Scores of foreign Transport for London (TfL) staff could be deported because of rule changes which mean they no longer qualify for visa sponsorship.
More than 60 employees who came to the UK on skilled worker visas may have to leave because salary thresholds have gone up and key transport roles have been taken off the eligible list.
TfL said it was “working with all colleagues affected by the changes… to understand whether they have other routes to work in the UK available to them and to support them where possible”.
Some London Assembly members called the move “unfair and short-sighted”, but the Home Office said its immigration white paper was designed to “restore order” to immigration.
It added: “Under this approach, every sector will be required to implement a workforce strategy focused on training British workers, or risk losing access to the immigration system, as part of wider efforts to reinforce the integrity of the points-based system and end dependence on lower-skilled international recruitment.”
TfL is obliged to comply with the changes, which took effect on 22 July and will remain until at least the end of 2026.
It is believed many of the workers took jobs on two-year graduate visa schemes thinking they could later move into skilled worker positions, according to the RMT union.
The transport body currently pays a £31,000 starting salary for graduates and advises candidates who need sponsorship to see if they can get this before applying.
Trainee station staff are believed to earn between £35,300 and £41,800, the latter of which is only £100 above the new £41,700 per year minimum salary threshold.
RMT general secretary, Eddie Dempsey, said: “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.”
According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, an anonymous at-risk employee said they just wanted a fair chance to work and loved their job.
They added: “What did I do wrong? What did any of my 60 colleagues facing the same fate, do wrong? I have seen them go above and beyond their normal work duties, even preventing vulnerable members of the travelling public from committing suicide on the network.
“Getting the news that my job was now not on a list which would make me eligible to stay in the country, has taken an enormous toll on me and my family. It was like a nuclear bomb going off in our household.”
The leader of London Assembly’s Liberal Democrat group, Hina Bokhari, said: “Deporting vital Tube staff because of sudden last-minute rule changes is unfair and short-sighted.
“London relies on the skills and commitment of these people.”
Green Party Assembly member Caroline Russell said: “The government should withdraw these cruel changes that are going to ruin lives by sending away the workers London depends upon.”
