After the triggering of Article 50, legal expert Naomi Hanrahan-Soar says the UK’s immigration requirements need to be assessed robustly
http://www.businesscloud.co.uk/opinion/overhaul-vital-to-stop-immigration-costs-crippling-uk-tech
The UK’s skills-based migration system is in need of a dramatic overhaul, according to a senior associate at global HR lawyer Lewis Silkin.
Naomi Hanrahan-Soar, who is also vice chair of techUK’s Skills, Talent and Migration Group, says the current process is far from ideal.
She believes the current Tier 2 visa regime could have a significant impact on the UK economy,especially the tech sector, where “businesses are dependent on attracting and retaining the best and brightest international talent”.
The current system could leave businesses seriously out of pocket.
In an insight exclusively for BusinessCloud, Hanrahan-Soar wrote:
“The calls for a more effective UK skills-based migration system are growing ever louder.
In reality, the current system is arguably far from business-friendly, with recent reforms, particularly to the Tier 2 visa regime, having potentially significant impacts on the economy, especially in the tech sector where businesses are dependent on attracting and retaining the best and brightest international talent.
The most relied upon and commonly used work visa for employers in the UK is the Tier 2 visa.
It comes in two forms; Tier 2 General and Tier 2 ICT. Once upon a time they were fairly simple creatures.
However, as the system has developed and mainstream politics has focussed increasingly on reducing net migration, Tier 2 has become more and more onerous for employers.
The underlying idea is to use the migration regime as a behavioural tool to ensure that employers’ first choice is to use “settled labour”, ie. British, European or settled workers in the UK.
In order to “encourage” employers to do so, the cost of employing a foreign worker has more than doubled in recent years and is set for another big jump.
Since April 6, the basic Government immigration charges for one skilled foreign worker to be brought to the UK for the five years it takes them to reach settlement is £7,363.
That’s before factoring the practical costs of an international transfer or recruitment, or any family members they may have with them.
Then there is the cost of professional assistance to ensure those fees aren’t wasted on a refused application and to mitigate the risk of losing the ability to sponsor foreign employees through unintended (though easily incurred) non-compliance.
This means an additional cost for businesses of a minimum £1,000 per sponsored worker, per year of their visa.
Couple this with more and more serious and costly penalties for non-compliance and it is a wonder that employers still use the system at all.
Except that it isn’t.
If you’re a tech employer, you simply need skilled foreign workers. Tech is a global industry requiring specialist skills that develop too quickly to make upskilling an unqualified local worker, via systems such as the Government’s apprenticeship schemes, a commercially viable option.
If you are a skilled IT Consultant and looking to switch employers and require sponsorship or a company looking for more information on Tier 2 General Sponsorship do get in touch at consult@mavisas.co.uk.
Thanks for reading
Mason