Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department is taking steps to (a) protect from exploitation and (b) monitor the employment conditions of construction workers with Skilled Worker visas.

All visa holders are entitled to the same employment protections as resident workers. Nonetheless, the Skilled Worker route also includes a range of additional protections to ensure the welfare of migrant workers. These include minimum salary requirements to ensure workers receive a fair wage for the work they are sponsored to do, and an English language requirement which, as well as helping workers to integrate, ensures they are better able to understand their rights, protect themselves from exploitation and seek help where needed.

Sponsors of workers are monitored to ensure that workers are paid appropriately and not otherwise exploited. This includes regular checks with HMRC. Any discrepancies found or allegations of exploitation made are investigated and, if appropriate, action is taken against the sponsor.