MAC recommends reduced shortage occupation list
The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has published a new report on the shortage occupation list for Tier 2 visas which recommends removing eight occupations from the list.The report, published on 3 March 2011, assessed occupations against the government’s objective of raising the skill level of Tier 2 to National Qualifications Framework level 4 and above (NQF4+). Of the 38 occupations currently on the shortage occupation list, 12 were found not skilled to this level and as such were reviewed. Of these 12 eight were recommended for removal and they are:
- high integrity pipe welder
- airframe fitters
- site supervisor within the electricity transmission and distribution industry
- skilled meat boner
- skilled meat trimmer
- skilled work rider
- skilled sheep shearer
- skilled senior care worker
As well as these changes, some job titles have been recommended for amendment, such as chefs. As only a small number of chef positions were found to be skilled enough, the MAC has recommended they be restricted to those requiring a minimum of 5 years relevant experience and paying at least £28,260 per year.
These recommendations follow the MACs recent report on occupations qualifying for Tier 2 visas which recommended that 71 occupations be removed from the list.
The MAC estimates these recommendations, if accepted, will mean Tier 2 applicants coming into the country via the shortage occupation route will only be eligible for approximately 230,000 jobs (less than 1 per cent of the labour market), down from 1 million jobs when the MAC produced its first shortage occupation list in 2008. The combined impact of these recommendations plus those made by the MAC last month will be that the proportion of jobs in the UK labour market at a skill level eligible for Tier 2 will fall from 56% to 39%.
The government will take it’s decision based on the reports recommendations on 6 April 2011.
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