Skilled worker visa salary increase will 'split families' and hit rural Scotland hard, MSPs and rural groups say

Concern over UK Government raising wage threshold needed to get a skilled worker visa to £38,700

Salary changes to the UK’s skilled worker visa has been seen as another blow to rural businesses in Scotland, stakeholders and MSPs have said.

The increased threshold – to a minimum of £38,700, an increase of almost 50 per cent on the existing level – was announced last week and is set to come into force from spring next year.

The UK Government said the move was to address migration numbers to Britain.

Digging weeds by hand on an organic farm in the sunshine. Picture: Getty Images

Health and social care visas will be exempt from the new higher threshold, to meet NHS staffing needs. But other sectors including the agriculture, tourism and hospitality sector will be impacted by the changes.

Scottish Liberal Democrat rural affairs spokesperson Beatrice Wishart said: “These changes will split families and drive another nail into many rural businesses. It’s another example of the Conservative party chasing cheap headlines over the interests of our rural communities.”

SNP MSP Jim Fairlie said the new measures would hit an already “battered” rural Scotland impacted by Brexit and the cost-of-living crisis.

“The salary increase is just one of the announced measures that will prohibit many skilled workers from coming to Scotland and filling labour market gaps in crucial industries that keep our rural economies afloat,” he said.

The UK government's new proposals to increase the salary threshold of the skilled workers visa has drawn criticism from MSPs and the rural community in Scotland (pic: ellenamani - stock.adobe.com)

He pointed to the Scottish Government’s vision for migration in an independent Scotland, drawing attention its new Building a New Scotland paper series, which includes separate visas to address depopulation.

Mr Fairlie said: “The migration policy of an independent Scotland would make it easier for people with the skills and expertise Scotland needs to come and contribute to our businesses, communities and to our economy – with visa fees set at a fair level to benefit both employees and employers.”

The scheme, however, has drawn criticism from the rural community as “another gimmick headline policy” that does not tackle a depleted infrastructure, including housing, in rural areas.

Scotland Land & Estates (SLE), which represents landowners and rural businesses in Scotland, also criticised the UK Government’s changes to the skilled workers visa.

SLE’s director of policy Stephen Young said: “This is an issue of concern for rural businesses, particularly those involved in agriculture and tourism.

“Businesses in these sectors require skilled workers and any impediment to recruitment will not be welcomed. We believe that immigration policy should be as targeted and precise as possible and the main focus should be on people’s skillsets, rather than an arbitrary wage threshold.”

In response, the UK Government’s home secretary James Cleverly said: “It is clear that net migration remains far too high. By leaving the European Union, we gained control over who can come to the UK, but far more must be done to bring those numbers down so British workers are not undercut and our public services put under less strain.

“My plan will deliver the biggest ever reduction in net migration and will mean around 300,000 people who came to the UK last year would not have been able to do so. I am taking decisive action to halt the drastic rise in our work visa routes and crack down on those who seek to take advantage of our hospitality.”