old enough to be au pairs in a few years and would love if they could come over for summers.

This is old news AN - it was buried in draft legislation a couple of years ago and at the time I said to dh that, as domestic workers would be Tier 5, it would be hard to get an AP. But if you stick to EU countries you're fine.

The Au pair programme is defunct as of October I believe. Mind you in my house it was defunct as of May

The US will be on the list because the Bunac programme is going to be rolled into Tier 5. Whether the restrictions will be the same or not, I don't know.

A lot depends on the reciprical arrangements for a country to receive young British citizens...

So we are axing South Africa... but we are going to let the lovely Americans in.... Really? Fantastic!

So, I guess I didn't have to get married after all? (just kidding!)

You will have to wait until the HO publish more details. They are a bit scanty for something that is just a few months away.

Right does anyone know if this means one cantl have a south african au pair? And what happens if she is already here by then?

I think they would need a Working Holiday Visa prior to November 2008. It would then fall under Tier 5 Transitional, which I think means they could stay in the UK for the length of that visa, but not have it extended.