UK employers are struggling to employ people from overseas due to tight Tier 2 work permit applications, with March sponsorship certificates hitting their limit for the sixth consecutive month.
According to the UK Visas and Immigration department’s recently published March report, the limit for Tier 2 work permit applications was breached for the sixth month in a row, with thousands of applications from businesses being turned down by the government.
In fact, figures have revealed that the number of restricted certificates of sponsorship that were unused for the 2017-18 annual limit was just 67, thought to be a result of a new salary cap of £50,000 for the majority of Tier 2 work permit roles.
Commenting on the figures, Tony Haque, lawyer for Baker McKenzie, said: “The impact of the Tier 2 cap is now starting to bite and is definitely having an impact on some industry sectors.”
“The growing pressure on the monthly quota has led to it being exceeded for the last six months in a row,” said Haque, adding that it’s having “a significant impact on UK employers and their ability to recruit newly hired talent from overseas”.