The eight-week UK Home office national consultation on reform of the student route to the UK, which closed on 31 January, saw proposals being made to reduce the number of people coming to the UK to study at below degree level; proposals were already made to remove the post study work permit visas after studies in UK; and introducing a tougher English language requirement.
Soon after the consultations, Immigration Minister Damian Green reiterated the Government's plans to review student visas in a speech to the think tank Reform.
But Green’s assertion was met by voices in favour of the foreign students. Some people reacted by saying the USA is welcoming foreign students and allowing work opportunities. Why can’t the UK? they questioned.
Some others were of the view that inability of the UK local graduates to compete against foreign students educated under the same system was an indicator of flaws in the British students and not the foreign ones.
And others said, David Cameron was worrying that most of the UK jobs are going to foreigners rather than UK residents, but this clearly understands the laziness of UK residents and their skills are not highly compete against foreign workers. In addition International students annually contribute over £5.3bn to UK economy.
Though the public consultations have drawn to a close, Foreigners in UK is seeking your opinion on the issue . SO PLEASE LEAVE YOUR VALUABLE COMMENTS BELOW by selecting openID or Name/url.
8th February 2011: The new shorter list of occupations eligible for migration under Tier 2 of the points-based system, as recommended by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), is apprehended to cut the number of qualifying occupations from 192 to 121.
The worse affected will be foreign hairdressers, estate agents and even hotel managers. In fact, the door will now be virtually closed to non-EU workers in more than 70 professions.
The move could eventually see just under 10,000 fewer workers a year being granted visas.
Giving details, the UK Border Agency has asserted: `Occupations which were qualified as skilled to the old level, but are not to the new one, include retail managers, hairdressing and beauty salon managers, laboratory technicians, and estate agents.
The move follows the Government's pledge to cut net migration.
Elaborating on the new recommendations on the occupations to be removed from Tier 2 of the PBS, the UKBA said: `The MAC has recommended a new shorter list of occupations eligible for migration under Tier 2 of the points-based system.
`As part of its review of the immigration system, the government raised the threshold for Tier 2 visas to graduate level and commissioned the MAC to examine which occupations should qualify.
`The government asked that the MAC use the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) level 4 and above as the relevant benchmark. This will reduce the number of occupations qualifying for Tier 2 visas by 71, down from 192 to 121.
`The shorter list of occupations means that Tier 2 applicants will only be able to apply for jobs covering the most skilled 39 per cent of the labour market rather than the current 56 per cent’.
Chair of the Migration Advisory Committee, Professor David Metcalf, said: 'Skilled foreign workers make a valuable contribution to the British economy but, in the context of limits on migration, it is essential that the immigration system is designed to select those migrants we need the most.
'We have recognised this by ensuring our recommendations will allow the most skilled to continue to come and work here.'.
