Shortage Occupation List reduced for skilled migrants
The government has accepted recommendations from the Migration Advisory Committee to remove 40,000 jobs from the Shortage Occupation List (SOL) used under Tier 2 of the points based system.A report published by the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) in September recommended that 29 occupations be removed from the list. The government has accepted the recommendations of the report in full.
The report also suggested that general occupations be taken off the list and replaced with specific job titles to ensure only appropriate workers are accepted to the UK. As part of this refinement of the list 33 job titles were also recommended to be added to the list. This is to reflect the changed labour needs of the UK as well as the more targeted list of occupations.
The revised list will come into effect from 14 November 2011. This means that:
- For applications covered by the annual limit, the new list will apply to all applications by Tier 2 sponsors for restricted certificates of Sponsorship made on or after 14 November 2011
- For applications outside the annual limit, the new list will apply to all unrestricted certificates of sponsorship assigned to migrants on or after 14 November 2011
Employers can only bring someone into the UK under Tier 2 if the job is on the shortage occupation list or if they pass a resident labour market test (no suitable resident workers apply after advertising the job in the UK first for 4 weeks).
The Skilled Occupation List
The SOL is used under Tier 2 of the points based system by skilled migrants from outside the EU to come and work in the UK. The list exists to allow the government to only accept migrant workers that fit the labour needs of the country.
The changes to the list reduce the number of available places on the list to 190,000 from 230,000. The changes were based on evidence from industries and sectors where resident workers are available to fill the vacancies.
Occupations that the MAC recommended be removed from the list include:
- secondary education biology teachers
- speech and language therapists
- pharmacists
- orthoptists
- veterinary surgeons
- ‘rank and file’ orchestral musicians (presumably this excludes soloists)
Added to the list will be:
- actuaries
- high integrity pipe welders
- environmental scientists
- geochemists
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