The UK has relaxed visa rules for foreign construction workers amid a skills shortage. Bricklayers and other construction workers join care workers and engineers in a national shortage
Construction roles have been added to the government’s ‘shortage occupation list’. This will make it easier for foreign construction workers to access the UK. Bricklayers, masons. roofers, roof tilers and slaters, carpenters, joiners, and plasterers have all been added to the list.
According to the Home Office, this decision will “aid the delivery of key national infrastructure and stimulate growth for related industries”.
Making the immigration process easier for foreign construction workers
Foreign construction workers can earn 80% of the job’s going rate and still acquire a skilled worker visa. They will also be able to pay less for their applications. Applicants will need a sponsored job offer from an employer and must meet English language requirements.
“Relaxing visa restrictions are welcome. Whilst construction activity has cooled in recent months, the industry is still facing a high level of job vacancies and a shortage of labour, this move will hopefully help firms address current skills gaps in their workforce,” said Allan Wilen, economic director at Glenigan.
Brexit has made it harder to find work in the UK without Visas
In March, the independent migration advisory committee suggested the inclusion of construction workers on the shortage occupation list. The comprises care workers, engineers, web designers, laboratory technicians, and various healthcare positions.
Skills shortages have been an issue for the construction industry for several years, However, Brexit has made it harder for workers to find work in the UK without visas as before. Many EU workers also left the UK during the covid-19 pandemic.
“It is vital that construction is able to fill vacancies and quickly address shortages around particular roles,” said Suzannah Nichol, the chief executive of Build UK.
“So, we welcome the news that five occupations will be added to the shortage occupations list, which will help the industry continue to deliver the schools, homes, hospitals and infrastructure that we need,” she continued.
More roles could be added to the shortage list
The Construction Leadership Council submitted a 61-page paper to the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) in May, recommending that nine more occupations are added to the list. These include road construction operatives, mobile machine drivers and operatives, steel erectors, welding trades and plasterers. So far, none of these roles have been approved.
“We very much welcome this announcement which in our view is long overdue. The addition of these roles to the shortage occupation list is something we have called for through the Construction Leadership Council,” commented Eddie Tuttle, external affairs director at the Chartered Institute of Building.
“We’re glad the industry’s voice has been heard as the construction sector directly plays a vital role in the UK economy and is an enabler to so many others,” he concluded.
