To cut down on net migration into the country and encourage the development of skills of those already in Britain, the government has tightened rules on the use of foreign workers. These new injunctions have been branded by the Home office will particularly affect professional and academic areas of specialization such as IT and engineering disciplines.
What About Focusing on Key Sectors that Reliant on OFWs?
The IT, telecommunications and engineering sectors are among the key sectors that the UK government has been keen on due to over-reliance on foreigners. The center of monitoring of these sectors will be given to the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), which will provide yearly reports designed to minimize dependence on overseas employees.
Higher bar and scrutiny on Visa Sponsorship
There is one more element of this change of policy; it concerns visa sponsorship rules’ enforcement. UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) will undertake enhanced probes aimed at guaranteeing that employers in the UK follow legalistic personnel procurement norms resulting in hiring of more immigrants. Those sponsorships failing to meet these standards may suffer severe consequences such as a suspension or cancellation of their sponsorship licenses
Concentration on Home Skills Acquisition
The UK government has aligned the migration policies with the household skill needs development programmes. Managers are being encouraged to take on and train the UK employees rather than recruit from foreign countries. Recruitment of the centre will rely heavily on Skills England and the Department for Work and Pensions.
Increased Minimum Wage Expectations in Skilled Worker Visas
Among the changes of the new measures, the salary threshold for Skilled Worker visas is expected to go up. Since April 2024, applicants need to have a salary of minimum £38,700 instead of the current limit of £26,200.
Annual Reviews and Outlooks
The Migration Advisory Committee will now undertake annual exercises for reviewing a list of shortage occupation under the TMS. These will be followed by measures as to how to fix skill deficit with the domestic personnel training. The first report from MAC is due before May 2025 to meet on the government’s overall plan of cutting net migration.
The Effects on Other Immigrants and Applicants
If so, then the mentioned changes could have new difficulties for foreign workers and job seekers. This can deter employers because the process will be tougher, this is because of the recent visa sponsorship rules which make it difficult for some companies to get or renew work visas.
Also, due to the government having emphasized on the development of domestic skills, it means that competition of jobs between the native people of United Kingdom and foreign workers shall escalate further.
