Tougher visa cap opposed
THE GOVERNMENT has been warned not to bring down its cap on non-EU immigration even further, as figures showed the number of people arriving in the UK on visa schemes is lower than the recently-imposed limit.
A maximum of 21,700 general visas for skilled workers were to be made available in the first year of new government restrictions on immigration.
Yet as few as 10,000 will have been taken up, the Migration Advisory Committee said yesterday – as it warned against an even lower cap.
Companies appear to be adapting to the limits by increasing their use of intra-company transfers (ICTs), which are not included in the cap.
The ICT scheme allowed 29,700 staff from outside the EU to work in the UK, in the 12 months to September 2011.
Business group London First said the government must scrap its immigration target until it has assessed the full economic impact of the limit.