UK government agrees on skilled migration cap
Baku, November 23 (AZERTAC). The government of UK will announce later a cap on the number of skilled workers from outside the European Economic Area allowed into the UK.
A cap of up to 43,700 was recommended by migration advisors last week. But the government`s cap will not include employees transferred by their companies from another country if their salary is more than £40,000.
Home Secretary Theresa May is due to give the full details of the cap in a statement to MPs.
During the election campaign, Tory leader David Cameron pledged to cap immigration levels, while his then Lib Dem rival Nick Clegg - now his deputy - said that policy ignored the fact that most immigration came from the EU.
BBC political editor Nick Robinson said tense talks between the Tories and Lib Dems had resulted in a compromise.
Last year 50,000 visas were issued for tier one (highly skilled) and tier two (skilled) workers from outside the European Economic Area (the EU plus Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein). Of those, 22,000 came on intra-company transfers.
Nick Robinson said a consultation on cutting the number of non-degree level students coming to the UK - due to be published soon - had not yet got cross-coalition agreement.
In the New Year, ministers will produce proposals to reduce the number of family members who can join immigrants already living in the UK.
A Home Office spokesman denied reports the cap on skilled migrants from outside Europe would be 43,000, excluding intra-company transfers.
He said it was possible the number allowed into the country would end up at 43,000, but the limit would have to be lower than that to take account of the intra-company transfers.
David Frost, director general, of the British Chambers of Commerce, said it was important that changes to migration policy did not harm British business.
Last week the government`s migration advisory committee recommended that the number of migrant workers coming to the UK from outside the EU should be cut by between 13% and 25% next year.
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