Proposals to make it harder for immigrants to get jobs in the UK have sparked criticism from business.

The Conservative party plans to introduce a bond system, where employers would have to pay a bond equal to six months’ pay to take on work-permit holders.

Employers would have the bond reimbursed once the permit holder had left the country.

But business leaders were unimpressed with the proposals, claiming it would add to the bureaucracy when hiring staff.

Meanwhile, Labour has proposed a points system, where candidates with scarce skills would receive points according to qualifications. Candidates above a certain points threshold would be allowed to work.

The Liberal Democrats propose a US-style Green Card system, with set quotas of migrant workers to address specific skills shortages.

Ann Swain, chief executive of IT trade body ATSCo, said the Tory plans would place heavy administrative burdens on small businesses.

She added: “If the policy is intended to make employers responsible for ensuring overseas workers leave the country after their contracts have ended then it is clearly unworkable. Employers have neither the desire nor the ability to do a job that is difficult enough for the Home Office and the police.”

There was no evidence that large numbers of overseas IT workers continued to live in the UK illegally once assignments were over, she said.

Vincent Coyle, group marketing manager of catering and industrial recruiter MCA said: “There are a lot of manual workers in the country who can’t find a job. The Liberal Democrat system sounds the fairest.”