EU migrants under age of 30 could be given two year visas after Brexit
2 min read
EU migrants under 30 could be given special two-year work visas if they want the right to live and work in the UK, under plans being considered in a Government-commissioned review.
The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) suggested taking similar tactics to New Zealand, Australia and Canada by giving preferential treatment to migrants between 18-30.
MAC, which has been commissioned by ministers to review Britain’s border controls said younger migrants were more likely to contribute to public finances for longer.
In a report, MAC said: "There are a number of reasons for this - younger migrants have a longer working life ahead of them so have a higher chance of making a net positive contribution to the public finances, and they are perhaps considered to assimilate more successfully".
They went on to suggest migrants could earn points to increase their chance of coming to the UK or accept a lower salary threshold to increase their chances of settling in Britain.
MAC pointed to a similar scheme run for British migrants to Australia and New Zealand, which allows 18 to 30-year-olds to enter the UK on a two-year visa.
The scheme does not give workers the right to permanently settle in the UK, although it does give them similar rights to freedom of movement.
The review also considers other border controls such as regional schemes, which would offer migrants who want to live and work outside London a lower salary threshold "to take into account regional variations in living costs and pay".
The report suggests that the number of low-skilled migrants allowed to come to the UK could be curbed. It says: "The economic literature suggests that migrants are more likely to have beneficial economic effects when they have different skills from the resident population."
The number of EU migrants has quadrupled since 2004 rising from 600,000 to 2 million.
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