London puts all foreign workers on equal footing with Europeans
As reported by BBC, if these rules are finally approved, after Brexit a foreign specialist will have the same rights and opportunities to get a job in Britain as his colleague with similar qualifications from France or Germany. The government intends to proceed from the principle that there should be uniform rules for labor migrants regardless of their citizenship and there should be no discrimination in this regard.
A government source told journalists that the agreement reached has not yet been finalized and the government allows for some "minor adjustments" regarding EU citizens if an economic deal is reached with the European Union as part of Brexit. The same applies to the US if a trade agreement is concluded with that country.
There are also concerns that business may suffer due to the outflow of low-skilled labor from the EU.
The European Union guarantees its citizens, as well as holders of passports from Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland, the free movement of labor within the EU. Prime Minister Theresa May has repeatedly stated the need to end unlimited labor migration to Britain from EU countries. This issue is considered non-negotiable in the Brexit talks.
Britain is due to leave the European Union on March 29, 2019. As part of the ongoing Brexit negotiations, a transition period has been agreed that will last until December 31, 2020. During this period, the previous rules will apply to EU citizens in the UK, as well as to Britons in the EU. It remains unclear what will happen in the case of a so-called "hard Brexit" if negotiations fail and Britain fails to reach a deal with the EU.
Under current rules, visas for workers from non-EU countries are issued in the UK depending on their professional demand for the country's economy. Last week, the Migration Advisory Committee proposed scrapping the annual cap on work visas for highly skilled migrants from outside the EU.
Currently, this cap is set at 20,700 visas per year, proposed by Theresa May when she was Home Secretary. Due to this restriction, thousands of IT specialists and healthcare workers have been unable to obtain work visas, despite their shortage in Britain.
Anyone wishing to move to the UK from outside the EU for study or work, including citizens of former Soviet countries, must apply for one of the visas from Tier 1 to Tier 5. Tier 1 visas are issued to investors and highly skilled workers falling under the "exceptional talent" category. Tier 5 visas are for short-term volunteer and educational programs.
The most common are Tier 2 visas for skilled workers who have an employer willing to act as a visa sponsor, and Tier 4 visas for students on programs longer than six months. Tier 3 visas (for unskilled workers) are currently not issued.
Some of these visas allow bringing close relatives (children, spouses or partners) on a so-called dependant visa.
Visas are issued based on a points system, and requirements have become stricter in recent years. For example, to obtain a Tier 2 visa for experienced skilled workers, the employer must pay the applicant at least £30,000 per year. This is three times more than required in 2011.
The higher the applicant's future salary, the more points he or she receives. The same effect is achieved for Tier 2 visa applicants by the rarity of their profession and the shortage of similar specialists in the UK.
To obtain most types of visas, one must have a certain level of English proficiency, have a visa sponsor (educational institution or employer), and agree not to claim social benefits for a certain period of time.