In 2011, an annual limit of 20,700 visa grants was introduced by the UK government to restrict the number of non-EU migrants working in the UK under Tier 2 visas. UK firms did not encounter problems in the first four years until 11 June 2015, where the cap was exceeded for the first time .
In light of the announcement of new contract proposals for NHS staff by the UK Health secretary – Jeremy Hunt, 3,468 UK doctors applied for permission from the General Medical Council (GMC) for certificates to practice abroad.