What is the Shortage Occupation List?
The Shortage Occupation List (SOL) is the official list of skilled occupations - defined as roles where the qualification required is at RQFL3 (A-Level equivalent) or above - which have been assessed by the MAC to be in shortage and it's deemed sensible to fill those shortages with migrant workers through a Skilled Worker Visa.
The Home Office periodically commissions the MAC to recommend which jobs should be placed on the SOL, taking into account labour market data such as pay, vacancy rates, employment figures, and stakeholder evidence. The MAC presents those findings to the Home Office and it is for the government to decide whether to accept the recommendations.
Why is it important?
Our members have reported chronic labour shortages since 2021 as the UK economy reopened post-Covid, with our Employment Trends Survey highlighting three-quarters of businesses hit by labour shortages in the last 12 months. Nearly half (46%) of those businesses say they have been unable to meet output demands.
This Call for Evidence is an opportunity for you as members to provide evidence to the MAC to highlight where the shortages are in your business, and how placing those roles in shortage on the SOL will support you in tackling labour shortages. The consultation will run up to 26 May.
What is the scope of the review?
This is a major review, meaning the MAC will accept evidence for certain roles should the evidence indicate the occupation is in shortage. Roles currently on the SOL will also require evidence to remain on the list, with the exception for roles in the social care sector.
Significantly, the MAC will also accept evidence for roles in shortage below RQFL3 if there is compelling evidence of severe or unexpected shortage – or if there is evidence to suggest an occupation requires substantial training/qualifications and prior experience, which means the role can be reclassified.
How you can have an impact
The CBI hosted the Chair of the Migration Advisory Committee, Professor Brian Bell, at a hybrid roundtable on 29 March, to help members understand what you need to submit compelling evidence to ensure occupations within your business can be put on the Shortage Occupation List.
More than 50 members attended at just a week’s notice, which reinforces the scale of our current labour shortages and the barriers they pose to growth.
For those that couldn’t attend, you can watch the recording below, to find out more on the two key takeaways from the discussion:
Key takeaway 1: Changes to eligibility
- Occupations of which the going rate is above the Skilled Worker Visa salary threshold of £25,600 are unable to submit evidence to be on the SOL as the advantage of being on the SOL will no longer be applicable.
- The MAC will consider, in exceptional cases, roles at Levels 1 and 2 to be put on the SOL.
- Roles that are on a national pay scale, e.g., nurses, will not be eligible for the SOL.
Key takeaway 2: Criteria for inclusion to the SOL
- The role must be in shortage, must be at least a Level 1 role, and must pay a minimum of £20,480, or 80% of the going rate of that occupation, whichever is higher.
- Members must outline why immigration is the answer to plugging labour gaps.
- The MAC also recommended members to make arguments as to why a certain role is important for the UK, i.e., the ‘Public Value’ consideration.
Get in touch if you have questions
If you would like to get into contact with the Migration Advisory Committee directly, you can email them at [email protected]. MAC's stakeholder letter and FAQs also contains a list of eligible and ineligible roles.
If you want to engage with the CBI on this consultation, please let your account manager know or email Yusuf Ali-Hassan.