Universities face fees of £1,000 a year for migrant workers

Universities will be asked to pay an immigration charge of £1,000 a year for each skilled migrant worker they hire, if recommendations from the Migration Advisory Committee are accepted by the UK government.

In its report on the Tier-2 visa route, published on 19 January, the committee, which was set up to advise MPs, says it supports the government’s proposal to introduce an immigration skills charge.

The idea of the charge is to incentivise employers to reduce their dependence on migrant staff and encourage them to prioritise UK job seekers. The committee estimates that the charge would raise up to £250 million a year, and recommends that this cash be pumped back into a range of skills training, not limited to funding apprenticeships.