The UK's new points-based immigration system could
preventIndian IT workersfrom entering the
country easily, potentially creating problems for importing new IT
systems and getting IT support for existing contracts.
Indian trade minister Kamal Nath told the Financial Times the
new rules might make it difficult for software and IT executives to
travel between
India and the UK, making contracts hard to fulfil.
Mr Nath said the workers he was talking about were those coming
to the UK for a month or so to integrate software systems. He said
that an
Indian company that could not send technical experts into the
UK for short periods of time would be unable to service existing
systems or sell new systems that would require on-the-spot
maintenance.
Under the old immigration system, workers were able to
temporarily
move countries to fulfil contractual commitments, and the Home
Office has said it will soon release details on a special
immigration category for temporary workers.