What jobs are on the Temporary Shortage List and Immigration Salary List from 22 July 2025?

4 July 2025

The UK government announced a raft of measures to reduce work immigration for less skilled roles and prioritise training British workforce for such jobs in its Immigration White Paper in May which we outlined here. The first of these changes have been drafted, spelling major changes to who employers can bring to the UK on work visas from 22 July 2025 and how.

An accompanying news release from the Home Office announces that the new Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules (HC 997, 1 July 2025) sees “skills and salary thresholds rise, overseas recruitment for care workers end, and more than 100 occupations no longer granted access to the immigration system.” You can find our full analysis of this first tranche of changes for work visas which are implemented on 22 July here.

The big one is raising the minimum skills threshold to sponsor workers on Britain’s main post-Brexit work visa, the Skilled Worker visa, from Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) Level 3 (the equivalent of A-level or school-leaver) to RQF6 (degree level in skill rather than educational attainment). This means 111 occupations can no longer be sponsored from abroad on a new Skilled Worker visas as they are no longer deemed skilled enough.

Those already on Skilled Worker visas before 22 July 2025 may still switch sponsor, renew their visa and carry out supplementary employment all at RQF3 and above, according to the rules in place prior to 2 July.

Otherwise, there is a temporary fix for some RQF3+ roles in a new interim Temporary Shortage List which the Department for Business and Trade and His Majesty’s Treasury has compiled of jobs that are needed for the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy. The UK Government’s 10-year Modern Industrial Strategy policy paper recently revealed eight sectors – the IS-8 – it says have the highest potential for growth: advanced manufacturing, creatives, life sciences, clean energy, defence, technology, financial services and professional services such as accounting and legal. The list below suggests a rather flexible interpretation.

The Immigration Salary List, with its 20% discount on the general minimum salary threshold for sponsoring skilled workers will be phased out, but for now it has a couple more jobs added to it, also allowing a temporary reprieve for employers. Occupations are on both lists only until 31 December 2026, by which time sectors will have been expected to have developed workforce strategies to train local workforce to fill some of these skills gaps. As there will be no more new visas for carers and senior carers from abroad from 22 July, there are transitional measures for those in these adult social care roles already in the UK up to the end of 2028.

You can see the full lists below. Please contact me if you would like to discuss any of these changes on +44 (0) 20 4552 8207 or alex@vanessaganguin.com.

The Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has commissioned reviews of these lists, as well as salary thresholds to sponsor workers. The jobs on the lists below and any salary threshold discounts are up for review, as well as the wider issue of minimum salaries for sponsored work visas which have been hiked up massively over the past year.

The 60 critical shortage occupations on the Temporary Shortage List below the required skill level of RQF6 will still be able to be sponsored for now. Skills and training strategies will be expected to eventually fill such gaps in the labour market with resident workers and the reviews will want to see evidence of both skills shortages crucial to the UK government’s recently announced Modern Industrial Strategy and sectoral bodies’ workforce strategies tackling these.

Workers sponsored on the list will not be able to bring family members dependent on their visas. These visas may or may not entail a route to settlement – though routes to UK settlement and citizenship are also set to be reviewed over the next few months.

The Immigration Salary List is expected to be phased out in future changes to Immigration Rules.

What jobs can be sponsored on the Temporary Shortage List?

These occupations are on the current list, though there will be a review within the next 12 months.

• 1243 Managers in logistics

• 1258 Directors in consultancy services

• 3111 Laboratory technicians

• 3112 Electrical and electronics technicians

• 3113 Engineering technicians

• 3114 Building and civil engineering technicians

• 3115 Quality assurance technicians

• 3116 Planning, process and production technicians

• 3120 CAD, drawing and architectural technicians

• 3131 IT operations technicians

•3132 IT user support technicians

• 3133 Database administrators and web content technicians

• 3412 Authors, writers and translators

• 3414 Dancers and choreographers

• 3417 Photographers, audio-visual and broadcasting equipment operators

• 3422 Clothing, fashion and accessories designers

• 3429 Design occupations not elsewhere classified – only the following job types:

• Industrial and product designers
• Packaging designers
• Performance make-up artists
• Set designers
• Visual merchandising managers and designers

• 3512 Ship and hovercraft officers

• 3520 Legal associate professionals

• 3532 Insurance underwriters

• 3533 Financial and accounting technicians

• 3541 Estimators, valuers and assessors

• 3544 Data analysts

• 3549 Business associate professionals not elsewhere classified – only the following job types:

• Business support officers
• Business systems analysts
• Contract administrators
• Clinical coders
• Clinical trials administrators
• Research coordinators

• 3552 Business sales executives

• 3554 Advertising and marketing associate professionals

• 3571 Human resources and industrial relations officers

• 3573 Information technology trainers

• 4121 Credit controllers

• 4122 Book-keepers, payroll managers and wages clerks

• 4129 Financial administrative occupations not elsewhere classified – only the following job types:

• Box office assistants
• Grants officers
• Mortgage administrators
• Revenue assistants (excludes National and Local government revenue occupations)
• Treasury assistants

• 4132 Pensions and insurance clerks and assistants

• 5213 Welding trades

• 5214 Pipe fitters

• 5223 Metal working production and maintenance fitters

• 5225 Air-conditioning and refrigeration installers and repairers

• 5231 Vehicle technicians, mechanics and electricians

• 5232 Vehicle body builders and repairers

• 5233 Vehicle paint technicians

• 5235 Boat and ship builders and repairers

• 5241 Electricians and electrical fitters

• 5242 Telecoms and related network installers and repairers

• 5244 Computer system and equipment installers and servicers

• 5245 Security system installers and repairers

• 5249 Electrical and electronic trades not elsewhere classified

• 5311 Steel erectors

• 5315 Plumbers and heating and ventilating installers and repairers

• 5319 Construction and building trades not elsewhere classified – only the following job types:

• Builders
• Divers
• Fence erectors
• Industrial climbers
• Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) operators
• Steel fixers and underpinners

• 5322 Floorers and wall tilers

• 5323 Painters and decorators

• 5330 Construction and building trades supervisors

• 8133 Energy plant operatives

What jobs are on the new July 2025 Immigration Salary List?

• 1212 Managers and proprietors in forestry, fishing and related services – only “fishing boat masters” (only in Scotland)

• 1232 Residential, day and domiciliary care managers and proprietors

• 2111 Chemical scientists – only jobs in the nuclear industry (only in Scotland)

• 2112 Biological scientists – all jobs

• 2115 Social and humanities scientists – only archaeologists

• 2142 Graphic and multimedia designers – all jobs

• 3111 Laboratory technicians – only jobs requiring three or more years’ related on-the-job experience which was not gained illegally.

• 3212 Pharmaceutical technicians – all jobs

• 3411 Artists – all jobs

• 3414 Dancers and choreographers – only skilled classical ballet dancers or skilled contemporary dancers who meet the standard required by UK ballet or contemporary dance company that is endorsed as being internationally recognised by a UK industry body such as the Arts Councils.

• 3415 Musicians – only skilled orchestral musicians who are leaders, principals, sub-principals or numbered string positions, and who meet the standard required by internationally recognised UK orchestras that are full members of the Association of British Orchestras.

• 3416 Arts officers, producers and directors – all jobs

• 5119 Agriculture and fishing trades not elsewhere classified – only jobs in the fishing industry

• 5213 Welding trades – only high integrity pipe welders, where the job requires three or more years’ related on-the-job experience obtained through working legally.

• 5235 Boat and ship builders and repairers – all jobs (only Scotland)

• 5312 Stonemasons and related trades – all jobs

• 5313 Bricklayers – all jobs

• 5314 Roofers, roof tilers and slaters – all jobs

• 5316 Carpenters and joiners – all jobs

• 5319 Construction and building trades not elsewhere classified – only retrofitters

• 6129 Animal care services occupations not elsewhere classified – only racing grooms, stallion handlers, stud grooms, stud hands, stud handlers and work riders

• 6131 Nursing auxiliaries and assistants – all jobs (only applies to roles in environments where registered nurse roles also exist.)

• 6135 Care workers and home carers – for transitionary sponsoring of those already working legally in these roles in the UK until 2028

• 6136 Senior care workers – for transitionary sponsoring of those already working legally in these roles in the UK until 2028

• 9119 Fishing and other elementary agriculture occupations not elsewhere classified – only deckhands on large fishing vessels (9 metres and above) where the job requires at least three years’ full-time legally-obtained experience.

What jobs qualify for a Skilled Worker visa after 22 July 2025?

There will be a transitional provision for those already on the Skilled Worker route in occupations below RQF6 allowing them to extend their visa, change employment and take supplementary employment according to the rules that applied when they were sponsored. However, applicants from overseas, or those applying to switch from other immigration routes, will have to follow the new rules. If they aren’t on one of the above temporary lists, Skilled Worker visa applicants sponsored for a genuine vacancy will have to be in one of the following RQF6+ occupations.

• 1111 Chief executives and senior officials

• 1121 Production managers and directors in manufacturing

• 1122 Production managers and directors in construction

• 1123 Production managers and directors in mining and energy

• 1131 Financial managers and directors

• 1132 Marketing, sales and advertising directors

• 1133 Public relations and communications directors

• 1134 Purchasing managers and directors

• 1135 Charitable organisation managers and directors

• 1136 Human resource managers and directors

• 1137 Information technology directors

• 1139 Functional managers and directors not elsewhere classified (for example, Accounts directors, Complaints and customer service directors, Events directors, Municipal clerks.)

• 1140 Directors in logistics, warehousing

• 1162 Senior police officers

• 1163 Senior officers in fire, ambulance, prison and related services

• 1171 Health services and public health managers and directors

• 1172 Social services managers and directors

• 1241 Managers in transport and distribution

• 1254 Waste disposal and environmental services managers

• 1255 Managers and directors in the creative industries

• 2111 Chemical scientists

• 2112 Biological scientists

• 2113 Biochemists and biomedical scientists

• 2114 Physical scientists

• 2115 Social and humanities scientists

• 2119 Natural and social science professionals not elsewhere classified

• 2121 Civil engineers

• 2122 Mechanical engineers

• 2123 Electrical engineers

• 2124 Electronics engineers

• 2125 Production and process engineers

• 2126 Aerospace engineers

• 2127 Engineering project managers and project engineers

• 2129 Engineering professionals not elsewhere classified (such as Acoustic engineers, Brewers (qualified), Food technologists, Gas engineers)

• 2131 IT project managers

• 2132 IT managers

• 2133 IT business analysts, architects and systems designers

• 2134 Programmers and software development professionals

• 2135 Cyber security professionals

• 2136 IT quality and testing professionals

• 2137 IT network professionals

• 2139 Information technology professionals not elsewhere classified

• 2141 Web design professionals

• 2142 Graphic and multimedia designers

• 2151 Conservation professionals

• 2152 Environment professionals

• 2161 Research and development (R&D) managers

• 2162 Other researchers, unspecified discipline

• 2240 Veterinarians

• 2311 Higher education teaching professionals

• 2317 Teachers of English as a foreign language

• 2319 Teaching professionals not elsewhere classified

• 2322 Education managers

• 2323 Education advisers and school inspectors

• 2329 Other educational professionals not elsewhere classified

• 2411 Barristers and judges

• 2412 Solicitors and lawyers

• 2419 Legal professionals not elsewhere classified

• 2421 Chartered and certified accountants

• 2422 Finance and investment analysts and advisers

• 2423 Taxation experts

• 2431 Management consultants and business analysts

• 2432 Marketing and commercial managers

• 2433 Actuaries, economists and statisticians

• 2434 Business and related research professionals

• 2435 Professional/chartered company secretaries

• 2439 Business, research and administrative professionals not elsewhere classified

• 2440 Business and financial project management professionals

• 2451 Architects

• 2452 Chartered architectural technologists, planning officers and consultants

• 2453 Quantity surveyors

• 2454 Chartered surveyors

• 2455 Construction project managers and related professionals

• 2462 Probation officers

• 2464 Youth work professionals

• 2469 Welfare professionals not elsewhere classified

• 2471 Librarians

• 2472 Archivists, conservators and curators

• 2481 Quality control and planning engineers

• 2482 Quality assurance and regulatory professionals

• 2483 Environmental health professionals

• 2491 Newspaper, periodical and broadcast editors

• 2492 Newspaper and periodical broadcast journalists and reporters

• 2493 Public relations professionals

• 2494 Advertising accounts managers and creative directors

• 3415 Musicians

• 3416 Arts officers, producers and directors

• 3511 Aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers

• 3531 Brokers

• 3534 Financial accounts managers

• 3556 Sales accounts and business development managers