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From April 4, foreign workers seeking a visa to work in the UK will need to pay at least £38,700 – up from the current £26,200.
Architects were previously entitled to a 20 per cent discount on the minimum wage threshold because the profession was on the shortage occupation list. But that will end in the coming weeks.
A report by the government’s Immigration Advisory Committee last month recommended architects be excluded from the new Immigration Salary List (ISL), a replacement for the Shortage Occupations List.
This means the profession will be one of 21 industries that no longer benefit from the new threshold discount of £38,70.
Responding to the changes, RIBA president Muyiwa Oki told the AJ: “It is really disappointing that architects are being removed from the current immigration salary list.”
“Early career architects come from all over the world to gain experience in the UK, particularly London, regarded as the design capital of the world. In the process they bring innovative skills, knowledge and diverse perspectives that enrich our architecture environment, creating a virtuous cycle of creativity and solidifying our global reputation.
“These new higher wage requirements for skilled workers may make it more difficult to recruit early career architects – our critical talent pipeline. Therefore, we will continue to advocate for an effective immigration system that provides our Future services to careers and the wider industry.”
As part of the new immigration rules, only new arrivals aged 26 and under will be eligible for a 20% discount on the general threshold of £38,700.
All applicants must also meet prevailing rate requirements. For new entrants, including those moving from graduates to the skilled worker category, there is a 30% discount on current rates, which the Home Office said it would continue to implement.
From 4 April, the going price before discounts for occupation code 2451 architects is likely to be around £45,894 per year.
Nicolas Rollason, partner at law firm Kingsley Napley, told the AJ: “Whatever the final figure is, our experience tells us that many firms, particularly smaller and regional firms, will not be able to sponsor these new graduates who qualify. . They will have to turn away foreign graduates who need higher salaries than current graduate programs allow. The only way to acquire these talents is to increase their salaries.”
When the changes were first announced in December, they were widely criticized by those in the industry, including the Construction Workers’ Union (SAW), which described the £38,700 figure as “a particularly dangerous metric given that median wages for architects are often low.” to this number” ‘.
In a statement to the AJ at the time, the union said: “Many construction workers within and outside SAW have migrant backgrounds. SAW categorically rejects what it sees as a blatant attempt to erase migrants and pit workers against each other.
SAW said only the top 36 companies listed in the Pay 100 index were able to meet the new threshold.
Last year’s Pay 100 survey showed wide variation in salaries across industries, with Part 1 assistants earning from £19,000 to £31,000, well below the new visa threshold.
The investigation found that Part 2 assistants earn between £28,000 and £43,000, while qualified architects and building designers earn between £34,500 and £56,000.
According to a government review of the shortage occupation list, just 87 skilled worker visas (for construction and urban planning technicians) were issued between 2021 and 2023, accounting for just 0.1% of the workforce,
ArchJobs founder Aylin Round recently wrote in the AJ to express her concerns about the planned changes.
Paul Chappell of 9B Careers believes the new rules could lead to a rise in wages, with “few companies” sponsoring architects since Brexit.
He told the AJ: “Previously, architectural practices employed a large number of EU architects as freedom of movement was allowed and no visa requirements were required. However, post-Brexit, the timing and management of recruiting from abroad rarely fits into a firm’s business plan.
“Additionally, there appear to be far fewer architects seeking to move to the UK as a result of Brexit, so even without current salary requirements, skills shortages are likely to become increasingly severe in the coming years. This will in turn boost salaries in the construction industry, This will be welcomed by most industries, but will sadly undermine the international diversity of the pre-Brexit era.
The government claims changes to visa qualifications will reduce net migration by 300,000 a year.
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