UK issues record number of work visas to fill staff shortages
UK in the year to June as employers scrambled to recruit from overseas amid ongoing labor shortages, according to official figures.
The Home Office data showed how reliant the UK remains on foreign workers 2 1/2 years after the post-Brexit immigration regime came into force. The number of work visas issued was 45% more than a year earlier.
Over a third of the total, 121,290, were “health and care” visas – a 157% increase in the previous year – as the UK struggled to meet the staffing needs of the National Health Service and care providers. Indian and Nigerian nationals accounted for the largest share.
With employers unable to fill over a million jobs, the government has responded by expanding the shortage occupation list, its visa rule exemption system, to make it easier to bring workers into the country.
However, soaring migration numbers have become a political headache for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak given the promises the Conservative government made to control Britain’s borders after the 2016 referendum that put Britain on a path out of the European Union.
UK sees surge in interest from non-EU job hunters
In 2022, net migration hit a record 606,000. The Home Office visa figures are not comparable as they include short-term workers and do not include emigration.
One cause of last year’s surge in migration was an increase in student visas. Foreign student numbers jumped once again, by 23% in the year to June to 498,626, largely accounted for by Indian and Chinese nationals.
Dependent Visas
Another issue has been dependent visas, for family members of workers and students. They almost doubled to 372,000 in the latest figures. Workers brought in 218,000 dependents and students 154,000.
