More than 60 London Underground staff could lose their jobs and face deportation due to a change in the Government’s immigration rules, it can be revealed.
The bulk of the affected staff came to the UK on skilled worker visas and currently work in Tube stations.
Many have lived in the UK and worked on the Underground for years, according to their union, the RMT.
But last month the Home Office changed the nationwide rules on the “sponsorship” of foreign workers as part of the Government’s wider aim of controlling immigration.
This increased salary thresholds for visa sponsorship to £41,700 a year for new applicants and removed key transport roles, including station assistant, from the “skilled worker” list.
According to the RMT, some of the staff have already been promoted from their original roles within Transport for London.
Many took the jobs on two-year graduate visa schemes believing they could move into skilled worker positions.
That pathway has now been cut off by the Home Office's “arbitrary” new rules, according to the RMT.
It said that, in one case, a worker at risk of deportation has been officially recognised for preventing passenger suicides on the Underground.
Eddie Dempsey, the RMT general secretary, said: “It’s completely wrong to punish workers by deporting them when they have built their lives here and are making a daily contribution to keeping London moving.
"Our members took these jobs in good faith, on the understanding that they could progress and continue building their futures here.
"Now the new Government rules risk shattering these workers' lives and leaving gaps in employment for London Underground.
"Every country needs a practical and fair immigration policy but this is neither of those and ends up treating vital transport workers disgracefully.
"RMT will not rest until we have a just outcome for our members and will be supporting them as best we can throughout."
TfL admitted there was a problem but said it, like other employers, was required to comply with the change in the Government’s rules.
Failure to do so would place TfL and its sponsored employees at risk of criminal prosecution and the loss of its sponsor licence.
A TfL spokesperson said: “Due to the recent changes in salary and skills thresholds for visa sponsorship, some colleagues currently working at TfL on a visa may no longer be eligible for sponsorship when their current visa expires.
“We are working with all colleagues affected by the changes, as their current visa approaches expiry, to understand whether they have other routes to work in the UK available to them and to support them where possible.”
The latest changes to the immigration rules were published in a white paper on May 12 called ‘Restoring control over the immigration system’.
The aim was to make it harder for foreign nationals to move to and settle in the UK, with a view to reducing immigration.
This shortened the list of jobs for which employers can sponsor a worker from overseas for a skilled worker visa. These new skilled worker visa rules took effect on July 22 and will remain in place until at least the end of 2026.
The Standard has approached the Home Office for comment.
TfL currently offers a £31,000 starting salary for graduates. It advises candidates who would require sponsorship “to determine the likelihood of obtaining sponsorship” prior to applying.
Trainee station staff are believed to earn between £35,300 and £41,800 while qualified customer services assistants earn from £44,140 to £55,323, according to a recent TfL freedom of information response.
