Plans to be unveiled by the UK Government today will provide an outline of the UK’s new points-based immigration system. It is expected to rule out the availability of a temporary visa route and commit to awarding additional points to applicants who can speak English to a certain level, have a job offer, or can contribute to sectors where skills shortages exist.
The Government is set to implement a salary threshold for those with a UK job offer of £25,600.
New FSB findings – included in a report to be released in the coming days- will reveal that close to four in ten (38%) small employers have struggled to recruit the right staff over the past year, with four in ten (42%) of these firms citing a challenge in finding the right skills as a reason for this struggle, and more than a third (35%) flagging the unwillingness of UK citizens to work in their sector.
The fresh research finds that a quarter (26%) of small employers have at least one member of staff from the EU (excluding those from the Republic of Ireland). The figure is up six percentage points since FSB surveyed its membership regarding the importance of European employees in the wake of the EU referendum.
Commenting, FSB NI Policy Chair, Tina McKenzie said:
“We appreciate the rationale of a points-based system for migration, provided it is easy to use and affordable for small businesses.
“However, it is crucial that the system works for all parts of the United Kingdom. The latest report by the Migration Advisory Committee recognised the ‘distinct’ nature of the Northern Ireland labour market, sharing a land border with an EU member state and with a lower private sector median salary than in other parts of the UK.
“More detail is yet to be come on these proposals, and the Government should strongly consider additional points for those coming to work outside of London and the South-East of England.
“It is disappointing that there appears to be no route to temporary employment for migrant workers, particularly given there is little time for businesses to adjust to the new migration policy.
“It’s right that additional points are awarded for those with skills relevant to industries struggling with shortages.
“That’s why we’re proposing a new dedicated social care visa, in recognition of the chronic personnel shortages in this crucial sector and the fact that it will take 15 years for us to train enough UK citizens to address those shortages.
“Sectors like hospitality and agri-food will also be particularly affected and the policy must be suitably flexible to cater for their needs.”