In November 2018, the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) issued a 'call for evidence', encouraging stakeholders to submit evidence in relation to any job titles or occupations in their associated sector/industry which they believed to be in shortage and, therefore, should be included on the Shortage Occupation List (SOL).

Job titles on the SOL are not required to undertake the Resident Labour Market Test and are exempt from the Immigration Skills Charge.

To be eligible for the SOL, occupations and job titles must:

  • show demonstrable national shortages that cannot be filled from within the domestic labour market;
  • be skilled to the required level set by the Home Office; and
  • demonstrate that it is sensible to seek to fill vacancies with migrant labour from outside of the EEA.

The 'call for evidence' closed on the 14 January 2019.

The MAC are now arranging (in conjunction with the British Chamber of Commerce) a number of regional roundtable meetings across the UK. The purpose of these meetings is to:

  • engage with employers across the regions and countries of the UK to hear their concerns and issues with regards to shortages;
  • identify if there are any synergies or differences in the evidence submitted; and
  • gather a more in depth understanding which complements the online evidence.

Stakeholders can contact the MAC if they wish to attend. There are limited spaces available for each event.

So far, the following dates and locations have been released:

Location

Date

East Midlands

18.01.19

West Midlands

29.01.19

East of England

TBC

London

TBC

North East

TBC

North West

TBC

Northern Ireland

TBC

Scotland

TBC

South East

TBC

South West

TBC

Wales

TBC

Yorkshire and the Humber

TBC

Details about the remaining locations and dates are set to be announced soon.

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