According to UK Engineering, the engineering sector is currently facing a shortfall of approximately 20,000 skilled British engineers. As it stands, this void is currently filled by EU and non-EU migrant talent. However, as Brexit day fast approaches, employers and employees within the engineering industries are becoming increasingly worried about how proposed changes to immigration laws will affect them. Included in this, are Electrical Engineering professionals.

Aside from Civil Engineering, the Electrical Engineering industry is the most reliant upon the support of foreign talent. One need only glance at the roles listed on the UK Shortage Occupation List, a government recourse which lists all professions officially ‘in demand’ of migrant labour, to see this. Of the 134 professions on this list, 66 require specific engineering skills, making up approximately 50% of the list. Of this 50%, roles in the Electrical and Electronic Engineering industries make up just under 20% and include titles such as:

  • Power system engineer
  • Control engineer
  • Protection engineer
  • Senior signalling design checker
  • Signalling design checker
  • Signalling systems engineer
  • And many more.

So what does this mean for non-British electrical engineers, either currently working in the UK or hoping to in the future? For a start, for any migrant required to go through the application process for a Skilled Work Visa, the skills shortage makes things a little easier. According to current UK immigration policies, any role which is listed as a shortage occupation automatically bypasses the Resident Labour Market Test (RLMT).

The RLMT is a necessary part of the application process for a Skilled Work Visa, in which any given job role must be advertised to UK and EEA nationals for a minimum of 28 days before it can be offered to any non-EEA applicants. In many circumstances, this can make the job application process for a skilled migrant worker much harder and more competitive. However, with many Electrical Engineering roles in shortage, the government already acknowledges the need for them to be filled by non-residential talent and therefore omits this stage from the process.

As well as this, applying for a Skilled Work Visa with a job offer from a shortage occupation also significantly cuts the Home Office visa application fee, meaning that anyone wanting to enter the UK to work in an Electrical Engineering role which is in shortage will be able to do so at a reduced rate.

At present, any EEA or Swiss national with the correct qualifications and experience can work in any engineering role in the UK without having to obtain a visa, according to the Free Movement Policy. However, some are speculating that European nationals who are either working as electrical engineers in the UK, or are hoping to in the future, would benefit from applying for an EEA Residence Card. This card can be used for switching employers, making job applications and as proof of residential status now and after Brexit. Once Britain has left the EU, it has been suggested that these cards will also make regulating with any new immigration policies easier. The application process for an EEA Residence Card is straightforward and having one can offer peace of mind to its holders.

Although it is still not fully clear how Brexit will impact the Electrical Engineering industry, what we can say is that, while the sector maintains its skills deficit, migrant talent will remain necessary and welcome. 

Article written by Luna Williams, Content Manager, Immigration Advice Service