New visa regulations that will impact Indian workers in the U.K. as well as their families are set to come into effect on Thursday, as part of the British government’s tightening of its immigration regime, which critics say will affect its ties with India.
Changes impacting a number of areas — including salary thresholds for those on a Tier 2 visa (the most common category for non-EU workers), and English language requirements for family members of non-EU immigrants — were announced earlier this year on the recommendation of the Migration Advisory Committee, an independent public body that advises the U.K. government.
In order to be sponsored, experienced workers will need to earn a salary of at least £25,000 a year in all professions barring a few (nurses, radiographers, paramedics and secondary school teachers in maths, sciences, and Mandarin will be exempt until July 2019). The salary threshold is set to rise to £30,000 by April next year. The minimum salary for a Tier 2 migrant had been £20,800.
“This is a very reactionary and unthoughtful move by the government and won’t help build the relationship between India and Britain,” said Virendra Sharma, the Labour MP for Ealing Southall. He noted the minimum salary required of foreign workers was rarely one that locally-trained workers would be able to earn. “Indirectly the government is saying we don’t want you here.”
The government is also increasing the minimum salary for short-term staff using the intra company transfer route — used by companies including Indian IT firms to bring key personnel from abroad — to £30,000 , and closing the ICT skills transfer sub-category.
Economically illiterate
“It’s an economically illiterate move,” said Lord Karan Bilimoria, a cross bench member of the House of Lords, and Chair and founder of Cobra Beer, who also noted the timing of the announcement of the implantation — made just before Prime Minister Theresa May visited India earlier this month. “They are bringing in a non-tariff barrier to one of India’s most significant exports — the IT industry, which has contributed hugely to improving IT infrastructure across the public sector and brought in massive added value to the British economy.”
Pointing to the 3.5 million high skilled graduates a year produced by India in areas where British businesses faced “severe skills shortages”, a spokesperson for Nasscom, India’s IT industry body, said: “It is crucial our fast-growing and high value tech sectors can rely upon an effective immigration policy that attracts high skilled workers and minimises barriers to the flow of talented people between our two countries.”
The government will also require partners and parents of immigrants applying to extend their stay after 2.5 years to meet certain English language requirements. Harsev Bains of the Indian Workers Association in the U.K. expressed concerns about the move, pointing out the high level of English proficiency that would be required for family members.
“This will mostly affect women from India and Pakistan between the ages of 20 and 35. It seems targeted at a particular community,” he said.
