PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
(21 May 2026)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of trends in the use of Skilled Worker visas by UK airlines to recruit non-UK national airline pilots; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure that qualified UK-based pilots are not being disadvantaged in recruitment processes.

Asked by:
Connor Naismith (Labour)

The aviation industry is a multinational sector which seeks qualified employees from a range of employment markets. The points-based system aims to strike the right balance between business access to labour and protecting resident workers.

There have been fewer than 100 Skilled Worker visas granted for pilots in the year ending March 2026 and we have seen no evidence to suggest UK-based pilots are being disadvantaged.

Sponsored pilots will need to be paid an annual salary of at least £80,400, and employers would need to pay the Immigration Skills Charge of £1,320 per year of sponsorship in addition to that salary.

Answered by:
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