According to experts, thanks to Brexit, 2019 is going to bring significant challenges to UK employers. Susan Clews, CEO of arbitration provider Acas, claims “It is unsurprising that productivity continues to be a top concern in UK workplaces. Technological change is also on people’s minds and we have found that if it is not managed well, then it can cause stress and impact workplace relations.”

Lizzie Crowley, skills policy advisor at the CIPD, says ‘skills were a major issue for businesses regardless of Brexit and the UK’s low level of unemployment meant the pool of talent employers had to draw on was already limited’.

With that in mind, many UK employers are already starting to look overseas for high numbers of skilled professionals who can be sponsored under the Tier 2 General Visa.

However, getting a visa in the UK is now more expensive than before.

Home office has confirmed that from the 8 January 2019 the immigration health surcharge will increase from £200 to £400 per year for many UK visa categories including the Tier 2 visa, Tier 1 entrepreneur visa, Sole Representative visa and Tier 1 Investor visa categories. The UK visa fee for international students applying for the Tier 4 visa, those applying for the Tier 5 Youth Mobility Visa Scheme and for other Tier 5 visa applications will rise from £150 to £300 per year.

Despite the increasing costs, sourcing talent from overseas remains attractive for many UK employers, particularly in the hard to find high-skill IT sector. If you would like more information on visa options or are already in the UK but would consider career progression with visa sponsorship, do not hesitate to get in touch with us at consult@mavisas.co.uk

Thanks for reading!

Mason Alexander