New Delhi: UK is a key market for the Indian IT-BPO industry and Indian companies have built a successful partnership with business and government in UK to enhance competitiveness, enable service delivery and create value for both economies, NASSCOM, the voice of Indian IT industry. The Indian IT industry largely uses the Intra Company Transfers (ICTs) under Tier 2 for project execution and other related assignments in the UK. As per the policy announced, short-term visas (less than 12 months) and intra-company transfers are exempt from the cap, said a press release, in response to the UK's announcing new visa cap. Most ICTs are used for short-term work and beyond 12 months, there is no cap on the visas, but there has been an increase in the minimum salary level to 40,000 pounds.

NASSCOM has made several representations to the UK Government including the Borders Agency, Migration Advisory Committee and even given evidence to the Homer Affairs Select Committee in the British Parliament. Ameet Nivsarkar, VP, Global Trade Development, NASSCOM, said, “NASSCOM has consistently highlighted the need for business-friendly visas and had cited the severe problems that global companies encounter because of a cap system that operates in other geographies. We are pleased that as per our representation, there is no cap imposed on Intra Company Transfers (ICTs) of skilled professionals. We are assessing the impact of the salary requirement on longer term visas; however, we feel that there may be a marginal cost impact both for the providers of these services and the customers. He added that they will continue to work with the industry and the UK Government to ensure that the rollout of the new system is smooth and with minimal impact.