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<p>The Government position remains we will not be introducing a short-term visa route
allowing recruitment at or near the minimum wage with no work-based training requirements,
such as the ‘Covid recovery visa’ which has been suggested.</p><p>Most of the solutions
for labour shortages are likely to be driven by industry, with a big push towards
improving pay, conditions and diversity needed. This includes business facing recruitment
issues engaging with the Department for Work and Pensions about the support they can
provide, rather than turning to the Home Office for immigration based solutions instead.</p><p>The
UK labour market has changed rapidly in recent months and we need time to monitor
the impact of the new Skilled Worker route, as well as how the economy recovers post-Covid
19<em> </em>including those individuals who will begin returning to the labour market
from the furlough scheme.</p><p>The independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC)
found some roles in the food production, supply and agricultural sectors meet the
RQF3 skills threshold for the Skilled Worker route so are eligible to be sponsored
for a Skilled Worker visa and can therefore be recruited on global basis. The threshold
was previously set at degree-level jobs. Modelling by the MAC suggests the new, broader
RQF3 threshold strikes a reasonable balance between controlling immigration and business
access to labour.</p>
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