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Immigration (Biometric Registration) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2009

My Lords, the Government remain committed to securing UK borders, improving immigration control and reducing identity abuse. As part of that goal, we introduced biometric registration powers in the UK Borders Act 2007 through which the Secretary of State is able to issue secure, reliable biometric documents to foreign nationals who are subject to immigration control. We issued the first identity cards to foreign nationals at the end of November 2008. The regulations are designed to extend the category for foreign nationals required to apply for an identity card. They will amend the Immigration (Biometric Registration) Regulations 2008, which came into force on 25 November 2008. The 2008 regulations were previously amended by the Immigration (Biometric Registration) (Amendment) Regulations 2009, which came into effect on 31 March 2009. Since 25 November 2008, we have issued more than 120,000 identity cards to successful applicants. The scheme has enabled us to identify persons using false identities to apply for leave, which has led to 15 successful prosecutions. A further 14 cases are awaiting prosecution and several other applications are under investigation. The identity cards are a more secure means of demonstrating a person's entitlement to work and live in the United Kingdom. As we crack down on immigration abuse and identity fraud, it is a high priority to issue identity cards to foreign nationals who are subject to immigration control. We therefore want to continue our rollout by adding tier 2 skilled workers extending their stay in the UK. The regulations will enable the identity card for foreign nationals to be issued to those applying to extend their stay under tier 2 of the points-based system, which covers: people coming in to fill vacancies that have been advertised to resident workers, but when no residents were available to fill the vacancy, which includes those coming to fill shortage occupations; employees of multinational companies who are being transferred by an overseas employer to a skilled job in the UK-based branch of the organisation; elite sportspersons and coaches whose employment makes a significant contribution to the development of their sport at the highest level, such as Premier League footballers; and people coming to fill a vacancy as a minister of religion, missionary or member of religious order. The regulations also reflect the change in the immigration category of "sole representative" to a "representative of an overseas business", which is intended to encourage inward investment to the UK by providing a means for overseas companies to transfer an employee to the UK in order to establish the UK branch or wholly owned subsidiary. The regulations extend the definition of dependants to include unmarried and same-sex partners. They also make provision for dependants of foreign nationals to apply for a card when applying for leave as a dependant. Such dependants will be able to apply for a card either at the same time or subsequent to the person on whom they are dependent becoming a cardholder themselves. I am pleased to have brought the regulations before the Committee today. They are an essential part of our strategy for combating irregular migration and the associated abuses arising from such activities. The regulations seek to combat those things and I hope that the Committee will support them.