Commenting on the report, Liz Cameron, chief executive, Scottish Chambers of Commerce said: “The recommendation to scrap the cap on tier 2 visas will be welcome for employers across the UK. This tier 2 cap has been hit for several months in a row, leading to declined applications from employers in an environment where skills shortages continue to constrain business growth.
“Businesses are less likely to welcome the accompanying suggestion to broaden the immigration skills charge to include EEA workers. It seems counter-intuitive to create further barriers to skilled migration, especially in the light of the evidence produced in the MAC report which suggests that immigrants increase productivity and innovation, and do not negatively affect access to training opportunities for UK-born workers.
“Businesses across Scotland and the UK will expect the Home Office, and the UK Government, to put forth a workable future migration regime for the UK which puts access to skilled talent at its centre. Any future scheme must provide a streamlined experience for both migrants and firms, while relentlessly seeking to remove bureaucracy and red tape.”