To Leave or Not to Leave... that is the MBA dilemma

My fiance highlighted this to me.


Here's the deal...

Easier entry into Britain with an MBA

Sunday January 14, 2007

LONDON: Malaysian professionals who hold an MBA from any of 50 British-approved institutions will stand a better chance of working in Britain.

They will automatically get 75 points – the minimum qualifying mark under the point-based system in the Highly-Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP), which came into force on Dec 5.

The move affects mostly doctors, lawyers, accountants, engineers and entrepreneurs, who must score at least 75 points to cross the HSMP hurdle....

Here's what the Malaysian government have to say about it...
Govt has no objections to Malaysians working abroad

Sunday January 14, 2007

KOTA BARU: The Government welcomes Malaysians to seek job prospects overseas as it was part of a globalised trend where highly skilled people are sought after all over the world.....

....“Of course, we want to stop a brain drain in certain critical areas but we feel by them going overseas, it can also benefit the country as they gain experience and income,” he said after meeting Jeli district education department officials and principals at Sutera Inn here...

...However, the Government strongly discourages any major skilled workers migration from critical areas such as medicine, dentistry, engineering and scientists, he said.

Here's what REALLY happens...

UK is luring Malaysian (or any other country) skilled professionals to their country - in other words, "brain drain". This is a HSMP (Highly Skilled Migrant Programme). A migration programme. When people migrate, don't expect them to come back. It rarely happens.

Now the problem is, that article was really confusing, the link to the UK Treasury is obscure. And what it does not tell you is that the ones who can really make it by going through the programme may be the minority of the lot. The rest will suffer.

MBA: M_alaysian B_ut A_vailable?... just read the comments.
Quoting commenter: malayantiger

The screamimg Star headlines truly shocks me.It gives the immpression that UK is soft on migration and is welcoming non-EU. The truth is otherwise! The reason why I am saying this is that currently there are hundreds if not thousands of HSMP visa holders being stranded by the new retrospective rules. I emailed to you about this issue earlier.(no reply) The British government id devilish on this new deal. Yes, you get in with an MBA from the 'approved' 50 so-called top MBA, and if you are under 28. But what the Star report does not mention is that to apply for extension when your HSMP visa expires, you need to requalify under the point system. You must also show you have earnings of at least £35k a year. Now that is an impossibility as not many can or will earn that amount. The old HSMP rules made in 2002 are actually friendlier than the new ones! There has been a lot of protests going on about new rules that have been applied on old HSMP holders.

And it's true.

UK - protest by migrants against HSMP change

11 January 2007

Highly skilled migrants in the United Kingdom are organizing a demonstration against recent changes to the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP)...
...The changes, introduced without warning on 07 November, have affected up to an estimated 49,000 migrants, according to organizers. Migrants already in the UK under HSMP visas must meet the new requirements of the updated points-based system to qualify for extensions. The new criteria include changes in earnings requirements, age and academic qualifications. As a result, many people working in the UK under the program may not be able to stay when it comes time to apply for HSMP extensions.

....The main issue concerning demonstrators is that migrants already in the UK under the program must re-qualify under a points-based system. They would rather re-qualify based on economic activity alone. In some cases, new applicants for the HSMP program may find it easier to enter the UK under the new changes.

So far, lobbying and petitioning by migrants have not led to any reversal of the HSMP changes.

More readings:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6252007.stm
http://ia.rediff.com/news/2007/jan/11uk.htm
http://www.ukimmigration.com/news/2006_08_16/uk/arab_doctors_outraged.htm

So the changes in the HSMP have made the entries EVEN EASIER, but making the extension more difficult. No doubt the UK government are expecting many people to pass the re-qualification, but in reality, it doesn't happen that way. Definitely unfair for those who gave up everything they had to join the programme, only to have it slapped back to their faces.

Ya know, I started to wonder why our own government did not highlight the matter to us. Could they be expecting the MBA holders/skilled workers to be capable of doing their own homework before joining up? What if they didn't? Is this supposed to give our gomen a chance to gloat over the failures?







There's always a catch to everything. My final advice... and I quote... "An MBA is not a passport for instant success or higher pay."