Written question WQ100958
- Asked by
- Francesca O'BrienReform
- To be answered by
- Cabinet Minister for Government Effectiveness & the Constitution
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 8 days
Question
What guidance does the Welsh Government follow on when the civil service and public bodies in Wales should sponsor a visa rather than recruit from the domestic labour market?
Answer
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Government Effectiveness & the Constitution (Dafydd Trystan Davies)
The Welsh Government recruits on merit through fair and open competition and complies with UK immigration rules. It recognises sponsorship as a means of securing skills and labour that are not readily available within the UK labour market. The Welsh Government holds a Skilled Worker sponsor licence, which is used selectively for specialist and hard-to-fill roles where there is a clear recruitment need and the requirements of the relevant immigration eligibility criteria are met. Welsh Government job advertisements state whether a vacancy is eligible for sponsorship.
Public bodies in Wales are separate employers. Those that recruit workers who require sponsorship are responsible for holding the appropriate sponsor licence and for deciding whether to sponsor an eligible role and applicant, in line with UK Visas and Immigration requirements and their own workforce needs and recruitment policies.