23 Jan 2007 : Column 1693Wcontinued
Highly Skilled Migrant Visas
Mr. Soames:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many highly skilled migrant visas have been issued in each of the last five years; to people of which nationalities they have been issued; and in which categories they have been issued. [100759]
23 Jan 2007 : Column 1694W
Mr. Byrne:
The following table provides detail of the numbers of approvals, by country of origin of the application, issued under the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP) for each calendar year since the programme was launched on 28 January 2002, including applications approved in the year to September 2006. These approvals allow individuals to apply for leave to enter or leave to remain in the United Kingdom as highly skilled migrants.
These data are derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change.
HSMP is designed to allow highly skilled individuals with exceptional skills and experience to seek to enter or stay to work in the UK, without having a prior offer of employment, or to take up self-employment opportunities here. We are therefore unable to record which category of work they enter. The table gives numbers for each year by the country of origin on the application and does not, therefore, necessarily reflect the nationality of the applicant. Applications from European countries appear where non EU nationals are resident in those countries.
HSMP approved applications January 2002-September 2006, by country of origin of application and calendar year( 1) |
| 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | Total |
Afghanistan
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
3
|
Albania
|
1
|
4
|
4
|
0
|
3
|
12
|
Algeria
|
1
|
4
|
2
|
7
|
2
|
16
|
American Samoa
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
Antigua and Barbuda
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
Argentina
|
17
|
12
|
11
|
12
|
8
|
60
|
Armenia
|
1
|
1
|
8
|
11
|
6
|
27
|
Australia
|
84
|
239
|
648
|
1,518
|
1,577
|
4,066
|
Azerbaijan
|
1
|
12
|
9
|
17
|
11
|
50
|
Bahamas
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
3
|
Bahrain
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
4
|
Bangladesh
|
14
|
46
|
114
|
245
|
239
|
658
|
Barbados
|
2
|
2
|
7
|
7
|
15
|
33
|
Belarus
|
2
|
7
|
11
|
12
|
7
|
39
|
Belize
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
4
|
Bolivia
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
3
|
Bosnia and Herzegovina
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
5
|
Botswana
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
4
|
0
|
5
|
Brazil
|
6
|
22
|
28
|
53
|
78
|
187
|
British National (Overseas)(2)
|
6
|
14
|
8
|
8
|
7
|
43
|
British Overseas Citizen(3)
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
Brunei
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
Bulgaria
|
6
|
22
|
25
|
59
|
34
|
146
|
Cambodia
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
Cameroon
|
1
|
8
|
5
|
11
|
22
|
47
|
Canada
|
48
|
89
|
107
|
178
|
164
|
586
|
Chile
|
3
|
3
|
2
|
6
|
4
|
18
|
China, Peoples Republic of
|
33
|
152
|
368
|
650
|
334
|
1,537
|
Colombia
|
9
|
11
|
13
|
18
|
24
|
75
|
Costa Rica
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
Cote DIvoire (Ivory Coast)
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
4
|
Croatia
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
9
|
9
|
19
|
Cuba
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
3
|
23 Jan 2007 : Column 1695W
Curacao
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
Cyprus
|
2
|
5
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
8
|
Czech Republic
|
1
|
6
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
7
|
Dominica
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
5
|
Dominican Republic
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
4
|
2
|
7
|
Ecuador
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
7
|
Egypt
|
12
|
32
|
81
|
135
|
184
|
444
|
El Salvador
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
3
|
Eritrea
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
Estonia
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
4
|
Ethiopia
|
0
|
5
|
6
|
12
|
11
|
34
|
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia/Montenegro) until June 2006
|
1
|
16
|
8
|
7
|
4
|
42
|
Gambia
|
0
|
3
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
6
|
Georgia
|
2
|
4
|
8
|
8
|
4
|
26
|
Ghana
|
4
|
23
|
45
|
70
|
73
|
215
|
Grenada
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
3
|
6
|
Guatemala
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
3
|
Guinea-Bissau
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
Guyana
|
2
|
2
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
19
|
Honduras
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
3
|
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China
|
3
|
2
|
9
|
14
|
6
|
34
|
Hungary
|
4
|
2
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
9
|
Iceland
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
India
|
180
|
656
|
1,967
|
6,715
|
7,340
|
16,858
|
Indonesia
|
2
|
5
|
5
|
15
|
17
|
44
|
Iran
|
9
|
31
|
41
|
91
|
86
|
258
|
Iraq
|
7
|
17
|
23
|
36
|
40
|
123
|
Ireland
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
Israel
|
9
|
45
|
52
|
69
|
44
|
219
|
Jamaica
|
8
|
16
|
27
|
20
|
20
|
91
|
Japan
|
7
|
23
|
24
|
38
|
32
|
124
|
Jordan
|
2
|
6
|
20
|
26
|
72
|
126
|
Kazakhstan
|
3
|
5
|
5
|
18
|
15
|
46
|
Kenya
|
15
|
28
|
37
|
59
|
61
|
200
|
Korea, North (Democratic Peoples Rep of)
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
Korea, South (Rep of Korea)
|
5
|
8
|
19
|
20
|
29
|
81
|
Kuwait
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
3
|
4
|
Kyrgyzstan
|
0
|
1
|
3
|
11
|
4
|
19
|
Latvia
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
Lebanon
|
3
|
7
|
7
|
16
|
17
|
50
|
Liberia
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
Libya
|
1
|
6
|
16
|
28
|
66
|
117
|
Lithuania
|
8
|
6
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
14
|
Macedonia
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
5
|
Malawi
|
0
|
1
|
10
|
15
|
10
|
36
|
Malaysia
|
14
|
33
|
63
|
174
|
214
|
498
|
Maldives
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
Mali
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
Malta
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
Mauritania
|
0
|
3
|
1
|
1
|
3
|
8
|
Mauritius
|
1
|
11
|
21
|
26
|
29
|
88
|
Mexico
|
5
|
13
|
21
|
36
|
17
|
92
|
Moldova (Rep of)
|
2
|
1
|
6
|
17
|
12
|
38
|
Mongolia
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
4
|
1
|
8
|
23 Jan 2007 : Column 1696W
Montenegro (post June 2006)
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
Morocco
|
3
|
2
|
3
|
3
|
0
|
11
|
Mozambique
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
Myanmar
|
2
|
7
|
12
|
38
|
83
|
142
|
Namibia
|
0
|
2
|
6
|
8
|
2
|
18
|
Nepal
|
2
|
16
|
34
|
111
|
129
|
292
|
New Zealand
|
19
|
115
|
337
|
847
|
778
|
2,096
|
Nicaragua
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
Niger
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
4
|
2
|
8
|
Nigeria
|
31
|
186
|
445
|
1,187
|
1,209
|
3,058
|
Oman
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
3
|
1
|
5
|
Pakistan
|
58
|
268
|
1,001
|
2,080
|
1,569
|
4,976
|
Palestinian Authority
|
0
|
1
|
4
|
11
|
17
|
33
|
Panama
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
Papua New Guinea
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
Paraguay
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
Peru
|
3
|
15
|
9
|
21
|
15
|
63
|
Philippines
|
4
|
16
|
16
|
25
|
32
|
93
|
Poland
|
4
|
20
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
24
|
Qatar
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
Romania
|
7
|
19
|
27
|
41
|
37
|
131
|
Russian Federation
|
33
|
97
|
143
|
279
|
221
|
773
|
Rwanda
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
Saudi Arabia
|
0
|
2
|
5
|
11
|
5
|
23
|
Senegal
|
0
|
0
|
4
|
0
|
2
|
6
|
Serbia (post June 2006)
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
6
|
6
|
Seychelles
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
4
|
Sierra Leone
|
2
|
4
|
5
|
5
|
5
|
21
|
Singapore
|
14
|
26
|
36
|
48
|
57
|
181
|
Slovakia
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
5
|
Slovenia
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
Solomon Islands
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
South Africa
|
73
|
344
|
592
|
860
|
658
|
2,527
|
Sri Lanka
|
8
|
39
|
86
|
269
|
348
|
750
|
St. Kitts and Nevis
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
St. Lucia
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
3
|
10
|
St. Vincent and The Grenadines
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
Sudan
|
5
|
14
|
33
|
54
|
55
|
161
|
Suriname
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
Swaziland
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
3
|
Switzerland
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
Syria (Arab Rep)
|
0
|
2
|
23
|
60
|
2
|
87
|
Taiwan, Territory of
|
2
|
2
|
9
|
19
|
21
|
53
|
Tajikistan
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
Tanzania (United Rep of)
|
5
|
8
|
6
|
9
|
7
|
35
|
Thailand
|
2
|
2
|
6
|
4
|
7
|
21
|
Trinidad and Tobago
|
2
|
11
|
23
|
46
|
74
|
156
|
Tunisia
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
3
|
1
|
5
|
Turkey
|
9
|
56
|
50
|
85
|
53
|
253
|
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
Turkmenistan
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
Uganda
|
1
|
4
|
11
|
21
|
18
|
55
|
23 Jan 2007 : Column 1697W
Ukraine
|
8
|
24
|
57
|
91
|
88
|
268
|
United Arab Emirates
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
4
|
United States of America
|
271
|
559
|
456
|
619
|
509
|
2,414
|
Uruguay
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
3
|
0
|
6
|
Uzbekistan
|
0
|
2
|
8
|
15
|
14
|
39
|
Venezuela
|
4
|
22
|
10
|
11
|
15
|
62
|
Vietnam
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
4
|
3
|
9
|
Yemen
|
0
|
4
|
0
|
4
|
2
|
10
|
Zambia
|
9
|
16
|
19
|
24
|
19
|
87
|
Zimbabwe
|
29
|
76
|
88
|
105
|
101
|
399
|
Total
|
1,176
|
3,687
|
7,500
|
17,582
|
17,169
|
47,114
|
(1) 2002 includes data from 28 January. 2006 includes data to 30 September.
(2 )British national (overseas) is a person who applied to the Home Secretary or his overseas representative before 1 July 1997. To qualify for registration, the person applying must have been a British Dependent Territories citizen by connection with Hong Kong.
(3) British overseas citizena person who, immediately before 1 January 1983, was a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies and did not, on that date, automatically become a British citizen or a British Dependent Territories citizen.
|