The Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS) is calling on the Home Office and UK Visas & Immigration to correct an irregularity within the Skilled Worker visa system.
The Standard Occupation Code (SOC) 5433, Fishmongers and Poultry Dressers on the current skilled worker visa list shows that both fish processors and poultry processors are eligible to be sponsored for a Skilled Worker visa.
Tony Goodger, a spokesperson for AIMS, said: “At present the jobs of butcher, slaughterman and butchery managerial roles meet the RQF3 skills threshold for the Skilled Worker route so are eligible to be sponsored for a Skilled Worker visa.”
Goodger explained that, despite this, AIMs has seen some correspondence to one of their members from the Minister for Future Borders and Immigration, Kevin Foster MP, in which he states that “meat processors do not meet the RQF3 threshold so are not eligible to be sponsored for a Skilled Worker visa.”
“I fully accept that the role of a fish processor is a Skilled job, and, given that many of AIMS’ members are poultry businesses welcome the inclusion of poultry processors on the Skilled Worker visa, but am left somewhat confused that meat processor roles have been omitted.
“This omission is already impacting on our members at a time when the industry is facing severe labour shortages.”
Goodger added that AIMs has written to their constituency MP, Rt Hon Rishi Sunak asking that he makes representation to the Home Office and UK Visas & Immigration to correct this anomaly and have the role of meat processor added to the related job titles list for SOC 5431, Butchers thereby making them eligible for Skilled Worker visas.
This story was originally published on a previous version of the Meat Management website and so there may be some missing images and formatting issues.
