More than 250,000 skilled engineering, care and catering jobs are to be closed to non-European overseas workers next year as a result of Gordon Brown's immigration speech today.
The prime minister promised that these sectors would be taken off the official list of shortage occupations as soon as employers and training bodies can provide sufficient qualified recruits.
In his first major speech on immigration for 18 months, he also promised to clamp down on widespread abuse of the student visa system.
An official review will look at raising the minimum level of course for which foreign students can get a visa, introducing mandatory English language tests and blocking overseas students from working part-time in temporary jobs that could be filled by young Britons.
The Guardian