Take part in the Settlement Consultation

Take part in the Settlement Consultation

On June 9th the UK Government launched a public consultation concerning the changes in the policy that covers the settlement of migrants in the country. It is another step in the reforms to the immigration system that aim to reduce the number of net-migration drastically.   The consultation is called 'Employment related settlement, Tier 5 and overseas domestic workers' and it focuses on different measures that the Government believes will boost the outflow of non EU-nationals. All these measures limit the opportunities to apply for permanent settlement in the UK  and relate to three main issues: redefining the visa categories into 'temporary' and 'permanent'; limiting the stay of Tier 2 migrant workers to five years and restricting the entry and settlement of domestic workers in the UK.    The UK Government has repeatedly argued that the country should keep the 'economically important' migrants, reducing a work force that today represents hundreds of thousands of people to a privileged minority. A new situation that raises concerns, such as the ability of our business sector to maintain its productivity and worldwide competitiveness without its foreign human resources, or the impact that these measures could have over the decision of some companies to move their multinational headquarters based in the UK to other countries with less restricted systems.    The changes suggested by the Government will not only affect our business sector but also undermine the integration efforts put into place in the past. Not being able to settle or bring dependants will lead to higher levels of uncertainty among migrants and make their integration and contributions to the society more difficult. Foreigners wanting to work abroad will no longer think of the UK as a possibility under these unwelcoming restrictions.    This public consultation is an opportunity to express one's views and share experiences about a policy that affects millions of people in the UK, whether migrants or not. It gives an opportunity to participate in the decision-making process of new rules that will be put into practice in the near future.    The consultation is open to all and will remain available till September 9th.    We welcome you to participate in the process, it doesn't take very long!   http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/consultations/employment-related-settlement/