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Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
UK Jobs: Construction industry in UK is still able to hire foreign workers under visa clampdown, ETHRWorld
Advt Advt Join the community of 2M+ industry professionals Subscribe to our newsletter to get latest insights & analysis. Download ETHRWorld App Get Realtime updates Save your favourite articles Scan to download App Construction workers from abroad will still be able to migrate to the UK despite tighter visa restrictions announced by the government, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said, as Labour attempts to slash migration without damaging critical sectors of the to Parliament's Home Affairs Committee on Tuesday, Cooper said officials had already identified a series of occupations that would not appear on the new Temporary Shortage List . That list will allow employers to bring workers into the country who would not otherwise be eligible, because the job is classed as below degree the construction industry, and other sectors needed by the government to support its economic growth ambitions, will still appear on the list. That will come as a relief to firms in the UK who worried that restricting the migrant workforce would hamper their business.'Construction will continue to be on the Temporary Shortage List,' Cooper told lawmakers, adding that the industry would also have to develop a workforce strategy showing how it would train and recruit more British workers over time. Roles 'will only be able to go on the Temporary Shortage List if they are effectively in critical areas, for example those that are critical to the industrial strategy or something like construction.'Cooper's reassurance to the construction industry comes just weeks after the government unveiled its immigration white paper, which set out a series of changes to the UK's immigration system. Most employers will now only be able to recruit from abroad for roles which are degree level or above, and workers will have to stay in the country for 10 years, rather than five, before they can apply for settled restrictions were an attempt by Labour to stave off the anti-migrant Reform UK party, which has soared in popularity over the last year and won a slew of council seats in local elections last the UK has an Immigration Salary List which allows employers to recruit from abroad for over 1,300 roles where there is currently deemed to be a shortage. Being on that list means employers can recruit overseas nationals into those roles on a salary up to 20% below the general said that system was too lax, and had contributed to the unprecedented number of migrants coming to the UK while providing no incentive for businesses to hire or train out-of-work white paper abolishes the current system to replace it with the Temporary Shortage List. Cooper said the government will cut up to 180 occupations from the current Immigration Salary List — but that would still leave more than 1,000 on it.'We've already identified, as part of the immigration white paper, a series of occupations that will be taken off what used to be the immigration salary list,' Cooper said. 'The number of occupations on the temporary shortage list will be significantly lower than the number of occupations currently on the immigration salary list.'
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
A UK industry is still able to hire foreign workers under visa clampdown
Construction workers from abroad will still be able to migrate to the UK despite tighter visa restrictions announced by the government, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said, as Labour attempts to slash migration without damaging critical sectors of the economy. Speaking to Parliament's Home Affairs Committee on Tuesday, Cooper said officials had already identified a series of occupations that would not appear on the new Temporary Shortage List . That list will allow employers to bring workers into the country who would not otherwise be eligible, because the job is classed as below degree level. ALSO READ: Rising costs and visa hurdles push international students beyond the US,UK by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Motivos para escolher um Sofá de Couro [Descubra] Fiori Sofás Saiba Mais Undo But the construction industry, and other sectors needed by the government to support its economic growth ambitions, will still appear on the list. That will come as a relief to firms in the UK who worried that restricting the migrant workforce would hamper their business. (Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates) 'Construction will continue to be on the Temporary Shortage List,' Cooper told lawmakers, adding that the industry would also have to develop a workforce strategy showing how it would train and recruit more British workers over time. Roles 'will only be able to go on the Temporary Shortage List if they are effectively in critical areas, for example those that are critical to the industrial strategy or something like construction.' Live Events ALSO READ: Oxford University opens applications for Rhodes Scholarship Cooper's reassurance to the construction industry comes just weeks after the government unveiled its immigration white paper, which set out a series of changes to the UK's immigration system. Most employers will now only be able to recruit from abroad for roles which are degree level or above, and workers will have to stay in the country for 10 years, rather than five, before they can apply for settled status. Those restrictions were an attempt by Labour to stave off the anti-migrant Reform UK party, which has soared in popularity over the last year and won a slew of council seats in local elections last month. ALSO READ: UK plans stricter rules for migrants seeking permanent residency Currently, the UK has an Immigration Salary List which allows employers to recruit from abroad for over 1,300 roles where there is currently deemed to be a shortage. Being on that list means employers can recruit overseas nationals into those roles on a salary up to 20% below the general threshold. Cooper said that system was too lax, and had contributed to the unprecedented number of migrants coming to the UK while providing no incentive for businesses to hire or train out-of-work Britons. The white paper abolishes the current system to replace it with the Temporary Shortage List. Cooper said the government will cut up to 180 occupations from the current Immigration Salary List — but that would still leave more than 1,000 on it. 'We've already identified, as part of the immigration white paper, a series of occupations that will be taken off what used to be the immigration salary list,' Cooper said. 'The number of occupations on the temporary shortage list will be significantly lower than the number of occupations currently on the immigration salary list.'
Daily Mirror
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Do you support PM's crackdown on immigration
Keir Starmer has boldly vowed to reduce net migration by the end of this parliament, advocating for a "controlled, selective, and fair" system. Do you agree with his plans? Amid Reform UK's surge in the polls ramping up pressure on the government to tackle immigration, Keir Starmer has unveiled Labour 's long-awaited strategy - and we want to know what you think of his plans. The Prime Minister has promised to reduce net migration by the end of this parliament, aiming for a system that he says will be 'controlled, selective, and fair.' In a speech just before the government's Immigration White Paper was released, he warned the UK risks becoming 'an island of strangers' and said the Labour Government would end the Tories' "experiment" in open borders. He said: "So when you have an immigration system that seems almost designed to permit abuse, that encourages some businesses to bring in lower-paid workers rather than invest in our young people, or simply one that is sold by politicians to the British people on an entirely false premise, then you are not championing growth. "You are not championing justice or however else people defend the status quo. You're actually contributing to the forces that are slowly pulling our country apart." Do you support the PM's crackdown on immigration? Take our poll below and if you can't see it, click here Labour's plans include introducing measures to make it harder for people to permanently settle in the UK. Migrants will need to live in Britain for a decade before they can apply for citizenship - instead of the current five-year period. What's included in the immigration white paper? The government's white paper proposes several changes, including raising the threshold for the skills visa to require a degree and a higher salary, as well as closing the social care visa route to overseas recruitment. Other proposed measures include: Increasing the English language requirements for both visa holders and their dependants Reducing the list of critical shortage occupations on the Temporary Shortage List Restricting dependants for lower-skilled workers on the Temporary Shortage List and raising salary thresholds for all visa holders seeking to bring dependants Shortening the time overseas students can stay from five years to 18 months after completing their studies, along with implementing stricter rules on student visas Extending the wait for migrants to obtain permanent settlement from five years to 10 years, unless they are deemed "high contributors." The white paper suggests these measures could lead to a reduction in immigration to the UK by approximately 98k people annually. However, it remains unclear how the government plans to address the gaps in the domestic workforce that have been filled by foreign labour, especially in sectors like social care, which heavily depends on migrant workers. Net migration surge Net migration - the difference between the number of people moving into and out of a country - surged after the UK left the EU five years ago. It hit 906k in the year to June 2023, before dropping to 728k in mid-2024. However, that's still significantly higher than its pre-Brexit peak of 329k in the year up to June 2015. With Reform UK's rise in the polls, the government is facing growing pressure to address both legal and illegal immigration. Today, Sir Keir made it clear that reducing migration is something he strongly supports, saying that parts of the economy "seem almost addicted to importing cheap labour" instead of investing in skills at home. He added: "On a day like today, people who like politics will try to make this all about politics, about this or that strategy targeting these voters, responding to that party. No, I'm doing this because it is right, because it is fair, and because this is what I believe in."
