The UK Home Office have announced changes to the national shortage occupation list. They have added two new occupations and deleted two existing occupations.

The additions are electricity generation engineers and high integrity pipe welders. If you have these skills, you will no longer have to have a labour market test for a work permit where the job is advertised by an employer in order to verify if there is no local who can fulfil the occupation instead of a foreigner.

Those with these skills need to apply via the tier 2 points-based system. However if you fall into one of these in demand occupations the system will be easier. 

Those skills that will be removed from July 18th this year are CAA licensed aircraft engineer, due to a lack of supporting market research and geriatric and rehabilitation medicine following a NHS review.