UK Government Relaxes Visa Requirements for Architects

RIBA greets the move, but requests to drop the £30k threshold of salary. Architects will be attached to the official shortage occupations list in this autumn, the UK government has published.

The move will enable clients to recruit non-EU architects without having to demonstrate that they searched in the UK first.

The RIBA welcomed the news – but the institute told the UK government should also drop the £30,000 threshold of salary to help regional practices in specific to hire young talent.

The choice to adopt full suggestions made in May 2019 by the Migration Advisory Committee was published by Sajid Javid on his latest full day as a home secretary prior he was appointed chancellor.

In a recorded statement to parliament, he stated “The MAC suggested several changes to the main UK-wide SOL, extending the list to cover a variety of high-skilled professions, including many health and social care, digital technology, and engineering occupations.

MAC’s Proposals on Shortage Occupation List

The government is pleased to allow all of the MAC’s proposals on the composition of the Shortage Occupation List (SOL), and the necessary reforms will be performed in the Autumn Immigration Rules modifications.

Individuals who are eligible to do jobs on the list – which will now also cover psychologists and web-designers among other specialisms – are efficient can skip the queue for UK tier 2 skilled visas for migrants from non-Europe. Currently, individuals from EEA don’t require a visa to work in the UK.

Alan Vallance, RIBA chief executive, explained the decision to add architects to the Occupation list as highly supportive. This is a positive move for architects striving to navigate the UK’s complex immigration process, he told.

Presently, 25 percent of UK enrolled architects are global, with the huge majority from the EU. But he promised the RIBA would proceed to request the government to lower their £30,000 proposed salary threshold, to assure we bring a broad range of global, young talent, particularly from outside of London.

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