Top Traders Risk Expulsion in Brain Drain From U.K. Visas

U.K. lawyers are fielding a flood of questions from multinational firms as a government shake-up of visa rules threatens to cut short the careers of top traders and other executives transferred from overseas.

Changes in the past two years include a five-year cap on how long employees who moved to the U.K. under the Intra Company Transfer system can stay, and the removal of their right to settle permanently. The introduction of a cooling-off period between visa applications means employees have to spend at least 12 months out of the country once their permit expires.