What replaced the Shortage Occupation List
For years the Shortage Occupation List gave sponsors some flexibility: a job on it could be paid less, and carried lower fees. It was replaced by the Immigration Salary List in April 2024. Then, on 22 July 2025, the Government changed the Skilled Worker route so that most new applications must be for a higher-skilled job, and added a second list for medium-skilled jobs that are still short of workers.
| List | What it does |
|---|---|
| Immigration Salary List | Jobs for which the usual salary rules are relaxed and the visa fees are lower. Skilled Worker applications for jobs on it pay £628 for a visa of up to three years or £1,235 for a longer one, from inside or outside the UK. |
| Temporary Shortage List | Medium-skilled jobs that may still be sponsored, as a temporary measure, because of a shortage of workers, while the Government considers training and recruitment in the UK. It started on 22 July 2025 and is currently set to end on 31 December 2026, unless extended or replaced. |
Why it matters to a worker
A medium-skilled job qualifies for a Skilled Worker visa only if it is on the Immigration Salary List or the Temporary Shortage List, or if you are extending and your first certificate was issued before 22 July 2025. If your job is on neither, you cannot get a visa for it, however skilled you are. Check your four-digit occupation code against the current lists before you accept an offer. See the Skilled Worker visa.
Why it matters to an employer
A sponsor can only assign a certificate for a job that is eligible. The lists change, and a role that was eligible when you advertised it may not be when you assign the certificate. Salary rules and fees depend on whether the job is on a list. See certificates of sponsorship and the cost of sponsoring a worker.
The salary rules for listed jobs
Jobs on the lists can usually be paid below the standard salary for a Skilled Worker, though not below the lower threshold the rules set for them. The annual salary is based on a 37.5 hour week, and is pro-rated for other working patterns. A lower rate applies to someone who obtained their first certificate before 4 April 2024 and has stayed continuously on the route, and a standard rate to everyone else. Some occupations also qualify for reduced rates for a PhD or for new entrants. The thresholds, and the going rates, are set out in the Immigration Rules and are updated regularly, so we check the current figures in each case.
Care workers
Overseas recruitment of care workers was closed under the Health and Care Worker route in July 2025. See the Health and Care Worker visa.
How we help
We check whether a role is eligible before you commit, advise on the salary and the fee that apply, and plan for changes to the lists. A consultation costs from £99.
