UK targets Aussies in post-Brexit migration

All migrants to Britain must have a job offer and the required skills for that job, speak English and in most cases be earning more than £25,600.

British Home Secretary Priti Patel. Picture: Getty Images

Britain will target Australians and skilled workers from ­English-speaking countries to fill labour gaps in post-Brexit immigration plans unveiled on Wednesday.

The new British immigration system, modelled on the Australian points style regime, will open the way for more skilled Australians to work in Britain.

At present, Australian workers are restricted by monthly quotas and tough entry requirements as the free movement between Britain and other EU states meant few opportunities for non-EU migrants. About 120,000 Australians live and work in the UK.

In the biggest shake-up of immigration rules since Britain joined the European Common Market in 1973, Home Secretary Priti Patel announced an end to the country’s reliance on cheap Eastern European labour.

As soon as the transition period ends on December 31, 2020, new rules will come into force, meaning all migrants wanting to come to Britain must have a job offer and the required skills for that job, speak English and in most cases be earning more than £25,600 ($50,000).

For some jobs, such as nursing, the Home Office will allow a lower annual salary; scientists will have no salary requirement.

The new rules will make it much easier for Australians to get a work visa in Britain as there will be no quotas. For EU migrants, the new system will be a radical step, because they will have to apply for a visa like everyone else. At present, Australians must apply for a five-year ancestry visa if they had a British grandparent, a tier-one entrepreneur visa or be sponsored.

Ms Patel said: ‘’Today we set out our historic blueprint for taking back control of our borders.

“It is the biggest shake-up of our immigration system in a generation and what the public rightly demand.

“We will choose who comes here based on the skills they can offer, to benefit the whole of the UK.

“They must speak English so they integrate in our commun­ities. They must have a job offer – so they make a genuine contribution to our country.

“They must be paid a salary that does not undercut local workers and ensures they can support themselves.”

British employers in the healthcare system, agriculture, hospitality and construction sectors say the new system will promote a black market for unskilled cheap workers.

There is expected to be a rush of EU workers flocking to Britain in the coming months before the new rules are implemented because if Europeans are in the country before January 1, 2021, they can live and work under current rules.