UK Government Defends Limits on Indian Professionals

Apparently the UK government has just recently defended its decision to introduce an interim limit on skilled workers from India. However, this limit will be placed on other countries from outside the European Union as well. This news comes despite concerns raised by the Confederation of British Industry and others.

The government has placed a temporary limit of 24,100 until April 2011. At that point in time a more permanent annual limit will be announced. The cap has already adversely affected companies who are unable to recruit the skills required from India and elsewhere.

Just recently, Damian Green said that the interim limit was introduced to stop a rush of last minute applications ahead of the annual limit being introduced in April of next year. The UK Border Agency has been working very closely with businesses to ensure that the arrangements have been implemented effectively.

Of course, campaign groups such as the Joint Council for Welfare of Emigrants has announced their plans to mount a legal challenge against this annul limit on the grounds that the restrictive measure did not get parliamentary approval. To this, Green said that there are millions of people in Britain who employers can freely recruit. He expects companies to look to fill job vacancies from the resident labor force before they look for skills outside the UK.

Just last year, visas were granted to some 36,000 workers from outside the European Union. There are currently hundreds of thousands of unemployed graduates in subjects such as IT and engineering, according to Green. Thus, companies should have no problem finding a way to fill their job openings.