The UK government should relax visa regulations for highly skilled workers from India and other countries outside Europe, who face joblessness or cuts in salaries because of the credit crunch, a lobby group said Friday.

The Highly Skilled Migrants Programme (HSMP) Forum said in a statement that visa extension rules that require evidence of high salaries or incomes from doctors, engineers and other professionals were unrealistic in the current economic climate.

With companies going into liquidation and reports of a difficult economic climate ahead, "migrants from outside the European region are the first to face salary cuts and redundancies", the forum said.

The Highly Skilled Migrants Programme (HSMP) Forum said in a statement that visa extension rules that require evidence of high salaries or incomes from doctors, engineers and other professionals were unrealistic in the current economic climate.

With companies going into liquidation and reports of a difficult economic climate ahead, "migrants from outside the European region are the first to face salary cuts and redundancies", the forum said.