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Comments by Sanwar Ali:
Lets not forget that there are many other migrants in the UK who are fulfilling important roles in society and who are having to pay excessive Government fees. They also have difficulty in paying huge Government Health Surcharge fees and UK visa fees. To make the system fair for all migrants there should be a huge reduction in the level of fees. UK visa related fees are amongst the highest in the World and causing financial hardship to huge numbers of people.
An influential group of MPs has slammed the UK government for excluding migrant care workers and low-paid NHS staff from a free UK visa extension scheme. In a recent report, the cross-party Home Affairs Select Committee argued that those excluded from the scheme would be faced with paying thousands of pounds in UK visa fees.
While the Home Affairs Select Committee has welcomed a government decision to grant free, 12-month UK visa extensions to NHS and social care workers in medical roles, the group has criticised the exclusion of other staff working in the sector.
The Committee said: “Many of the excluded NHS employees – who include hospital porters, cleaners and administrative staff – are providing essential services to the NHS and its patients at this most trying time.”
“They are also more likely to be in lower-paid job roles, meaning that the necessity of paying visa renewal fees is a much greater financial burden,” the Committee added.
UK visas should be extended to cover all employees
Yvette Cooper, the chair of the Committee and a Labour MP, has urged government ministers to extend the fee-free visa scheme to cover all employees. She said: “Our NHS and social care system have relied on the contributions of those who have come from abroad throughout this crisis.”
“Excluding the care workers who hold dying residents’ hands, the cleaners who scrub the door handles and floors of the COVID-19 wards, or the porters who take patients to intensive care is just wrong,” Cooper added.
Ms Cooper, with the backing of her Committee colleagues, is set to propose an amendment to the government’s controversial UK immigration bill, which she says will ‘require ministers to change course.’
No Recourse to Public Funds for migrants during coronavirus
The Committee has also joined many in calling for the suspension of the No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) rule, which stops thousands of UK visa holding migrants from accessing the majority of state-funded benefits, tax credits and housing assistance.
NRPF rules block Tier 2 visa holders, spouses of UK citizens, self-employed migrants, investors, entrepreneurs and asylum seekers from access to state funds, leaving many on the brink of destitution, according to some charities.
The Committee said: The government should immediately make arrangements for the temporary lifting of NRPF conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Meanwhile, a government spokesperson gave what has become a scripted response throughout the pandemic, saying: “We are incredibly grateful for all the hard work that health and care workers continue to do in the fight against coronavirus.”
“Right across the immigration system we are supporting NHS and other eligible health and care workers. We have introduced a free one-year visa extension to approximately 3,000 key frontline health workers including an exemption to the immigration health surcharge and have expanded the bereavement scheme to all NHS and social care workers, the spokesperson added.
Coronavirus in the UK
Coronavirus lockdown restrictions continue to ease in the UK with so-called, non-essential shops and zoos now reopening. Meanwhile, some sports will return this week - including Premier League football – following a three-month suspension.
The UK is now nearing 300,000 (295,889) coronavirus cases, while the death toll has exceeded 40,000 (41,698).
Latest coronavirus updates, visa and immigration restrictions
For the latest updates on the coronavirus, plus details of visa and immigration restrictions worldwide, check Workpermit.com’s news feed to stay informed.
To apply for a UK visa extension amid the coronavirus pandemic, see this recent Workpermit.com news report.
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If you need help with a Tier 2 visa, or a Tier 2 Sponsor Licence, including help with complying with your Tier 2 Sponsor Licence obligations, workpermit.com can help.
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