AN independent Scotland could introduce ancestry visas, allowing foreigners with Scottish grandparents to move to the country, according to a new Government paper.
The Scottish Government’s white paper on immigration policy after independence, setting out proposals for a visa scheme it said would create “a humane, dignified and principled migration system”.
The main one would be a “live in Scotland” visa which would be awarded to people based on “age, education, skills and work experience, earning potential and language ability”.
Language ability would be rated on fluency in English but the paper noted it could also be possible to consider ability in Gaelic.
Another “Scottish connections” visa would allow people who were born and live abroad to move to Scotland if they have a Scottish parent or grandparent.
This would also be open to people who had previously lived lawfully in Scotland for five years in the past, graduates who studied in Scotland for a degree and British nationals who are not British citizens.
The last category would expand the Government’s current visa scheme for Hong Kong residents to include the citizens of UK overseas territories.
The “Scottish connections” visa would last for five years and include a path to settlement and citizenship.
A “work in Scotland” visa would retain a conventional employer-sponsored scheme, which the Government said would make it easier for companies to recruit internationally.
There are also plans to expand seasonal worker visas, removing the need to be tied to a single employer.
Family visas would continue but the minimum income requirement of an annual income of £18,600 would be removed, which the paper said would “make it easier for families to choose Scotland as a place to live, also supporting family reunification”.
