Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing temporary recovery visas to address industries experiencing labour and skills shortages; and if she will extend eligibility for those types of visas to bus drivers.

The Points based immigration system provides for occupations within a wide range of sectors, subject to the requirements of specific routes – including English language and salary – being met. However, roles such as bus drivers do not meet the skills threshold for the Skilled Worker route. It is not the Government’s intention to launch a recovery visa.

Beyond the points based system, employers can recruit those with general work rights including the millions of people who have been granted status under the EU Settlement Scheme, those who have arrived via our settlement route for British National (Overseas) normally resident in Hong Kong and their households, those who have arrived via a family visa and those in the UK under our Youth Mobility Schemes. They have full access to the UK labour market and are free to work in the UK and can undertake any role.

However, we must see long-term solutions to labour and skills shortages delivered by employers through improved training and hiring, with better pay and working conditions.