According to research, firms in the UK are finding it more difficult to recruit highly educated overseas workers than in other Western nations due to new visa regulations and the effects of Brexit.

According to data from the jobs website Indeed, over 25% of users searching for work in Britain were foreigners, compared to over 33% in France and the Netherlands.

The UK had the second-lowest percentage of "clicks" from international workers, with only Spain having fewer, according to an analysis of ten countries.

According to the survey, two out of five foreign workers seeking employment in Britain applied for positions with the lowest salaries.

The UK's immigration policies have become more complex as a result of Brexit, according to Indeed, with firms finding it more difficult to attract foreign workers, including EU citizens, under the new points-based visa system.
Anyone travelling to the UK for employment is required by the new regulations to fulfil a set of standards in order to be eligible.

A survey of 1,500 UK employees and companies showed that employers were torn as to whether Brexit will help or hinder them from hiring talent from outside the UK.

Pawel Adrjan, of Indeed, said: "Countries stand to gain by enhancing their attractiveness to meet the changing needs of their labour markets and to remain competitive in a global context of increased mobility among highly skilled professionals.

"Indeed data shows that while there's been a surge in foreign interest in UK roles, the country falls behind other Western nations in attracting highly skilled workers, which is at odds with the Government's current immigration policy.

"As borders become less relevant for workers, businesses and states must offer not only competitive salaries but also attractive living conditions, high-performing healthcare and education systems, and political and economic stability.

"Our research shows that although 35 per cent of employers identified legal red tape as a significant challenge to hiring workers from outside the UK, 41 per cent agree that current immigration policies will support their efforts to recruit workers from abroad.

"The large rise in searches for UK jobs from abroad in recent years suggests there is a pool of candidates ready to fill those roles."

It comes after data released last month revealed a visa crackdown has led to a dramatic fall in the number of foreign health and social care workers and students applying to come to Britain.

Official figures showed tens of thousands fewer applications for visas for these categories.

The decrease aligns the Government with its commitment to reduce immigration to the United Kingdom.

However, it also sparked worries about potentially worsening personnel shortages in nursing homes and certain areas of the NHS, as well as about further financial hits to several of the nation's universities that enrol a sizable proportion of international students.