Indians in the UK (England) have something to cheer about. The UK government is exempting non-European professionals, including Indians, from immigration cap, provided they are high income earners. The new immigration rules come into effect from April 2011.
There are more than 1.3 millions people of Indian origin (PIOs) living in England.
The new exemption will apply to employment vacancies where the salary being offered is more than  £150,000 (British pounds). Employers of such positions will not have the immigration cap applied to them for those jobs in England.
The decision to exempt those earning more than £150,000 from the annual limit was intended to make it as business-friendly as possible and to dispel claims that Britain was not open for business, according to British Home Office Minister Damian Green.
“This shake up is part of the government’s new annual limit on non-EU workers, which will take effect on April 6, ” the British Home Ministry was reported in a news report.
This exemption comes on the back of the government’s decision to introduce permanent immigration quota last year. The quota is aimed at reducing the number of non-European Union workers employed in the United Kingdom to about 20,000.
With the revised immigration rules, employers of new jobs in the UK can apply for a certificate of sponsorship from the British government.
The United Kingdom is home to 2.3 million people who speak one of the Indian languages. Indian population in the UK is concentrated in London, the Midlands, the North West and Yorkshire.
“Britain needs to attract the brightest and the best to fill jobs gaps but this should never be at the expense of workers already here,” says Green.
Green claims that the government has worked with businesses while designing this system and “made it clear employers should look first to people who are out of work and who are already in this country.”
The annual limit will be applied on a monthly basis. Expecting high demand in the first month, the quota for April will be 4,200, followed by 1,500 for every month afterwards.
The minimum requirements for being considered for these jobs include: an intermediate level of English and a graduate level job.
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