No more Labour market Test for Work Permits?

[archigabe]

UK jobs 'open to non-EU workers'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7190348.stm

Skilled UK workers would face competition for jobs from every country in the world, under plans being considered by the government.

Currently employers must ensure jobs are filled by EU citizens before they seek workers from outside the EU.

But ministers are considering dropping the "resident labour test" for jobs paying above a certain amount - reported to be about £40,000 a year.

The move would come as part of the UK's new points-based immigration system.

Unskilled workers from outside the EU will be banned from seeking work in the UK for the "forseeable future" under the system, to be introduced later this year.

Highly qualified people, entrepreneurs and investors with more than £1m to spend will automatically gain entry as "tier one" migrants.

'Protecting labour market'

Firms seeking a wide range of "tier two" skilled workers, including many professionals, will still have to conduct a resident labour test to see if they can be filled from within the EU.

But under changes to be outlined in March, many firms previously discouraged from recruiting from outside the EU, from China, America, Australia and Africa and East Asia, could see restrictions lifted.

A Home Office spokeswoman said the government's priority would remain "protecting the British labour market".

But there were "ongoing discussions" with industry and other interested parties over dropping the resident labour test for jobs paying above a certain level.

She said: "We want to ensure we create a more efficient and better-targeted system."

The government would be making an anouncement in March on the salary level above which firms would be able to seek employees from outside the EU, the spokeswoman said.

She refused to comment on reports it would be £40,000.

[Administrator]

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We put a short article together on this topic also about two weeks back:

UK - Migrants could get easier access to highly skilled jobs
03 January 2008

There will be quite a bit of political positioning before & if this comes to pass.

But, it looks good that some sort of relaxation will take place. The 'wind' seems to indicate that some compromise(s) will be allowed to compensate for the fact that obtaining a Tier 1 visa will now be more difficult than an HSMP.

UK Highly Skilled Migrant Programme to be Replaced
08 January 2008

the Admin

[SYH]

This is interesting in that it mimics the Dutch and French system where if your salary commands a certain level, then it is assumed you are in highly skilled position.
They are copying each other left and right

[Administrator]

.

Hi --

BBC article up last night. This is the first few paragraphs. Click through for more. Looking more and more like a serious political knife-fight ...

Last Updated: Wednesday, 16 January 2008, 16:38 GMT

'No decision' on non-EU workers

The government says no decision has been taken on how high the salary for a British job will have to be for it to be open to anyone across the world.

The Conservatives have claimed that new rules are being considered which mean anyone who gets a job paying over about £40,000 would not need a work permit.

Ministers stress they are not dropping the test which means all jobs have to be offered to EU citizens first.

The Home Office says the final details of the scheme are due in March.

That statement of intent will set out how much the upper salary limit for the labour market test will be.

[ ... ]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7190348.stm

the Admin

[archigabe]

I think Doctors are already in this particular category as foreign doctors don't seem to require work permits or labor market tests.

Here's something even more interesting from the BBC again...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7203421.stm

Games 'may need non-EU workers'

A ban on non-EU unskilled workers may have to be lifted if preparations for the 2012 Olympics are running late, a committee of peers has been told.

Such workers are currently facing a ban for the "foreseeable future".

But Professor David Metcalf - head of the new Migration Advisory Council (MAC) - suggested that might have to change if there were labour shortages.

UK firms might not be able to train enough native workers in time for 2012, he told the Lords economic committee.

The MAC is drawing up a list of official shortage occupations which British firms will be able to advertise outside the EU. These are likely to include a small number of jobs on the 2012 Olympics such as site supervisor

[joe777]

i think the only way for non european doctors to come and work in the uk now is thru HSMP..