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According to an pharmaceutical industry advocate group, there has been a significant reduction in the number of non-EU pharmacists working in the UK due to the recent immigration cap imposed by the Government.
"[The immigration cap] affected non-EU overseas pharmacy students who have just completed their UK degree and who have had offers of pre-registration training jeopardised by the ruling," said Rob Darracott, chief executive of Pharmacy Voice said.
The UK Government imposed a temporary cap on immigration in 2010 that will become permanent in April of 2011. In addition to the cap, the popular Tier 1 (General) highly skilled immigration route will be replaced by an 'exceptional talent' visa which will be extremely difficult to obtain.
The UK is likely to axe the Tier 1 (Post Study Work) visa which allows foreign graduates of UK universities to work in the UK after their studies.
The pharmaceutical industry isn't the only sector worried about the immigration cap and further changes to the immigration laws. The education industry in the UK is likely to suffer after the expected tightening of the student immigration rules take place.