Immigration and business - A harder road

The government’s policy on students and skilled migrants threatens to do long-term damage to the economy
IN JULY Hussam Elamin, a Sudanese graduate of Leeds University, was told to make plans to leave Britain. A two-year post-study work visa had expired; his application for a residency visa had been denied; his marriage to a European citizen was declared a sham. These were the latest in a series of setbacks. In 2010 Mr Elamin had to leave two jobs because his employers balked at the cost and hassle of sponsoring him for a work visa...
Restrictions applied to foreign students may do the most damage. Britain’s higher-education sector is a big exporter, second only to America’s. It generated £3 billion from non-EU students in fees alone in 2010-11, much of it from emerging markets such as China, India and Nigeria.
Four-fifths of students return home within five years of arriving, having made a connection that reinforces Britain’s position in global networks. Those who stick around for longer are a valuable source of high-skilled labour. Non-EU students are more likely to be postgraduates and to study science and engineering than indigenous ones. The tech start-ups around Old Street draw on this source. “Only half our staff are British but most of the rest came here to study,” says Mr Crow. The recent changes make it imperative to find a sponsor soon after graduation. But potential employers are often unclear about the rules and are wary.
The world’s brightest talents have plenty of options. Other countries are courting them. Australia has relaxed its rules on student visas. Canada gives three-year work visas to its graduates with master’s degrees. America’s appeal rarely dims. Its politicians may yet agree to allow more foreign-born science graduates to stay and work. Meanwhile Britain is at risk of scaring them off. More...