West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin calls for Government to “step up” as concerns raised over new immigration rules

The announcement from the Home Office includes plans to raise the skilled worker earnings threshold by almost half to £38,700, meaning only those earning above that amount will be eligible for a skilled worker Visa. The Government also announced that workers must earn over £38,700 for their foreign spouses to live with them in the UK – more than double the current amount.

The Home Office said the changes will mean that around 300,000 people who came to the UK last year would not be able to do so.

Ms Brabin said: “I want the best creative talent in the world to come, stay and flourish in West Yorkshire. We’re doing everything in our power to build on our region’s success and reputation for culture, and it’s working - we’re attracting global and homegrown talent to the sector and helping our businesses to thrive.

“The government needs to step up and match our support for the creative industries by removing the barriers to growth.”

Her comments follow a number of leading figures from the video games industry expressing concern that the policy changes could worsen skills shortages.

Games industry trade body UKIE said the changes “not only represent a short-term headache for companies, but stand to exacerbate long-term structural issues.”

UKIE estimates the changes will affect roughly 2,800 roles in the UK industry.

In the Government's research briefing on the policy, it said: “Many details have not yet been announced, or even decided.”

At last month’s WeCreate conference in Manchester, the Government said that it would forge ahead with its plan to award six areas across England a share of £10.9 million. The Government said hundreds of creative businesses will benefit from more than £10 million of targeted support to attract investment and create jobs as part of its goal to grow the creative industries by £50 billion by 2030.