UK Shortage Occupation List 2026: What It Became and How the Rules Work Now

UK Immigration · Skilled Worker Visa

If you searched “shortage occupation list UK,” you’re probably trying to find out whether a job qualifies for a cheaper, easier UK work visa. That exact list was withdrawn back in April 2024. In its place are two separate, narrower lists — the Immigration Salary List (ISL) and the Temporary Shortage List (TSL) — and both work differently from the old Shortage Occupation List. This guide explains what changed, shows the full current lists straight from GOV.UK, and walks through exactly what being “on the list” does and doesn’t do for a Skilled Worker visa application.

Is There Still a Shortage Occupation List in the UK?

The phrase “shortage occupation list” is still the most common way people search for this topic, so it’s worth keeping — but it no longer maps onto a single official document. There are now two lists doing different jobs, and a job title can appear on one, both, or neither.

Old SOL → Immigration Salary List → Temporary Shortage List

Here’s the policy timeline, in order:

• Before 4 April 2024: The Shortage Occupation List let employers pay listed roles a 20% discount on the going rate, skip the Resident Labour Market Test, and pay lower visa fees.
• 4 April 2024: The SOL was withdrawn. The Immigration Salary List (Appendix Immigration Salary List) took over. It gives a discount only on the general salary threshold — not on the occupation’s going rate — and it covers far fewer occupations.
• 12 May 2025: The government published the White Paper “Restoring Control over the Immigration System,” announcing a higher skill threshold (RQF Level 6), a higher general salary floor, and the creation of a new Temporary Shortage List.
• 22 July 2025: Statement of Changes HC 997 brought these changes into force. The general Skilled Worker salary threshold rose to £41,700, the skill threshold rose to graduate level (RQF 6) for the main route, and the Temporary Shortage List began, allowing specific medium-skilled (RQF 3–5) occupations to remain eligible on an interim basis.
• Current position: The ISL and TSL now run alongside each other. Both are explicitly time-limited: most entries carry a removal date of 31 December 2026.

This means a role like “programmer” that used to qualify cheaply under the old SOL may now need to meet a much higher going rate, sit on the TSL at a lower rate, or not qualify at all — depending on the exact SOC code and current rules.

Immigration Salary List vs Temporary Shortage List

These two lists are often confused because both are described loosely as “shortage lists.” They are not interchangeable.

Current Immigration Salary List (Full Table)

Private households (other than sole traders sponsoring for their own business) cannot sponsor under codes 6135/6136. Always cross-check the live table on GOV.UK before assigning a Certificate of Sponsorship.

Current Temporary Shortage List (Full Table)

You qualify for the lower rate if your first Skilled Worker Certificate of Sponsorship was issued before 4 April 2024 and you’ve held continuous Skilled Worker permission since. Everyone else uses the standard rate.

The TSL is under active MAC review (Stage 1 report, October 2025; Stage 2 report, 2026), and occupations can be added, narrowed or removed. Always check the live list at gov.uk before assigning a Certificate of Sponsorship.

What Does Being on the List Actually Mean?

Appearing on either list changes what a sponsor is allowed to offer — not what they must offer, and not whether a visa will be approved. To actually get a Skilled Worker visa, the applicant still needs:

• A genuine job offer from a UK employer holding a valid sponsor licence
• A Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) issued for that specific role and SOC code
• A salary that meets whichever threshold applies (general threshold, going rate, or the ISL/TSL figure)
• The required English language level
• Enough personal savings (unless the sponsor confirms maintenance) and other standard eligibility requirements

Skilled Worker Visa and Shortage Occupations

The Skilled Worker visa is the main sponsored work route. A role must be listed in Appendix Skilled Occupations (using its SOC 2020 code) to be sponsorable at all. From there:

• Standard route (Option A): Requires RQF Level 6 and at least £41,700 a year or the full going rate, whichever is higher (rules from 22 July 2025).
• ISL route: Available for the 25 ISL occupations, giving a reduced general salary threshold — the going rate for the SOC code must still be met.
• TSL route: Available for the 51 TSL occupations at RQF 3–5, using the fixed “standard rate” or “lower rate” figure for that SOC code shown above.
• New entrant / PhD discounts: Separate reduced-salary options exist for applicants under 26, in training, or with a relevant PhD — these cannot be combined with an ISL/TSL discount; only one discount option can be used per application.

All routes also require the sponsor to pay at least the applicable hourly minimum, calculated on a 37.5-hour week and pro-rated for other working patterns.

Salary Rules Explained

Three figures matter for every Skilled Worker application:

1. The general salary threshold — £41,700 for standard applications from 22 July 2025.
2. The going rate — the specific salary set for that SOC code in Appendix Skilled Occupations, based on Office for National Statistics pay data.
3. Any applicable discount — from the ISL, the TSL’s own standard/lower rate, a new-entrant reduction, or a PhD-linked reduction.

The sponsor must pay whichever figure among the relevant options is highest for that specific case — a discount lowers the floor, it never overrides a higher going rate.

Are Shortage Occupations Easier for a Skilled Worker Visa?

Being on the ISL or TSL can make sponsorship financially and practically easier for an employer, and can be the difference between a job qualifying or not qualifying at all under the RQF 6 rule. It has no effect on the non-salary parts of the application.

Which UK Jobs Are in Shortage?

Based on the current official lists, shortage-related sponsorship activity clusters in a few sectors. Only occupations that appear on the tables above (or in Appendix Skilled Occupations generally) are actually eligible — job titles alone are not enough.

Healthcare and Care Worker Jobs

Care work carries the most restrictions of any shortage-related route. Care workers (6135) and senior care workers (6136) are ISL-listed until 22 July 2028, but for roles based in England, the sponsor must hold Care Quality Commission (CQC) registration and be actively carrying on a regulated activity. Private households cannot sponsor under these codes. Eligibility is further restricted under paragraph SW 6.1B of Appendix Skilled Worker. Nursing auxiliaries and assistants (6131) are ISL-eligible only in settings where registered healthcare professional roles also exist. This sector should never be treated as ordinary Skilled Worker sponsorship — always verify current CQC and Home Office guidance directly.

IT and Technology Jobs

Several IT roles sit on the TSL rather than the ISL: IT operations technicians (3131), IT user support technicians (3132), database administrators and web content technicians (3133), and IT trainers (3573). Higher-level roles such as software developers and programmers generally sit under the standard Appendix Skilled Occupations route at RQF 6 and must meet the full going rate — not every “IT job” benefits from a shortage-list discount.

Engineering Jobs

Engineering-related TSL entries include engineering technicians (3113), electrical and electronics technicians (3112), building and civil engineering technicians (3114), and metal working production and maintenance fitters (5223). Chartered/degree-level engineering roles typically fall under the standard RQF 6 route rather than a shortage list.

Construction Jobs

Construction trades feature on both lists. ISL-listed trades include bricklayers (5313), roofers (5314), carpenters and joiners (5316), stonemasons (5312) and retrofitters under code 5319. TSL-listed trades include electricians (5241), plumbers (5315), steel erectors (5311), painters and decorators (5323) and construction supervisors (5330).

How to Check If Your Job Is on the List

1. Identify the actual job duties the role involves — not just the job title on offer.
2. Find the correct SOC 2020 code for those duties using the government’s CASCOT occupation coding tool.
3. Check Appendix Skilled Occupations on GOV.UK to confirm the code is eligible for Skilled Worker sponsorship at all.
4. Check the live Immigration Salary List for that SOC code and location.
5. Check the live Temporary Shortage List if the role is below RQF 6.
6. Check the applicable salary and going rate for that specific code and route.
7. Confirm the employer holds a valid sponsor licence covering that route.
8. Check for occupation-specific restrictions (e.g. CQC registration, years of experience, named professional bodies).
9. Re-check the current Immigration Rules immediately before applying, since lists and thresholds change with little notice.

SOC 2020 Occupation Codes Explained

Example: A “Marketing Manager” who mainly designs campaigns and manages a small budget might code differently from a “Marketing Manager” who is actually a senior strategist directing a department. The Home Office looks at the substance of the role — responsibilities, seniority, and required skills — not the title on the offer letter. Getting the code wrong is one of the most common reasons sponsors misjudge eligibility.

Does Being on the Shortage List Reduce the Salary Requirement?

It depends which list and which route:

• Skilled Worker eligibility requires the job to appear in Appendix Skilled Occupations at all.
• ISL listing reduces the general salary threshold only — the going rate for the SOC code must still be paid.
• TSL listing replaces the standard threshold with its own fixed “standard rate” or “lower rate” for that code.
• An actual salary discount is only confirmed once the correct SOC code, route, and applicant circumstances (e.g. CoS date) are checked against the live GOV.UK tables.

Does It Reduce the Visa Fee?

Some ISL-related commentary from the old SOL era claimed a blanket visa fee discount. Fee structures change periodically, and current, occupation-specific fee reductions should always be confirmed on the official GOV.UK Skilled Worker visa fees page at the time of application, rather than assumed from older guidance.

Can You Get ILR Through a Shortage Occupation?

Can Dependants Come to the UK?

Dependant eligibility depends on the specific route used, not simply on being “shortage listed”:

• Workers sponsored under the standard RQF 6 Skilled Worker route can generally bring a spouse/partner and children as dependants, subject to standard requirements.
• Workers first sponsored in a Temporary Shortage List role on or after 22 July 2025 generally cannot bring dependants — the only exception is where the worker’s first Skilled Worker CoS was issued before 22 July 2025 and they have held continuous Skilled Worker permission since.
• ISL-listed roles generally follow the standard dependant rules for the route they’re sponsored under (Skilled Worker or Health and Care Worker).

Can You Switch Employers?

Skilled Worker visa holders can generally change employer, but the new employer must hold a valid sponsor licence and issue a new Certificate of Sponsorship before the worker starts the new role, and the new role must independently meet all Skilled Worker requirements — including salary and, where relevant, list eligibility. Simply being on the ISL or TSL with one employer does not transfer automatically to a new employer or role.

What Happens If an Occupation Is Removed From the List?

Removal dates are built into both lists. In general terms, based on how the Immigration Rules describe removal:

• A CoS assigned before the stated removal date can still rely on that list entry.
• New applications made after removal generally cannot use that discount for a fresh CoS in that occupation.
• Existing workers already sponsored under the discount are typically protected for the remainder of their current permission, but extension and switching rules can differ — this should always be checked against the specific transitional provisions in force at the time.

Because the Home Office has said it can bring removal dates forward, sponsors should not plan multi-year hiring pipelines around any single occupation staying listed.

Future of the UK Shortage Occupation System

Confirmed policy: Both the ISL and TSL currently carry removal dates clustered around 31 December 2026 (with the exception of the two extended care-worker codes), and the Migration Advisory Committee has been commissioned to review salary thresholds and TSL design, publishing Stage 1 (October 2025) and Stage 2 reports as part of that process.

Official recommendations: MAC’s Stage 2 work has examined which currently listed occupations show enough evidence of a genuine shortage to justify continued inclusion, and has flagged some roles — including certain office-based associate professional jobs — as weaker candidates for continued listing.

Analysis, not confirmed law: Multiple legal commentators expect a new post-2026 framework to replace both lists from 1 January 2027, and expect the government to keep favouring training the domestic workforce over shortage-based recruitment. Neither the shape of that framework nor its exact start date has been confirmed in the Immigration Rules as of this article’s last check — treat this as informed expectation, not settled policy.

For Indian Applicants

Shortage Occupation List UK for Indian Workers

Indian nationals remain one of the largest groups of Skilled Worker visa applicants, and the practical steps are identical regardless of nationality:

• Verify the SOC code first. Job titles common in Indian job markets (e.g. “Software Engineer,” “Care Assistant”) don’t automatically map to a UK SOC code — check the actual duties against CASCOT and Appendix Skilled Occupations.
• Confirm the sponsor is genuinely licensed. Use the official register of licensed sponsors on GOV.UK before accepting an offer — this protects against fraudulent job offers, a recurring issue reported by Indian applicants.
• Check the salary in GBP against the live threshold, not against a recruiter’s summary, since thresholds have changed several times since 2024.
• Common mistakes: assuming a job is “on the shortage list” because a recruiter says so; assuming the old SOL 20% discount still applies; assuming settlement timelines are already 10 years (they are not, as of the last check); and not checking whether a role sits under the ISL, the TSL, or neither.
• Where to verify: Always cross-check with the live GOV.UK Immigration Rules pages linked in the Sources section below, not third-party summaries — including this one.

Common Mistakes Applicants Make

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources / Official References

• GOV.UK — Immigration Rules Appendix Immigration Salary List
• GOV.UK — Skilled Worker visa: temporary shortage list
• GOV.UK — Skilled Worker visa: immigration salary list (publication page)
• GOV.UK — Skilled Worker visa (main guidance)
• GOV.UK — When you can be paid less (new entrant / PhD discounts)
• Migration Advisory Committee — Temporary Shortage List: Stage 1 report
• Migration Advisory Committee — Temporary Shortage List: Stage 2 report

Last checked against live GOV.UK pages: August 2026. Rules referenced here can change with little notice — always confirm the current position directly on GOV.UK before applying or sponsoring.