Sponsor Licence News: Changes to the Immigration Salary List
The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has now completed its review of the immigration salary list (renamed from the shortage occupation list) and has published its recommendations.
Sponsor licence holders will need to consider the recommendations as well as prepare for the rise in the minimum salary threshold for Skilled Worker Visa applicants due to come into force on 4 April 2024. If that isn’t enough change, the MAC is planning further reports on how the new immigration salary list will operate following the 4 April 2024 changes.
In this article, our Immigration Solicitors provide a quick overview of the key MAC recommendations and explain the implications for sponsor licence holders.
UK Online and London-Based Immigration Solicitors and Sponsorship Licence Lawyers
For immigration advice call OTS Solicitors on 0203 959 9123 or contact us online.
An outline of the MAC rapid review
The MAC was asked to conduct a ‘rapid review’ of the immigration salary list to advise on those job roles that should remain on the list after 4 April 2024 when the changes to the minimum salary threshold for Skilled Worker Visa holders come into force. The Skilled Worker salary threshold will increase significantly on 4 April 2024, rising to £38,700, from the current threshold of £26,200.
The Migration Advisory Committee recommendations will now be considered by the Home Office before the new immigration rules are published on 14 March with the rules coming into force on 4 April.
In addition to the immigration salary list changes, the 20% going rate salary discount for jobs in shortage occupations will end.
The MAC report recommends that 21 occupations be included on the immigration salary list. The list is due to be reviewed again by MAC once the government has clarified the revised purpose and goals of the list and how it will work with the April 2024 minimum salary threshold changes.
If the MAC recommendations are followed by the government, only around 8% of Skilled Worker Visa job roles will be included on the immigration salary list. That is a significant reduction from the old shortage occupation list but that is due to the impact of the April 2024 increase in the minimum salary threshold for Skilled Worker Visa applicants and the cessation of the 20% going rate discount.
The Health and Care Worker Visa and the immigration salary list
The Health and Care Worker Visa still forms part of the Skilled Worker Visa route although the changes to the minimum salary threshold will not apply to sponsor licence holders recruiting to fill jobs with Health and Care Worker Visa applicants.
Two adult care and health sector job roles remain on the immigration salary list:
- Care workers and home carers: SOC code 6135
- Senior care workers: SOC code 6136
The Skilled Worker Visa and the immigration salary list
For sponsor licence holders looking to sponsor Skilled Worker Visa applicants the Migration Advisory Committee recommends the following jobs should remain on the immigration salary list:
- Managers and proprietors in forestry, fishing and related services: SOC code 1212. This is Scotland only and applies to fishing boat masters
- Laboratory technicians: SOC code 3111. The worker must have at least 3 years experience
- Pharmaceutical technicians: SOC code 3212
- Boat and ship builders and repairers: SOC code 5235. This is Scotland only
- Stonemasons and related trades: SOC code 5312
- Bricklayers: SOC code 5313
- Roofers, roof tilers and slaters: SOC code 5314
- Construction and building trades not elsewhere classified: SOC code 5319. This standard occupational classification code is limited to retrofitters
- Animal care services occupations not elsewhere classified: SOC code 6129. This code is limited to specific jobs in the equine sector such as racing grooms, stallion handlers, stud grooms and handlers, and work riders
In addition to the occupations that were already on the shortage occupation list, MAC recommends that the new immigration salary list also include the following jobs:
- Chemical scientists: SOC code 2111. Scotland only and limited to jobs in the nuclear industry
- Biological scientists: SOC code 2112
- Social and humanities scientists: SOC code 2115. Limited to archaeologists
- Artists: SOC code 3411
- Dancers and choreographers: SOC code 3414. Limited to skilled classical ballet dancers or skilled contemporary dancers who meet the required standard
- Musicians: SOC code 3415. Limited to skilled orchestral musicians who are leaders, principals, sub-principals or numbered string positions, and who meet the required standard
- Arts officers, producers and directors: SOC code 3416
- Graphic and multimedia designers: SOC code 2142
- Welding trades: SOC code 5213. Limited to high-integrity pipe welders, where the job requires 3 or more years of related on-the-job experience
- Carpenters and joiners: SOC code 5316
The importance of the new entrant salary threshold discount
The government has said that it plans (for now) to retain the new entrant discount. Given the sharp rise in the minimum salary threshold for Skilled Worker Visa applicants, Sponsorship Licence lawyers anticipate an equally sharp rise in the recruitment of new entrants.
Under the current new entrant rules, a salary discount of 20 to 30% is achievable, depending on the job. However, Business Immigration Solicitors warn that the MAC has suggested that the government needs to assess the use of the new entrant discount because of the changes to the minimum salary threshold.
Sponsorship Licence lawyers
Our specialist Sponsorship Licence lawyers recommend that if your business has not already done so you accelerate your recruitment of overseas workers before the increase in the minimum salary threshold on 4 April and, where that is not realistic, that you take advice on the use of the new entrant discount.
UK Online and London-Based Immigration Solicitors and Sponsorship Licence Lawyers
For immigration advice call OTS Solicitors on 0203 959 9123 or contact us online.
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