Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether temporary short-term workers who have availed themselves of the time-limited visa route described in The UK’s future skills-based immigration system (Cm 9722), published on 19 December 2018, will be allowed to return to the UK for work after their “cooling off” period of 12 months; and if so, for how long.

On 19 December 2018 the Government published its White Paper on the UK’s future skills-based immigration system. The immigration system which it outlines is designed to work for those coming to our country, businesses, our public services and the UK as a whole.

The White Paper contains proposals for a time-limited temporary short-term workers route. The White Paper sets out our initial proposals to allow these short-term workers to come to the UK for 12 months at a time, followed by a year-long cooling off period. Following that cooling off period, previous holders of a temporary short term work visa will, while the scheme remains in place, be eligible to apply for another temporary work visa to come to the UK for a further 12 month period. We will be engaging extensively with businesses and stakeholders on the length of the stay and cooling off period.

Holders of a short-term work visa will be permitted to change employers without further authorisation.