A UK government White Paper on its post-Brexit visas and immigration strategy unveiled in Parliament on Wednesday is expected to benefit Bangladeshi professionals and students, with a focus on skills rather than country of origin.
‘The UK’s future skills-based immigration system’, tabled in the House of Commons by UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid, removes any cap on highly-skilled migrants from anywhere in the world and improves the post-study work offering for international students. The proposals, set to be phased in from December 2021 after the proposed transition period for Britain’s exit from the European Union (EU), claim to level the country’s immigration playing field with the end of free movement for people from within the 28-member economic bloc.
“As we leave the European Union, free movement will end… This will be a system where it is workers’ skills that matter, not which country they come from,” British Prime Minister Theresa May said in her foreword to the strategy,” she said.
Under the new proposals, an annual cap of 20,700 on the number of skilled work visas issued will be removed, likely to benefit doctors, engineers and other skilled professionals from Bangladesh. There will also be a new 12-month visa route for workers at any skill level for a temporary period to allow businesses to hire the staff they need on a time-bound basis. The onerous requirement for labour market tests by employers wanting to sponsor an overseas skilled worker are also to be done away with.
However, it remains to be seen if the British Bangladeshi catering industry's central demand of easier access for qualified chefs from the region will benefit from these changes.
Under changes proposed to attract international students to the UK, the government said it would “improve the current offer” to those who have completed a degree who want to stay on in the UK to work after they have completed their studies by offering six months’ post-study leave to all Master’s students and Bachelor’s students studying at an institution with degree-awarding powers. This is aimed at giving them more time to find permanent skilled work and to work temporarily during that period.
“We will also allow for students studying at Bachelor’s level or above to be able to apply to switch into the skilled workers route up to three months before the end of their course in the UK, and from outside of the UK for two years after their graduation,” the White Paper notes.
The important document forms the basis for the Immigration and Social Security Coordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill, to be published on Thursday, which ends free movement for EU nationals and creates the legal framework for a future UK borders and immigration system after Brexit. It also creates parity in the way migrants can access the country's benefits system, which will apply equally to both EU and non-EU nationals.