Mayor of London Sadiq Khan says new salary thresholds for visa sponsorship could mean some staff have to leave the UK reports Kumail Jaffer, Local Democracy Reporter

City Hall and (inset) Sir Sadiq Khan (credit GLA)

Ministers have been urged to suspend new immigration laws after it emerged that up to 300 Transport for London (TfL) staff could be at risk of removal.

In July the Home Office increased salary thresholds for visa sponsorship to £41,700 a year for new applicants and removed some transport roles, including station assistant, from the ‘skilled worker’ list. The bulk of the affected employees, who came to the UK on skilled worker visas and currently work in Tube stations, now face the threat of having to leave the country after their permit expires.

On Thursday (9th October) the Mayor of London admitted that the TfL staff had been “left in limbo” and that deputy Mayor for Transport Seb Dance had written to the Minister for Migration and Citizenship about their plight.

Caroline Russell, who leads the Green Party on the London Assembly, told the mayor that the staff were “people who had done everything right” and have “had the rug pulled out from under their feet”. She said many of them now struggled to sleep at night due to the worry.

During a session of Mayor’s Question Time, Sir Sadiq Khan responded: “Our experience is that a number of TfL staff have been left in limbo, unclear about whether they can stay in the UK, but also, importantly for us, continue the important work they do for us.

“It doesn’t just affect us. It affects hospitality, it affects health and social care, it affects construction, it effects creative industries.

“The Deputy Mayor has written to the minister to raise tangible examples of the difference it has to TfL and our ability to fulfil our functions, bearing in mind some of these jobs are crucial jobs. It’s also moving to the goalposts because the number of these job you can transition up to the higher skilled jobs and higher wages.

“We’re asking for immediate transitional protections because that will help the staff she’s mentioning. I’m more than happy to follow up after the meeting about what more we can do to try and lobby the Government because it really inhibits TfL’s ability to carry out its functions.”

TfL is obliged to comply with the Home Office changes, which took effect on July 22 and will remain until at least the end of 2026.

It is believed many of the workers took jobs on two-year graduate visa schemes thinking they could later move into skilled worker positions, according to the RMT union.

TfL currently pays a £31,000 starting salary for graduates and advises candidates who need sponsorship to see if they can get this before applying. Trainee station staff are believed to earn between £35,300 and £41,800, the latter of which is only £100 above the new £41,700 per year minimum salary threshold.

After the meeting, Russell told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “It’s encouraging to see the Mayor take a firm stand in lobbying the government and defending TfL workers on graduate visas who have been left in limbo unable to transition to Skilled Worker visas following the sudden legislative changes in July.

“I’ve heard directly from TfL workers who feel abandoned by a system they trusted. One worker told me he can’t sleep at night; he doesn’t know what to tell his wife and family.

“Another, expecting her first child, should be filled with joy, but instead she’s terrified she’ll be forced to leave the country before her baby is even born. These are workers who took jobs with TfL on graduate visas, with every reason to believe they could transition to a skilled worker visa and continue to build their lives in London.

“They’ve spent thousands of pounds to be here, worked hard to gain qualifications, invested everything and now they’re being told they have no place here and to just look at a website for advice as their dreams of a future with TfL are shattered.

“It’s a complete betrayal of the promise they were given and I’ll keep pushing TfL to provide more compassionate support and advice for workers who have been so seriously let down by the government’s abrupt immigration changes.”

Elly Baker, Labour’s transport spokesperson on the London Assembly, told the LDRS: “These are people here who are, in good faith, doing a job of work for the people in London, and then suddenly, quite unfairly, those rules have changed, and their situation has changed. And that doesn’t feel fair.

“It’s really welcome that the Mayor let us know that his deputy has written to the Home Office for clarification. It’s really important that we make sure we’re treating people with decency and respect.”

RMT General Secretary Eddie Dempsey added: “We welcome the Mayor’s support and his call for the government to pause these unnecessary visa changes. Transport workers who were hired under clear visa arrangements are facing needless uncertainty which should have been avoided.

“These RMT members are people doing essential frontline jobs and helping to keep London moving every day. The Government needs to halt these changes, protect those already in post, and work with the transport sector on a solution that supports staff and services alike.”

A TfL spokesperson told the LDRS: “Due to the recent changes in salary and skills thresholds for visa sponsorship, some colleagues currently working at TfL on a visa may no longer be eligible for sponsorship when their current visa expires.

“We are working with all colleagues affected by the changes, as their current visa approaches expiry, to understand whether they have other routes to work in the UK available to them and to support them where possible.”

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