§ Peter BottomleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in the last year have been covered by applications for work permits under the Intra-Company Transfer Scheme; how many ICT applications have been granted; how many were examined in detail and checked; and how many were rejected and why. [101503]
§ Beverley HughesIn 2002 Work Permits (UK) made decisions on 26,373 applications for work permits under the arrangements for intra-company transferees (ICTs). Of these 26,005 were approved and 368 were refused. 110 applications were refused on grounds of insufficient skills and experience, 21 on the grounds that no genuine vacancy existed, 78 on grounds of inadequate salary and 159 for other reasons.
All applications for work permits for ICTs are checked against the criteria of the work permit arrangements, which require that the company making the application is a UK-based employer with a direct link by common ownership with the overseas company; that both the post and the worker meet the skills, qualifications and experience requirements of the work permit arrangements; that the worker is an established employee with essential company knowledge and at least six months experience of working for the company; and that the pay and conditions of employment are equal to those that would be offered to a resident worker doing similar work.
Work Permits (UK) may, if it has doubts about an application, request further evidence that these requirements are met.
§ Peter BottomleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many non-EU nationals are working in the UK under the Intra-Company Transfer Scheme; and how many of them are working in information technology. [101504]
§ Beverley HughesSince 1 January 1999, 88,820 work permits, including extensions to previously issued permits, have been approved under the Intra Company Transfer (ICT) category of the work permit arrangements, of which 33,951 have been issued in respect of workers in the IT industry. However, it is not possible to provide data as to the length of time for which these permits have been issued or the proportion of permit holders that have subsequently left the United Kingdom.