Skilled chefs from outside the EU have been excluded from the new Australian-style points system being launched by the government on 27 November.

The skilled worker tier (Tier 2) system aims to reduce the number of UK jobs available to foreign workers, however, skilled chefs – along with social workers, senior care workers, qualified town planners and teachers – have been excluded for the time being due to a shortage.

According to a statement from the Home Office yesterday (11 November), the Tier 2 programme will “ensure that British jobseekers get the first shot at jobs and only those foreign workers we need will be able to come to the UK…the number of positions available to migrants has been reduced from 1 million to just under 800,000”.

Border and immigration minister Phil Woolas said: “The Australian-style points system is flexible, allowing us to raise or lower the bar according to the needs of business and taking population trends into account.

“Had the points system been in place last year, there would have been 12 per cent fewer people coming into work through the equivalent work permit route. On top of this, the strict new shortage list means 200,000 fewer jobs are available via the shortage occupation route.”

In order for foreign workers to work in the UK, they must have English language skills, prospective earnings of more than £24,000 (or slightly less if they have a “decent qualification” or an offer of a job on the shortage list) and be able to support themselves for the first month of their stay.