The first compulsory identity cards in Britain since the 1950s will be issued this week to thousands of foreigners living in this country, the Home Office will announce today.

Foreign students and people who are given a visa on the basis of marrying a British citizen will be the first to be given the credit-card-style cards.

The announcement signals the first significant phase of the Government's £4.7billion identity card scheme, under which about 50,000 cards are expected to be issued to foreign nationals by April. The Home Office estimates that three million foreign nationals will have the card by 2010.

Foreign students and people who apply to renew visas issued on the basis of marriage will have to apply in person at immigration offices. They will be photographed and their fingerprints will be taken, after which they will be issued with an identity card.

On its front will be their name, the place and date of issue of the card, the type of permit, how long it is valid and whether or not they can work.

On the back will be their date and place of birth, sex, nationality and whether or not they have access to publicly funded state benefits and some services.

Students renewing their visa who are issued with an identity card will pay between £295 and £500; those renewing marriage visas between £395 and £595. If they lose the card, they will have to pay a renewal fee of £30.

Cards will be issued in Croydon and other centres in Glasgow, Cardiff, Northern Ireland, Sheffield, Solihull in the West Midlands and Liverpool.

The Government will begin the next part of its overhaul of immigration policy this week with a further extension of the points-based system to cover skilled and temporary workers. Under the reforms employers who wish to recruit staff from these two categories will have to register with the UK Border Agency (UKBA) and promise to inform the authorities if migrants fail to turn up or disappear.

However, only 1,900 companies have registered with the agency out of thousands that employ foreign workers.

Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, said: “The first identity cards for foreign nationals, along with the launch of tiers 2 and 5 of the points system, demonstrate our commitment to preventing immigration abuse and protecting the prosperity of the UK. In time identity cards for foreign nationals will replace paper documents and give employers a safe and secure way of checking a migrant's right to work and study in the UK.”

To recruit skilled workers from overseas, companies must first advertise a job for a minimum of two weeks in Britain. Only if they are unable to fill it are they allowed to employ a worker from outside the European Economic Area.

A migrant worker will need to have set minimum qualifications, speak English, be able to support themselves without recourse to state benefits and have the skills needed for the vacancy.

Tim Cowen, from NCP Services, said: “This is good news for employers, and a credit to the work that the UKBA has done to help make the hiring of migrant workers more streamlined for UK organisations.”

The second category covers workers travelling temporarily to Britain, primarily for non-economic reasons, such as sportsmen and women, entertainers and charity workers. To ensure that entertainers continue to contribute to British cultural life, those coming for permit-free gigs or festivals — such as the Edinburgh Fringe — will be assessed outside the points system under visitor visa rules.

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