Only three immigration clearances issued during May’s transition period related to job routes that were no longer available once the island’s updated Worker Migrant Route came into force on June 1.
A written Tynwald question asked how many clearances were granted for routes that would not survive the rule change, and which employment groups they belonged to.
Treasury Minister Chris Thomas MHK said that between May 11 announcement and the June 1 commencement date, the Department received 31 Confirmation of Employment (CoE) applications. These act as the gateway for Entry Clearance visa decisions.
Of those 31 applications, three were for roles removed from eligibility under the new system following the shift to UK SOC 2020 codes and updated salary thresholds.
According to the table provided, the roles no longer open to new Worker Migrant applications were:
- Restaurant and catering establishment managers (SOC 1223)
- Chefs (SOC 5434)
- Kitchen and catering assistants (SOC 9272)
These three applications represent the full set of immigration clearances linked to routes that closed on June 1.
The Minister added that four of the 31 applications have already been approved and remain valid for visa applications assessed under the old rules, while the remaining 27, if approved, will also be treated under the pre‑June framework.
One application could not be categorised due to an invalid SOC code being selected.
The full written answer can be found here.
