MAC advises shortage occupation list be restricted to limit migration
The UK Border Agency (UKBA) has been advised to reduce the number of occupations on the Shortage Occupation List to limit access by non EU-migrants to the UK labour market. The recommendations have been made by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC).Migrants from outside the European Economic Area who want to come to the UK under the shortage occupation route of Tier 2 must apply for positions included on the Shortage Occupation List. Applications in this category are also subjected to the new annual limit of 20,700 places.
This means that by reducing the number of occupations on the Shortage Occupation List the UKBA will directly reduce the number of people who are able to come to the UK as skilled migrants.
If the UKBA accepts the MAC recommendations then the Shortage Occupation List would be reduced to cover only 190,000 employee positions (including domestic workers), or less than 1% of the UK workforce. The Shortage Occupation List used to cover over 1,000,000 employees in 2008, and has been reduced since 2008 on MAC recommendations.
The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) advises the government on migration issues. It is a non-statutory, non-time-limited, non-departmental public body, sponsored by the UK Border Agency of the Home Office.
The new Shortage Occupation List
The latest List provided by the MAC gives a more detailed breakdown of specific sectors which currently face labour shortages. This means that the MAC have suggested a new List which identifies specific job titles instead of more general occupations.
A total of 29 job titles are recommended for removal from the list. They include: secondary school biology teachers; consultants in obstetrics and gynaecology; paediatric surgery; nuclear medicine and paediatric dentistry; veterinary surgeons; and orchestral musicians.
The 33 recommended additions to the list include: consultants in emergency medicine; actuaries; specific roles within the visual effects and 2D/3D computer animation for film; television and the video games sectors; high integrity pipe welders; environmental scientists; and operations managers in the decommissioning areas of the nuclear industry and geochemists. These will help to ensure the UK remains a leading global player in these fields.
Professor David Metcalf CBE, Chairman, MAC, said:
‘Our recommendation will have only a limited impact on migration volumes because overall migration through Tier 2 is limited. However, the list is more selective than before: it is targeted specifically on those job titles where there is currently a clear evidence of shortage.
‘This will reduce the UK’s reliance on migrant workers in the long term and provide real benefits for the economy as a whole.’
You can read the MAC’s report (PDF, 1.8MB) on the UKBA website.
The government will now consider the MAC’s recommendations and respond in due course.
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