"There is a growing weight of evidence that the 'fast track visa' (FTV)† scheme is being abused. Not by the FTV workers themselves who are quite justified in taking advantage of the scheme, but by unscrupulous employers who aren't using the scheme to plug skill gaps but are using it to bring in cheaper labour. In doing so are under cutting genuine businesses in the UK and are also exploiting and profiteering from the FTV workers that they bring in.

"We believe that body shop companies are bringing in FTV workers, paying them low salaries and charging them out at high rates, profiteering from the system and undermining th e existing UK system. Body shop companies acting in this way are in breach of the regulations concerning the FTV system. Because FTV workers are dependant on work with that company they can't leave them, because if they do then their visa becomes invalid.

We have set up a mechanism which will allow people to anonymously report on organisations flouting the rules. We (and Work Permits UK the government agency responsible for issuing permits) need to know when :

• An organisation is not paying its external staff (ie those on work permits) the going market rate
• An organisation has recruited from abroad when the skill is freely available within the UK
• An organisation has replaced its contract staff or other workers with workers on fast track visas

† The 'fast track visa scheme' is the popular name for the scheme where foreign workers with skills on the shortage occupation list are issued work permits. These are TIER 1 issues, the popular definition also covers TIER 2 issues where firms advertise a post but cannot find anyone with a suitable skill and then apply on this basis to bring in workers from abroad.