UK visa rules relaxed to lure foreign construction workers

The UK has relaxed visa rules for hiring foreign workers due to acute labor shortages in some sectors. The country's government has taken this initiative to hire new foreign workers as the labor crisis in the construction sector has become dire.

This information was reported in a report by the British news agency Reuters on Monday. It said some jobs in the construction sector have been added to Britain's list of labor shortage occupations. As a result, those involved in the country's construction industry can more easily bring in workers from abroad.

As the rules are relaxed, bricklayers, masons and workers working with roofers, roof tiles and slaters, painters, joiners and plasterers will benefit more from cheaper visas. Britain is suffering from acute labor shortage in these sectors. Employers are also interested in hiring workers from abroad. That is why the country's government has relaxed the visa rules.
However, this initiative to hire foreign workers by relaxing visa rules has become a headache for the country's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's political party, the Conservative Party. Because the Conservative Party has been promising to reduce the rate of immigration to the country for the past decade.

Britain's Home Office said in a statement on Monday that adding new worker jobs to the visa regime would help deliver key national infrastructure and boost the growth of related industries.

The country's independent immigration advisory committee recommended last March that all construction jobs be added to the list of shortage occupations. This list already includes care workers, civil engineers and laboratory technicians and health care workers.

According to government figures released last May, net immigration to Britain reached a record high of 666,000 last year. The country's Rishi Sunak-led government has also made renewed promises to reduce the flow of migrants.

Critics of Brexit say the UK's departure from the European Union (EU) has exacerbated the labor crisis. Because EU citizens can no longer enter the UK without a visa to work as before.

Applicants as foreign workers in Britain must have a job offer from an employer and meet English language proficiency requirements, the country's government statement said.

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