Revealed: 1,000 jobs a month
are rejected under
the RCoS system

2 May 2018

As we reported last month, the demand for Restricted Certifcates of Sponsorship (RCoS) continues to outstrip supply. April 2018 marked the fifth month in a row that the allocation was over-subscribed. As many companies will no doubt be able to confirm, this has led to skills shortages as migrant workers are denied employment in the UK.

The Home Office has chosen not to declare the number of RCoS requests that it has declined. But Smith Stone Walters has obtained information about the actual figures for December 2017 and January 2018. Under a Freedom of Information Request, we have found out that the amount, as we predicted, reaches not just into the hundreds, but the thousands.

In December, 1,093 qualifying Tier 2 General RCoS requests were rejected.

In January, 1,383 qualifying Tier 2 General RCoS requests were rejected.  

Each of these requests were filed to enable specialist migrant workers to fill genuine skilled vacancies within the public and private sector. While each application request met the requirements of the immigration rules, they were rejected purely on basis of the government’s ‘cap’ on the number of workers permitted to enter the UK each month.

Priority allocation is given to both jobs at PhD level and those listed on the government’s shortage occupations list. Thereafter, the subsequent key consideration is the proposed level of salary being offered to the migrant worker. Since December last year, only those prospective migrant workers offered a salary of approximately £50,000+ per annum have managed to secure their requested Tier 2 RCoS.  Unless the government’s ‘cap’ is lifted, many more Tier 2 RCoS requests will be rejected.

As well as businesses being affected, it was reported on Tuesday that up to 100 Indian doctors had their applications for Tier 2 visas turned down. They were hoping to be employed to relieve shortages in the NHS. But despite public lobbying and private intervention from the Health Secretary, the Business Secretary and the former Home Secretary, nothing appears to be making a difference.

The architect of this policy, the Prime Minister, refuses to budge on relaxing the quotas, in her determination to keep migration levels low.

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