A coalition of interest groups argue the UK needs to be more welcoming to overseas workers in a post-Brexit economy. Fill 2 Copy 11 Created with Sketch. Wednesday 17 July 2019 06:44, UK Image: The UK soft fruit industry says it has already suffered because of greater difficulties recruiting workers from eastern Europe Why you can trust Sky News

The Tory leadership hopefuls are facing pressure to lower the salary threshold for migrant workers from £30,000 to £20,000 to avoid skills shortages across the economy after Brexit.

A coalition of interest groups including the British Retail Consortium, London First and Universities UK have written to Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt to set out a series of demands as the UK moves to confirm rules governing workers from overseas.

Under the banner of a campaign they call #fullstrength, the groups also call for the next PM to back extending the temporary work route for migrant workers from one year to two years. Image: EU workers account for more than 5% of NHS staff

They want changes too to the sponsorship model to make it easier for firms of all sizes to bring in the talent they need and the reinstatement of the two-year post-study visa for international students to work in the UK after graduation.

Their intervention is a response to the government's vision for a new immigration system - to apply following a post-Brexit implementation period - set out in a white paper at the end of last year . Advertisement

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) had recommended no changes to the existing minimum salary thresholds though the Home Secretary Sajid Javid has ordered a review of that specific advice.

There have been a series of warnings that businesses, such as soft fruit farms at the lower end of the pay scale to tech firms at the top, face being unable to access the staff they need if the new rules are too restrictive. More from Business