Could an agreement with India help Britain to bridge its employee shortage gap?

Published on: 01st June 2022
Reading time: Approx 6 mins

Following the latest update about the employee shortage in the UK in several sectors across the country, which was posted in February 2022 – the British government has released a ‘shortage occupations list’ in each area of the UK.

The list has all the occupations mentioned which are in desperate need of workers. And overseas professionals, who have the required skills, can migrate to the UK on a UK Skilled Worker visa. Check the list of occupations here.

• If the job role you are looking for is on the list, you can be paid 80% of the job’s usual going rate to qualify for a UK Skilled Worker visa.
• The annual salaries for these jobs are based on a 39-hour working week.
• There’s a different list of shortage occupations for some jobs if you work in healthcare or education.
• If you do not know your job’s occupation code, you can search for your job in the ONS occupation coding tool.

• The pandemic had majorly reduced the availability of workers in the UK and the country is now facing a huge gap between the demand for jobs and the supply of employees. This has led to a massive escalation in vacancy numbers in recent months.
• With the opening of the economy, the impact of Brexit is also being felt in the hospitality, healthcare, and retail sectors.
• The British government is taking steps to tackle this problem. The emphasis is more on strengthening foreign ties.

In May 2021, India-UK implemented ‘Roadmap 2030’. This 10-year roadmap is put into action by India and the UK to expand ties in the key areas of trade and economy, defence and security, climate change, and people-to-people connections among others.

With its open work culture, drive for innovation, and penchant for merit, the UK has always been a preferred destination for skilled migrants, who are motivated by

• Prospects of better financial gains,
• superior quality of life,
• advanced healthcare facilities,
• consistently strong economic growth,
• Work-life balance and more.

India is the leading country of origin of migrants globally, with some reports putting the number at 18 million migrants. The UK on the other hand ranks 5th in welcoming immigrants from all over the world.

Source: IOM, 2020 data

• India is also the 2nd largest foreign investor in the UK. While the UK ranks 3rd as an investor in India
• In 2019, Indian companies in the UK generated over £48 billion in revenue
• Employing more than 105,000 people in the UK. Tata Group alone employed over 63,760 people in the UK
• As of 2022, there are 850+ Indian MSME’s and over 5,000 SMEs operating in the UK

The UK’s Prime Minister, Mr. Boris Johnson’s meeting with India’s PM, Narendra Modi Ji, was long anticipated. His trip to India mainly focused on job creation and the economic growth of both nations.

Mr. Johnson quoted “India, as a major economic power and the world’s largest democracy, is a highly valued strategic partner for the UK in these uncertain times”.

This meeting also included policies discussed under energy security and defence. The UK aims to drive progress on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) which has been planned in such a way that it will boost the entire UK trade by up to £28 billion ($36.5 billion) annually until the year 2035.

“In our opinion, this event will bring out a positive outcome for the UK’s job sector. In India, we have a huge talent pool from multiple sectors. With the world becoming a global village, Indian professionals are keen to go international with their skills and knowledge” quoted Mr. Hemang Laaheru, Lawyer (UK immigration) & Partner, The SmartMove2UK.

There is huge demand coming from Indians to reduce the UK immigration fees and make the visa application process much faster for Indian professionals and students.

“The present-day UK visa application process is extremely time-consuming. Such delays result in loss of opportunities for individuals striving to make it to the UK for work/business” quoted Ms. Falguni Y. Parekh, Solicitor & Partner, The SmartMove2UK.

A UK Skilled Worker visa is a pathway that offers overseas skilled professionals a promising career! We are hopeful that the immigration guidelines only get better, as India and the UK have immense potential to grow more in the areas of occupation and trade.

In addition to the UK Skilled Worker visa, Health & Care Worker visa, Indian businesses are also enthused with the introduction of the UK Expansion Worker route, Senior or Specialist Worker visa, UK Graduate Trainee visa, UK Secondment Worker visa, and UK Service Supplier visa.

The SmartMove2UK is one of the leading UK immigration law firm in India. For over 2 decades we have been assisting people with UK immigration and nationality laws. Our clientele is spread over 26+ countries, with 1,000s success stories. If you are looking for assistance in applying for any UK visas, you can book a consultation with our immigration experts.