The proposed cap on non-EU workers announced by the Coalition Government is unlikely to significantly cut numbers of foreign IT workers coming to the UK, according to the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo).

APSCO says this is due to the cap excluding intra-company transfers, a type of work permit which allows employers to bring workers to the UK from overseas offices.

Ann Swain (right), chief executive of APSCo, says: “More than 80% of non-EU IT workers coming to the UK on work permits are intra-company transfers, so if the government doesn’t look at this issue, the cap will be little more than an empty gesture.

“We would prefer tightening up the intra-company transfer rules rather than an outright cap. A cap would be unwieldy and unresponsive to the market. What if an employer cannot fill an urgent, niche requirement but the cap on intra-company transfers has already been reached?

“The new rules will stop small UK-owned IT businesses from plugging skills gaps, but won’t stop IT giants with global office networks from bringing staff to the UK on an industrial scale.”