The United Kingdom (UK) government, under Prime Minister Keir Starmer, is taking steps to potentially limit overseas hiring in the technology, telecommunications, and engineering sectors. These changes to the UK visa rules could significantly affect aspiring Indian professionals, who have been prominent users of work visas in these fields.
The proposed changes could include increasing the minimum income threshold for visa applications and implementing region-specific restrictions. The British Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, has requested the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to review the reliance of these sectors on skilled worker visas.
In a letter to MAC Chair Brian Bell, Cooper emphasized the need to understand why certain key occupations heavily depend on foreign workers. She highlighted that these sectors are among the top 10 relying on international recruitment, prompting her to seek an explanation for this reliance.
Cooper believes that the high levels of international recruitment point to weaknesses within the UK’s labor market, including persistent skills shortages. She further inquired about potential policy levers within the immigration system to incentivize these sectors to prioritize domestic recruitment.
She described the current system as not operating in the national interest, while acknowledging the valuable contributions of individuals from around the world to the UK economy. The Home Secretary stressed the need to manage and control the immigration system. The MAC is expected to submit its report within nine months.
These developments follow the recent decision by the Keir Starmer government to postpone a planned increase in the minimum income threshold for British nationals and permanent residents seeking to bring family members to the UK. Home Secretary Cooper announced in a written statement to the House of Commons that the current GBP 29,000 annual income requirement would remain unchanged until the MAC completes a review of the impact of the hikes on families. She underscored the need to balance family life considerations with safeguarding the UK’s economic well-being through these immigration rules.
