Sajid Javid says Tier 2 visa system will be reviewed after Windrush fallout

While Windrush still remains his “top priority”, Sajid Javid has said that the UKs approach to foreign students and doctors coming to the UK under a Tier 2 visa will be reviewed.

Critics have argued that the governments current approach to reducing net migration to the UK is deterring students from choosing the country as a place of study, and employers, including several hospitals, have complained that they are struggling to fill jobs.

Under the current Tier 2 system, the UK can only approve the visas of 20,700 highly-skilled workers per year, and has hit the monthly maximum limit for the last five consecutive months. In April, no one earning under £50,000 a year was offered a visa.

Read more: Exclusive: Sadiq says students must be left out of immigration targets

Speaking to the BBCs Andrew Marr Show, the home secretary said that he was aware of the worries surrounding the NHS ability to employ medical staff, saying: “I can see a problem with that, it is something Im taking a fresh look at.

“I know a number of my colleagues certainly want me to take a look at this, and thats exactly what Im doing.”

Javid also said that he recognises there is a “perception problem” around the contribution of foreign students to net migration figures, and added that “it shouldnt make any difference”.

Read more: ONS admits: "No evidence that non-EU students overstay their visa"

Prime Minister Theresa May has faced repeated calls to remove foreign students from those figures, including from the Scottish Conservatives leader Ruth Davidson, but has always been set against the move.

As for doctors, the British Medical Association has warned that the Tier 2 visa cap could be “threatening patient care and safety”.

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CityAM

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