British IT workers can rest easy that they are not about to be displaced by a tide of non-EC workers after the government published its latest list of shortage occupations.

However, choreographers and ballet dancers, orchestral musicians and assorted medical types are still in short supply, it would appear.

A shortage of meat trimmers and boners means they make the list for the first time. However, the country clearly has sufficient numbers of ship and hovercraft officers, and they have been dropped off the list.

The position of techies can appear puzzling. We're forever hearing that not enough people are studying computing and the like in the UK. Yet, according to the UK Border Agency, there's no official shortage.

Meanwhile, under-employed techies regularly complain that their jobs have fluttered off overseas as part of an outsourcing exercise, or been reassigned to "intra company" transferred staff.

On the latter point, the government brushed up the rules for bringing in overseas staff earlier this year, after complaints that the regulations were being bent out of shape.

That didn't stop the Professional Contractors Group calling for an overhaul of the rules back in June, though.

The Migration Advisory Committee reported back in August, but the rules as listed on the Border Agency Site remain as they were back in June. ®

Related stories

• Government claims on immigration ignore IT industry (3 August 2009)
• IT contractors demand overhaul of company transfer visas (24 June 2009)