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UK Shows the Way for Immigration Reform?
I have long advocated that the US accepts all skilled, English-speaking and truly wannabe-American immigrants. People are the ultimate asset, because people actually generate wealth – so the more we have, the better. It is not as if America is overfull: we could add several billion people and not surpass the population density of England. And there are not billions of qualified people out there in any case.
With Brexit, the UK is doing a clean-slate immigration policy that I think is really promising.
The visa will form part of the “Skilled Worker” route in the post-Brexit points-based immigration system, which will require EU and non-EU migrants to gain 70 points to be allowed to come to the UK.
Fifty of those points have to be gained by having a job offer from an approved employer, speaking English and from the prospective job being at the skill level of A-level or above.
The remaining 20 points can come from a variety of categories, where skills or qualifications can be “traded” for points to meet the required 70.
…
Skilled jobs with salaries of £25,600 or above can earn 20 points, as will a doctorate in a science, technical, engineering or mathematical subject.
Those with offers in shortage occupations, such as in health and education, will also be able to gain 20 points so long as they earn at least £20,480, which is considered a floor for entry.
However, to prevent companies from exploiting foreign labour to keep wages down, the Government is also introducing a “going rate” requirement.
This means that if someone earns less than their industry’s average pay above the £25,600 mark, they will not secure the 20 points and will need to get these by fulfilling other criteria.
Applicants earning at least 90 per cent of the going rate in their industry, providing their salary is at least £23,040, will be able to earn 10 points.
…
Highly-skilled workers – such as scientists and academics rated as “global talent” and musicians and artists – will be the only groups entitled to enter the UK without a job offer if they have the required points and are sponsored by a relevant professional body. Their numbers will be capped.
Foreign students will be free to continue to take up places at universities and will be granted two years’ grace after graduation to stay in the UK and bring their skills to the British economy.
I love it. I wish we could do it here.
Published in General
It looks good. Remember that that is in the context of free intra-Commonwealth migration. This would apply where they have discretion.
We could lose a lot of valuable immigrants under this plan, though. For example: Intel cofounder Andy Grove came here from Hungary in 1957, no particular skills or college degree at the time, could barely speak English. And I’m not sure I want the Government deciding what is a ‘valuable skill’…you can bet there would be a large component of fad-following. Some of the same problems that exist with top-down economic planning.
I don’t know. The bigger the population, the more the nature of our country changes. I prefer a smaller population. And frankly I would prefer a more homogenized culture. Personally I don’t find other cultures all that quaint. Immigration alters the culture of the indigenous population, for better or worse.
Tell that to the Indians; I think you find a lot of agreement.
For any skills-based visas, I would make it an auction based on the job offer. X number of visas per month, with a minimum contract duration requirement (I would suggest 3yrs), allocated in order to the employer/position combinations whose compensation packages yield the highest monthly take-home pay for the immigrant employee. That would cut off the parasites while automatically allocating visas to the most in-demand occupations. And yes, an immigrant visa–the new resident would have the normal green card, not tied to that employer.
I wouldn’t be opposed to making it multiple auctions divided by immigrant age, to counteract the reduced economic benefit (years of work) to the U.S. of older immigrants. Yes, I would discriminate based on age.
Rules that time and political pressure will change. I don’t know what we should do that prevents rot, but we need to limit immigration, stop illegal immigration and eliminate freebies for immigrants or their families. and make it highly competitive. .
iWe, you must have missed the sensitivity seminar!
Where are the quotas!
Speak English! What! You mean you want new immigrants to integrate and assimilate into society? But how are we to inflame ethnic and racial passions that way? I don’t think with these new controls on immigration that these new immigrants of yours will be voting for the right political party so we just can’t have it.
I am afraid your proposal will also increase the power of the White Patriarchy so it must be absolutely be denied. Too Logical. Too Rational. NO. Can’t have it!
So the Orthodox Jew is empowering the White Patriarchy?
He may be a patriarchical iWe, but he’s our patriarchical iWe.
As long as you don’t discover who really runs the International Jewish Conspiracy!
<mwahahahahahaa!!!!>
I always assume that anything I share with you I share with them. ;-)