Construction, engineering, technical and infrastructure roles could receive temporary access to overseas recruitment under new Migration Advisory Committee proposals.
The UK’s Migration Advisory Committee has recommended adding 28 occupations to the new Temporary Shortage List for an initial period of 18 months, potentially giving employers in several important sectors continued access to overseas workers.
However, the committee found that none of the occupations examined had presented a sufficiently strong case to remain on the list until its next full review, which is expected in three years.
The recommendations form part of the MAC’s second-stage review of the Temporary Shortage List. The committee examined 82 occupations identified during the first stage of its review and assessed their importance to the Government’s Industrial Strategy and critical infrastructure programme.
The proposals remain recommendations to the Government. The final list will depend on which occupations ministers decide to approve.
What is the Temporary Shortage List?
The Temporary Shortage List is intended to provide limited migration access for selected middle-skilled occupations facing current or expected labour shortages.
Its purpose is not to provide employers with permanent access to overseas recruitment. Instead, sectors seeking inclusion must produce workforce strategies—described by the MAC as “Jobs Plans”—showing how they intend to recruit, train and retain more workers from within the UK.
These plans are expected to explain how employers will address the underlying causes of shortages and reduce their long-term dependence on migrant labour.
The MAC assessed vacancy rates, pay, working hours and evidence submitted by employers, trade bodies, trade unions, government departments and devolved administrations. It noted that identifying occupations connected to priority sectors was relatively straightforward, while measuring actual labour shortages was more difficult because conditions differed between regions, employers and individual jobs.
Temporary Shortage List review in figures
| Review category | Figure |
| Occupations examined in detail | 82 |
| Occupations recommended for the TSL | 28 |
| Initial recommended access period | 18 months |
| Occupations recommended for full three-year access | 0 |
| Average annual visas linked to the 28 recommended jobs | Around 4,000 |
| Average annual visas linked to all 82 jobs examined | Around 10,000 |
| Next full TSL review expected | In three years |
The visa figures are based on annual averages recorded between 2022/23 and 2024/25.
Which occupations have been recommended?
The following occupations have been recommended for 18 months of access to the Temporary Shortage List:
| No. | Occupation | No. | Occupation |
| 1 | Electrical and electronics technicians | 15 | Ship and hovercraft officers |
| 2 | Engineering technicians | 16 | Pipe fitters |
| 3 | Sheet metal workers | 17 | Electricians and electrical fitters |
| 4 | Metal machining setters and setter-operators | 18 | Bricklayers |
| 5 | Metal working production and maintenance fitters | 19 | Roofers, roof tilers and slaters |
| 6 | Welding trades | 20 | Plumbers and heating and ventilating installers and repairers |
| 7 | Boat and ship builders and repairers | 21 | Carpenters and joiners |
| 8 | Planning, process and production technicians | 22 | Construction and building trades n.e.c.—building envelope specialists and curtain wall installers |
| 9 | Metal plate workers, smiths, moulders and related occupations | 23 | Plasterers |
| 10 | Electrical and electronic trades n.e.c.—overhead line workers only | 24 | Floorers and wall tilers |
| 11 | Database administrators and web content technicians | 25 | Painters and decorators |
| 12 | Data analysts | 26 | Construction and building trades supervisors |
| 13 | Telecoms and related network installers and repairers | 27 | Chemical and related process operatives |
| 14 | Building and civil engineering technicians | 28 | CAD, drawing and architectural technicians |
The recommendations are heavily concentrated in construction, engineering, manufacturing, maritime work, telecommunications and technical services.
Housebuilding and infrastructure needs influenced the decision
According to the committee, the evidence of existing or future shortages in these 28 occupations was credible enough to justify temporary migration access.
The accompanying Jobs Plans were also considered broadly relevant to the causes of those shortages, although the quality and detail of the plans differed considerably between sectors.
In some cases, the MAC gave additional weight to the importance of an occupation to immediate government priorities. Construction roles, for example, are closely connected to housebuilding and infrastructure delivery. The committee concluded that limited overseas recruitment could be justified where an abrupt loss of workers might delay projects or restrict growth in strategically important sectors.
Nevertheless, the 18-month period makes clear that the recommendation is provisional. Employers and government departments will be expected to use this time to improve domestic recruitment, expand training and demonstrate that their workforce plans are producing measurable results.
Limited effect on overall migration expected
The 28 recommended occupations accounted for an average of approximately 4,000 visas a year between 2022/23 and 2024/25. By comparison, all 82 occupations examined in the review accounted for around 10,000 visas annually.
The MAC therefore expects its recommendations to produce only a relatively modest reduction in migration compared with allowing all 82 occupations access to the list. It also anticipates limited effects on public finances, economic growth and business confidence.
The committee acknowledged that it had taken a pragmatic approach because this was the first review conducted under the new system. It was particularly conscious of the danger that important sectors could be deprived of essential workers before domestic training and recruitment programmes had time to deliver results.
That approach resulted in more occupations receiving an 18-month recommendation than might be expected during future reviews. No sector, however, provided evidence strong enough to justify access for the entire three-year review cycle.
Employers will face another assessment
The first group of occupations admitted to the Temporary Shortage List will be reviewed again before the proposed 18-month period expires.
Future inclusion is likely to depend less on promises and more on results. Sectors will need to show that their Jobs Plans have increased training, improved recruitment and retention, and reduced the structural causes of worker shortages.
Temporary migration access may therefore provide short-term relief, but it will not guarantee continued overseas recruitment. Occupations that fail to demonstrate progress could be removed when their initial access period comes to an end.