I don't know where people get this £31,000 minimum number from. Dear Damien Green didn't for a second confirm 31k is the minimum threshold. In fact, he insisted 31k is the start of a 'range' to £49k, and the final policy is likely to set the minimum at a number between 31k and 49k. Even BBC journalists mis-construed what he outlined at the Policy Exchange in London.GSOtodd wrote:What about the "resident labour market test being eased for high earners". What are they on about there? Does that mean that all jobs over the salary of 31,000 are exempt from the resident labour market test or only certain jobs that will be making a contribution. Surely if it was all jobs over 31,000 pounds a year, that wouldn't be getting the immigrant numbers down.
Given that the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) loosely suggested a 35k figure a couple of month ago, it would be a leap of faith to think the Tory (NOT Labour or LD!) would lower the threshold to £31k. I personally think they would set the minimum at 40k at least with certain exceptions made to skilled workers in critical public sector jobs, such as scientists and nurses.
So the message for everyone should be getting ready for minimum 40k instead of holding onto your bare chance at 31k!
On another note, I really can't help wondering what the Tory plan to do with EU immigrants if they are serious at all about meeting their 'tens of thousands' target or achieving 'controllable" immigration levels in the future. These people can claim every single shilling a Brit is entitled to as soon as they show up on UK shores and are least likely to pay taxes given the kind of jobs they take. They stand in direct contrast/opposite to the new "Selectivity" and "Quality" principle D Green put forward.
More and more countries are joining the EU (especially the poorer and more populous ones, think Turkey!), even if all non-EU skilled workers leave the UK overnight, they still won't meet their target and immigration is still going to shoot over the roof! Except, this time the UK will be (well, already is!) swamped by extremely unskilled EU workers who repatriate all their earnings instead of skilled non-EU professionals who want to build a life here and contribute to the society.