At first blush, it might appear obvious that employers are entitled to take on the best candidate for a job. However, as one case concerning a highly qualified medical practice manager showed, immigration law requires that suitable, EU-resident, candidates must be preferred to those from overseas.
The case concerned an Indian national with a first-class degree and an MBA who was recruited as the practice’s business development manager. The practice, which praised her excellent presentation, enthusiasm and great ideas, selected her from a list of 40 candidates. However, following an investigation, the UK visas and immigration section of the Home Office was not satisfied that a genuine effort had been made to recruit an EU resident instead of her and the practice was refused a licence to sponsor overseas workers entering the UK.
In ruling on the practice’s judicial review challenge to that decision, the High Court identified a number of flaws in the Home Office’s approach. The recruitment exercise had not been a charade, the post had been properly advertised, interviews had been carried out and the practice had been entitled to stipulate that the successful candidate should have an MBA qualification.
In rejecting the practice’s case, however, the Court noted that the effect of the residential labour market test applied by the Home Office is that a worker who is settled within the EU, and who is suitable for an advertised post, should be recruited in preference to a non-settled worker, even if the latter is considered to be the better candidate.
It appeared that, on receipt of 40 applications, the practice had proceeded to create a shortlist of five. There was nothing in principle objectionable about that but, having found that the overseas worker was the best, indeed the only suitable, candidate amongst the top five, the practice was not entitled to move directly to appoint her without considering the suitability of settled workers who had not been shortlisted. In those circumstances, the Home Office’s view that the practice had not made a genuine attempt to recruit from the residential labour market was not irrational.