Visa scheme for foreign workers in UK is being abused, says PCG

The Fast Track Visa system allows UK companies to import workers that possess skills the Government says are in shortage. However, the PCG argues that the list of skills is "inaccurate and so out-of-date as to be irrelevant".

The PCG was formed in May 1999 to lobby against the Government's IR35 tax proposals. Its efforts to have the legislation overturned were unsuccessful, but it continues to represent more than 14,000 members on issues affecting the knowledge-based sector.

The PCG asked contractors to send in details of their first hand experiences of Fast Track Visa abuse after the Home Office Minister, Lord Rooker, requested evidence from the PCG in a recent debate concerning the work permit system on the BBC's Today programme.

Philip Ross, PCG Policy Advisor, said:

"Out of the high figure of UK contractors that are currently 'on the bench', many are proficient in the skills sets on Work Permit UK critical shortage list. The evidence we have handed to Lord Rooker shows many instances of UK contractors being replaced with cheaper 'permit' workers with inferior skills sets to those they are brought in to replace.

"Many of the reports we have received detail how UK contractors at client sites are told by clients to train 'permit' workers who are brought into the country on Fast Track Visas in skills that the workers they have replaced were originally hired for."

Work Permits UK is the government agency responsible for the issue of Work Permits and controls what skills are on the short occupation list.