The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has published its Review of the Shortage Occupation List with its recommendations for the new points-based Skilled Worker route coming into effect 1 January 2021 following the end of the transition period.
Jobs recommended for inclusion not previously on the list include:
- Butchers;
- Brick-layers;
- Interpreters;
- Pharmacists; and
- Physiotherapists.
Since many of the existing benefits of hiring from the Shortage Occupation List, for example exemption from the Resident Labour Market Test, will now apply across the whole system, the main benefit of hiring from the list will now be the reduced salary threshold. The new Skilled Worker route includes “tradeable points”, allowing for a potential reduction of the relevant salary threshold by 20% should the job be included on the Shortage Occupation List and meet other criteria.
Meanwhile, chefs and quantity surveyors have been removed from the proposed list. In response to the feedback from industry that the reason for the shortage in domestic chefs was the poor working conditions and low pay, the MAC recommended that the job be removed from the Shortage Occupation List to encourage an improvement in wages for the role. This reflects the Committee’s perception of the list’s influence with wider wages, having previously stated in January 2020 that they do “… not support lower salary thresholds for occupations on the SOL: there should be an upward pressure on wages in jobs in shortage…”.
The Committee also noted that the Covid-19 pandemic caused interruptions in the engagement with the Call for Evidence, with it being harder for employers to predict their future labour needs.
The full review can be viewed here.
Gherson has over 30 years of experience in assisting with various immigration matters and is monitoring the impact of Brexit on all immigration issues closely. We have a specialist corporate immigration team who service the needs of a large number of companies. If you would like to speak to a member of our corporate immigration team in respect of any of the issues raised in this blog, please do not hesitate to contact us.
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