International Organization for Migration (IOM)

Table 10.7 reveals that amongst third-country nationals coming to the United
Kingdom via Tier 2 of the PBS, those from India are easily the single largest group,
accounting for nearly half of all entrants via this route. In particular, individuals
from India account for around two thirds of all ICTs. The next largest national
groups are from the United States, China, the Philippines and Australia.
Table 10.7: Tier 2 Certificates of sponsorship - top 10 nationalities by routes of entry, 2010
RLMT SOL ICT Total
n % n % n % n %
India 4,289 23.8 2,814 33.5 23,980 66.6 31,083 49.8
United States 1,791 10.0 306 3.6 4,687 13.0 6,784 10.9
China 1,276 7.1 805 9.6 568 1.6 2,649 4.2
Philippines 1,008 5.6 1,154 13.8 169 0.5 2,331 3.7
Australia 860 4.8 198 2.4 798 2.2 1,856 3.0
Japan 276 1.5 28 0.3 28 0.1 1,730 2.5
Pakistan 1,013 5.6 461 5.5 157 0.4 1,631 2.6
South Africa 677 3.8 188 2.2 371 1.0 1,236 2.0
Canada 551 3.1 110 1.3 538 1.5 1,199 1.9
Nigeria 607 3.4 146 1.7 80 0.2 833 1.3
Total 17,987 100.0 8,389 100.0 36,023 100.0 62,399 100.0
Source: UK Visas, UKBA. Reproduction of Table 5.6 (Salt, 2011).
2. Patterns of access, use and perception of labour market
information by employers and migrants in the context of
recruitment from abroad
2.1. Demand side: employers’ perspectives
Legal migration channels: employers’ awareness and procedures and
costs involved
With the introduction of the PBS outlined in Chapter 1 employers have a greater
formal role and responsibility than formerly in selecting migrants and ensuring
compliance with the legalities of migration. Specific details for employers on legal
migration channels are published on the UKBA website. 103 The information on the
website outlines the concept of sponsorship which lies at the heart of the PBS. In
most circumstances, for PBS tiers 2 and 5 employers must be sponsors of migrant
workers during their stay in the United Kingdom. Before sponsoring a migrant, an
employer must obtain a sponsor licence, which in turn implies a range of sponsorship
duties, including having good human resource systems in place to monitor and keep
103 http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/business-sponsors/.
country studIes – UNITED KINGDOM
197