The UK’s Shortage Occupation List has been updated recently with some additions and exclusions. The purpose was to meet labor market needs and allow more migrants to fill wider range of positions in Health, IT, Education, and Engineering occupations. Recommended by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), the new list covers up to 9% of the jobs in the UK market as opposed to 1%, which was previously seen.
The shortage occupation list (SOL) comprises job vacancies for which there is a scarcity of local talent or skilled workers to fill these positions. Employers willing to recruit foreign workers for the listed occupations need not to carry out the “resident labor market test”- which serves as a proof that no UK resident is found suitable within the UK labour market to perform the required job, before recruiting to an overseas national.
The changes will be implemented this Autumn after a Certificate of Sponsorship is issued with a Tier 2 Sponsorship license. Employers in the UK are advised to review the recent changes and its considerable impact on the Tier 2 visa application as well as international recruitment activity.
How Employers will be Benefited with Recent SOL Update:
UK businesses and employers are the most benefited as they are going to get a better access to a pool of skilled workers coming to the UK from different parts of the world. The expanded SOL includes a number of occupations that are first time added to the list. This includes architects, veterinarians and web designers, so international workers with backgrounds in these occupations have greater opportunities to migrate and find jobs related to their profiles.
Additionally, a number of strict requirements have been exempted from this list, thus making it much easier for the employers to find the right talent and place them in roles experiencing skills shortages.
Apart from this, below are some additional benefits of the SOL expansion:
- No need to conduct a Resident Labour Market Test (RLMT)
- No minimum salary threshold for the incoming workers
- Affordable visa fees
- More priority will be given to those working in listed occupations
Which Occupations are Included?
Below is the latest Tier 2 Shortage Occupation List defining new roles and occupations in-demand in the UK labor market:
| SOC Code | Occupations Included |
| 1123 – Production Managers | Production managers in nuclear industry waste management and decommissioning:
Production managers in electricity transmission and distribution:
|
| 2113- Physical scientists | Physical scientists in construction related ground engineering:
Physical scientists in the oil and gas industries:
Physical scientists in nuclear industry waste management and decommissioning:
Physical scientists in the mining industry:
|
| 2121- Civil engineers | Civil engineers in construction related ground engineering:
Civil engineers in the oil and gas industries:
Civil engineers in the mining industry:
|
| 2122- Mechanical engineers | Mechanical engineer in the oil and gas industries |
| 2123- Electrical engineers |
Electrical engineers in electricity transmission and distribution:
Electrical engineers in aerospace:
|
| 2124- Electronics engineers |
Electronics engineers in the railway industry:
|
| 2126- Design and development engineers |
Design and development engineers in automotive manufacturing and design:
Design and development engineers in the electronics system industry:
|
| 2127- Production and process engineers |
|
| 2129-Engineering professionals | Engineering professionals in electricity transmission and distribution:
Engineering professionals in aerospace:
Engineering professionals in the civil nuclear industry’s waste management and decommissioning areas:
Other engineering professionals in the civil nuclear industry:
|
| 2123- IT Specialist Managers | IT product manager employed by a qualifying company, in a role which requires five years of appropriate experience, as well as proven experience of team leadership |
| 2135- IT business analysts, architects, and system designers |
|
| 2136- Programmers and software development professionals |
Programmers and software development professionals in visual effects and 2D/3D computer animation for film, television, or video games industries:
Programmers and software development professionals in the electronics system industry:
|
| 2139- Information technology and communications professionals |
|
| 2142- Environmental Professionals | Environmental Professionals in construction related ground engineering:
|
| 2211- Medical practitioners | Medical consultants:
Non-consultant, non-training, medical staff in:
Trainees:
|
| 2217- Medical Radiographers |
|
| 2231- Nurses |
|
| 2314- Secondary education teaching professionals |
|
| 2425- Actuaries, economists, and statisticians |
|
| 2442- Social workers |
|
| 2461- Quality control and planning engineers |
|
| 3113-Engineering technicians |
|
| 3213- Paramedics |
|
| 3411- Artist |
|
| 3414- Dancers and choreographers |
|
| 3415- Musicians |
|
| 3416-Arts officers, producers, and directors |
|
| 3421- Graphic designers |
|
| 3541- Buyers and purchasing officers |
|
| 5215- Welders |
|
| 5235- Aircraft maintenance and related trades |
|
| 5249- Line repairers and cable jointers |
|
| 5434- Chefs |
|
