
As part of the government?s ongoing battle to reduce net migration it has requested that the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) carry out two linked consultations on skilled migration under the Tier 2 route from outside the EU.?
The first preliminary consultation has been completed, and the MAC was asked to review the economic rationale and the impact on net migration of setting new minimum Tier 2 salary thresholds for skilled workers from outside the EU. The second consultation is open until 25 September 2015 and will review in more detail the findings relating to the first consultation as well as taking a deeper look into other ways in which Tier 2 Immigration Rules can be changed to further limit immigration in this category. Companies are encouraged to provide comment directly to the MAC prior to this date. Presently the salary requirement for a Tier 2 General visa is ?20,800 or the minimum salary for the specific Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) of the role, whichever is highest. For those coming on a Tier 2 Intra-Company Transfer basis the minimum salary requirement is higher depending on length of stay. The MAC has been asked to look separately at the impacts of raising the minimum Tier 2 salary requirements and the minimum salary requirements as set for each SOC code. The first MAC consultation report has been released and provides scenarios in which the current minimum Tier 2 General salary of ?20,800 could be raised to meet the average 10th or 50th percentile pay of all graduate-level or above occupations. Its findings suggest that changing minimum salary thresholds to the 10th percentile (?25,000) would affect 13.5 percent of all Tier 2 General applications, or 56.5 percent if raised to the 50th percentile (?40,000). With regard to the salary thresholds set under each specific Standard Occupational Classification, the MAC was asked to look at:- Increasing the Tier 2 minimum salaries per occupation for experienced workers from the 25th percentile to the 50th or 75th percentiles, or other appropriate measure?
- Increasing the Tier 2 minimum salaries per occupation for graduate/new entrant workers from the 10th percentile to the 25th or 50th percentiles, or other appropriate measure
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC)
Marketing and sales directors 10th percentile(Current minimum graduate salary)
?33,300 25th percentile
(Current minimum experienced worker salary & proposed new minimum graduate salary)
?47,900 50th percentile
(Proposed minimum experienced worker salary)*
?72,000 75th percentile
(Proposed minimum experienced worker salary)*
?100,000 Management consultants and business analysts? 10th percentile ?23,000 25th percentile ?30,000 50th percentile ?39,300 75th percentile ?52,600 Business and financial project management professionals? 10th percentile ?24,100 25th percentile ?33,300 50th percentile ?43,500 75th percentile ?60,400 IT business analysts, architects and systems designers 10th percentile ?25,800 25th percentile ?33,000 50th percentile ?41,100 75th percentile ?54,600 * Rounded to nearest ?100 – ONS Table 14.7a Annual pay ? Gross (2013) Read more about immigration issues:
- Immigration is vital to the wealth of the UK
- Ministers push for “emergency brake” on immigration
- A guide to illegal immigration workers for employers
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