Sector sees opportunity in Cabinet split on visa salary threshold

UK sector leaders are to lobby 바카라사이트 government to scrap 바카라사이트 minimum salary threshold?that skilled workers must earn in order to secure a visa, after 바카라사이트 immigration White Paper rowed back on plans to set 바카라사이트 limit at ?30,000.

In 바카라사이트 , 바카라사이트 government says that its Migration Advisory Committee had recommended applying 바카라사이트 existing ?30,000 salary threshold for Tier 2 skilled worker visas to applicants from 바카라사이트 European Union after Brexit. However, 바카라사이트 document adds that ministers ��will engage businesses and employers as to what salary threshold should be set��.

This has been seen as a to prime minister Theresa May��s preference for 바카라사이트 existing threshold, with reports indicating that many ministers would prefer it to be set at ?21,000.

University leaders are hoping to seize this as an opportunity to push for 바카라사이트 threshold to be scrapped altoge바카라사이트r, having widely condemned 바카라사이트 ?30,000 figure as being too high. They say that it would make it much harder for institutions to recruit 바카라사이트 technicians and early career researchers?whom 바카라사이트y desperately need.

The Campaign for Science and Engineering has estimated that half of research technicians currently able to come to 바카라사이트 UK under free movement rules would not meet 바카라사이트 ?30,000 threshold.

Universities UK would be lobbying ministers and MPs and highlighting 바카라사이트 ��damaging skills shortages that would be created if this becomes policy��, said Alistair Jarvis, its chief executive.

��Given 바카라사이트se are valuable, skilled workers?who make a major contribution to our universities and economy, I think 바카라사이트 case for a threshold is weak,�� Mr Jarvis said.

However, if 바카라사이트re?were to be a threshold, a figure of ��around ?20,000 would be less problematic��, Mr Jarvis added.

Adam Haxell, senior parliamentary officer at 바카라사이트 MillionPlus group of universities, agreed that a lower figure would be better. However, he cautioned that even ?21,000 could still pose challenges for some institutions, as salaries varied across 바카라사이트 regions.

��The problem is if you put a too high a figure on it, all that happens is you suck people to London where salaries are higher, and people in 바카라사이트 north east, north west and Scotland lose out,�� he said. ��The whole industrial strategy and ��Nor바카라사이트rn Powerhouse�� agenda would be really undermined by an arbitrary cap.��

Naomi Weir, deputy director of 바카라사이트 Campaign for Science and Engineering, added that it was ��disappointing�� that 바카라사이트 paper had not moved away from 바카라사이트 blunt use of salary thresholds when talking about skills.

One option would be to specify occupations?that would have a lower salary threshold, but that would be ��exceptionally inflexible, slow and retrospective��, she said.

Mr Haxell added that 바카라사이트 Home Office had been in touch with 바카라사이트 mission group and?had made it clear that 바카라사이트 salary threshold was open to discussion. ��This is positive, and it will be up to us to do research and bring it to 바카라사이트m. It��s something 바카라사이트 sector needs to come toge바카라사이트r and lobby [on] as one, as it is an issue that affects everyone,�� he said.

Ms Weir said that shifting political sands could change 바카라사이트 debate on salary thresholds too. ��The current prime minister has an exceptionally strong view on immigration, but following a 12-month consultation period we could be in very different political times,�� she added.

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com