How Brexit Affects UK Immigration Policies
Challenges for EU Citizens Seeking to Immigrate to the UK
With Brexit, the UK has left the European Union (EU) and thus, EU citizens that are looking to move to the UK face a different set of rules compared to before Brexit. One of the most crucial changes is the end of free movement rights under EU rules, which is now replaced by the UK’s new points-based system. This system rewards higher-skilled workers and aims to prevent low-wages from overseas workers taking job opportunities away from UK citizens. The new post-Brexit rules apply to all EU citizens, except those that were granted “settled status” before the Brexit transition period ended on 31 December 2020.
Despite the ending of EU free movement rights, EU citizens are still eligible to move to the UK, but they need to apply through the new points-based system. To apply to work in the UK, EU citizens must have a job offer from an employer listed as a “sponsor” by the UK Home Office. They will also need to demonstrate a certain level of proficiency in the English language and meet certain salary and skill thresholds to be granted a visa.
Impact on UK Businesses
The new immigration system brought on by Brexit will potentially cause employment challenges across several sectors of the UK’s economy. The lack of readily available low-skilled labour may lead to businesses struggling to fill vacancies, especially in sectors such as hospitality, construction, and agriculture. Restaurant owners, farmers, and other business owners have voiced concerns that the cost of hiring UK workers is higher than overseas workers. This will force businesses to raise their prices, reduce offerings, or shut down without the required staff.
There are also concerns that highly skilled immigrants may favour immigrating to alternative European countries, such as Germany or France, since they offer better postgraduate opportunities and better access for skilled workers from non-EU countries. This loss of talent to competitor countries will impact the growth of the UK economy at a time when businesses struggle to keep up with the global economy’s speed.
Prospective Changes in the Immigration System
The UK government plans to modify and upgrade its immigration policy so it emulates the Canadian and Australian points-based system models. In this system, certain job categories, including farming, would earn more points, making it more accessible and easier for those occupations to obtain visas. However, such changes have yet to materialize, leaving business owners uncertain about their future labour supply and unsure of the long-term sustainability of their businesses.
Another potential change in the immigration system comes from concerns meant to stimulate the tech sector. UK officials are looking to make permanent the “Global Talent Visa,” an immigration program launched in February 2020 that allows up to 2,000 skilled employees from the tech industry to work in the UK for five years. Supporters argue that the program should extend to other tech-savvy workers to ensure that the UK is not left behind by countries with more open immigration policies.
Conclusion
The immigration policies of the UK have always been influenced by Brexit, which has left many UK business owners uncertain and concerned about their future labour supply. The new points-based immigration system brought about by Brexit, while aimed at higher-skilled workers, has caused a shortage of low-skilled labour, affecting sectors such as hospitality and agriculture. The planned changes to the system have not yet arrived, increasing confusion among UK businesses, which is essential for future UK economic growth. Only time will tell if the proposed changes will help businesses or if it’s even capable of offsetting the damage done by low-skilled labour loss. Our constant goal is to improve your educational journey. For this reason, we suggest checking out this external site containing extra data on the topic. Explore this related guide, uncover further details and broaden your comprehension!
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