BHA Cautions The Effect Of UK Visa Changes

04 Dec 2010

The British Hospitality Association (BHA) cautioned that there would be a devastating effect on the ethnic restaurants in UK due to the immigration rules.

As per the new UK immigration rules, the number of non-EU skilled migrants allowed into the UK have been slashed down to 21,700, resulting in a reduction of 6,300 skilled migrants from the limit for the year 2009. The new limit will come into effect from April 2011 onwards.

The restaurant sector is already finding it difficult to find the requisite number of specialized ethnic hospitality workers in the UK. The eligibility requirements under UK Tier 2 of the Points Based System to graduate level qualifications or above is likely to restrict bar chefs from non-EU nations to come and work in UK. The requirement of the qualification is expected to prove disastrous for restaurants providing highly ethnic dishes of Oriental and Asian origin.