UNITED KINGDOM VISA AND IMMIGRATION NEWS

06 September 2021

Ease Immigration rules to fix jobs squeeze, companies urge UK

Britain must relax its new immigration rules to allow in more foreign workers and ease labour shortages caused by the coronavirus pandemic and Brexit, a leading employers group, the Confederation of British Industry, said on 06/09/21.

Since COVID restrictions began to ease earlier this year, allowing the economy to reopen, companies have complained increasingly of a lack of workers especially in hospitality, food processing and logistics which has led to gaps on supermarket shelves and restaurant closures.

A shortage of truck drivers has forced some employers to offer signing-on and retention bonuses of up to 5,000 pounds ($6,900), and official data shows a record number of job vacancies.

The CBI said drivers, welders, butchers and bricklayers should be classed as shortage occupations for immigration purposes. This would allow easier access to visas, but also for the employers sponsoring them to pay salaries below thresholds for migrant workers under Britain's new migration system.

The government has called on employers to train more British people to fill their vacancies but the CBI said that would take up to two years.

01 August 2021

In just 20 years, the UK population has exploded by around seven million to nearly 70 million

In just 20 years, the UK population has exploded by around seven million to nearly 70million. According to a study, 90 per cent of this growth was driven by immigration.

Last month, Home Secretary Priti Patel warned that the Great British public had had enough of "uncontrolled migration directed by organised crime gangs". "They’ve had enough of people being trafficked and sold into modern slavery, of economic migrants pretending to be genuine refugees, of adults pretending to be children to claim asylum,” she told MPs.

"For the first time in decades, we will determine who comes in and out of our country." She then unveiled her new Borders Bill to block both illegals and the shadowy mafia gangs who have made a fortune as their travel agents. Bogus asylum seekers will be sent back, she promised. Criminals will be rounded up and punished.

05 July 2021

EU Settlement Scheme Closes

The United Kingdom’s EU Settlement Scheme, which permitted European Union citizens to apply to continue living in the UK in spite of Brexit, has closed for applications on June 30, 2021.

Announcing the closure of the deadline, the Home Office has noted in a press release that as many as six million applications have been received to the scheme, "marking an astonishing success in protecting the rights of EU citizens in the UK."

EU and EEA citizens living in the UK, who haven’t applied for the EU settlement scheme on time will now need to apply for valid UK immigration status in order to remain in the UK, "either through the EUSS, if they were resident in the UK by December 31, 2020, or are a joining family member, or through a valid visa."

The EU Settlement Scheme was first launched on March 30, 2019, processing more than 20,000 applications per day. The scheme granted all EU, EEA and Switzerland citizens the chance to continue living in the UK after the latter left the European Union.

02 June 2021

Wetherspoons boss Tim Martin requests more EU migration to help staff bars

Wetherspoons boss Tim Martin has called for more EU migration to help tackle the shortage of bar staff working in the UK. The pro-Brexit multimillionaire urged Boris Johnson to introduce a "reasonably liberal immigration system" controlled by Britain rather than the European Union.

Mr Martin, who was a vocal supporter of the UK's departure from the EU, also suggested that countries geographically closer to the UK could be prioritised for the programme. He told the Daily Telegraph: "The UK has a low birth rate. A reasonably liberal immigration system controlled by those we have elected, as distinct from the EU system, would be a plus for the economy and the country. "America, Australia and Singapore have benefitted for many decades from this approach. Immigration combined with democracy works."

JD Wetherspoon was founded by Mr Martin in 1979 and sells low-priced ales, breakfasts, lunches and dinner. It currently runs 871 pubs in the UK and Ireland but has seen the number of workers drop over the past year by around 6,000 to almost 38,000.

A visa system would make it easier for pubs and restaurants to hire workers from the bloc, with post-Brexit rules making it more difficult for workers in lower-skilled roles to settle in the country.

According to recruitment website Caterer.com, roughly one in 10 hospitality workers have left the sector over the past 12 months, while the industry's trade body, UK Hospitality, estimated a shortfall of about 188,000 workers due to successive lockdowns.

04 May 2021

UK and India sign ground-breaking partnership migration deal

The governments of the UK and India have signed a new landmark migration agreement, which will see both countries benefit from enhanced arrangements on migration issues.

Home Secretary Priti Patel and India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar today (Tuesday 4 May) signed the Migration and Mobility Partnership agreement, aimed at supporting people to live and work in both countries while addressing long standing problems of illegal migration from India to the UK.

The historic agreement delivers on the UK government's fair but firm New Plan for Immigration & attracting the best and brightest and supporting people coming to the UK through legal routes, while stopping the abuse of the system and speeding up the removal of those who have no right to be in the UK.

The agreement will enhance and accelerate the processes to return Indian nationals with no legal right to stay in the UK and vice versa, and ensure greater co-operation around organised immigration crime.

In a first of its kind between the two countries, both governments have agreed enhanced mobility provisions for young professional Indian and British citizens which will allow people to live and work in the two countries for up to two years.

02 April 2021

Anger among UK musicians 'forgotten' in Brexit deal

Mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly has garnered some of Britain's highest honours for her work. But such recognition is in stark contrast to the treatment experienced by musicians post-Brexit, she says.

Connolly called the government's failure to prioritise an agreement allowing musicians visa-free travel to Europe, after Britain finally quit all EU structures at the end of 2020, "absolutely outrageous".

While Britain insists the blame lies with EU inflexibility during last year's trade negotiations, Brussels argues that London was fixated on ending freedom of movement for EU citizens coming to Britain.

Last week British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he shared the performers' frustration, adding the government was "working flat out" to address the issue with individual EU governments.

"Some of them are much, much better and forward leaning than others. Others we've still got progress to make," he said.

Annetts said the effect of the restrictions had been temporarily hidden by the Covid pandemic, with venues shuttered and travel curtailed. However, serious damage had already been done, she added.

"There is, at the moment, a cultural shift going on, because UK musicians are now seen as problematic," she said.

The implications would be "massive" for Britain's creative industries and the economy, Annetts added. "In terms of the standing of the UK, I don't think that can be underestimated."

02 March 2021

UK set to shake up Tech visa rules

The UK is working on a fast-track visa program for home-grown tech companies, designed to protect their ability to attract global talent.

According to a report from City AM, the program was triggered by a report from the former Worldpay boss Ron Kalifa.

International workers make up almost half (42 percent) of the UK's tech workforce, the Kalifa review states. Of that number, more than a quarter (28 percent) are workers from EU member states.

"Brexit gives Paris, Berlin and other European fintech hubs a window to capitalize on uncertain messaging. In order to sustain its global dominance in fintech, the UK needs to strengthen its position on immigration or risk a significant shortage in human capital," the report said.

Speaking to the Financial Times, Chancellor Rishi Sunak said such a program would be an excellent idea that would help scale up the industry. He said the UK leaving the EU could be seen as a great opportunity for the technology industry.

"We want to be innovative, entrepreneurial, agile. We can do things differently after Brexit. We want to be open to the world, we want to be world class at things," said Sunak.

The Kalifa review also urged the UK government to pledge at least $1.4 billion as a scale-up fund.

06 February 2021

Au Pairs under threat from new UK Immigration Rules

The Au Pair childcare programme of the UK is at risk of disappearing as a result of new post-Brexit immigration rules, the industry trade association has warned.

An estimated 45,000 families in the UK, including many key workers such as doctors, nurses and police, rely on the longstanding au pair cultural exchange programme for affordable childcare.

However, with the end of EU free movement this year, au pairs have been categorised as skilled workers, under the UK's points-based immigration system alongside nannies and childcare workers, with new entrants needing to earn a minimum salary of £20,480 a year.

Mr. Jamie Shackell, chair of the British Au Pair Agencies Association (BAPAA), said the new regime was not suitable for the au pair system, which was originally conceived as a cultural exchange programme for 18 to 26-year-olds.

Before Brexit, au pairs & more than 90 per cent of whom came from the EU and European Economic Area countries received board and lodging, a contribution towards English language classes and £100 a week pocket money, in exchange for about 25 hours of childcare per week.

Shackell is pressing the Home Office to amend the visa rules to enable agencies to sponsor au pairs on behalf of families who could then pay them via a payroll company. She estimated au pairs would then cost about £180 a week.

If the Home Office doesn't provide a simpler visa route for au pairs, then the programme will be lost. It is inappropriate to categorise au pairs as skilled workers as they have no formal childcare qualifications & they don't belong in that bracket, she said.

She added that the simplest route would be to reinstate the au pair visa that was scrapped in 2008 because it had essentially been made redundant by EU free movement rules.

04 January 2021

68,000 EU migrants apply to stay in region despite Brexit

Home Office figures reveal that by the end of September 2020, 68,210 people successfully applied to continue living in the four boroughs, including 14,010 Poles, 12,830 Italians and 12,710 Romanians.

European Union nationals wishing to continue living in the UK must apply under the EU Settlement Scheme by June 30.

Those who have lived in the UK for five years and meet the criteria can receive settled status and remain in the country indefinitely, while those living here for less time can receive pre-settled status, which allows them to remain for a further five years.

Across the UK, 3.9 million applications have been made under the scheme since it was launched 56 per cent of applicants received settled status, 41.6 per cent pre-settled status and 0.4 per cent were refused.

Sunder Katwala, director of British Future, said new rules requiring immigrants to meet a 25,400 salary threshold may pose issues for some sectors, although foreign graduates will be allowed to work after they study.

He said: Despite the additional bureaucratic processes and visa fees, EU migration will continue for graduate professionals in areas like law, science and academia.

The Government has committed to allowing the NHS to recruit the staff it needs but has not done the same for social care.

The most significant impacts are likely to be in social care and hospitality, for roles paying below those salary bands.