Skilled worker visa cap review due
There may be more opportunities for overseas professionals to come and work in the UK, depending on the Migration Advisory Committee’s work in reviewing the Shortage Occupation List.
The potential changes have been revealed as they undertake a review of the monthly UK visa cap which is currently in place for foreign professionals.
Now the government has put forward some alterations to the UK’s immigration policy, tabling them in the House of Commons. Visa quotas, which had previously been thought of as strict, will come under the microscope; suggesting that there could be more opportunities for professionals from emerging nations to come and work in the UK.
What does it mean?
Commentators expect any changes to be centred around a visa policy which makes it easier for businesses to appoint professionals from countries such as India, allowing them to come and work in the UK. Sectors such as IT, in which India has many skilled workers, has been mentioned as one of the industries which will likely be tapped for talent by British firms eyeing foreign workers.
President of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Rashesh Shah, said: “Coming in the wake of long-standing demand from Indian professionals, the news to ease the Tier 2 visa category by the British government is a welcome development. This move will certainly smooth the movement of highly-skilled professionals and increase overall competitiveness of the UK industry in the long run.”
There is the possibility that professionals in more fields will see constraints – such as those around pay and qualifications – eased after the review. The cap has been hit every month since December 2017, highlighting the number of professionals who have been unable to come to the UK to work, despite having entered the application process. Between December and March, some 6,000 skilled professionals saw their applications refused.
Businesses will now hope to take advantage of a greater pool of international talent which can come in and bolster the British workforce which already exists in sectors such as IT.
