UK employers who sponsor skilled migrants are in some cases already paying fees nearing the level of Donald Trump’s $100,000 H-1B levy, underlining the formidable barriers to luring top talent into Britain.
For skilled workers bringing family to the UK through the main visa route for professionals, fees total tens of thousands of pounds over the five-year period before they can apply for indefinite leave to remain, experts said.
Fees incurred by a family of four who settle after five years on a skilled worker visa total £42,892 before tax, according to Ian Robinson, head of the UK practice at the global mobility company Vialto Partners.