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What is the Temporary Shortage List?
The Temporary Shortage List allows employers to sponsor workers in specific occupations that the government considers important to the UK’s industrial strategy or critical infrastructure, despite the lower skill level. The shortage list contains a range of medium-skilled roles that qualify for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship despite being below the new RQF level 6 skills threshold. It can be used by applicants and sponsors along with the Immigration Salary List to check which job types qualify for a Skilled Worker visa. You can find the list on the Home Office website, which currently includes around 50 occupation codes covering sectors such as construction trades, IT technicians, logistics managers, financial technicians and creative roles.
The Temporary Shortage List was introduced on 22 July 2025 as part of a wider set of changes to the UK immigration system. It only includes jobs at RQF Level 3 to 5 (roughly A-level to foundation degree standard), which would normally no longer qualify under the Skilled Worker route after the government raised the general skill threshold to RQF Level 6 (bachelor degree level) in July 2025.
As the name suggests, the list is a temporary measure; the jobs contained within it are expected to expire by the end of 2026 unless further extended. Any permanent or revised list will depend on the Migration Advisory Committee’s Stage 2 recommendations, expected in July 2026, depending on their assessment of the labour market and subsequent Home Office decisions to amend the Immigration Rules before that expiry date.
The Temporary Shortage List is different from the Immigration Salary List, as they serve different purposes. The Immigration Salary List covers RQF Level 6 and above roles. Also, if your job is on the Immigration Salary List, you may be eligible for a reduced threshold of 80% of the route’s standard salary requirement (e.g., £33,400 instead of the general threshold of £41,750 for a Skilled Worker visa).
It is important to bear in mind that workers sponsored in a Temporary Shortage List role on or after 22 July 2025 cannot bring a spouse, partner or children as dependants. The only exception is if the worker’s first Skilled Worker visa was granted before 22 July 2025 and they have held continuous Skilled Worker permission since then. Workers sponsored in RQF Level 6 or above roles under the main Skilled Worker route can still bring dependants.
How to use the Temporary Shortage List in practice
Employers and applicants should focus on how to calculate the correct salary requirement based on when the certificate of sponsorship was issued and whether any discounts apply. The official Temporary Shortage List on GOV.UK shows two salary columns for each occupation: ‘standard rate’ and ‘lower rate’. Which rate applies depends on when the applicant received their first certificate of sponsorship and whether they have held continuous Skilled Worker permission.
- If the first certificate of sponsorship was issued after 4 April 2024, the standard rate applies. The job offer must pay at least the general Skilled Worker salary threshold of £41,700 per year or the standard rate for that specific occupation on the Temporary Shortage List, whichever is higher.
- If the first certificate of sponsorship was issued before 4April 2024 and the applicant has held continuous Skilled Worker permission since then, the lower rate can be used. In this case, the salary must be at least £31,300 per year or the lower rate for the occupation, whichever is higher.
It is also important to bear in mind that the salary figures in the list are based on a 37.5-hour working week. If the job contract is for a different number of weekly hours, the annual salary must be adjusted using the hourly rate shown for that occupation.
Salary discounts for those jobs in the Temporary Shortage List
Skilled Worker visa applicants can still qualify for salary discounts under the Temporary Shortage List in certain circumstances. In practice, this means if the applicant has a PhD degree relevant to the job, they can be paid 80% or 90% of the job’s going rate, depending on the subject:
- A PhD in science, technology, engineering or mathematics allows a salary at 80% of the going rate, with a minimum salary of £33,400 per year.
- A PhD in any other subject allows payment at 90% of the going rate, with a minimum salary of £37,500 per year.
If the applicant qualifies as a ‘new entrant’ to the job market, for example, if they are under 26, a recent graduate or in professional training, they can be paid 70% of the going rate, with a minimum salary of £33,400 per year.
Example 1: New Skilled Worker visa applicant with CoS assigned after 4 April 2024
An applicant is offered a job as a data analyst, working 40 hours per week. The certificate of sponsorship was assigned after 4 April 2024.
Because the certificate of sponsorship was assigned after 4 April 2024, the applicant needs to meet the standard rate of £17.90 per hour. For a 40-hour working week, the annual salary is £17.90 multiplied by 40 hours multiplied by 52 weeks, which equals £37,232 per year. However, this is lower than the general Skilled Worker salary threshold of £41,700 per year. Therefore, the minimum salary the applicant must receive is £41,700 per year, because the general threshold is higher than the calculated amount based on the occupation’s standard rate.
Example 2: Skilled Worker visa extension, first Skilled Worker visa granted before 4April 2024
An applicant works as an insurance underwriter with occupation code 3532. Their first Skilled Worker certificate of sponsorship was issued before 4 April 2024. They have held Skilled Worker permission continuously since then and are now applying to extend their visa.
For insurance underwriters on the Temporary Shortage List, the lower rate is £29,800 per year (£15.28 per hour based on a 37.5-hour week). Because this applicant got the first Skilled Worker visa before 4 April 2024, the general threshold is £31,300 per year. Since £31,300 is higher than £29,800, the minimum salary for the extension is £31,300 per year.
