The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has welcomed the publication of the Immigration White Paper and “its recognition that migrant workers play an important role in the UK economy”.
“Greater flexibility shows the government has been listening to the beer and pub sector, as well as the wider business community,” said BBPA chief executive, Brigid Simmonds.
“We have previously called for a review of the tier system and welcome the intention outlined by the government to remove the annual cap on the number of tier 2 work visas issued, widen the skills threshold to include people with qualifications equivalent to that of A-levels, and end the requirements for labour market tests by employers wanting to sponsor a worker.
“We have also previously raised our concerns over retaining the salary cap of £30,000, as pub chefs, who are very much in short supply within our sector, would in many cases not meet this prohibitively high cap.
“A further consultation on the appropriate salary cap is therefore most welcome, and we will also seek that chefs are included on the shortage occupation list going forwards.”
