The Shortage Occupation List (SOL) is used by the UK Government to allow more relaxed work visa requirements for certain types of job, making it easier for employers to recruit overseas workers for these roles.
The UK is experiencing shortages of skilled workers across many parts of the economy, and through the shortage list, the government aims to alleviate worker shortages by allowing employers to hire from overseas for certain jobs through the visa sponsorship system.
Applicants with a job offer from a licensed UK employer in one of the occupations on the SOL, and who meet all other relevant visa requirements, can apply for a sponsored work visa, such as under the Skilled Worker visa, or Health and Care Worker visa.
In this guide, we detail which roles are on the Shortage Occupation List and what the list means if you are applying for a points-based sponsored work visa in the UK.
What is the UK Shortage Occupation List?
The Shortage Occupation List is a list of job roles deemed by the government to be suffering short supply of labour and skills within the domestic labour market. In practice, this means roles which employers are struggling to fill due to a lack of suitable applications from UK citizens and residents.
Those roles on the shortage list can be recruited from overseas, provided the employer is authorised to sponsor migrant workers, with the benefit of lower salary requirements and lower visa application fees.
How does the Shortage Occupation List work?
The Shortage Occupation List is based largely on the recommendations of the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC). The MAC is an independent organisation commissioned by the government to conduct research into the UK economy and labour market to determine which roles are facing a skills shortage.
As such, the shortage list is subject to frequent change and sponsors and workers are advised to check the most recent version when making a sponsored work visa application to ensure a role remains on the list, or to check if new roles have been added.
An MAC report published in October 2023 recommended comprehensive reform of the Shortage Occupation List to reflect its role in the UK immigration system. The government has yet to advise if it will be acting on any of the changes, which includes changing the name of the Shortage Occupation List to the “Immigration Salary Discount List”.
Which roles are on the shortage occupation list?
The following roles are eligible for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship as shortage occupations:
Occupation code |
Job types included on the shortage occupations list |
Areas of the UK where there is a shortage |
Annual salary (80% of going rate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1181 | Health services and public health managers and directors – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £33,040 (£16.94 per hour) |
| 1242 | Residential, day and domiciliary care managers and proprietors – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £22,640 (£11.61 per hour) |
| 2111 | Chemical scientists – only jobs in the nuclear industry | Scotland only | 80% of going rate: £22,800 (£11.69 per hour) |
| 2112 | Biological scientists and biochemists – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £24,480 (£12.55 per hour) |
| 2113 | Physical scientists – only the following jobs in the construction-related ground engineering industry: engineering geologist hydrogeologist geophysicist |
England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £26,080 (£13.37 per hour) |
| 2113 | Physical scientists – only the following jobs in the oil and gas industry: geophysicist geoscientist geologist geochemist technical services manager in the decommissioning and waste areas of the nuclear industry senior resource geologist and staff geologist in the mining sector |
England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £26,080 (£13.37 per hour) |
| 2114 | Social and humanities scientists – only archaeologists | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £20,480 (£10.50 per hour) |
| 2121 | Civil engineers – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £27,760 (£14.24 per hour) |
| 2122 | Mechanical engineers – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £26,400 (£13.54 per hour) |
| 2123 | Electrical engineers – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £31,440 (£16.12 per hour) |
| 2124 | Electronics engineers – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £27,120 (£13.91 per hour) |
| 2126 | Design and development engineers – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £27,280 (£13.99 per hour) |
| 2127 | Production and process engineers – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £25,600 (£13.13 per hour) |
| 2129 | Engineering professionals not elsewhere classified – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £26,720 (£13.70 per hour) |
| 2135 | IT business analysts, architects and systems designers – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £30,080 (£15.43 per hour) |
| 2136 | Programmers and software development professionals – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £27,200 (£13.95 per hour) |
| 2137 | Web design and development professionals – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £21,440 (£10.99 per hour) |
| 2139 | Information technology and communications professionals not elsewhere classified – only cyber security specialists | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £25,680 (£13.17 per hour) |
| 2216 | Veterinarians – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £26,960 (£13.83 per hour) |
| 2425 | Actuaries, economists and statisticians – only bio-informaticians and informaticians | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £26,880 (£13.78 per hour) |
| 2431 | Architects – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £26,320 (£13.50 per hour) |
| 2461 | Quality control and planning engineers – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £25,280 (£12.96 per hour) |
| 3111 | Laboratory technicians – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £15,120 (£7.75 per hour) |
| 3411 | Artists – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £16,400 (£8.41 per hour) |
| 3414 | Dancers and choreographers – only skilled classical ballet dancers or skilled contemporary dancers who meet the standard required by internationally recognised UK ballet or contemporary dance companies. The company must be endorsed as being internationally recognised by a UK industry body such as the Arts Councils (of England, Scotland or Wales). |
England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £16,960 (£8.70 per hour) |
| 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. The orchestra must a full member of the Association of British Orchestras. |
England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £24,960 (£12.80 per hour) |
| 3416 | Arts officers, producers and directors – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £23,360 (£11.98 per hour) |
| 3421 | Graphic designers – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £18,400 (£9.44 per hour) |
| 5119 | Agriculture and fishing trades not elsewhere classified – only jobs in the fishing industry | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £17,600 (£9.03 per hour) |
| 5215 | Welding trades – only high integrity pipe welders, where the job requires 3 or more years’ related on-the-job experience. This experience must not have been gained through illegal working. | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £18,480 (£9.48 per hour) |
| 5312 | Bricklayers and masons – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £18,640 (£9.56 per hour) |
| 5313 | Roofers, roof tilers and slaters – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £16,160 (£8.29 per hour) |
| 5315 | Carpenters and joiners – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £18,000 (£9.23 per hour) |
| 5319 | Construction and building trades not elsewhere classified – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £17,760 (£9.11 per hour) |
| 5321 | Plasterers – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £19,200 (£9.85 per hour) |
| 6145 | Care workers and home carers – private households or individuals (other than sole traders sponsoring someone to work for their business) cannot sponsor Skilled Worker applicants | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | No going rate – the salary must be at least £20,960 per year or £10.75 per hour |
| 6146 | Senior care workers – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £14,880 (£7.63 per hour) |
| 9119 | Fishing and other elementary agriculture occupations not elsewhere classified – only deckhands on large fishing vessel (9 metres and above). The job must require 3 or more years’ full-time experience. This experience must not have been gained through illegal working. | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £14,400 (£7.38 per hour) |
Which healthcare roles are on the shortage occupation list ?
Roles in healthcare and education are subject to a separate list, as follows:
Occupation code |
Job types included on the shortage occupations list |
Areas of the UK where there is a shortage |
|---|---|---|
| 2211 | Medical practitioners – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland |
| 2212 | Psychologists – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland |
| 2213 | Pharmacists – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland |
| 2217 | Medical radiographers – all jobs (including radiotherapy practitioners / technologists) | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland |
| 2219 | Health professionals not elsewhere classified – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland |
| 2221 | Physiotherapists – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland |
| 2222 | Occupational therapists – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland |
| 2223 | Speech and language therapists – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland |
| 2231 | Nurses – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland |
| 2314 | Secondary education teaching professionals – only teachers in maths, physics, science (where an element of physics will be taught), computer science and modern foreign languages | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland |
| 2314 | Secondary education teaching professionals – only teachers in Gaelic | Scotland only |
| 2315 | Primary and nursery education teaching professionals – only Gaelic medium teachers | Scotland only |
| 2442 | Social workers – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland |
| 3213 | Paramedics – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland |
| 6141 | Nursing auxiliaries and assistants – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland |
Skilled Worker visa requirements
To qualify for a Skilled Worker visa, applicants must meet the following requirements:
Job offer
Applicants must have a job offer from an employer with a valid sponsor licence. Roles that are not on the Shortage Occupation List may still be eligible for the Skilled Worker or Health and Care Worker visas if they are on the Home Office’s eligible occupations list.
The ONS has an online tool which can be used to verify the occupation code for the role being recruited.
Certificate of Sponsorship
The employer has to assign a Certificate of Sponsorship to the visa applicant in order to sponsor them.
Going rate & salary threshold
The current minimum salary threshold for the Skilled Worker route is £26,200 or the job’s usual ‘going rate’. The worker must still be paid at least £10.75 per hour.
In some cases, the worker can be paid between 70% and 90% of the usual going rate for the job if the salary is at least £20,960 per year and one of the following criteria applies:
- The role is on the Shortage Occupation List. For roles that are currently on the Shortage Occupation List, individuals become eligible for the Skilled Worker visa if their salary is at least 80% of the occupation’s going rate. Levels are based on annual salaries for a 39-hour working week. The role must be for at least 30 hours per week. Pro rata calculations based on weekly working hours should be used for other working patterns.
- The worker is under 26, studying or a recent graduate, or in professional training. The “new entrant” income rate applies to those on student visas in the UK who are transferring to a Skilled Worker visa, as well as those under 26 years old.
- STEM & PhD discount. The worker has a science, technology, engineering or maths (STEM) PhD level qualification that’s relevant to the job. A relevant PhD level qualification in any other subject requires the salary to be at least £23,580.
- The worker has a postdoctoral position in science or higher education.
English language
Applicants must meet one of the following:
- Hold a degree equivalent to or higher to a UK Bachelor’s degree, which was taught or researched in English (UK NARIC evaluation required if not taught in a majority English speaking country).
- Have passed an English language test certified by UKVI with a minimum score of B1 on the Council of Europe’s standard European framework for language and learning.
- Have successfully satisfied the English Language requirement during a previous grant of leave in the UK.
- Be a citizen of an English-speaking majority nation, as follows:
English speaking majority nations |
||||||
| Antigua and Barbuda | Australia | The Bahamas | Barbados | Belize | Canada | Dominica |
| Grenada | Guyana | Jamaica | New Zealand | St Kitts and Nevis | St Lucia | St Vincent and the Grenadines |
Financial requirement
Applicants who already have UK entrance clearance, permission to enter, or permission to remain under a Skilled Worker visa are exempt from the financial requirement.
The majority of Skilled Worker sponsors support the potential employee in meeting the financial requirement by guaranteeing they will fund the applicant’s maintenance and housing for the first month of working in the United Kingdom. The guarantee should be stated on the Certificate of Sponsorship. This option is only available to sponsors with an A rating.
If the employer does not provide a guarantee for the financial requirement, the applicant has to evidence they have personal funds of at least £1,270 and have had these funds continuously for 28 days ending no more than 31 days prior to the date of the application. Proof can be provided using bank statements or other relevant documents.
Author
Gill Laing is a qualified Legal Researcher & Analyst with niche specialisms in Law, Tax, Human Resources, Immigration & Employment Law.
Gill is a Multiple Business Owner and the Managing Director of Prof Services - a Marketing & Content Agency for the Professional Services Sector.
