Skilled worker visa application made for foreign workers in the UK is decreased from 143,000 to 91,300 in July 2024 compared to the same time in 2023.
This decline is majorly due to recent changes in visa rules, especially those that preventing health and care workers to bring their dependents and a significant increase of minimum salary requirement.
This downturn is raising alarms across several sectors, particularly in healthcare and technology, where international recruitment has always been a crucial source of talent. Jonathan Beech, immigration consultancy lead of Immpact, emphasised that while NHS is working on expanding domestic training to address future workforce needs, immigration fills the interim gap.
Shazia Ejaz from Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) highlighted the ongoing struggle to balance severe labour shortages and immigration numbers. She asks for an immigration system that aligns with both business needs and societal demands while staying attractive to global talent. The restriction on dependents and minimum salary requirement makes the process tricky.
Reduction in skilled worker visa applications might have a significant impact in the technology sector. Historically, the technology industry has been dependent on international talents to fill specialised roles, and the shortage of labour resulting in less applications may push companies to consider alternatives such as moving business out of the UK to meet their needs.
Legal experts are also concerned about the implications of these changes, particularly regarding the right to a family life. Although legal challenges could arise, it's more likely that potential migrant workers will seek opportunities in other countries with fewer restrictions, further weakening the UK’s ability to attract and retain global talent.
The above graph shows the comparison between the visa application made last year and this year.