For employers who recruit overseas workers into technical and skilled trade roles, the rules are changing. Most occupations on the Immigration Salary List (ISL) will be removed on 31 December 2026, and with them the lower salary thresholds the list offers to new hires. The interim Temporary Shortage List (TSL), in place since 22 July 2025, also applies only to Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) assigned on or before 30 December 2026. From 2027, whether a new hire in a role below degree level can be sponsored will depend largely on which occupations are included in the reformed Temporary Shortage List.
This guide explains how the Temporary Shortage List works, how occupations qualify, which sectors are likely to benefit, and what employers holding a sponsor licence should plan for in 2027.
What Is the Temporary Shortage List?
The Temporary Shortage List is a list of medium-skilled occupations, at Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) Levels 3–5, that can be sponsored under the Skilled Worker route for a limited period. It exists because, since 22 July 2025, the Skilled Worker route has generally been restricted to roles at RQF Level 6 (degree level) and above. Without the Temporary Shortage List, most new hires below that level would have no access to sponsorship.
The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), which advises the government on these lists, describes the Temporary Shortage List as “a policy instrument designed to give time-limited immigration access to selected middle-skilled occupations where access is deemed necessary to support delivery of the Industrial Strategy or critical infrastructure.” The list is therefore neither permanent nor open to every occupation reporting recruitment difficulty.
Immigration Salary List vs Temporary Shortage List
The Immigration Salary List replaced the Shortage Occupation List in April 2024. It sets the general salary threshold 20% lower for listed occupations and reduces visa fees. Since 22 July 2025, it has also had a second function. For RQF 3–5 occupations such as bricklayers, roofers and carpenters, being on the ISL is what currently keeps them eligible for sponsorship at all. For these roles, ISL listing provides both access and a discount.
The reformed Temporary Shortage List would provide access only. It decides whether an occupation below degree level can be sponsored, and the MAC has advised against any salary discount for TSL occupations.
| Immigration Salary List | Temporary Shortage List | |
| What it provides | Lower salary threshold and reduced fees; for RQF 3–5 roles, also access to the route | Access to the Skilled Worker route for RQF 3-5 roles |
| Salary discount | General threshold 20% lower (£33,400 instead of £41,700 for most new applicants) | None recommended by the MAC |
| Duration | Most entries removed 31 December 2026; care roles 22 July 2028 | Time-limited, with periodic review |
| Dependants for new RQF 3–5 applicants | Not permitted | Not permitted |
How an Occupation Qualifies for the Temporary Shortage List
The MAC assesses each occupation against four tests, applied in sequence:
- The occupation must be in shortage, or likely to be in shortage soon.
- There must be a credible plan to make greater use of the domestic workforce.
- Risks of worker exploitation must be adequately managed.
- TSL access must be appropriate, given the nature of the role and the type of shortage.
The second test is what most distinguishes the TSL from earlier shortage lists. Each occupation needs a Jobs Plan, prepared by the relevant government department with input from industry, setting out how training and domestic recruitment will reduce reliance on migration. The MAC treats a Jobs Plan as a prerequisite, so an occupation without one cannot be recommended.
This links immigration policy directly to skills policy. Sectors that want continued access to overseas workers are expected to show matching investment in the UK workforce.
Which Jobs Are Likely to Be on the List
At Stage 1, the MAC identified 82 occupations it considered potentially crucial to the Industrial Strategy or critical infrastructure. Of these, 46 were covered by a Jobs Plan and assessed in full. In its Stage 2 report, published on 23 July 2026, the MAC recommended 28 occupations for 18-month access. If the government accepts the recommendations, access will run from January 2027 to the end of June 2028.
The recommended occupations are mainly linked to Advanced Manufacturing, Clean Energy, Digital and Technology, and Foundational Industries and Critical Infrastructure. Most are in engineering, metalwork, electrical work and the construction trades. Examples include welders, electricians, bricklayers, plumbers, carpenters, engineering technicians and data analysts. For some broad occupation codes, the MAC recommends limiting access to specific named job titles within the code. For example, it limits Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code 5249 to overhead line workers.
The new list is considerably shorter than the current one. The interim Temporary Shortage List contains 52 occupations. Of the 28 recommended occupations, 20 are already on it and 8 are new. That leaves 32 interim TSL occupations without recommended access from 2027. Employers currently sponsoring in those occupations should assume that new Certificates of Sponsorship must be assigned before 31 December 2026.
The MAC did not recommend Temporary Shortage List access for the remaining 18 occupations. Seven were found not to be in shortage, including laboratory technicians and marketing associate professionals. Seven had Jobs Plans that were not credible, including financial and accounting technicians. Two were judged not appropriate for the TSL: design occupations, and vehicle technicians. Vehicle technicians showed evidence of shortage, but the MAC concluded the occupation fell outside the TSL’s core purpose because few of these workers are employed in the Industrial Strategy sectors.
The final two, dancers and choreographers and musicians, were treated differently. Rather than Temporary Shortage List access, the MAC recommended that specified high-skill roles, such as skilled classical and contemporary ballet dancers and orchestral musicians, be made eligible for the main Skilled Worker route. Both occupations are currently on the ISL.
The recommendations take effect only if the government accepts them and changes the Immigration Rules to implement them. At the time of writing (October 2026), the government has not formally responded and no Statement of Changes implementing a reformed TSL has been laid. If the new list is not in force by 1 January 2027, there may be a gap in access for RQF 3–5 roles. Employers should always check the list in force before assigning a Certificate of Sponsorship.
Why Temporary Shortage List Access Is Short-Term
The MAC did not recommend its standard three-year period for any occupation. It found that no Jobs Plan was strong enough to justify full access: many plans were relevant to the causes of shortage but were not targeted closely enough or did not show how much impact they would have. It recommended 18 months instead, describing this as “an exceptional measure for this review”. In future reviews, it expects to recommend either full three-year access or none.
Employers should therefore not treat Temporary Shortage List status as permanent. Continued access will depend on each sector showing measurable progress in training and recruiting domestic workers. Subject to a Home Office commission, the MAC proposes to review updated Jobs Plans received in October 2027, so that any extensions can be made through Immigration Rules changes in spring 2028. A full review of the list is expected every three years.
Salary Thresholds Under the Temporary Shortage List
Being on the interim Temporary Shortage List does not bring any salary discount of its own. Unless a reduction applies on another basis, such as new-entrant rates or the occupation also being on the ISL, roles must meet the full Skilled Worker general threshold of £41,700 as well as the going rate for the occupation.
The MAC has recommended that no salary discount apply to Temporary Shortage List occupations. In its Review of Salary Requirements, published in December 2025, it recommended keeping the main Skilled Worker general threshold at £41,700. It also gave the following advice on TSL occupations. For the general threshold, it recommended a minimum level but left the final figure to the government:
- Occupation thresholds: each TSL occupation’s threshold should be set at the median of that occupation’s full-time annual earnings.
- General threshold: a separate general threshold for TSL occupations should be at least the 30th percentile of UK full-time annual earnings, about £30,900.
If adopted, the TSL general threshold would be lower than today’s £41,700, but the occupation-specific median would often be the higher figure and so the one that applies. The MAC’s general threshold also assumed the TSL would not lead to settlement, and it said the figure may need revisiting if settlement remains available. It also noted that the government could choose a higher threshold. The final thresholds are for the government to set.
For occupations such as bricklayers, roofers and carpenters, which currently benefit from the ISL discount, moving to the reformed TSL would mean losing that discount.
Compliance Expectations for TSL Sponsors
The MAC has recommended that the Home Office and UK Visas and Immigration closely monitor sponsorship in TSL occupations, particularly in construction. It sees construction as a higher-risk sector for labour exploitation because of widespread subcontracting, fragmented supply chains and high levels of self-employment. It notes that visa non-grant rates can exceed 70% in some construction occupations, while cautioning that this alone does not demonstrate exploitation. The recommended monitoring covers visa use, non-grant rates, sponsor behaviour and the job titles used in applications. Under broader construction codes, access should be limited to the job titles for which a case was made.
The MAC also identifies a risk that sponsors may reclassify roles under a different occupation code. This might happen because the original code is no longer eligible, because a similar code has a lower salary threshold, or because an RQF 6+ code allows a longer visa. Under paragraph SW 6.2 of Appendix Skilled Worker, the sponsor must choose an appropriate occupation code, and an application can be refused where there are reasonable grounds to believe a less appropriate code has been chosen. Using an occupation code that does not reflect the genuine duties of the role is also a compliance failure and may lead to action against the sponsor licence.
The MAC further acknowledges that the sponsorship model suits some sectors poorly. In construction, short-term project work and subcontracting sit uneasily with the employer–employee relationship that sponsorship requires. In digital and technology start-ups, fixed compliance costs can be disproportionate to the size of the business. Employers in these sectors should have proper HR systems, record-keeping and reporting processes in place before relying on TSL recruitment.
What the End of the ISL Means for Current Workers
Under Appendix Immigration Salary List, most occupations will be removed on 31 December 2026. Care workers and senior care workers will remain until 22 July 2028. Since 22 July 2025, however, these roles have been open only to applicants already in the UK. Applicants switching from another route generally need to have worked lawfully for the sponsor in the role for at least three months before the Certificate of Sponsorship is assigned; those already sponsored as care workers or senior care workers are not subject to this requirement. An occupation counts as being on the ISL only where the application uses a Certificate of Sponsorship assigned before the removal date.
For workers sponsored in RQF 3–5 roles that rely on the ISL, the position depends on which rules governed their original grant.
- Workers first sponsored before 22 July 2025: These workers are covered by transitional arrangements if they were granted Skilled Worker permission under the rules in place before 22 July 2025 and have held continuous Skilled Worker permission since. Applications made with a Certificate of Sponsorship assigned before 22 July 2025 were decided under those earlier rules, so the date of the original CoS is usually what matters. These workers may continue to extend, change employment and apply for settlement in RQF 3–5 roles, provided they meet the salary requirements that apply to them.
- Workers first sponsored on or after 22 July 2025: These workers can extend or change employment in an ISL-reliant RQF 3–5 role while the occupation remains on the ISL. Once it is removed, the current Immigration Rules give them no transitional protection: under paragraph SW 6.1, the role is only eligible if it is on the ISL or the Temporary Shortage List, and the Certificate of Sponsorship is assigned before the occupation’s removal date. Any extension, change of job or change of sponsor in an RQF 3–5 role will therefore depend on the occupation being on the TSL at that time, unless the government introduces transitional arrangements alongside the reformed list.
Keeping the ISL salary rate after removal. Paragraph SW 11.2 of Appendix Skilled Worker lets a worker keep the ISL salary rate after their occupation is removed, but only where their most recent permission was in an ISL job and they are extending to continue in the same job for the same sponsor. SW 11.2 deals with salary only; it does not make the role eligible for sponsorship. In practice, it helps workers whose role stays eligible on another basis, most commonly those covered by the pre-22 July 2025 transitional arrangements.
Dependants and Settlement
New Skilled Worker applicants sponsored in RQF 3–5 roles, whether under the TSL or the ISL, cannot bring dependants. There are limited exceptions, for example for children born in the UK and where the worker has sole responsibility for a child. Skilled Workers who could bring dependants before the July 2025 changes, and who have held continuous permission since, may continue to do so.
Under the current Immigration Rules, Skilled Worker visas in TSL occupations lead to settlement. However, the government has consulted on an “earned settlement” model. It would raise the baseline qualifying period from five years to ten, and the consultation proposed 15 years for Skilled Workers in roles below degree level. The outcome may affect both the route to settlement and future TSL salary thresholds, since the MAC’s recommended general threshold assumed the TSL would not lead to settlement.
The government has not yet published its response. On 15 September 2026, the Home Secretary told the Home Affairs Committee that the revised policy, including transitional arrangements, would be set out later in 2026, in good time before February 2027, when the first people who arrived in 2022 would become eligible for settlement under the current rules.
Planning Ahead: Steps for Employers
- Audit your sponsored workforce: Identify all sponsored workers in RQF 3–5 roles. For each one, record when they were first sponsored, whether their permission has been continuous, and whether their salary relies on the ISL discount. These facts decide which options remain open to each worker once the ISL closes, including whether a future change of role or sponsor would trigger a higher salary threshold.
- Time new Certificates of Sponsorship: Recruitment that relies on an ISL occupation, or on an interim TSL occupation not recommended for the reformed list, should be timed so that the CoS is assigned before 31 December 2026. As the deadline falls over the Christmas period, employers should aim to assign certificates by early December rather than leave it to the final days. The visa application must then be made within three months of the CoS being assigned. This secures the initial grant only. Whether that worker can later extend, in the same job or a different one, will depend on the occupation being on the TSL at the time or on any transitional arrangements the government introduces. Employers should take this into account when deciding the length of the CoS they assign.
- Budget for standard thresholds: Where a role is recommended for the TSL, workforce budgets should assume standard salary thresholds, as no discount is expected.
- Plan alternatives for roles unlikely to qualify: Options include domestic recruitment, training programmes or, where the business genuinely needs it, creating roles at RQF Level 6 or above.
- Check your occupation codes: Make sure each role is assigned the code that genuinely reflects its duties, particularly where codes overlap.
- Engage with Jobs Plans: Employers in sectors that depend on the TSL have a direct interest in the quality of the relevant Jobs Plans. Contributing evidence of training and domestic recruitment, through government sector leads or industry bodies, can strengthen the case for continued access at future reviews.
Conclusion
The move from the Immigration Salary List to the Temporary Shortage List changes the basis on which medium-skilled roles can be sponsored. For most occupations, the ISL salary discount will end for new hires, and existing workers will keep it only in limited circumstances. Many occupations on the interim TSL are also likely to lose access altogether. Access will instead depend on evidence of shortage, the occupation’s importance to the UK’s priority sectors and a real commitment to developing the domestic workforce. With most ISL entries removed on 31 December 2026, employers should review their sponsored workforce, the timing of Certificates of Sponsorship and the accuracy of their occupation codes well before that date.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Temporary Shortage List?
The Temporary Shortage List is a list of medium-skilled (RQF 3–5) occupations that can be sponsored under the Skilled Worker route for a limited period. To be included, an occupation must show evidence of shortage, be important to the Industrial Strategy or critical infrastructure, and have a credible Jobs Plan to increase use of the domestic workforce.
Does the Temporary Shortage List offer a salary discount?
Not under the MAC’s recommendations. The MAC has advised against any salary discount for TSL occupations, although the final thresholds are for the government to set.
When does the Immigration Salary List end?
Most ISL occupations are removed on 31 December 2026. Care workers and senior care workers remain until 22 July 2028, but only for applicants already in the UK.
Will existing workers lose the ISL salary discount?
Only in limited cases. A worker whose most recent permission was in an ISL job can keep ISL salary rates when extending in the same job with the same sponsor, provided the role is still eligible for sponsorship. A change of job or sponsor after the removal date will mean meeting the threshold that otherwise applies.
How long does an occupation stay on the TSL?
The MAC’s standard period is three years, but all 28 occupations recommended in the first review were recommended for 18 months. Continued access depends on progress in developing the domestic workforce.
Can TSL workers bring dependants?
New applicants in RQF 3–5 roles generally cannot bring dependants, subject to limited exceptions such as children born in the UK. Existing Skilled Workers who could do so before 22 July 2025, and who have held continuous permission since, keep that right.
