On September 29, 2020, the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) updated and announced the shortage Occupation List. The general minimum salary required to sponsor an overseas worker will be £25,600 under the government’s new Points-Based Immigration System starting January 1, 2021. If a sponsor hire workers as roles of being on the shortage occupation list or the worker has a PhD, the minimum salary will instead be £20,480.
In May 2019, the Migration Advisory Committee reviewed that the roles of 9% of UK employment was the shortage occupation, and the UKVI accepted the shortage occupation list and applied it to the work visa system. In its last update of the list, 14% of UK jobs are understaffed. If the UKVI accepts the updated data of MAC’s recommendation, it would mean that employers could sponsor the work visa at a salary up to 20% lower than would otherwise be allowed.
Assuming, as expected, the UKVI accepts the MAC recommendation, 70 new jobs will be added to either the UK-wide shortage list or to those specific to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The occupations included senior care workers, nursing assistants, butchers, IT operation technician, authors, interpreter, fisheries-related occupations, bricklayers, car mechanics and welders.
There is also good news for chicken sexers and deckhands working on large fishing vessels (9 metres and above, since you ask). Both these jobs are to be reclassified at the RQF3 skill level, making them eligible for sponsorship. Deckhands with three years’ experience will be on the Shortage Occupation List as well.
However, the chef jobs are removed from the shortage occupation list from the recent MAC updates.
Finally, MAC recommends that in future there should be regular annual updates of the Shortage Occupation List, instead of as and when. It suggests a minor update in 2021 and a more thorough review in 2022.