More than 100,000 identity cards have been issued to UK work permit holders

If the regulations laid out in parliament this week are adopted, from 6 January next year UK Work Permit holders from outside the European Economic Area will be issued with identity cards when they extend their permission to stay for more than six months under UK Tier 2 Work Permit system.

These UK Tier 2 Work Permit holders will need to enroll their biometrics (fingerprints and photograph) as part of their application to extend their stay.

The identity card scheme has been accelerated, initially applicants under the UK Tier 2 Work Permit scheme were to apply for cards from spring next year, and it is likely that the introduction of the identity cards for UK Tier 1 Skilled Visa and UK Tier 5 Temporary Workers will be brought forward from spring 2011 to the end of 2010.

 The UK Visa Bureau is an independent consulting company specialising in UK Visa and UK Work Permit applications.