Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent estimate she has made of the average (a) delay and (b) cost to domestic fishing companies of the Skilled Worker visa's (i) English language requirements and (ii) requirement for applicants to apply from abroad.

The English language requirements for all Skilled Workers are fundamental to successful integration into British society, helping migrants to participate in community life and work. As the Skilled Worker route can lead to settlement it is right to assess the ability of migrants to understand both written and spoken English.

The requirement to speak basic English is a core principle of the points-based immigration system, as set out in our 2019 manifesto and HM Government’s original policy statement published on 19 February 2020. The ability to speak “lower intermediate English” – understanding the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. – is not a high standard but is essential to support overseas workers and their families live and work in the UK and to integrate.

Considering the fishing industry in particular, English language ability within busy environments and areas with potentially lethal equipment is also important to fulfil health and safety requirements.

Migrant workers who do not have a good command of English are more likely to be heavily dependent on their employer, less able to understand their rights, and less able to leave their employer and seek another job. Relaxing the English language requirement would increase the risk of exploitation in an industry where this is already a widely reported concern.

It is the Government’s position that if a foreign national is coming to work within UK territorial waters (12 nautical miles), or the UK landmass, then they will need to apply for the appropriate permission to do so, this is most likely a Skilled Worker visa. Conversely, if they are working outside of the 12 nautical miles then a Skilled Worker visa is not required.

Transit visas are a type of visit visa. For any visit visa to be granted, the person must intend to leave the UK at the end of their visit, therefore it is not possible to switch into a Skilled Worker visa or any other immigration route without first doing so.

English language ability is a longstanding requirement for skilled work visas route. The fishing industry has historically recruited workers from outside the EEA and any company following the rules would therefore be used to employing migrants who meet these requirements and delays should not occur.