BritishAmerican Business Welcomes Migration Advisory Committee Report on ‘A Points-Based System and Salary Thresholds for Immigration’
London/New York – Responding to newly-published findings and recommendations from the Migration Advisory Committee on the ‘points-based system’ of immigration proposed by the UK Government, BAB CEO Duncan Edwards said:
“We welcome today’s publication of the Migration Advisory Committee’s report on ‘A Points-Based System and Salary Thresholds for Immigration’.
“As the UK defines a new immigration system, it is important that the voice of business is included in the debate. We therefore welcomed the opportunity to provide direct input into the process to help shape a system that will ensure that UK based businesses are able to hire the people they need to be successful.
“We support the overall objective of the report, to simplify procedures and provide more flexibility to both employers and workers and to remove the barriers to skilled workers from outside the EU. In particular, the MAC recommendation that the general salary threshold for skilled migrants be reduced to £25,600 from the current £30,000 is a step in the right direction.
“As we analyse the recommendations made in the report further, we look forward to continued dialogue with the UK Government in order to support the formulation of a forward-looking new immigration system that helps meet labour needs for homegrown and international businesses operating across the UK. We support the MAC’s recommendation that the new system be accompanied by active monitoring and evaluation, given the uncertainty surrounding its impact.”