http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitec ... ed-workers
10 December 2009
From next month, skilled migrant workers and their dependants will receive an identity card for foreign nationals when they successfully apply to extend their stay in the UK under Tier 2 of the points-based system.
Under regulations approved by Parliament yesterday, all Tier 2 applications made inside the UK on or after 6 January 2010 will involve the enrolment of the applicant's biometric information (fingerprints and photograph).
Migrants in a number of other categories must already enrol their biometrics and obtain an identity card for foreign nationals when they apply to extend their stay in the UK. For more information, see the Identity cards section of this website.
As the number of migrants required to enrol their biometrics increases, this year we have increased the range of options for them to do so:
There are now 11 Home Office biometric enrolment centres around the UK - foreign nationals can book appointments at these centres through our new online booking service or by telephone.
Postal applicants living within certain postcodes can now choose to enrol their biometrics at a limited number of Crown post offices nationwide. This is a trial walk-in service, with no need to book an appointment, but is currently available only to applicants who have been sent an invitation to use it. Applicants using this service will need to pay an additional fee of £8.00 to Post Office Ltd. Seventeen post offices will be taking part in the trial, with the locations published on our website as they come online.
For a premium fee, applicants can choose to apply in person and receive a same-day decision on their application at one of our seven public enquiry offices. Please note that appointments for this service at Croydon are often in high demand, but appointments are available at our regional offices in Belfast, Cardiff, Glasgow, Liverpool, Solihull and Sheffield.
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/manag ... ds-a-card/
We are now accelerating the roll-out of identity cards. Subject to Parliamentary approval, from January 2010 we will require all sponsored skilled workers to obtain an identity card if they apply to extend their stay in this country under Tier 2 of the points-based system. And we propose that, from the end of 2010, highly skilled and temporary workers will need to apply for an identity card when they apply to extend their stay under Tier 1 or Tier 5 of the points-based system.
