New EU Members Have Restricted Rights

Accession Nationals Face Working Restrictions As They Join the EU
Home Office Press Release
1 January 2007
Bulgarian and Romanian nationals coming to work in the UK will be
subject to new working restrictions from today, following the Home
Office's announcement in October 2006 that the UK's labour market
would be opened gradually to citizens of the two newest members of
the EU.  The UK is limiting access for low-skilled workers from
Romania and Bulgaria to its labour market, restricting them to
existing quota based schemes which will fill vacancies in the
agricultural and food processing sectors. Skilled workers will
continue to be able to work in the UK if they get a work permit,
qualify under the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme, are a student,
or self employed. These new arrangements will be reviewed within
12 months.