Cabinet agrees a job offer will be key to visa, except for ‘global talents’
Charles Hymas
Christopher Hope
PEOPLE with “global talent” such as musicians and actors will be the only groups of migrant workers entitled to come to the UK without a job offer under an Australian-style points-based immigration system signed off by the Cabinet yesterday.
The proposals, to be unveiled on Friday, will pave the way for an increase in skilled migrants with the necessary points coming to the UK, but will abolish the route for unskilled migrants from Jan 1 next year.
Nearly all migrants will require job offers in order to secure a visa based on the points awarded according to salary level, skills and education and language skills.
Boris Johnson and Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, said the new points system would reduce net migration – standing at 212,000 a year – but Downing Street officials refused to say when it might start to fall, and indicated that it could even rise in some years depending on economic needs.
One source said that the new policy gave ministers the “levers” to control immigration, suggesting the figures could go up and down annually.
A spokesman for No 10 said the Prime Minister told Cabinet that the UK had to demonstrate it was “open and welcoming to talent from across the world, but the new system would end reliance on importing low-skilled labour, bringing down immigration numbers overall”.
Unlike other skilled workers, the “global talent” visa for scientists, researchers and mathematicians will neither require a job nor have a minimum salary and they will be able to move freely between organisations, locations, jobs and roles.
There will also be a “miscellaneous” route for those with skills but unusual freelance careers such as actors and musicians who will also not need a job offer.
Other skilled workers will, however, be subject to the Australian-style system where points will be awarded for a job offer at the appropriate skill level, a job offer with an approved sponsor company, a salary of at least £25,600, as recommended by government advisers, and speaking good English.
There will be some flexibility for those earning under £25,600 who could score double points if they earn more than £23,000 and have a job offer in areas where there are skill shortages. Migrants with Phds will also score highly.
Seasonal agricultural workers will get short-term visas, but companies wishing to recruit low-skilled workers from the EU will have to make sure they have plugged staffing gaps before Dec 31 this year.
The Home Office will review the scheme after a year and consider further modifications such as extra points for those with jobs outside London and for younger migrants.
EU students will continue to be admitted, but they will be treated the same for immigration purposes as those from the rest of the world.
EU students currently pay tuition fees at the same rate as UK students but below those charged to non-eu students. Any rise in charges will be part of the Brexit trade deal talks with the EU.
The No10 spokesman said: “The PM is keen to continue to attract talent from around the world, but it [a pointsbased system] will give us the ability to end the reliance on low-skilled workers.”
Asked repeatedly when numbers would start to come down the Prime Minister’s deputy official spokesman said: “We will set out the detail shortly.”
A source close to Mr Johnson added: “The Prime Minister wants an immigration system which attracts the brightest and best, which is simpler and returns democratic control of migration.
“We have been very clear that the migration system that we introduce will ensure that low-skilled migration falls.” However, the source declined to put a timescale on when migration will start to fall.
EU net migration has been falling since the EU referendum, showing a net figure of 48,000 in the year to June 2019, down from a peak of 219,000 in 2015. Migration from outside the EU has been rising since the EU referendum and stood at 229,000 in the year to June 2019.