Tech companies are calling on the new government to change the updated visa rules introduced by the last conservative government, over fears it could turn away valuable employment opportunities.

New Skilled Worker visa regulations were put into place last Spring by then home secretary James Cleverly, which included a steep increase in the minimum baseline salary from £26,200 to £38,700.

The change was accompanied by the same increase for the Family and Spousal Visas, restricting the ability for workers to bring their families over, and for UK citizens to marry foreign nationals without a high enough wage.

The national minimum wage currently sits at 11.44 an hour for those over 21, meaning that the yearly salary for a 35-hour work week is just £20,820, dramatically lower than the new visa standards, which is £3,700 above the UK’s median salary.

Centuro Global, a global mobility firm, claims that the new visa rules will dramatically restrict the UK’s incoming workforce, with UK startups at the greatest risk.

UK startups will likely not be able to hire foreign talent with the new higher wage requirements, and could risk losing out of talent competing with larger tech firms.

Stricter visa restrictions as well as Brexit are already turning away top talent from Europe, as students have limited pathways to stay in the UK after study, despite the Graduate Visa Scheme. The raised baseline salary – coupled with the visa fees for employees and employers – could further dissuade workers from a country that lacks free movement with much of the wider continent.

Other companies are therefore joining Centuro’s call for the new Labour government to “clarify” its plans on immigration and the visa system.

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“If the government is truly serious about spurring economic growth, something must be done to help the skills-intensive businesses that have been so damaged by the onerous system recently introduced by the Tories,” Centuro Global said in a blog post.

“The business community needs decisive action and clear, growth-friendly policies. Any delays will hinder the confidence that is so immediately needed to lift the UK’s low levels of investment,” the company warned.

As part of its advocacy, Centuro Global is conducting a report on how the Skilled Worker visa restrictions are affecting businesses in the UK, and is asking for testimonies.

So far, the Labour government has made no moves to say it will change the current UK visa restrictions, though newly appointed Department of Science, Innovation and Technology minister Sir Patrick Vallance has said that the current visa costs are “very high” and should be addressed.

A Home Office spokesperson contested this claim, saying it was not government policy to change the current immigration rules, potentially exposing a gap between Labour party leaders.