News
New migrant visa rules not fully understood by some businesses
12-05-2011
Confusion over new foreign worker migration rules are probably the cause of low uptake in the scheme's first month, independent global immigration consultant Sophy King said today.
From April, companies wanting to employ migrants currently overseas, earning below £150,000 per annum, and who don’t qualify as 'intra company transfers' must apply for a 'restricted' certificate of sponsorship: these are subject to the quota system.
The monthly allocation is set at 1,500, but an extra 2,700 had been set aside for the first month to accommodate an anticipated backlog of demand. Despite this, only a quarter (1,028) were issued, according to figures released by the UK Border Agency.
“It’s also possible that a lot of companies had stopped recruiting externally because they did not know how the quota was going to be enforced,” adds Sophy.
The good news for businesses: the unused spaces have been carried over to May, meaning 4,672 places are available. But it is expected that once companies get to grips with the rules, demand will exceed supply.