UK Immigration headed for disaster

British employers are set to face increased difficulties in bringing skilled migrants to the UK under the new immigration structure, the specialist visa and immigration consultancy www.globalvisas.com can exclusively reveal.

According to the company, which deals with around 10,000 visa applications per year, employers in Britain will encounter major difficulties under the new five-tier managed migration system, which will be phased in from the first quarter of 2008. Insufficient training, the closure of visa posts, and the decision to contract out the vetting of visa applications to commercial partners will create additional problems for employers trying to bring essential skills to the UK.

Although a compliance team of account mangers is currently being prepared to introduce the new system to employers, the training is proving to be insufficient, giving only the most basic facts from the Home Office point of view. Global Visas has received reports from members of the compliance team that suggest the new system has major flaws which show no sign of being resolved.

In recent weeks, the British government has signed a commercial partnership deal with operations based in the UK and India to vet immigration applications. These commercial operations will assess applications before forwarding them to the UK visas office attached to a British embassy overseas. The commercial partner will also be responsible for collecting biometric details to pass on to the British immigration authorities.

A recent survey of 30,000 HR heads and company directors conducted by Global Visas suggests that an overwhelming majority harbour reservations about the decision to outsource the assessment of applications. The survey, which included Fortune 100 companies as well as small and medium enterprises, reveals that 80% express deep concerns about the proposals. Only the multinational companies surveyed did not feel that the decision to move the work permit process offshore would create problems.

For many, the difficulties are clear. There is a fear that the overseas staff of the governmentís commercial vetting partners may decline to forward to the British authorities applications from already-hired new employees, and will not grant any right of appeal. This could result in many delays and frustrations for British businesses who need their new employees now.

Finally, in a move yet to be made public but part of the programme, the British government aims to close the majority of visa posts overseas leaving only five to ten posts world-wide. This lack of local knowledge and a local presence, except for commercial partners without training or accountability via an appeal process, will create more opportunities for people to exploit the new system.

At present, the identified difficulties are yet to be addressed. In a recent move, the Immigration and Nationality Directorate has been renamed The Border and Immigration Agency, putting more distance between it and the work of the Home Office.