On Monday, the Home Secretary announced that he has asked the Migration Advisory Committee(MAC) to review and advise on salary thresholds for the future post-Brexit immigration system, which will start to take effect from 2021.
The MAC previously recommended that the government should retain the existing minimum salary thresholds in the future immigration system, which includes paying experienced workers at least £30,000, and new entrants (including recent graduates) at least £20,800.
The Home Secretary has asked the MAC to consider how future salary thresholds should be calculated, the levels of salary thresholds, whether there is a case for regional salary thresholds for different parts of the UK, and whether there should be exceptions to salary thresholds, for example because they’ve newly started the occupation or because they work in an occupation in shortage.
Welcoming the announcement, Steve Double, Member of Parliament for St Austell and Newquay said:
“I am very pleased that the Home Secretary has decided to officially ask the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to review and advise on controversial salary thresholds.”
“In Parliament I have repeatedly called on the Government to think again about these thresholds ever since the MAC published its controversial proposals in September 2018. I have also held meetings with the Home Secretary and the Immigration Minister to discuss the economic impact that such proposed salary thresholds could have on Cornwall and the South West.”
“Many large and small businesses have told me that the £30,000 threshold is unrealistic, and will mean that many of the people with the skills and experience that they need will not be able to come and work in Cornwall, where the average wage is below £20,000. It is clear that the £30k threshold will disproportionately benefit London and the South East where average wage is higher.”
“I hope that the MAC will now take seriously the many concerns that raised by Parliamentarians and business leaders alike and reconsider their salary thresholds or come up with alternative proposals, so that our future immigration system not only gives us control but also the workforce our businesses need to continue to deliver economic growth.”