Skilled Worker visas for EU workers increased rapidly as lockdowns eased in the past year despite Brexit, according to Home Office figures analysed by Eversheds Sutherland. The international law firm found that from Q4 2020 to Q4 2021 the number of Skilled Worker visas issued for EU citizens increased from 18 to 3,428, peaking in Q3 2021 at 3,698.
This increase was also tracked during Q2 and Q3 of 2021 when visas for these EU workers numbered 888 and 2,207, respectively. Skilled Worker visas issued also multiplied for other European countries from 342 in Q4 2020 to 926 in Q4 2021.
“A combination of less onerous visa requirements and a need to address talent shortages have been driving this increase in demand for skilled workers from the EU,” comments Audrey Elliott, Partner in employment and immigration at Eversheds Sutherland. “But for this trend to happen there also has to be interest from the talented workers themselves. These figures show that the UK remains an attractive place for people from the EU – and outside of it – to come and work.”
Elliott says UK businesses believe talented people will lead them out of the pandemic as well as being key to coping with the uncertainty of the current global economy. Sponsorship licences are now a valuable tool for businesses and getting, then using, them to get overseas talent through the door is a key part of running successful business.
“On the other side of Brexit there is an additional cost, but with the range of visa options made available recently – and the list growing – businesses seem willing to pay the price to improve their resilience for the present and the future,” says Elliott.
Eversheds Sutherland analysis also found that a total of 25,555 Skilled Worker visas were granted in Q4 2021 alone for workers across the globe– a 131% year on year increase (Q4 2020, 11,047).
Whilst figures for EU workers are not available per sector the industry bringing in the most Skilled Workers from overseas was Human Health and Social Work, which recruited 29,128 people on Skilled Worker visas in 2021. This reached its highest levels yet in Q4 2021 at 8,990 – a 48% year on year increase (Q4 2020, 6,064).
Information and Communications was the second highest recruiting industry (2021, 13,317 and Q4 2021 4,750 YoY 230%), followed by Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities (2021, 10,281 and Q4 2021 3,555 YoY 216%), Financial and Insurance (2021, 6,961 and Q4 2021 2,192 YoY 204%), Education (2021, 4,172 and Q4 2021 1,232 YoY 115%) and Manufacturing (2021, 3,127 and Q4 2021 1,025 YoY 302%).
“This search for overseas talent can be attributed to a number of things, but especially for the health and social work industry the pandemic and Brexit has had a significant influence on increased need for overseas talent,” Audrey Elliott continues. “To give context of scale in 2010, the health sector used the fourth highest number of Skilled Worker visas across industries. In 2021, it used almost as many Skilled Worker visas as IT, professional services and financial services put together (30,559 vs 29,128).
“On the other side of Brexit, the importance of talent to economic recovery and the ease of getting visas mean that recruiting skilled workers through immigration will be an essential part of business strategy.”
