Support migrant centric journalism today and donate
According to data compiled by job search site, Indeed, interest in working in the UK among non-EU workers has surged by 20%, driven by the UK’s visa offer to Hong Kong nationals. Meanwhile, interest in working in London among non-EU workers has surpassed interest among EU nationals for the first time in seven years.
Indeed claims that rising interest in the UK jobs market among non-EU nationals has been driven, in part, by the government’s offer of a route to British citizenship for nearly three million people from Hong Kong. The offer was made following China’s imposition of a National Security Law in the Special Administrative Region.
The data further highlighted that there has been a slump in the number of EU citizens registering for a UK National Insurance Number amid the coronavirus pandemic. Indeed added that overall interest among EU nationals in the UK jobs market had been steadily declining since the 2016 referendum.
EU citizens will need UK visas
For the first time ever, EU citizens coming to Britain to live, work, study or visit will require a UK visa from 1 January, 2021. The Home Office’s new, post-Brexit UK immigration system will treat EU and non-EU citizens equally in terms of entry requirements.
UK economist at Indeed, Jack Kennedy, said: “As the free movement to the UK for EU citizens ends, interest is increasingly coming from further afield. High-paying jobs, in sectors such as tech, engineering and finance, were found to be the most attractive to foreign workers.”
“The least popular roles include jobs in construction, customer services and social care. This is concerning, given that several of these sectors have already faced major recruitment challenges,” Kennedy added.
Indeed’s data shows that the proportion of online job searches for vacancies in the UK made by non-EU nationals had jumped by 19.7%. In contrast, interest among job seekers from the EU had increased by just 1.3% from 2019 to 2020.
UK software development jobs attract interest
Of the jobs searched for by non-EU nationals between April and October 2020, 18% of all clicks were for UK-based software development vacancies.
According to Indeed, interest in UK jobs among non-EU workers has seen significant growth, the popular job search site reporting that one in eight (12.5%) of all clicks on its jobs portal come from people outside the EU.
Kennedy said: “Despite the pandemic’s hammer blow to the UK economy, the UK’s jobs market is still attractive to foreign workers. But as the free movement to the UK for EU citizens ends, interest is increasingly coming from further afield.”
“Some of that interest from further afield is coming from Hong Kong because of the UK’s offer of citizenship and people from the region not being subject to the same UK visa requirements as other people looking to work in Britain.”
Workpermit.com can help with Tier 2 Visa Sponsor Licence and Tier 2 Visa
If you need help with a Tier 2 visa, or a Tier 2 Sponsor Licence, including help with complying with your Tier 2 Sponsor Licence obligations, workpermit.com can help.
For more information and advice on Tier 2 Sponsor Licences, UK immigration law and UK visa applications please contact us on 0344 991 9222 or at london@workpermit.com(link sends e-mail).
