Visa costs a barrier to EU citizens working here

Employment expert Lois Madden, a lawyer at Carey Olsen, said the changes could make it harder to recruit people from the EU, a traditional source of staff for the tourism and hospitality sectors.

‘It’s a bit difficult to know how it’s all going to pan out because, although we’re post-Brexit, so these new arrangements should apply, due to the effect of the pandemic people are not coming into Guernsey, or cannot easily come in, so the system is largely untested,’ said Ms Madden.

Comparing the situation with before Brexit, she continued: ‘If an employer was looking to bring someone in from, let’s say Latvia or Spain, who had never moved to Guernsey, before Brexit those workers used to be able to enter by simply securing their Population Management permit, without the need for an immigration visa.

‘But now there is an additional visa requirement. This will have to be taken on by employers. In terms of the mechanics, we are told that employers can continue to use the fairly simple online form they might normally use for a short-term employment permit, the idea being that the process shouldn’t change too much from the employer’s perspective.

‘The application process will in effect be paused for the individuals themselves to then obtain a visa on the back of their employment permit, through the UK government website.

‘One of the issues is that the UK government’s website isn’t quite aligned with the Population Management system.

‘As a workaround, they are asking individuals to apply for what’s known as a seasonal worker visa through the UK government.’

She added: ‘But that isn’t perfect really because it doesn’t quite fit what they’re coming over to do in Guernsey.

‘We’re hoping that that system will be updated so it’ll be as simple as someone being able to say: “Well, my employer has applied for a short-term employment permit for me. And I can click a button to say yes, apply for a visa for someone who’s been granted a short-term employment permit in Guernsey”.

‘But currently, as part of the UK application, a person applying for a visa in those circumstances may have to attend a visa centre in their country of origin and supply biometrics,’ she said.

‘Population Management have recognised that this is quite an onerous obligation and for someone coming over for short-term work that seems a bit much to ask. So we understand that they’re looking at whether this can be removed as a requirement.’

Short-term employment permits were previously £120, but there is now an extra visa cost of £244. The visa cost for longer-term permits is £610.

Brexit and the pandemic means the prospect of people moving to another country to work is less likely, concluded Ms Madden, which might require employers to try to fill gaps via the local labour market. For EU nationals already in Guernsey there is the option to apply for the EU Settlement Scheme until the end of June. More information is available at: https://www.gov.gg/eusettlementscheme.

Alan Sillett, president of the Guernsey Hospitality Association, said: ‘The visa issue will certainly make recruitment from the EU more difficult and expensive.

‘With a fee of £244 for 12 months, and then £610 for more than 12 months, it could lead to a drop in EU workers being employed here.

‘Currently the GHA is working towards creating a relationship with an agency who will be taking care of the administration headache and arrangements involved in the process.

‘Those candidates who already have settled status will be in a good position to source jobs in the Channel Islands.’