Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the publication of 1 December 2021, Points-based immigration system: delivering on people’s priorities, if she will make an assessment of the impact of the points based system on skilled jobs (a) at sea and (b) on land in the maritime industry.

Acting upon advice from the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), the Government broadened the skills threshold of the Skilled Worker route and introduced a lower salary threshold which – as modelling by the MAC suggests – strikes a reasonable balance between access to labour and controlling immigration.

Eligible offshore occupations under the Skilled Worker route include engineers, engine room attendants; ferryman; merchant seaman and seaman. Firms can hire overseas workers to fill these roles provided salary and English language requirements are met.

Furthermore, recognising the important role Deckhands play in the sector, the Government accepted the MAC’s recommendation to add the occupation (for vessels over 9m and for individuals to have at least 3 year’s experience in using their skills) to the Shortage Occupation List.

Importantly, the Skilled Worker route offers a flexible approach, by having no minimum length of required stay under the visa; workers can leave and re-enter the UK without interrupting the validity of their visa.