Over two-thirds of transfers within companies are granted to IT personnel

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has released a report assessing the UK Border Agency's (UKBA) performance since the introduction of the points system in 2008. One area of concern highlighted in the report is the management of migrant information, particularly within the Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) system.

The ICT system, used by nearly two-thirds of migrant workers in the UK for IT jobs, allows employees of multinational corporations to obtain UK work visas if their posts cannot be filled by a national resident. However, the PAC report suggests that the UKBA does not have enough control over the system, raising concerns about its potential impact on British IT workers.

The report praises the salary requirement for workers using the ICT system, but warns that the UKBA needs to monitor these salaries closely to protect resident workers. From April 2023, workers must earn at least £40,000 a year (£24,000 if working for up to 12 months) to work in the UK through the ICT system.

The top ten users of the ICT system are all IT or technology companies. Tata Consultancy Services tops the list with 7,632 Certificates of Sponsorship, followed by Cognizant Technology Solutions with 4,962, Wipro Technologies with 3,611, Infosys Technologies Ltd with 3,761, IBM UK Ltd with 2,558, Accenture (UK) Ltd with 2,019, Tech Mahindra ltd with 2,369, Capgemini PLC with 1,226, Steria Ltd with 1,034, and HCL Great Britain Ltd with 1,873 Certificates of Sponsorship.

The report also suggests that the UKBA should consider dropping the provision allowing payment of up to 40% of the required salary in allowances through the ICT system, as it is harder to verify. Up to 40% of the required salary can be paid in allowances, which could potentially lead to exploitation of the system.

To address these shortcomings, the UKBA plans to introduce an immigration casework system. However, the report expresses concerns that the UKBA does not know when visas are about to expire and cannot identify high-risk applications due to the lack of adequate IT structures. This raises questions about the effectiveness of the new system in improving the management of migrant information.

The number of workers that can enter the UK through the ICT route is not capped, which could contribute to the influx of migrants through the system. The PAC report notes this as a concern, as it may displace British IT workers.

In conclusion, the PAC report highlights several issues with the UKBA's management of the ICT system and its impact on British IT workers. The report calls for improved monitoring of salaries, better control over the system, and the introduction of an immigration casework system to address these issues. The UKBA will need to address these concerns to ensure fair and effective management of migrant information and protect the interests of British IT workers.