Viewpoint
As the UK’s engineering skills gap continues to bite, there is a pressing need for migrant engineers. Luna Williams from the Immigration Advice Service explains how overseas engineers can tap into these opportunities.
The infrastructure of Britain’s engineering sector has long been supported by migrant talent. With an overall residential shortage of approximately 20,000 engineering professionals, the industry has become reliant upon foreign talent from both inside and outside the EU in the last decade.
As Brexit negotiations rage on, this shortage threatens to deepen. Recent statistics from Engineering UK indicate that this number will continue to rise to over 180,000 each year until 2022 as those concerned about impending changes to immigration policies choose to take up work elsewhere. As a result of this shortage, professions within the Civil, Mechanical, Process and Electrical Engineering industries have been placed on the UK’s Shortage Occupation List.
What is the UK Shortage Occupation List?
The UK Shortage Occupation List is a government resource, which includes every skilled profession in Britain which cannot be filled by residential talent – that’s British or EEA (European Economic Area).
There are various industry professionals on the list, from ballet dancers to nurses, however, even at a glance it is clear which sector dominates the list; 53 of the professions on the list are from the engineering industries alone. These professions fall under the Civil, Design, Electrical, Electronic and Process engineering categories and include roles such as:
- Control and Instrument Engineer
- Geotechnical Engineer
- Mechanical Engineer (Oil)
- Power System Engineer
- Automotive Engineer
- Product Design Engineer
- Integrated Circuit Test Engineer
- Chemical Engineer
- And many others.
For migrant engineers, this list makes applying for certain engineering roles in the UK much easier.
The usual process for any non-EEA national looking to take up skilled work in the UK requires them to obtain a Skilled Work Visa or Permit before they can enter and reside in the UK.
Usually, as a necessary part of the application process for this kind of visa, the job vacancy must be subject to The Residential Labour Market Test (RLMT). This means that the role must be advertised for a minimum of 28 days to residential UK and EEA talent before it can be offered to any candidate from outside the EEA.
If the role is on the UK Shortage Occupation List however, the RLMT is bypassed. This means that any non-EEA engineering professional looking to take up work in any profession named on the list (including those which are removed from it in the future) is given immediate consideration when applying.
What are the visa requirements for migrant engineers?
Any non-EEA individual looking to take on a role in the UK engineering sector must obtain a Skilled Work Visa before they can enter the UK and begin their contract. Officially, this visa is called a Tier 2 (General) Visa. Under the Tier 2 Visa guidelines, an applicant must meet certain requirements: these include proving competency in English as well as demonstrating they have enough to fund their living costs before their first pay check. Additionally, the requirements also include receiving an official job offer from the engineering company or employer, who must hold a valid Sponsor Licence.
Skilled Work Visas usually last for three years or more and applying with an offer from a shortage occupation means that the application fee is reduced by the government. This type of visa can also be extended for up to five years, as long as the individual remains working with the same engineering company or institution.
As it currently stands, any EEA or Swiss national with the correct qualifications and experience can work within any engineering role in the UK without having to obtain a visa, according to the Free Movement Policy. However, many are speculating that this ruling may be set to change after Brexit. As a result, European nationals who are either working as an engineer in the UK, or are hoping to in the future, are encouraged to secure their places in the UK by obtaining an EEA Residence Card. This card is useful as it can be used for switching employers, making fresh job applications and demonstrating residential status in the UK. The application process for one of these cards is relatively straightforward and simple and many European nationals are finding that having one offers them peace of mind in an uncertain political time.
Further, although Brexit may be casting uncertainty on the future of many UK industries, it is important to remember that while there are skills shortages in so many areas of the engineering sector, there will always be opportunities for those who want to fill them.
Luna Williams, Content Manager, Immigration Advice Service
My company works in many countries (non-EU) and we often use skilled engineers and technicians from many countries (rarely EU). We have little problem finding the right skills, usually much cheaper that EU workers. In the post-Fear-campaign UK, the UK will be able to recruit, (obviously at world prices), from anywhere, including EU, where UK skills are not available.
The first requirement is to train future engineers and, possibly more-so technicians, in the UK, but that is fraught with political and establishment problems, which subjugate quality to a low level when compared with quotas.
May I know which company you’re talking about? Because I am still looking for a company who would be willing to consider an international and happy to sponsor their visa too.
We used to call this ‘bums on seats!’-and HR department(s) are internationally renowned for their abilities to match numbers: without the slightest abilities or interests in making sure that the appointees match the actual needs of any post!
The visa process must end up one day equal and same for any colleague engineers, whether from India, EU, China, South America, etc…It must also be intelligent and as Albert Einstein would say: “as simple as possible but no simpler”. UK is able to design such a system.
Additional note: “it is a better situation to have an equal visa process for all and a good non-discriminatory trade agreement with all countries including EU” rather than “keeping a free movement for some, a cumbersome visa process for others, but poor trade and employment”.
The EU engineers giving away the free movement for a small administrative point based visa process to be equal to the Chinese and Indian colleagues is fair. The point based must however include long term residency (people who have a house, family, etc…), not only the job. In the negotiations keeping the free movement to lose the trade and therefore the job opportunity is less beneficial. Keeping the free movement if the commerce is gone: not very interesting. But a small administrative constraint on visa for EU resident to keep the trade would have been a more logical choice at the negotiation table and certainly accepted if the admin burden is sensible.
The UK is arguably among the most inventive nations in the world, and yes new talent does need to be drawn from the world, but the thing which yet again screams at me, is the criminal lack of education in science and technology from schools and further education. Industry itself is only just getting to grips with the fact that the last generation of mass apprentices (early 1970’s) of all types, particularly proper technicians, are either disillusioned with industry (low status and money) or simply retiring. The quality of many engineering graduates to date, has in my experience been pretty poor, many never having held a file or operated a lathe so they learn how materials behave (what I call ‘the Knack’). Thus requiring two years minimum basic ‘on the job’ training in the real world before they can actually earn income for a company. There are many exceptions, but wow I’ve seen some awful candidates in recent years too. It’s us who keep the lights on guys, not the banks or insurance services. You can feel my pain….
As much as this is true, I do find that most of the shortages are in roles that require the highest level of security clearance. Most people in my position (internationals) wouldn’t qualify in these roles anyway as they require one to be born in the UK. Now my question is, when will those roles be filled if ever?
Robin N makes a valuable point. Just for the record, what is security clearance: and does it apply to say the design of consumer items? Keeping one’s employer’s or clients’ secrets is surely a given for a professional. I hesitate to point out that the vast majority of those who have betrayed our country in the past have been from the ‘upper’ reaches of our society? Not the foot-soldiers.
“Ipso quis custodies custodiartis” -who checks the checkers? Not themselves, that’s for sure.
The significance of Brexit in this discussions seems to me to be one that releases the UK from difficult EU regulations and will encourage worldwide movement of skilled people: surely a desirable outcome? The bureaucratic and security aspects of wider movement can all be managed if the will is there.
The need for good quality training and CPD in the UK is increased by movement, and the topic of training has been well discussed in several Engineer postings.
It seems that everyone has a different idea about Brexit. Some think it will mean less foreigners and some think it will mean more. Anything which can convince people with such opposite opinions is obviously going to have wide support.
I’m a mechanical engineer, an immigrant, I would like to know how to apply for a job in the UK?
You could look to contact a specialist recruitment firm who are actively seeking foreign nationals for Tier 2 roles in the UK.
that’s what you get for employing all the uni grads with no experience and forcing the experienced people into other sectors.