Post-Brexit Immigration Plans

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

The Government has announced more details on the future of the UK’s immigration system today. This update is raising concerns regarding the labour market, and if companies in the UK will be able to manage with the potential of skill shortages.

The latest update suggested that low-skilled workers would not get visas, and instead use a ‘points-based’ system with overseas citizens needing 70 points to be able to work in the UK.

Points are given for job offers, jobs at appropriate skill level, speaking English and obtaining a salary over the threshold of £25,600. 

The skills-threshold will be lowered to the equivalent of A-Levels.and the salary threshold has been lowered from £30,000 to £25,600, the government has stated it could be lowered further to £20,480 for people working in “specific shortage occupations”. Occupations currently in shortage include various engineering professions, IT business analysts, web design, graphic designers and welders. (for the full list of current shortage occupations, please visit the GOV website)

Currently the industries with the largest number of European workers include retail with 26%, and manufacturing with 24%. The government has said that “UK businesses will need to adapt and adjust to the end of free movement, and we will not seek to recreate the outcomes from free movement within the points-based system,”. Home Secretary Priti Patel also advised that businesses could recruit from among the eight million “economically inactive” potential workers in the UK.