The UK government is considering a plan to tighten visa regulations for hiring foreign IT, telecom, and engineering professionals, with an aim to reduce high migration levels.
This potential policy change could significantly impact thousands of Indian professionals who currently fill critical gaps in these sectors in the UK.
According to a TOI report, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has requested the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to review the heavy reliance on international recruitment in these industries.
In her letter to MAC Chair Brian Bell, Cooper emphasized that these sectors rank among the top 10 in terms of dependency on foreign talent.
She attributed this trend to persistent skills shortages within the UK labor market.
The review might explore measures like increasing the minimum salary threshold for foreign workers or introducing regional restrictions on hiring.
Cooper urged MAC to investigate the root causes of the labor shortages and assess how these sectors have attempted to address the issue beyond relying on overseas recruitment.
The MAC's findings are expected in nine months. Commenting on the situation, Ganapati Bhat, an IT consultant from Bengaluru who has been working in the UK since 2007, told TOI, “There is no need to change the policy around this just because there is noise around immigration.
We can hardly fulfill the vacancies in Britain as salaries for some of these jobs are not that great compared to India and the US when you take into account the cost of living.”
Earlier in August, the UK government also delayed the planned increase in the minimum income requirement for British nationals and permanent residents to bring family members to the country.
This pause, confirmed by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, will keep the current threshold of GBP 29,000 unchanged until the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) reviews the impact on families.
The decision affects many Indian families, as Indians were the second-highest sponsors of Family Visas in 2023.
Cooper emphasized the need to balance family life with the UK's economic wellbeing.
Source: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/work/uk-may-be-planning-to-tighten-visa-rules-for-hiring-foreign-techies/articleshow/112457976.cms
