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The UK is one of the main emigration destinations for South Africans, and skilled young professionals continue to leave South Africa in favor of better prospects abroad.
In spite of the cost of emigration, moving to the UK is not easy and can be even more difficult for those without citizenship or a specialized visa.
However, for those with specific skills, the process can be much easier.
This is because the UK offers a Level 2 Skilled Worker Visa to foreigners who are offered jobs in industries where there is a high demand for skilled professionals.
Professionals who qualify for this visa and are offered a job in the UK can stay for a period of up to five years.
New immigration rules
The United Kingdom recently opened apps for its new Tier 2 visa program based on its post-Brexit immigration system which will go into effect on January 1, 2021.
“Under the points-based immigration system, points will be awarded for a job offer with the appropriate skill level, knowledge of English and being paid a minimum wage,” stated the UK government.
“Skilled worker visas will be granted to those who earn enough points.”
“The new immigration rules will ensure that companies can hire the most highly skilled from around the world to boost the economy and keep the UK on the frontier of innovation,” the country added.
To obtain a skilled worker visa, applicants must have a job offer in one of the high demand positions listed on the skills shortage list.
We’ve detailed the tech-related positions on the UK skills shortage list below.
| Industry | Positions |
|---|---|
| Chemical scientists | Only jobs in the nuclear industry |
| Biological and biochemical scientists | All jobs |
| Physical scientists | Only the following jobs in the construction-related soil engineering industry: • engineer geologist • hydrogeologist • Geophysical Only the following jobs in the oil and gas industry: • geophysical • geoscientist • geologist • geochemical • Responsible for technical services in the nuclear industry dismantling and waste areas. • Senior resource geologist and plant geologist in the mining sector. |
| Civil Engineers | All jobs |
| Mechanical engineers | All jobs |
| Electrical engineers | All jobs |
| Electronic engineers | All jobs |
| Design and development engineers | All jobs |
| Production and process engineers | All jobs |
| Engineering Professions Not Elsewhere Classified | All jobs |
| IT business analysts, architects, and system designers | All jobs |
| Programmers and software development professionals | All jobs |
| Design and web development professionals | All jobs |
| Information and Communications Technology Professionals Not Elsewhere Classified | Cybersecurity specialists only |
| 2425 Actuaries, economists and statisticians: bioinformatics and computer scientists only | Only bioinformatics and computer scientists |
| Planning and quality control engineers | All jobs |
| Graphic designers | All jobs |
| Secondary education teaching professionals | Math, Physics, Science (where a physics element will be taught), Computer Science and Mandarin teachers only |
IT salaries in the UK
Pay for IT-related positions in the UK is much higher than it is locally.
However, it is important to note that the cost of living in the UK, especially in cities like London, is considerably high.
It is much more expensive to rent an apartment in London than in Johannesburg, and the property you will get for the same price will not be as great.
Below are the average salaries for 10 popular IT jobs in South Africa and the UK.
UK salary figures are listed in pounds (GBP) and combined with a figure converted to South African rand for comparison.
| IT salary comparison | ||
|---|---|---|
| Job | South Africa | United Kingdom |
| IT support specialist | R174,500 | £ 21,268 (R455,440) |
| Web developer | 194,817 R | £ 25,528 (R546,666) |
| Database administrator | 203,277 R | £ 30,053 (R643,566) |
| System administrator | R232,483 | £ 25,471 (R545,445) |
| Information security analyst | 99.073 R2 | £ 33,275 (R712,563) |
| Software engineer | 367,988 R | £ 37,041 (R793,209) |
| DevOps Engineer | 403,376 R | £ 41,865 (R896,512) |
| Data engineer | R450,025 | £ 39,988 (R856,317) |
| IT manager | 500,685 R | £ 40,116 (R859,058) |
| Senior Solutions Architect | R965,437 | £ 72,405 (R1,550,506) |
Now Read: New Laws For Sending “Intimate Pictures” On WhatsApp In South Africa – How It Will Be Affected
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