Is It Tough for Low skilled workers to get U.K. immigration?

E.U. workers wanting to move to the U.K. next year will need to show they have minimum qualifications and wages under a new post-Brexit points system.

Under new post-Brexit laws, migrants will have to meet several criteria to apply for a work visa beginning next January, including unique skills and the ability to speak English. 

Applicants would also be expected to provide an offer of employment with a minimum wage requirement of £25,600, or around $33,300. Wage requirements for specific categories of jobs with critical shortages, such as nursing, are lower.

Under the new plan, anyone who wishes to work in the country will be awarded points for particular skills, qualifications, wages or careers — and only those who have earned enough points will be granted visas.

Citizens from any of the E.U. ‘s 27 Member States can currently live and work freely in the U.K. without any particular qualifications or skills required. If the U.K. Government passes the migration plan, the same care will be extended to E.U. and non-EU workers from the end of the E.U. transition phase on January 1, 2021.

The New Change- Low Skills category not included for UK Visa

Anyone who wants to work during the Brexit transition phase in Britain will need an employment offer paying at least £25,600 yearly, an amount less than £30,000 slated for non-EU immigrants. A point to note is that this figure is more than the average annual income of the country.

A decline in the required minimum level of education will also occur, with prospective immigrants requiring only post-school credentials instead of a college degree.

An independent body advising the U.K. government, the Migration Advisory Committee claims that the new rule will affect an estimated 70 per cent of E.U. citizens who arrived in the U.K. since 2004.

Impact of Immigrant Labour for low Skill Jobs in UK 

A few expect a shortage of labour for sectors that rely heavily on low-skilled work, such as health and social care. The U.K. Homecare Association has characterized the absence of provisions in the plans for low-paid immigrant workers as careless.

Cutting the supply of prospective care workers under the new migration scheme would pave the way for more people waiting in hospital unnecessarily or going thoughtless.

The immigration spokesperson for the opposition Labor Party, Diane Abbott, said the proposal was “meaningless” because it “will need to have so many social welfare exemptions and many sections of the private sector.” 

The immigration plan also has to be green-lighted by the U.K. Parliament, where the Conservative Party of the ruling Government holds a vast majority.

The New Eligibility Criteria for Immigration to UK

The Government wants to introduce a programme of “points-based” immigration, as outlined in the Conservative election manifesto. Overseas nationals will have to cross 70 points under this, to be eligible to operate in the U.K.

Speaking English would earn them 50 points and getting the offer of a skilled job with an “approved sponsor.”

In a sector with shortages, more points would be rewarded for skills, the salary on offer and jobs. Currently, workers from the countries of the European Economic Area have the automatic right to live and work in the U.K. irrespective of their income or level of skill.

The Government says this will stop on December 31, when the 11-month transition period after Brexit is due to end.

How Does It Affect the Income Level of the Employees in UK?

The wage level would be reduced from £ 30,000 to £ 25,600 for skilled workers seeking to come to the U.K.

The Government, however, suggests the requirement would be as small as £ 20,480 for workers in “unique shortage professions. ” These include psychology, nursing, civil engineering, ballet dance and a few PhD specific jobs. 

Yet there will no longer be an overall limit on the number of professional employees who would be willing to migrate to Britain.

Which Industries are Most Affected?

Social care, food, manufacturing, retail and logistics industries, as well as hospitality, are all concerned with what the new immigration program might mean for the future of their respective areas. In particular, the food industry relies heavily on migrants from eastern Europe to select the fruit and vegetables from Britain and to work in their food processing plants.

Each year, fruit, vegetables, and flower farms in Britain require around 70,000 seasonal workers, but only 10,000 are being given visas by the Government.

The low wages provided by these industries to their employees make it difficult to score required for a visa, but a decrease in skilled workers does not mean that there is less demand for those services.

Effect on Lower Paid Sectors for Immigration

The Government said it would not create a route for low-skilled / low-paid workers, encouraging companies to “adapt and change” between E.U. countries and the U.K. to end free movement. Instead, it said the 3.2 million E.U. citizens who have applied for a stay in the U.K. could help meet the demands of the labour force.

But the organizations representing agriculture, catering and nursing warn that hiring workers under the new system will be challenging.

Advantage of the New Rule for Immigrants in UK

Under the plan, all migrants will have the ability to access income-related benefits only before they are given permanent leave to remain, generally after five years. E.U. nationals in the United Kingdom generally can claim benefits if they are “economically engaged.” 

Non-EU citizens are eligible for benefits when given permanent residence, which usually requires five years of legally valid U.K. residence.

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Shobha Vats

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