Key Facts

• The meeting is chaired by Mr Stringer.
• The Committee shall meet on specific dates between June 9th and June 25th as outlined in the programme motion.
• Oral evidence sessions are scheduled for Tuesday, June 9th with various organisations including the Federation of Small Businesses, London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and others until 5.00pm.
• The Committee will sit in private to discuss lines of questioning before admitting witnesses.
• 95% of small businesses have no experience dealing with visa systems.
• Mid-skilled positions in the £20,000 to £30,000 bracket cause problems for small businesses.
• The Home Office is looking to streamline the sponsorship licensing system.
• The minimum income threshold has been lowered to £25,600 from a previously suggested £30,000.
• A typical business with fewer than 50 employees will likely spend about £3,000 per employee on tier 2 process costs.
• The new immigration system will make it more difficult for EU nationals to come to work in the UK.
• Additional costs such as fees and visas may act as a disincentive for EU employees.
• A previously proposed 12-month visa scheme for lower-paid workers has been scrapped.
• The statement addresses EEA nationals, EU nationals, and Swiss nationals.
• Concerns are raised about the impact on small businesses that rely on skilled labour from overseas graduates.
• The care sector is identified as needing special consideration due to current pressures.
• The time available before January 1st is considered insufficient for small businesses to adapt to the new system.
• The Home Office is dealing with multiple issues including covid-19, refugees arriving over the channel, and the situation in Hong Kong.
• The shortage occupation list is described as slow and should involve businesses more directly to be responsive.
• Only 8 of the Scottish chambers are accredited members of the British Chamber of Commerce.
• Graham Stringer chairs the committee examining witnesses related to the Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill.
• Technical issues prevent Matthew Fell from being accompanied by Make UK during his evidence session.
• The CBI's chief policy director, Matthew Fell, expresses concerns about the absence of a route below level 3 in the proposed immigration system.
• Businesses face significant cost increases due to new immigration requirements.
• Smaller businesses will need external HR and legal advice to navigate the new system.
• Hospitality sector is particularly vulnerable to regional implications of the new migration rules.
• 95% of Make UK members employ EU workers.
• Approximately 330,000 out of 2.7 million to 2.9 million manufacturing sector workers are EU nationals.
• The points-based system is expected to be implemented by the end of summer with no delays.
• The Migration Advisory Committee recommended not having a dedicated general route for employers to recruit at or near the minimum wage from outside the UK and Republic of Ireland.
• The committee highlighted that about 80% of those working in social care are British, with only around 5% being European Union workers.
• The committee advises against creating regional variations in migration policy.
• Median wage in Edinburgh is higher than in Newcastle, Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Cardiff and Belfast.
• Variation within regions of Britain is greater than variation across them.
• Senior care workers are eligible for the new immigration system and may be considered for the shortage occupation list.
• Care assistants and care workers are not eligible as they are categorised in RQF1 and 2 occupations.
• 3.5 million people have applied to the EU settlement scheme.
• 99% of seasonal workers in agriculture are not from the UK.
• The seasonal workers scheme is currently in a pilot phase and is performing well.
• Analysis shows that migrants who stay long-term tend to cost more public resources than those who leave after paying taxes.
• There are differences between Northern Ireland and other parts of the UK due to its border.
• The system allows for a separate Northern Ireland SOL if specific recruitment problems exist there but not elsewhere in the UK.
• Social care workers, about 15% non-EEA born, have come through alternative routes rather than the work route.
• The shortage occupation list is used to identify professions with a significant lack of domestic workers.
• Employers must demonstrate efforts to train British workers before being added to the list.
• Other countries like Australia, Ireland, and Canada regularly review their similar lists annually.