UKBA consultation

 Arts organisations should qualify for assistance from the UK Border Agency (UKBA) if visa prices rise, and the mobility and diversity of artistic talent should be protected, according to the National Campaign for Arts (NCA). Writing in response to UKBA’s ‘Consultation on Charging for Immigration and Visa Applications’, the NCA said that proposals to introduce flexible charging to encourage “specific groups of migrants that are beneficial to the UK” could disadvantage artists and arts organisations, and had “the potential to unfairly affect certain parts of the sector, especially smaller organisations”. If agreed, the UKBA proposals would become part of the system of earned citizenship, due to be introduced in July 2011. Other proposals which could have an impact on the arts include charging bodies sponsoring migrants to the UK to attain an A rating, meaning that they comply fully with the rules. The NCA expressed the concern that “reciprocity which currently exists between many countries might be damaged” if it became more difficult for artists from overseas to come to the UK.