To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) highly-skilled migrants and (b) dependents of highly-skilled migrants were given leave to enter the UK under (i) the highly-skilled migrants programme and (ii) tier 1 of the points-based system in the first quarter of 2009. (280797)

The Highly Skilled Migrant Programme was subsumed under Tier 1 of the Points Based System on 30 June 2008.

In the first quarter of 2009, 7,803 non-EEA nationals were issued with visas to enter the UK as highly skilled migrants under Tier 1 of the Points Based System, and 3,468 non-EEA nationals were issued with visas to enter as their dependents (i.e. partner or child).