Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of including (a) coded welders, (b) steel fabricators, (c) mechanical fitters and (d) pipe fitters on the Immigration Rules Appendix K: Shortage Occupation List.

In March, the Government commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to advise on the composition of the Shortage Occupation Lists (SOL) in light of the expanded skills threshold of the new Skilled Worker route, which will come into effect on 1 December.

The MAC published its findings and recommendations on 29 September. The Government welcomes the MAC’s comprehensive advice; however, we do not consider changes to the SOLs should be made at this time, before assessing how the UK labour market develops post-Covid 19 and in response to the introduction of the new Points-Based Immigration System on 1 January 2021.

As published on 22 October, the Immigration Rules for the new Points-Based Immigration System include an Appendix Shortage Occupation Lists. This replaces the existing lists under Appendix K. The contents are the same.