UK Temporary Shortage List: What It Means for Skilled Worker Visa Sponsors

The UK's approach to managing labour shortages through immigration has evolved significantly in recent years. The Shortage Occupation List (SOL) was originally used to identify occupations where UK employers faced difficulties recruiting local talent. Being on the shortage occupation list meant employers could sponsor overseas skilled workers at lower salary thresholds and reduced visa fees, making it easier and more cost-effective to hire foreign talent into high-demand roles.
 

In April 2024, the government replaced the SOL with the Immigration Salary List (ISL). The immigration salary list UK continued to support certain visa jobs, allowing sponsors to pay 80% of the going rate for eligible roles. However, it applied a broad brush approach, covering a wide range of roles with limited strategic oversight and no sector-level conditions.
 

Now, under the UK skilled worker visa changes 2025, the Temporary Shortage List is being introduced as a more controlled and conditional system. It will apply only to sub-degree level roles (RQF Level 3–5) and offer time-limited access to the Skilled Worker visa UK jobs route.

The Temporary Shortage List (TSL) is being introduced as part of the UK Skilled Worker visa changes 2025, replacing the Immigration Salary List. It will apply to occupations requiring RQF Level 3–5 skills—those below degree level.
 

The TSL allows temporary and conditional access to the Skilled Worker route for roles that meet strict criteria. Unlike the Shortage Occupation List UK, the TSL does not offer reduced salary thresholds. Under the UK Skilled Worker visa changes 2025, the Temporary Shortage List UK 2025 will introduce a number of important conditions for roles eligible under this route. Key features include:
 

• Conditional Access Based on Workforce Planning

To hire overseas workers for roles on the TSL, employers must show they are actively working to reduce dependency on immigration. This includes developing a sector-wide workforce strategy, investing in UK-based recruitment and training, and cooperating with public bodies such as Skills England and the Department for Work and Pensions. Access under the Skilled Worker visa UK list will only be granted where this evidence is provided.

• Targeted Skilled Occupations

The Temporary Shortage List will apply only to selected occupations that support the UK’s industrial strategy or critical national infrastructure. This may include specific roles in construction and other sectors identified as experiencing severe labour shortages. Only roles identified in the Skilled Worker visa eligible occupations and codes will be considered.

• Limited Duration for Inclusion

Jobs will be added to the TSL for a fixed period. This temporary status will provide short-term access to the Skilled Worker visa UK jobs route for professions facing confirmed shortages, but inclusion may be removed if domestic labour conditions improve. Unlike the older UK Shortage Occupation List, this will not be a permanent or long-term list.

• Possible Restrictions on Dependants

Some roles on the Temporary Shortage List may be subject to additional restrictions. These may include limitations on bringing family members under the Skilled Worker visa sponsor list, time limits on leave, or visa number caps. These conditions are intended to ensure that use of the Skilled Worker route remains temporary and targeted.

The Temporary Shortage List UK 2025 will cover visa jobs that:

• Are classed at RQF Level 3–5 (i.e. below degree level)
• Are identified as being in persistent shortage based on advice from the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC)
• Are essential to the UK’s industrial strategy or critical infrastructure

Let's take a closer look.
 

A role will only be added to the Temporary Shortage List UK 2025 if several eligibility requirements are met. First, the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) must confirm that there is a genuine and persistent labour shortage in that occupation. Second, the sector must submit a credible and detailed workforce strategy, demonstrating active investment in UK-based recruitment and training. This includes collaboration with national organisations such as Skills England and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), as well as evidence of efforts to improve working conditions and protect migrant workers. Strategies must be forward-looking and show how the sector intends to reduce its reliance on Skilled Workers from overseas.
 

The MAC will evaluate these sector-level plans and submit recommendations to the Home Secretary. These recommendations may also include specific visa conditions such as caps on the number of sponsored workers, restrictions on dependants, and time-limited permission to remain in the UK under the Skilled Worker visa sponsor list. This approach reflects a departure from the broader access granted under earlier versions of the UK Shortage Occupation List 2024 jobs or the Tier 2 sponsorship list, where long-term reliance on immigration was more common.
 

In parallel, the Labour Market Enforcement (LME) Group will monitor sponsorship of roles at RQF Level 6 and above. If evidence shows that employers are relying too heavily on Skilled Worker visa UK list roles at graduate level, the LME may recommend that those sectors also develop formal workforce strategies. If sufficient progress is not demonstrated over time, the MAC may advise the government to limit or remove Skilled Worker visa eligibility for those roles as well.
 

The TSL will therefore function not as a long-term solution, but as a tool for managing short-term workforce shortages while sectors demonstrate meaningful steps toward building sustainable recruitment pipelines within the UK. Unlike the shortage occupation list, access will be granted only where strategic reform is evident and outcomes are monitored.

The introduction of the Temporary Shortage List (TSL) under the UK Skilled Worker visa changes 2025 will significantly affect how employers recruit for Skilled Worker visa UK jobs at RQF Level 3–5. Under the new framework, sub-degree level roles will only qualify for sponsorship if they are listed on the TSL. This marks a shift from the broader access previously granted under the Immigration Salary List and the UK Shortage Occupation List 2024.


Given the level of scrutiny and the potential for rapid changes to the occupation shortage list UK, sponsors should act now to ensure readiness.

Some recommended actions for sponsors include:

• Reviewing all roles currently sponsored under RQF Level 3–5 to confirm future eligibility under the TSL
   
• Mapping each job to the correct Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code using the latest Skilled Worker SOC codes and the list of SOC codes UK
   
• Auditing salaries and job descriptions to ensure they meet the Skilled Worker visa eligible occupations and codes criteria
   
• Engaging with sector bodies to contribute to collective skills list planning and workforce strategy submissions
   
• Planning for the future, as roles can be removed from the Temporary Shortage List with limited notice, affecting future sponsorship options