Briefing on Universities UK submission to MAC Consultation

Ahead of the Migration Advisory Committee [MAC] recommendations on the UK’s future immigration system, expected later this month, UUK has published this briefing for media and parliamentarians.

The briefing summarises UUK’s submission to the MAC consultation and outlines our position on how the skilled-worker route can be changed to ensure success and prosperity in UK higher education and research. 

Any changes to existing immigration rules, including extending current visa rules to EU citizens after the UK leaves the EU, could impact upon universities’ capacity to recruit the staff they need to deliver world-class teaching and research. 

Key points

• The MAC is consulting on changes to the salary thresholds for workers sponsored under the UK’s Tier 2 (general) visa route (otherwise known as the skilled-worker route) and a proposed Australian-style points-based system.
• UUK recommends that the overall salary threshold for the Tier 2 visa should be lowered from £30,000 to £21,000 or the appropriate rate for that profession – whichever is lower.
• UUK advises that the benefits of an Australian-style points-based system could also be achieved through revisions to the existing Tier 2 skilled-worker route.
• Nonetheless, if this system is to be introduced, ‘having a job offer’ should be the prioritised characteristic.
• Since the submission, UUK has commissioned polling to gauge public attitudes towards staff who move to the UK from abroad to work in higher education. 
• • This poll of over 4000 people representative of the total British public found that almost nine in 10 (87%) of British adults say it is more important that the UK’s immigration systems attracts university staff who are highly skilled. Only 3% say that it is more important that the system attracts university staff who are highly paid.