UK seeks to attract high-skilled workers with points-based immigration system

By Kylie MacLellan

 

FILE PHOTO: Signage is seen at the UK border control point at the arrivals area of Heathrow Airport, London, September 3, 2018. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will prioritise access for high-skilled workers from around the world in its post-Brexit, points-based immigration system, the government said on Tuesday, setting out its plans to put an end to a reliance on "cheap labour from Europe".

 

Concern over the impact of high levels of immigration from the European Union was one of the key drivers behind Britain's 2016 vote to leave the bloc and the government has said it plans to bring overall migration numbers down.

 

The new system will assign points for specific skills, qualifications, salaries or professions and only give visas to those who have enough points. It will come into force from Jan. 1, 2021 and will treat EU and non-EU citizens the same.

 

"For the first time in decades, the UK will have full control over who comes to this country and how our immigration system operates," the government said in a policy document setting out its plans.

 

EU citizens will not need a visa to enter Britain as a visitor for up to six months.

 

The Home Office said it would follow a recommendation made last month by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), an independent body which advises the government, to lower the minimum general salary threshold for skilled migrants to 25,600 pounds ($33,330) a year, from 30,000 pounds.

 

Skilled workers will need to meet criteria including specific skills and the ability to speak English, the government said, and those applying will need to have a job offer.

 

There will be no specific entry route for low-skilled workers, something the government hopes will help reduce the number of migrants.

 

"We need to shift the focus of our economy away from reliance on cheap labour from Europe and instead concentrate on investment in technology and automation. Employers will need to adjust," the policy document said.

 

The MAC estimated the impact of the government's planned salary and skills thresholds would mean around 70% of European Economic Area citizens who have arrived in Britain since 2004 would not have been eligible for a visa.

 

Students will be covered by the points-based system, the government said, while there will be separate initiatives for scientists, graduates, National Health Service workers and those in the agricultural sector.

 

(Editing by Stephen Addison)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-02-19

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"We need to shift the focus of our economy away from reliance on cheap labour from Europe and instead concentrate on investment in technology and automation. Employers will need to adjust," the policy document said.

 

And erm..... Employees will have to.....

 

Yeah, can see queue's of home grown labour already at the job centres wanting all those minimum wage agricultural jobs the Europeans are filling.

Brilliant idea, good old fashioned common sense. Just 30 years too late.

Good move by the UK. No need to discriminate against workers from non EU countries. No need to exploit poor workers from Eastern Europe while undercutting our local jobs. No need to let the EU run our immigration policy and flood the country with low skilled workers from EU countries. We can now prioritize the occupations for which we have a shortfall.

 

Thank god we won in 2016. Keep the good news coming.

It seems employers will need to adjust much: change labour policy, change customers, change supply chain.... what next? Change location?

1 hour ago, Chomper Higgot said:

"We need to shift the focus of our economy away from reliance on cheap labour from Europe and instead concentrate on investment in technology and automation. Employers will need to adjust," the policy document said.

Interesting quote. History has shown that slave labour stifles technological innovation, the Romans Empire being a good example.

Spud picking was a 'nice little earner' during school holidays when I was a kid, as were strawberrys & apples etc in season. All the youth of today need to do is to put their screens down and get on their bikes.

 

& in the winter months there's always a few quid to be made clearing Rabbits, Pigeons, Squirrels.

Edited February 19, 20206 yr by evadgib

53 minutes ago, nausea said:

Interesting quote. History has shown that slave labour stifles technological innovation, the Romans Empire being a good example.

‘Slave labour’.

 

Please do keep to reality.

28 minutes ago, evadgib said:

Spud picking was a 'nice little earner' during school holidays when I was a kid, as were strawberrys & apples etc in season. All the youth of today need to do is to put their screens down and get on their bikes.

 

& in the winter months there's always a few quid to be made clearing Rabbits, Pigeons, Squirrels.

And when the school holidays end and the children have to go back to their books?

A look at which sectors of the economy are short of worker’s is enough to reveal this ‘bureaucracy creating idea’ will fail:

 

Construction facing worker shortages since 2014, hotels catering, health and welfare, and others all short of workers.

 

Oh and Wetherspoon facing a profit warning ( sad that).

 

https://www.ft.com/content/36baacce-ddd0-11e8-9f04-38d397e6661c

 

 

Edited February 19, 20206 yr by Chomper Higgot

18 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

And when the school holidays end and the children have to go back to their books?

Wheel out the unemployed, disabled, retired.

Edited February 19, 20206 yr by evadgib

2 hours ago, candide said:

It seems employers will need to adjust much: change labour policy, change customers, change supply chain.... what next? Change location?

Yes stop cheap labour, exploiting workers. Seems only fair. No doubt the Brit Bashers and Non Brits will be furious that the UK is putting the benefit of the UK first.

 

Any wonder we left the EU when we couldn't do that simple task.

 

Who in their right mind would allow themselves not to be able to feed their own country people and allow other countries to fish in their waters more than their own. Admittingly agents of the EU such as Heath, Major and Blair.

 

Again soon to be stopped and any wonder why we left the EU

18 minutes ago, Laughing Gravy said:

Yes stop cheap labour, exploiting workers. Seems only fair. No doubt the Brit Bashers and Non Brits will be furious that the UK is putting the benefit of the UK first.

 

Any wonder we left the EU when we couldn't do that simple task.

 

Who in their right mind would allow themselves not to be able to feed their own country people and allow other countries to fish in their waters more than their own. Admittingly agents of the EU such as Heath, Major and Blair.

 

Again soon to be stopped and any wonder why we left the EU

It appears you missed the bit about lowering the minimum qualifying wage from £30,000 to £25,600.

 

 

4 hours ago, candide said:

It seems employers will need to adjust much: change labour policy, change customers, change supply chain.... what next? Change location?

 

Employers, and all other organizations, have to adapt to changes.

 

Unless it's the French farmers of course!

Australia has had a similar points system for years. Works well.

What about Thai wives of retired UK citizens, many of such wives having no skills?  It was hard enough obtaining a visitor visa for my wife, so I guess she will never be allowed to reside in UK. ????

 

6 hours ago, edwinchester said:

Yeah, can see queue's of home grown labour already at the job centres wanting all those minimum wage agricultural jobs the Europeans are filling.

They will when their benefits stop. No need to subsidise indigenous sloth in order to support the great EU plot. 

41 minutes ago, Loiner said:

They will when their benefits stop. No need to subsidise indigenous sloth in order to support the great EU plot. 

Benefits policy has never been decided by the EU.

7 hours ago, edwinchester said:

Yeah, can see queue's of home grown labour already at the job centres wanting all those minimum wage agricultural jobs the Europeans are filling.

 

The UK conservative government is being active in forcing the lazy and workshy to get employment through various means such as proving they have actively sought work, not left jobs for petty reasons, attended interviews etc. and taking action against those who don't by censoring their benefits and suspending their benefits.

 

At least they are doing something about it and I support them. Regarding home grown labour not really wanting minimum wages jobs, the answer is easy. Get to college or an apprenticeship and acquire a skill where you don't have to work for minimum wage.

 

It has to be addressed and the Labour party addresses nothing. As Thatcher once said, ' The problem with socialism is you eventually run out of other peoples money '

 

People who have worked all their lives resent the workshy sponging a life on benefits whilst moonlighting doing various work for cash only and paying no taxes, whilst the rest of us see the age for retirement raised to 67, to pay for this lot.

for some reason I am having hard time imagining UK citizens lining up to the NOT so high skilled jobs and dirty hands... for a start would like to know who will be cleaning their houses, cleaning the garden/cutting the grass,  driving them around and taking care of their kids.... they tried that in the USA and it didn't work, thus brought back people from south America and labelled all of them as Mexicans even if they are from other countries

Edited February 19, 20206 yr by Mavideol
spelling

1 hour ago, graemeaylward said:

What about Thai wives of retired UK citizens, many of such wives having no skills?  It was hard enough obtaining a visitor visa for my wife, so I guess she will never be allowed to reside in UK. ????

 

Its called  Visa application , Why would you want a visit visa for your wife dont you live with her,

6 hours ago, nausea said:

Interesting quote. History has shown that slave labour stifles technological innovation, the Romans Empire being a good example.

using the most technologically advanced society of antiquity as an example of slaves stifling technological advancement is interesting... can you elaborate on how they did this?

All the Thai restaurants will be closing down and while they are at it why not impose the same sh#te we have to put up with here like for like I say, make it 4 English staff to 1 Thai and they pay my social security

9 hours ago, webfact said:

UK seeks to attract high-skilled workers

 

9 hours ago, webfact said:

lower the minimum general salary threshold for skilled migrants to 25,600 pounds ($33,330) a year, from 30,000 pounds.

Sounds like they are busy sorting out the incentive packages ????

2 hours ago, DoctorG said:

Australia has had a similar points system for years. Works well.

Thats why i left oz 7 years ago. Too expensive to live in my own country. 

1 hour ago, Thongkorn said:

Its called  Visa application , Why would you want a visit visa for your wife dont you live with her,

Because he may want to visit his homeland with her.

9 minutes ago, jany123 said:

using the most technologically advanced society of antiquity as an example of slaves stifling technological advancement is interesting... can you elaborate on how they did this?

Well not only that but:

 

Codified civil and criminal laws (still in use today)

Clean running water piped into towns and cities.

Public baths and public toilets.

Central heating.

Hospitals

Over 300 recorded surgical procedures.

Anesthesia ( perfectly described but the method since lost).

Hospitals for the treatment of mental illness.

Contaminated water recognized as a disease vector (a fact forgotten until

rediscovered in the late 19th Century CE).

The first police force.

The first fire brigades.

The blue print of the UK used for its public schools education system.

A network of roads that are still in use.

Military organization and trading methods still in use today.

Some rather stunning architecture and building methods that were not surpassed until the 17th Century CE.

Concrete.

 

 

 

 

3 hours ago, graemeaylward said:

What about Thai wives of retired UK citizens, many of such wives having no skills?  It was hard enough obtaining a visitor visa for my wife, so I guess she will never be allowed to reside in UK. ????

 

You having the required income/savings, you can then start the process. 

 

 

reported troll comment removed.