More than 780 people had their work visas curtailed over the last three years, Treasury Minister Chris Thomas has confirmed in Tynwald.
Responding to a question from Jason Moorhouse MHK, Mr Thomas said the Immigration Service cannot provide data on whether curtailments were specifically linked to business closures.
Mr Moorhouse had asked how many people arrived with and without valid work visas after losing employment due to business closures or other issues with their employer.
Mr Thomas explained there are “no routine immigration controls for travel into the Isle of Man from within the Common Travel Area,” meaning arrival-based figures cannot be provided.
“If a worker loses their job, their visa isn’t automatically curtailed,” Mr Thomas said. “If the worker secures a new confirmation of employment for a new role before leaving their current employment, they may remain compliant and no curtailment is required.”
However, this led Julie Edge to question whether visa holders could move into different skill sets without jobs being advertised locally.
She said: “This isn’t against the individuals, it’s making sure our systems are robust and the due diligence is done on our systems and the impacts that could then happen in the job market.”
Mr Thomas acknowledged “we haven’t got the balance right” and confirmed cross-government work is underway to address the issues.