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| Migrant salary rules may cost NHS nurse jobs, union warns | Migrant salary rules may cost NHS nurse jobs, union warns |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| Thousands of foreign nurses working in junior posts in the UK could be forced to return home under new immigration rules, union leaders have warned. | Thousands of foreign nurses working in junior posts in the UK could be forced to return home under new immigration rules, union leaders have warned. |
| A new pay threshold for migrants means non-European workers will have to leave the UK after six years if they are not earning at least £35,000. | A new pay threshold for migrants means non-European workers will have to leave the UK after six years if they are not earning at least £35,000. |
| The Royal College of Nursing said the rules would "cause chaos" for the NHS and waste money spent on recruitment. | The Royal College of Nursing said the rules would "cause chaos" for the NHS and waste money spent on recruitment. |
| The Home Office said the rules would help reduce demand for migrant labour. | The Home Office said the rules would help reduce demand for migrant labour. |
| The move is part of the government's effort to control net migration, but the union says that by 2017 more than 3,300 NHS nurses could be affected. | The move is part of the government's effort to control net migration, but the union says that by 2017 more than 3,300 NHS nurses could be affected. |
| And by the end of the decade the numbers could be double that - a potential waste of nearly £40m when all the costs of recruitment are taken into account, the RCN says. | And by the end of the decade the numbers could be double that - a potential waste of nearly £40m when all the costs of recruitment are taken into account, the RCN says. |
| There are more than 400,000 nurses working in the NHS in England. | There are more than 400,000 nurses working in the NHS in England. |
| The warning comes as the RCN's annual conference gets under way in Bournemouth. | The warning comes as the RCN's annual conference gets under way in Bournemouth. |
| More difficult | More difficult |
| RCN general secretary Peter Carter said: "Due to cuts to nurse-training places, trusts are being forced into relying on overseas recruitment as well as temporary staff just to provide safe staffing. | RCN general secretary Peter Carter said: "Due to cuts to nurse-training places, trusts are being forced into relying on overseas recruitment as well as temporary staff just to provide safe staffing. |
| "A cap on agency spending will make one of these options more difficult and these immigration rules will limit the other. | "A cap on agency spending will make one of these options more difficult and these immigration rules will limit the other. |
| "The immigration rules will cause chaos for the NHS and other care services. At a time when demand is increasing, the UK is perversely making it harder to employ staff from overseas." | "The immigration rules will cause chaos for the NHS and other care services. At a time when demand is increasing, the UK is perversely making it harder to employ staff from overseas." |
| A Home Office spokesman said: "As the prime minister has made clear, the government wants to reduce the demand for migrant labour. | A Home Office spokesman said: "As the prime minister has made clear, the government wants to reduce the demand for migrant labour. |
| "We changed the settlement rules in 2011 to break the link between coming to work in the UK and staying here permanently." | "We changed the settlement rules in 2011 to break the link between coming to work in the UK and staying here permanently." |
| He said employers had had four years to prepare for the changes, adding: "There are exemptions to this threshold where the UK has a shortage." | He said employers had had four years to prepare for the changes, adding: "There are exemptions to this threshold where the UK has a shortage." |
| At the moment nurses are not on that exemption list, but the spokesman said it was possible they could still be added if evidence showed this was needed. | At the moment nurses are not on that exemption list, but the spokesman said it was possible they could still be added if evidence showed this was needed. |
| Are you a foreign nurse working in the UK? Will you be at risk of having to leave under the new rules? You can share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. | |
| If you are available to talk to a BBC journalist please include a telephone number. | |
| Or WhatsApp us on +44 7525 900971. |