The United Kingdom (UK) might be bracing for immigration changes as the government’s independent advisory panel recommended shrinking the Temporary Shortage List to 28 jobs.
In Stage 2 of its review of the Temporary Shortage List (TSL), the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) recommended scaling down eligible middle-skilled occupations from 52 to 28 key roles.
The advisory committee said it recommended changes to the Temporary Shortage List to help the UK government incentivize domestic hiring and reduce the country’s reliance on international recruitment for mid-level technical positions.
However, Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that the UK government has not confirmed whether it will adopt the recommendations or how it will handle workers already in the system.
Several occupations currently eligible are missing from the proposed list. These include:
- Business sales roles
- Human resources professionals
- Legal occupations
- Advertising and marketing roles
- Creative professions, including authors, writers, and photographers
If the recommendations are accepted, employers would no longer be able to sponsor many of these mid-skilled roles under the Skilled Worker route.
The review considered 82 occupations in detail, which were identified in its first stage review. Of those 82, the MAC has now recommended 28 receive access to the TSL for 18 months. It did not recommend any occupation for full access lasting until the next planned three-year review.
As listed in chapter 3.2 of the report, the 28 occupations are:
- 1. Electrical and electronics technicians
- 2. Engineering technicians
- 3. Sheet metal workers
- 4. Metal machining setters and setter-operators
- 5. Metal working production and maintenance fitters
- 6. Welding trades
- 7. Boat and ship builders and repairers
- 8. Planning, process and production technicians
- 9. Metal plate workers, smiths, moulders and related occupations
- 10. Electrical and electronic trades n.e.c. – Overhead Line Workers only
- 11. Database administrators and web content technicians
- 12. Data analysts
- 13. Telecoms and related network installers and repairers
- 14. Building and civil engineering technicians
- 15. Ship and hovercraft officers
- 16. Pipe fitters
- 17. Electricians and electrical fitters
- 18. Bricklayers
- 19. Roofers, roof tilers and slaters
- 20. Plumbers & heating and ventilating installers and repairers
- 21. Carpenters and joiners
- 22. Construction and building trades n.e.c. – Building envelope specialists, Curtain wall installers
- 23. Plasterers
- 24. Floorers and wall tilers
- 25. Painters and decorators
- 26. Construction and building trades supervisors
- 27. Chemical and related process operatives
- 28. CAD, drawing and architectural technicians
In concluding, the MAC stated: “Our recommendations are defined by the framework set out to us in the commissioning letter and the government’s Immigration White Paper. In line with the commissioning letter, we have sought to be pragmatic, conscious that this is the first time this exercise has been conducted, and of the risk that high-priority sectors could be deprived of labour which stifles their growth. This led to recommending more occupations for 18-month access (28) than we would in future reviews if we received the same level of evidence and if the government continues to take the position that a credible Jobs Plan is a pre-requisite to TSL access. No occupations provided a strong enough case to merit full three-year TSL access.”
The UK government must first decide whether to accept the MAC’s recommendations and announce when the changes to Temporary Shortage List will take effect. It has also not explained whether any transition period will apply.
