Imigration system update from BEIS
04 March 2020
Ending Freedom of Movement
- We will end free movement on 1 January 2021 and introduce a single global immigration system which prioritises the skills people have to offer and how they will contribute to the UK’s economy, not where they come from.
- The system will require and award points for a job offer at the appropriate skill level, the ability to speak English and meeting the appropriate salary threshold, which will be set at £25,600 as recommended by our independent migration experts.
- We have already introduced special schemes to support more scientists, graduates, NHS workers and people in the agricultural sector to come to the UK more easily
- The points threshold will be set high to genuinely attract the brightest and the best, and 70% of EU workers currently here would not meet the new threshold.
Low skilled workers
- The Government has listened to the clear message from the 2016 referendum and the 2019 General Election that the public wants a reduction in low-skilled immigration, so we will not introduce a general low-skilled or temporary work route.
- Except in some limited circumstances, everyone coming to the UK for work or study will need a visa and to pay to access the NHS.
- And we will crack down on illegal migration and criminal activity at the border. This includes phasing out the use of insecure EU ID cards for new migrants and toughening border checks to stop serious criminals entering the UK and to remove those who abuse our hospitality.
Industry will need to adjust
- Employers will need to join our mission to level-up skills and economic-growth across the whole of the United Kingdom.
- There are 8 million people economically inactive in the UK. It is time for employers to invest in the people already here and make jobs more attractive for UK workers.
- These significant changes are vital if we are to deliver a high-skill, high-wage and highly productive economy, and by providing certainty on the new immigration system now, the economy will be given time to adjust.
Conclusion
- Our new, fair and firm system will send a message to the whole world that Britain is open for business as we continue to attract the brightest and best from around the world, but with a system we have control over.
- We have already guaranteed the rights of EU citizens and their families living in the UK before the end of 2020. The EU Settlement Scheme – the biggest scheme of its kind in British history - has already received 3.2 million applications and is a success.
