Short-Term International Migration in UK – 53,000 international visits were made to England and Wales for 3 to 12 months for employment

This section explores patterns of short-term international migration for 3 to 12 months for employment (including those looking for a job). There are 2 definitions of “employment” to consider:

• employment as defined by the UN (henceforth referred to as “employment”) refers to the UN definition of employment, which includes migrants going to a definite new job, including au pair work, and those seeking a job, but excludes those visiting on business for their existing employer
• other employment (in tables this is labelled as “work (other)” (henceforth referred to as “business”)) refers to migrants visiting on business for their existing employer and for self-employment

Short-term international immigration for employment and business accounted for 35% of all short-term international visits to England and Wales in the year ending (YE) June 2013. Since YE June 2004, approximately 3 in 10 short-term international visits to England and Wales from outside the UK for 3 to 12 months each year have been for employment or business reasons.

In contrast, employment and business accounted for 17% of all short-term international visits away from England and Wales in YE June 2013.

Figure 3.1 shows that in YE June 2013, 53,000 international visits were made to England and Wales for 3 to 12 months for employment, compared with 47,000 in YE June 2012. However, there has been a steady and statistically significant decrease in short-term immigration for employment over the years since YE June 2006, when the estimate peaked at 108,000. Short-term immigration for business was 27,000 in YE June 2013 and has remained broadly similar to levels in YE June 2008, following a slight (but not statistically significant) decrease between YE June 2008 and YE June 2009.

Comparisons of citizenship and short-term immigration for employment show that of visits to England and Wales for employment in YE June 2013, 87% (46,000) were made by EU citizens. For non EU-citizens, short-term immigration for business was more common, with 13,000 visits made for business in YE June 2013.

Figure 3.1: Short-term international migration flows for employment and business for 3 to 12 months, England and Wales, YE June 2004 to YE June 2013

Source: International Passenger Survey (IPS) – Office for National Statistics

Notes: p = provisional YE = year ending

Estimates of short-term international migration flows are based on a sample survey. As a result, small estimates are subject to a greater degree of uncertainty. Therefore, some of the apparent changes shown in Figure 3.1 could be due to random variability between the samples selected in each year.

Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor. Read the whole story at Short-Term International Migration Annual Report – Year Ending Mid-2013 Estimates – ONS.