JOHN Swinney has offered to work with the UK Government on a bespoke Scottish graduate visa scheme – despite Labour repeatedly refusing to countenance any such proposal.
The First Minister laid out his plans for the scheme during a speech at JP Morgan in Glasgow on Wednesday, and later addressed media questions on the proposal.
Here is what you need to know about the SNP Government’s plans for a Scottish graduate visa.
Why is a Scottish graduate visa scheme being proposed?
Swinney said that a migration route into Scotland could help address challenges in the country’s population demographics.
He raised projections that suggested the number of Scottish people over 65 would rise by one-third by 2045, while the number of Scottish children is projected to fall by one-fifth over the same period.
Swinney went on: “When I was first elected to the Scottish Parliament, the fear was that Scotland's population would get below five million.
“Indeed, the 20 years between 2003 and 2023 saw the largest increase in the Scottish population since the 1940s.
“The projections are only projections. The future is not set. It is possible to shift the dial once again.”
Swinney further said that Westminster, in its backing of Brexit and focus on anti-immigration policies, was an "antipathy" to economic growth.
How many people would use the Scottish visa route?
Ahead of Labour launching its “Fresh Talent Scheme” in 2005, then-first minister Jack McConnell said it could attract 8000 extra graduates to stay in Scotland every year. However, this proved overly optimistic.
In 2014, the UK Government confirmed that the Fresh Talent offer had been taken up by a total of 7620 graduates for the four years it ran – 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008.
Asked if he had an idea of how many students might use a new Scottish graduate visa like the one he was proposing, Swinney said he did not.
However, he suggested that the numbers could be higher than the Fresh Talent Scheme – which he said had been “essentially overtaken by events because of EU expansion in 2004”.
The expansion, which saw 10 new nations join the then 15-strong bloc, meant far more people had access to freedom of movement across Europe.
Since Brexit however, the right to live and work in the UK has been taken from EU nationals, meaning there may be more appetite for a Scottish visa scheme.
How would the Scottish visa scheme work?
The SNP Government has proposed a system whereby international graduates from Scottish universities can apply to stay in Scotland for up to two years after they finish studying.
The Scottish Government said that this could be “linked to a Scottish tax code” in order to ensure that people stick to the requirement to live and work north of the Border.
The vision is of the scheme acting as “a bridge between Study and Graduate visas and the Skilled Worker Visa, giving international students an additional two years to gain the professional experience required to qualify for roles on the Skilled Worker Visa route”.
However, immigration is reserved and under the control of the Home Office, meaning it will need the UK Government to come to the table in order to progress.
Will the Labour Government work with the SNP on a Scottish graduate scheme?
It looks extremely unlikely. Despite claims from Scottish Labour that discussions on a bespoke system for Scotland have been taking place, the UK Government has repeatedly ruled it out.
Considering the Labour Government’s position, Swinney was asked why he believed they would “remotely consider any sort of Scottish separate Scottish immigration system when they've already knocked that down”.
The SNP leader said: “I think what I'm trying to do is I'm trying to create a national consensus in Scotland around that.
“I want Scotland as a country to speak with one voice, and if we bring together opinion and attitudes within Scotland on legitimate practical objectives which will help the performance of the Scottish economy and Scottish society, I think that's a difficult proposition for the UK Government to refuse.”
Responding, a UK Government spokesperson said: “Delivering on our Plan for Change and driving economic growth in every part of the UK means resetting our relationship with the EU and securing closer trading links, a broad security and defence agreement, and closer cooperation on issues like migration and climate change.
“The Graduate Route already offers talented international students the opportunity to stay in the UK after successfully completing their studies. We continue to work closely with the Scottish Government on areas where devolved and reserved policies intersect, but there are no plans to introduce a visa route specific to Scotland.”
