A recommendation made by the Migration Advisory Committee would make it more difficult for global organisations to recruit, according to the global head of resourcing at Unilever.

The recommendation, if implemented, could cut the number of visas issued to some migrants by up to 25%.

In a report published yesterday, committee chairman Professor David Metcalf said the number of visas for skilled workers issued under Tier 1 and Tier 2 should be cut by between 37,400 and 43,700 for 2011-12. This would represent a cut of up to 12,600 from the 50,000 in 2009.  

However, Paul Maxin, global resourcing director at Unilever, told Recruiter: “A drop of 25% would make recruitment and talent management more difficult for global organisations.

“I would urge the government to be cognisant of the views of business before coming to a final decision,” he added.

However, John Philpott, chief economic adviser at the CIPD, welcomed the recommendation, saying MAC is “right to conclude that visas issued to skilled and highly skilled migrants should be reduced by up to 25%.

“Although this will not be welcomed by some employers, the limits MAC proposes to ministers show that a more selective approach to controlling skilled migration within the points-based system will both enable most organisations to meet their skills needs and support the broader policy drive to improve the skills of the home-grown workforce.”

Neil Carberry, CBI head of employment policy, adds: “The committee rightly accepts that those coming to the UK with a job offer should have priority, and this has been something that businesses have consistently called for.

“It is also important that companies with an international operation can transfer their own staff, as required, on a temporary basis, and we would like to see these ‘Intra-Company Transfers’ exempted from the cap.”

However, Adam Landy, an employment and immigration lawyer, Stevens & Bolton, says the suggestion that might require migrants under Tier 1 to have a Masters Degree or higher would be likely to put some of the highest earning migrants off [coming to the UK].”

Landy adds: “MAC appears to support the idea of auctioning a limited number of certificates of sponsorship to the employer prepared to pay the most. This in our view would be to the detriment of the smaller employers who may have just as much business need to bring a migrant worker to the UK as their larger counterparts, yet do not have the disposable cash to bid against them for the right to do so.”