New plans aim to create a level-playing field for EU and non-EU workers, basing opportunities on skills

British officials are set to test India’s reaction to proposals for a new post-Brexit immigration system unveiled in December. Home Office officials are set to meet with counterparts in India next week, as well as others, for discussions on the ‘Immigration White Paper’ unveiled by Home Secretary Sajid Javid last year, a senior Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) official has said.

The immigration plans aim to create a level-playing field for EU and non-EU workers, basing immigration opportunities on skills levels rather than which part of the world workers have come from. “It is important to us as we finalise [immigration policy] to get a clear view from the Indian government, and Indian students and others,” said the FCO official, adding that they believed the nature of the discussions that were set to take place were “unique at this stage”, highlighting the huge importance the country placed on getting its relationship with India right.

“The White Paper is the most significant look at our migration relationship worldwide for some time and the discussion we will have with India is the type of discussion we would only have with closest partners.”

Positive for India?

The government has positioned the new planned immigration system as a positive one for partners such as India, with Mr. Javid telling the House of Commons that when it came to doctors seeking to work in the U.K., for example, “It shouldn’t matter if they are from India or if they are from France”.

Among the changes proposed are the removal of the current annual cap on the number of Tier 2 visas for skilled workers, as well as the requirement that employers demonstrate that they attempted to fill the role domestically before bringing in a person from abroad (the resident labour market test).

The government will also allow international students six months after they graduate to find permanent skilled work and work temporarily during that period, while PhD graduates will have a whole year to do so. There will be no post-study visa, however, as many student and university bodies have been lobbying for.

Salary threshold

The government has also said it is to consult on the salary threshold for the skilled visas which has been the subject of much debate in the U.K.

While the Migration Advisory Committee has recommended setting it at £30,000 a year, business groups and others have warned this would leave businesses unable to access key skills at a time particularly crucial for the country.

The meetings in India are also an acknowledgment of the crucial role the migration debate plays in the bilateral relationship between the U.K. and India and the need to strengthen it ahead of Brexit. Senior figures from India, including former High Commissioner Y.K. Sinha, have raised concerns about Britain’s immigration approach, including the focus given to those overstaying their visa, which India believes is given attention by the U.K. beyond levels it should be.

Last year, the FCO warned in a submission to a parliamentary inquiry, that India accounts for the largest number of individuals staying in the U.K. illegally, and the number of those subjected to forced returns to India has fallen by 50% in three years.

Britain also faced criticism for failing to include India in a relaxation of student documentation requirements that were extended to other countries, including China. The discussions next week will focus on the issues in the white paper, rather than some of these outstanding concerns, which will be the subject of further bilateral discussions in the future.