Dear Jen,

Thank you for your enquiry of 11^th November in which you have requested statistical information on the Work Permit arrangements. Your request for information will be dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Please see the requested information below.

Please note that the following figures quoted are not provided under national statistics protocols and have been derived from local management information. The figures are therefore provisional and subject to change.

The work permit arrangements are designed to help employers who need to recruit personnel from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) where no suitable resident worker is available. EEA Nationals (except those from Bulgaria and Romania who are subject to employment restrictions) are allowed to move and work freely within the EEA, and do not require permits.

Please note that the number of approved work permit applications may not equal numbers of people entering the UK to work, but includes, for example, extension applications and work permits issued for a change of employment. The data represents applications for work permit approvals from individual companies. The applicants may not take up these jobs and therefore may not have arrived in the relevant area.

Please note that during 2008 and 2009 we will be introducing a new points-based system. This system will replace most of our existing work-based categories. The points-based system is the biggest shake-up of the immigration system for 45 years. The system will replace over 80 existing routes to work and study in the United Kingdom with five tiers. PBS allows British businesses to recruit the skills they need from abroad while providing assurances to the British public that only those migrants we need will be able to come to the United Kingdom.

Shortcut to: http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/workingintheuk/

I hope this is of help to you. If you are dissatisfied with this response you may request an independent internal review of our handling of your request.  Internal review requests should be submitted within two months of the UK Border Agency sending a substantive reply to your original request and should be addressed to:

Information Access Policy Team

(Freedom of Information Team)

11th floor (short corridor)

Lunar House

40 Wellesley Road

Croydon

CR9 2BY

During the independent review the department's handling of your information request will be reassessed by staff who were not involved in providing you with this response. Should you remain dissatisfied after this internal review, you will have a right of complaint to the Information Commissioner as established by section 50 of the Freedom of Information Act.

Yours sincerely

Sandra Birkinshaw

Freedom of Information Team

North East, Yorkshire and the Humber Region

UK Border Agency