Skilled migrant salary threshold hike would hit research, government told

The UK government has been told that increasing the salary threshold for jobs for skilled workers from outside the European Union would have an adverse effect on scientific research.

In response to a consultation by the government’s Migration Advisory Committee to review the Tier 2 route for skilled migrants, both the Campaign for Science and Engineering and the Russell Group of leading research-intensive universities say that pay is not a good proxy for skill level in science, as highly skilled early-career researchers can often be on low pay.

The salary for inclusion in the Tier 2 schedule stands at £20,800. CaSE said that were the government to raise that threshold, the UK’s skills shortage in science and technology would be exacerbated and would further “reduce opportunities for UK nationals to learn specialist skills from foreign scientists and engineers”.