Changes of employment
Any changes to the terms and conditions of the post for which an old-style work permit or Tier 2 work visa was issued must be reported to the UK Border Agency, and may, in some cases, result in the migrant requiring a new visa (if the changes are considered significant).
Tier 2 visa holders
If a migrant currently holds a Tier 2 visa in the University, and is changing jobs within the University before their existing work visa expires, then a new Certificate of Sponsorship will not be required providing the new post is the same type of job as that for which the original work visa was issued.
For example, a Postdoctoral Research Assistant may switch from one department to take up a new research post in another department without the need for the new employing department to apply for a new Certificate of Sponsorship (and therefore without the migrant being required to apply for a new visa). In such circumstances, the Work Permit's Desk must notify the UK Border Agency that there will be a 'technical change' in the migrant's employment: departments must notify the Work Permits Desk of such changes.
However, a Postdoctoral Research Assistant would not be able to take up a new post as a University Lecturer without first obtaining a new work visa since the UK Border Agency considers university research and teaching to be different occupations.
In circumstances where a change in job would not require a new visa, the new employing department must send an email to the Work Permits Desk within five working days of the migrant taking up the new post. The email should confirm the date that the new post commenced, the new job title, the new salary, the new work address and the new job description.
The Work Permits Desk will notify the UK Border Agency of the technical change of employment via the online Sponsor Management System. The UK Border Agency will not provide written approval of reported changes in jobs for Tier 2 visa holders as they do with old-style work permit holders.
Old-style work permit holders
If the migrant currently holds an old-style work permit then the new employing department must complete a Technical Change of Employment form, detailing all of the changes to the current employment, and send it to the Work Permits Desk (unsigned). The Work Permits Desk will then sign the form and send it to the UK Border Agency for consideration.
A Technical Change of Employment application costs £22 and this fee will be cross-charged to the new employing department. Please provide a cost centre, natural account, activity, source of funds and organisation code to charge the fee to. The migrant will not be able to start the new post until approval of the Technical Change of Employment application is received from the UK Border Agency. Applications are currently taking approximately 8 weeks to process.
Where either a Tier 2 visa or old-style work permit holder is coming to the end of their visa and intends to take up a new university or college post from the end date of the visa, and the new employment is the same type of job as that for which their original work visa was issued, the new employing department would need to complete a Tier 2 CoS extension application form 
(27kb), noting all of the changes to the existing post (job title, salary, work address and job description), and submit this to the Work Permits Desk.
In such circumstances, the department will not be required to complete a Technical Change of Employment form or send an email to the Work Permits Desk since the UK Border Agency will be notified of the changes at the time that the new Certificate of Sponsorship is issued.