The Government Is Tightening Immigration Rules

[webchat]

The government is tightening immigration rules to prevent businesses favouring cheap imported labour over British workers.

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) last month made recommendations for changes to the Intra-Company Transfer rule which allows workers to be brought in on the premise that they are transferring within a company. The scheme is being used in the IT sector much more than any other.

But the government said today that

from next year all jobs must be advertised to British workers for four weeks

, rather than the current two weeks, before companies can seek to employ individuals from outside Europe.

The government is also extending the

qualifying period for all overseas workers who want to transfer to the UK base of their company to at least a year

, rather than six months.

The

minimum salary

that will allow an individual to qualify as a skilled worker and be eligible to work in the UK will also rise from £17,000 to

£20,000

.

Computer Weekly

Edited September 7, 2009 by webchat

[OnlyMe]

No hurry, won't be till next year. Even then this is just piffle.

Obviously all the desperate gambling measures like QE and ZIRP are utterly over the top if just a marginal tweak to the massive dislocating effect that jobs displacement has had on the economy and job prospects of 100,000's.

[tboy]

Pointless.

It's only for anyone outside the EU. That leaves the best part of 250 million non-British workers still able to take the jobs.

To be clear...I am a fan of immigration and wish all countries would just open their borders...however, with the UK allowing anyone within the EU to live and work (and collect benefits) in the UK, I don't see why they then try so hard to block people from countries outside the EU, particularly for example Canada/USA/Australia/New Zealand, all of whom we at least share the same language with. It does disappoint me a little to find all bars and restaurants staffed by Eastern Europeans rather than British students trying to make an extra few quid to put themselves through University, I imagine it's been much harder for younger people to get work in the last decade. But ultimately, immigration is a good thing as it keeps costs down as you have more competition for jobs, and thus cheaper prices and so a higher standard of living for all.

[Johnny Storm]

But ultimately, immigration is a good thing as it keeps costs down as you have more competition for jobs, and thus cheaper prices and so a higher standard of living for all.

What a load of nonsense. I agree immigration keeps wages low and therefore gives a low standard of living for all! How you think immigration is a good thing in any way is beyond me. :angry:

[non frog]

... How you think immigration is a good thing in any way is beyond me. :angry:

Shame you didn't have a better education then

[OnlyMe]

Pointless.

It's only for anyone outside the EU. That leaves the best part of 250 million non-British workers still able to take the jobs.

To be clear...I am a fan of immigration and wish all countries would just open their borders...however, with the UK allowing anyone within the EU to live and work (and collect benefits) in the UK, I don't see why they then try so hard to block people from countries outside the EU, particularly for example Canada/USA/Australia/New Zealand, all of whom we at least share the same language with. It does disappoint me a little to find all bars and restaurants staffed by Eastern Europeans rather than British students trying to make an extra few quid to put themselves through University, I imagine it's been much harder for younger people to get work in the last decade. But ultimately, immigration is a good thing as it keeps costs down as you have more competition for jobs, and thus cheaper prices and so a higher standard of living for all.

Had a 3 minute peek at a programme that was on today - HMO in Lancashire, private rental - something like 550 pounds a month private rental, HMO, 950 pounds per month - i.e. stuffed with students, low paid or migrants. Guess which ones the BTL mob cater for and guess how many cheap lets are available. Only result of the migrant experiment is massive dysfunction in the economy, more jobless and lots and lots of indigenous unemployed.. Also ended with with the City full of people in particular who really didn't give a shit what happened to this country when the bubble imploded, most could just bugger off home and live off the windfall resulting from the fraud that swept finance.

Edited September 7, 2009 by OnlyMe

[codeine]

Mass immigration suits only those with the money to lobby for it - the owners of business who wish to charge the lowest wage they can get away with.

Never mind that the less they pay, the less that will be able to afford their product. That's someone else's problem.

These tossers won't be happy until we end up like Dubai - living in slums, working 18 hours a week, and earning enough just to live on - with the rest being paid in Company Credit. It is the best way to maximise profit, after all. Is that not what Capitalism is all about?

[Cygnus Alpha]

Pointless.

It's only for anyone outside the EU. That leaves the best part of 250 million non-British workers still able to take the jobs.

To be clear...I am a fan of immigration and wish all countries would just open their borders...however, with the UK allowing anyone within the EU to live and work (and collect benefits) in the UK, I don't see why they then try so hard to block people from countries outside the EU, particularly for example Canada/USA/Australia/New Zealand, all of whom we at least share the same language with. It does disappoint me a little to find all bars and restaurants staffed by Eastern Europeans rather than British students trying to make an extra few quid to put themselves through University, I imagine it's been much harder for younger people to get work in the last decade. But ultimately, immigration is a good thing as it keeps costs down as you have more competition for jobs, and thus cheaper prices and so a higher standard of living for all.

It's a two way street with EU workers. I have friends who work in Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Spain.

[workingholiday]

Not much to see here; just moving the deck chairs around abit.

Probably won't have to much effect and as mentioned above, not yet implemented.

[Michael]

EU immigration was all well and good when we joined the EU in 1973.......when we joined with Ireland, and Denmark....

with the original 6 members (France, Germany, Holland , Belgium, Italy and Luxembourg).............

We thought we voted to join a free trade zone with rich countries all of whom had grown much quicker than Britain in the 30 years after the War..................................

[The Eagle]

EU immigration was all well and good when we joined the EU in 1973.......when we joined with Ireland, and Denmark....

with the original 6 members (France, Germany, Holland , Belgium, Italy and Luxembourg).............

We thought we voted to join a free trade zone with rich countries all of whom had grown much quicker than Britain in the 30 years after the War..................................

Correct, but guess which government had been pushing more than any other for the rapid expansion of the EU eastwards?

You guessed right, the UK government!

Same for expanding the EU to Turkey, the UK government is who wants it most (apart from the US, who really should keep thier nose out of internal European affairs...)

Edited September 7, 2009 by wise_eagle

[Boomer!]

Lets play them at their own game and get a load of cheap polish and **** MP's in

[tomwatkins]

EU immigration was all well and good when we joined the EU in 1973.......when we joined with Ireland, and Denmark....

with the original 6 members (France, Germany, Holland , Belgium, Italy and Luxembourg).............

We thought we voted to join a free trade zone with rich countries all of whom had grown much quicker than Britain in the 30 years after the War..................................

Wish DeGaulle was still in power-at least he kept saying "Non"

[ZeroSumGame]

Blah Blah Blah

Computer Weekly .... MWHUAUAAUAUAUAUAUAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAAH.

Horse. Stable Door. Bolted. Mr Broon and Ms Hewitt have jointly presided over the mass migration and atrophy of so many sectors in the IT business - it almost isn't worth commenting here. There are loads of IT weblogs/sites documenting and commenting on the state of play, out there.

Bit late in the day to save a few real jobs in the UK now!

[Rockape]

Election coming up, looking after "British workers", it means nothing, just want to be seen to be doing something.

[MongerOfDoom]

What a load of nonsense. I agree immigration keeps wages low and therefore gives a low standard of living for all! How you think immigration is a good thing in any way is beyond me. :angry:

I love the cheap services the foreigners provide. They happily serve my meals, work at supermarket checkouts, clean the workplace, sell me nice foreign food as long as I am willing to point at it and ask slowly, drive me around in minicabs, etc. They are probably more pleasant to interact with than the average homeborn alternative. They certainly improve my standard of living, and theirs too. This is a good thing. Next argument please. (Then again, we discuss this to death at least once a month)

[ZeroSumGame]

Pointless.

It's only for anyone outside the EU. That leaves the best part of 250 million non-British workers still able to take the jobs.

To be clear...I am a fan of immigration and wish all countries would just open their borders...however, with the UK allowing anyone within the EU to live and work (and collect benefits) in the UK, I don't see why they then try so hard to block people from countries outside the EU, particularly for example Canada/USA/Australia/New Zealand, all of whom we at least share the same language with. It does disappoint me a little to find all bars and restaurants staffed by Eastern Europeans rather than British students trying to make an extra few quid to put themselves through University, I imagine it's been much harder for younger people to get work in the last decade. But ultimately, immigration is a good thing as it keeps costs down as you have more competition for jobs, and thus cheaper prices and so a higher standard of living for all.

Oh really ? You try waltzing into to one of those countries as Johnny cheap labour and see how you get on. No chance !

Borders tightly controlled and governments looking after those that elected them. Not trying to undermine or weaken the weaker members of society.

[MongerOfDoom]

Mass immigration suits only those with the money to lobby for it - the owners of business who wish to charge the lowest wage they can get away with.

Never mind that the less they pay, the less that will be able to afford their product. That's someone else's problem.

Paying people more just so that they can afford your product must be one of them new paradigms. Why not just reduce the price instead?

[Britney's Piers]

In a country with x people on benefits, and x jobs going begging, economic immigration makes no sense. Why would you allow it unless you had some twisted motive?

[Rockape]

I love the cheap services the foreigners provide. They happily serve my meals, work at supermarket checkouts, clean the workplace, sell me nice foreign food as long as I am willing to point at it and ask slowly, drive me around in minicabs, etc. They are probably more pleasant to interact with than the average homeborn alternative. They certainly improve my standard of living, and theirs too. This is a good thing. Next argument please. (Then again, we discuss this to death at least once a month)

I agree, it's shown a mirror up to us and we don't like what we see, our homegrown alternative is ill educated and workshy, good luck to them I say.

[catsick]

I think the fairest way to dish out these visas is just to charge 25k a year for them , then can drop all the mumble swerve things to qualify as companies will only pay this when there is a real need and wont bother if they are just doing it to undercut uk compensation , nice and easy fair and makes some decent revenue for the government rather than wipro or whoever is making the spread in salary offshore as profit ...

[dubsie]

But ultimately, immigration is a good thing as it keeps costs down as you have more competition for jobs, and thus cheaper prices and so a higher standard of living for all.

Why on earth would you think that. Good for greedy business people who want to exploit a labour force. The UK has 6 million unemployed according to new figures why on earth are we importing more workers.

All immigration does is drive down the standard of living and provide a nightmare for service providers and has cost the British tax payer £ 1Billion.

[bomberbrown]

I love the cheap services the foreigners provide. They happily serve my meals, work at supermarket checkouts, clean the workplace, sell me nice foreign food as long as I am willing to point at it and ask slowly, drive me around in minicabs, etc. They are probably more pleasant to interact with than the average homeborn alternative. They certainly improve my standard of living, and theirs too. This is a good thing. Next argument please. (Then again, we discuss this to death at least once a month)

What a derogatory view of the way immigrants contribute to our society. Or were you being sarcastic?

Low skilled immigration is out of control here in the UK. Lets get our lazy homegrown off benefits and into work first.

[Johnny Storm]

Shame you didn't have a better education then

Im the generation educated under the conservatives, so I had no multicultural brain washing. Id feel sorry for you, but its hard to care. Maybe thats what the conservatives taught me too???

Edited September 8, 2009 by Johnny Storm

[mdman]

I love the cheap services the foreigners provide. They happily serve my meals, work at supermarket checkouts, clean the workplace, sell me nice foreign food as long as I am willing to point at it and ask slowly, drive me around in minicabs, etc. They are probably more pleasant to interact with than the average homeborn alternative. They certainly improve my standard of living, and theirs too. This is a good thing. Next argument please. (Then again, we discuss this to death at least once a month)

Next time you get mugged/ assaulted/ abused by some unemployable British chav, you might do well to reflect on the fact that your assailant's antisocial demeanour is due in part to immigration - the strain on education driving standards down, the job oversupply pressure driving unemployment up, the wage deflation/ housing cost rise pressures driving poverty up, and the welfarisation of a lost generation generally

maybe you'll reflect a bit more after your job gets outsourced. It's what you deserve. And it's coming to most of us, low paid cleaners or better paid professionals alike.

The logic of your blinkered and socially destructive position is for all UK employees to be fired and replaced by cheaper foreign workers. The company profits. Society pays.