Written evidence submitted by JITHUS Ltd (RTS3454)

2. Impact on the Business if the Employee Is Forced Into a 10-Year Route

Forcing the employee onto a 10-year route would have serious negative consequences for our organisation:

Operational Disruption

The retail sector depends on stable, trained, and reliable staff.

Replacing skilled staff every few years due to immigration instability leads to:

productivity loss

retraining costs

disruption to customer service

Keeping key workers on long temporary visas undermines workforce continuity.

Increased Employer Risk

If the employee is required to remain on temporary status for 10 years, our business faces:

increased risk of losing the staff member due to immigration complications

additional administrative burdens

potential staffing shortages at critical times

This is especially detrimental in roles where skilled and experienced staff are essential for daily operations.

3. Financial and Emotional Impact on Employee Affects Work Stability

The 10-year route places extreme financial hardship on the employee due to repeated visa fees, Immigration Health Surcharge costs, and document requirements.

This leads to:

stress

financial pressure

reduced personal stability

As an employer, we know these stress factors negatively affect performance, wellbeing, and long-term retention.

A stable employee with a secure immigration status is far more productive, reliable, and able to focus fully on their work.

4. Negative Impact on Employee’s Family and Child Welfare (Employer Concern)

Although immigration decisions focus on the applicant, employers have a duty to recognise the welfare of their staff and their families.

We are aware that:

the employee has a young child growing up in the UK

the child has strong social, educational, and emotional ties to life in Britain

a 10-year route delays their security, citizenship options, and sense of belonging

A stressed or unstable family situation directly impacts an employee’s ability to work effectively and remain in employment long-term.

5. The Risk of Losing the Employee for Reasons Beyond Their Control

Under a 10-year route, if our business (or any employer) were to face:

economic downturn

licence issues

restructuring

unavoidable redundancy

the employee could lose their visa and be forced to leave the UK even after many years of contribution.

This creates:

uncertainty for the employee

risk for our business

a lack of long-term workforce planning

Maintaining them on the 5-year ILR route removes this instability

6. Fairness, Proportionality, and Policy Intent

The employee has followed immigration rules, maintained continuous lawful residence, paid taxes, and contributed to the UK workforce.

Forcing them into a 10-year route despite meeting the 5-year requirements is:

disproportionate

economically counterproductive

harmful to their wellbeing and productivity

counter to the goal of attracting and retaining skilled workers in the UK

We respectfully ask for this to be reconsidered in light of the employee’s value to our business and their strong integration into the UK.

Conclusion

On behalf of JITHUS LTD, we strongly support Ganeshavel Selvavadivel remaining on the 5-year ILR route.

This is the fairest, most proportionate, and most economically sensible outcome for:

our business

the employee

their family

the UK labour market

We respectfully request that the Home Office reconsider this decision and allow the employee to continue on the 5-year settlement pathway they are fully eligible for.

Dec 2025