Most ─ but not all ─ construction roles remain on an initial list of key occupations that allow professionals to move to the UK, as the sector is considered crucial to delivering government ambitions.
However, rail and rolling stock builders and repairers, and toolmakers, were eligible occupations under the previous skilled worker visa scheme, but do not appear on the new list.
The latest recommendations from the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) follow proposals put forward in a Home Office whitepaper in May to raise the requirements to obtain a skilled worker visa to RQF Level 6 – a degree or equivalent level.
The scheme will become known as the Temporary Shortage List (TSL). Occupations will be on it for a default of three years, with worker visas themselves only being granted for an average of three to five years.
The MAC has also urged the Home Office to explore “other models of sponsorship” that could be “more beneficial for some seasonal occupations in the TSL, particularly the construction sector”.
Gary McIndoe, managing partner at immigration law firm Latitude Law, told Construction News that ideas under review include sector-wide or project-based visa routes and more flexible regional thresholds.
“Crucially, the MAC’s review goes a step further, recommending pilot projects for sector-wide or umbrella sponsorship models, such as those where an approved industry body or scheme operator acts as a sponsor, and temporary or project-specific visas tailored to major construction initiatives,” he said.
“These approaches could help smaller firms and project teams more cost-effectively access overseas talent with less administrative burden, provided robust salary and worker protection standards are maintained. While no new model has yet been implemented, these policy alternatives are now firmly on the government’s agenda, and construction industry stakeholders should watch this space for potential pilots and phased roll-outs.”
Earlier this year, the then home secretary Yvette Cooper asked the committee to consider which occupations are crucial to the delivery of Whitehall’s industrial strategy or critical infrastructure.
A new list of 82 occupations “deemed potentially crucial to prioritised sectors” includes most construction roles that do not require training to degree level and appeared on the previously eligible roles.
These include bricklayers, electricians, steel erectors, plasterers, stonemasons and painters.
“By recommending these trades remain on the TSL pending further review, MAC has kept an important door open,” David Crosthwaite, chief economist at the Building Cost Information Service, told Construction News.
“The recommendation to treat construction project managers and related professionals at RQF 6 – the eligibility threshold for Skilled Worker Visas – is also welcome and, if approved, will help to fill gaps across different levels of seniority and expertise in construction professional services.”
The recommendations are not final, however, and the list is expected to be trimmed further.
If approved by the government, the committee will test the 82 roles deemed potentially crucial to see if the occupations are really in shortage and if they have “an ambitious jobs plan in place, including a skills strategy, a plan to work with the Department for Work and Pensions on a domestic labour strategy, and steps to manage the risk of exploitation, particularly of migrant workers”.
Representative bodies for each role will be expected to give evidence about these to the committee.
A follow-up report is scheduled for publication in July 2026.
Crosthwaite said the onus was now on industry stakeholders and sector experts in government to cement trade places on the TSL.
“The success of these could play a crucial role in the future flexibility of the UK’s construction labour supply and may even contribute to lower labour costs over time,” he added.
