The Migration Advisory Committee recommendations on skilled work visas

30 May 2019 12:47 PM

A review by the Migration Advisory Committee has concluded the list used by Government to allocate skilled work visas should be expanded – this includes many tech...

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has published its review of the shortage occupation list (SOL) which recommends expanding the list to include all roles within the occupation of: engineering, IT business analysts, programmers, software and web design development professionals.

Commenting on the review, techUK’s Policy Manager for Skills, Talent & Diversity Nimmi Patel yesterday said:

“techUK welcomes the MAC’s recognition of the important role the tech industry plays in driving the UK economy and in its acknowledgment of the increasing difficulty in filling such in-demand digital roles.

“The limitations of the SOL including its use of static data, which does not reflect real time labour market statistics, comes through in this report. We look forward to seeing the MAC reflect on this point as we develop a future immigration system.

"Tech workers are some of the most mobile and in-demand professionals internationally, and for the UK remain a global hub, we must make it easier to attract and retain the best talent.”