London: The British government tabled the first set of tougher visa norms in the House of Commons this week to curb the recruitment of foreign skilled workers across different sectors, including the care industry, calling it a “complete reset” of the country’s immigration system.
The new rules, proposed as part of an ‘Immigration White Paper’ back in May, will involve the skills and salary thresholds for foreign workers – including Indians – rise, overseas recruitment for care workers end, and more than 100 occupations including chefs and plasterers being taken off the shortage list which allowed certain visa exemptions.
These changes, once approved by Parliament and effective from July 22, are designed to attract graduate-level or above workers by making several low-paid jobs ineligible for visas.
“We are delivering a complete reset of our immigration system to restore proper control and order, after the previous government allowed net migration to quadruple in four years,” said UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.
“These new rules mean stronger controls to bring migration down, to restore order to the immigration system and to ensure we focus on investing in skills and training here in the UK,” she said.
According to a Commons statement tabled by Home Office minister Seema Malhotra, skilled workers already in the UK will be exempt from the increased skill level requirement which stipulate a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent for applications from July 22 onwards when these changes come into force.
These changes restore order to the points-based system, focusing on higher skills, lower numbers and tighter controls, the UK Home Office said.
