Since summer 2023, the migrant members’ subcommittee has been working on a campaign to improve the University’s support for migrant staff and families. This work gained additional urgency in December, with the announcement of changes to Immigration Rules that begin coming into effect from April. At last Tuesday’s general meeting, migrant members’ representative Maha Rafi Atal summarized the new financial and other supports Senior Management has agreed to provide to staff currently holding or seeking visas in general, as well as the specific implications of the new rule changes. The slides from this presentation are attached, and this email summarizes key points:

1. As previously shared with members, the University is now fully reimbursing staff for:

1. 1. the costs of initial, extension and Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) permits on the skilled worker visa (SWV) and Global Talent (GT) categories

1. 2. the costs of ILR permits on all other visa categories

1. 3. the costs of switching onto the SWV or GT categories from another visa (e.g. spousal)

2. In addition, we are newly able to announce that the University is now providing zero-interest, flexible repayment loans for staff:

2. 1.  applying for extensions on visa categories outside the SWV/GT routes

2. 2.  applying for extensions or ILR for their dependents

3. The University will start from a default term of 36 months for loan repayment, but will negotiate timelines flexibly to staff needs.

4. The University will be establishing a policy website where these offerings are published, managed by a team who can also offer staff legal assistance on migration matters. This is anticipated to go live in April, with web versions of the reimbursement and loan forms. Until this is live, members can access these programs by emailing  staffukvi@glasgow.ac.uk. 

5. From April, the minimum income threshold for the SWV is increasing with different income thresholds required for different job categories. A transition scheme will be in place until April 2030, allowing most current staff to renew their visas under the lower current thresholds until that time. Members of staff affected by the new thresholds will be contacted by the University by the end of April to discuss transition arrangements. If you have not been contacted, and are concerned, please do let Maha know. 

6. The higher thresholds, however, will apply to staff who apply for their first work visa after 4 April. These changes will, in effect, bar UoG from hiring sponsored workers at Grade 5 and below, while sponsorships at Grade 8 and up will be unaffected. For grades 6 and 7, the ability to sponsor will depend on a range of factors, including the threshold for the specific job role, and personal characteristics of the hired candidate which may entitle them to use one of a range of threshold waivers known as “tradeable points.” These changes will affect members involved in appointment processes, and may have varied effects at a School and Subject level. Please let the Committee know of any particular anticipated issues in your area.

7. The new thresholds will also affect PGR members, and staff members who advise students, as job prospects and hiring eligibility have changed drastically. Senior Management, TUs and student unions will plan to provide information to international students and staff in these roles later in the spring, when updated guidance from the Home Office on visa routes for graduates is expected.