The UK visa system will in effect be closed to employers seeking to fill jobs in some key shortage areas because new rules require them to pay overseas hires more than the “vast majority” of UK workers in the same occupation, according to the government’s migration advisers.
The warning by the Migration Advisory Committee comes as the main salary floor for skilled worker visas is set to rise from £26,200 to £38,700 from April — an increase that could price out many employers who currently use the system, even when hiring well-qualified staff.
It will also become much more expensive to use the visa system in areas where the Home Office allows employers to hire at a lower rate because UK workers are scarce with that threshold jumping from £20,960 to £30,960.
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