Migration Advisory Committee publishes call for evidence on salary thresholds
16 September 2019
The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has issued a call for evidence from employers and other stakeholders, to feed into its consideration of what salary thresholds should be put in place for skilled workers under the post-Brexit immigration system. The scope of the Government’s commission to the MAC also includes a consideration of adding points-based eligibility criteria for skilled worker visas.
The MAC previously recommended lowering the skill level for sponsoring skilled workers from Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) Level 6 to RQF Level 3, but retaining the existing Tier 2 minimum salary threshold of £30,000, with some exceptions. However, the Government agreed to consult further on the question of salary thresholds following concerns raised by stakeholders that this position was too restrictive.
The scope of the original commission was widened following Boris Johnson’s pledge to introduce an Australian-style points based immigration system.
Views are sought on a range of issues, including:
- Whether salary thresholds should vary across the regions of the UK
- Whether jobs on the shortage occupation list should be exempt from thresholds, and what other exceptions may be appropriate
- How jobs of high public value but lower wages should be dealt with
- How new entrants should be dealt with from a salary perspective
- Whether and how non-cash benefits, allowances and equity should be taken into consideration
- Whether and how any allowance should be made for part-time workers
- What points-based criteria might be added to the operation of salary thresholds, and the extent to which a high level of points in one area could be used to make up for a low level of points in another
Responses should be submitted online by 5 November 2019. The MAC will also be holding a series of stakeholder events before finalising its report, which is due for publication by the end of January 2020.
If you have any queries about the call for evidence or would like assistance with formulating your response, please contact a member of the immigration team.
The Migration Advisory Committee's (MAC) call for evidence can be read here.