UK,Scotland,Wales and Northern Ireland:Migration Advisory Committee report

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has published a staggering 649 page report recommending a list of Shortage Occupations (SOL) for the UK, Scotland and for the first time, for Wales and Northern Ireland.

The recommendations, if accepted in full by the UKVI will extend the current SOL from the current 35 to 64 occupations. This means that under the new Points Based System (PBS) to be introduced on 1 January 2021, 20 points will automatically be awarded towards the 70 points required.

Some of the more noticeable recommended adds are healthcare professionals from Lab Technicians, Pharmacists, Physiotherapists, Occupation Therapists to Senior Care Workers. This is good news to most as COVID has highlighted the importance of these occupations.

The loser in this round are Chefs and Quantity Surveyors (recommended for removal). Whilst these occupations are likely to be deleted from the list, the new PBS will still allow a route for qualified and skills Chefs and Quantity Surveyors to enter the UK. Such occupations will only be considered in the normal manner based on Job Offer, English Language, Skill Level and Salary. The only downside is not being able to rely on the 20 points automatically were they still part of the SOL.

There are likely to be more changes along the way once the PBS is working and functional. We will keep abreast of the changes and will update as the new PBS progresses.

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