Skilled Worker Visa | Shortage Occupation List in UK

Do you have a skilled worker visa and are looking for a job in the UK? With the recognition of the UK skilled worker visa in December 2020, employers can hire people from abroad having this type of visa only if the job is in the UK shortage occupation list. It is mandatory for employers or HR professionals who are involved in international recruitment to understand the rules and application methods of the UK’s shortage skills list under the skilled worker visa. 

On 4th April 2024, the UK government updated the shortage occupation list in UK under the skilled worker visa. In this article, we will discuss that but before jumping to that section, we need to discuss the UK’s shortage occupation list 2024. So, let’s discuss.

What is the shortage occupation list in UK?

The shortage occupation list in UK for skilled worker visas is an official record of jobs by the UK immigration authority, the Home Office that shows the staff shortage in UK. In other words, it is the official record of occupations by the UK government where there is a shortage of skilled workers in the UK. These jobs can only be offered to individuals obtaining health and care or skilled worker visas. A lack of local efficient workers creates opportunities for foreign nationals who have the required skills to apply for vacant jobs in UK. 

Who is eligible for a skilled worker visa in UK?

A skilled worker visa is the primary route for the non-UK resident workers who want to come to the United Kingdom to work. Under the new-point based immigration system, the non-UK resident must apply for a visa to work in the UK. The workers must be eligible to apply for the visa, covering attributes such as language, skills and salary requirements. The eligibility for a skilled worker visa in the UK is given below.

• You must work for a UK employer that’s been approved by the home office
• You must have a certificate from your employer covering information about the role you’ve applied for in the UK
• Applied for a job under the shortage occupation list in UK
• You must be paid a minimum salary depending on the type of work you do 

Skilled worker visa shortage occupation list in UK

Under the skilled worker visa, if your job is included in the shortage occupation list in UK, you can be paid 80% of the jobs going rate for the occupation code. The annual salaries for these jobs will be calculated based on a 37.5-hour working week. Here is the shortage occupation list in the UK under the skilled worker visa, given below

Job Code	Occupations	Shortage Areas	Annual Salary ( 80% of going rate)	Lowest rate
1212	Managers and proprietors in forestry, fishing and related services – only “fishing boat masters”	Scotland only	£30,960 (£15.88 per hour)	£27,000 (£13.85 per hour)
2111	Chemical scientists – only jobs in the nuclear industry	Scotland only	£35,200 (£18.05 per hour)	£29,600 (£15.18 per hour)
2112	Biological scientists – all jobs	UK wide	£41,900 (£21.49 per hour)	£32,100 (£16.46 per hour)
2115	Social and humanities scientists – only archaeologists	UK wide	£36,400 (£18.67 per hour)	£25,200 (£12.92 per hour)
2142	Graphic and multimedia designers – all jobs	UK wide	£30,960 (£15.88 per hour)	£35,800 (£18.36 per hour)
3111	Laboratory technicians – only jobs requiring 3 or more years’ related on-the-job experience. This experience must not have been gained through working illegally.	UK wide	£30,960 (£15.88 per hour)	£23,200 (£11.90 per hour)
3212	Pharmaceutical technicians – all jobs	UK wide	£30,960 (£15.88 per hour)	£23,400 (£12.00 per hour)
3411	Artists – all jobs	UK wide	£32,900 (£16.87 per hour)	£27,300 (£14.00 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).	UK wide	£30,960 (£15.88 per hour)	£23,200 (£11.90 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 be a full member of the Association of British Orchestras.	UK wide	£32,900 (£16.87 per hour)	£27,300 (£14.00 per hour)
3416	Arts officers, producers and directors – all jobs	UK wide	£37,500 (£19.23 per hour)	£31,300 (£16.05 per hour)
5119	Agriculture and fishing trades not elsewhere classified – only jobs in the fishing industry	UK wide	£30,960 (£15.88 per hour)	£23,200 (£11.90 per hour)
5213	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 working illegally.	UK wide	£31,700 (£16.26 per hour)	£26,400 (£13.54 per hour)
5235	Boat and shop builders and repairers – all jobs	Scotland only	£32,400 (£16.62 per hour)	£28,100 (£14.41 per hour)
5312	Stonemasons and related trades – all jobs	UK wide	£31,000  (£15.90 per hour)	£25,800 (£13.23 per hour)
5313	Bricklayers – all jobs	UK wide	£30,960 (£15.88 per hour)	£25,800 (£13.23 per hour)
5314	Roofers, roof tilers and slaters – all jobs	UK wide	£31,000  (£15.90 per hour)	£25,800 (£13.23 per hour)
5316	Carpenters and joiners – all jobs	UK wide	£30,960 (£15.88 per hour)	£25,200 (£12.92 per hour)
5319	Construction and building trades not elsewhere classified – only retrofitters	UK wide	£30,960 (£15.88 per hour)	£25,500 (£13.08 per hour)
6135	Care workers and home carers – all jobs, except jobs with a working location in England are only eligible in this SOC 2020 occupation code where the sponsor holds registration with the Care Quality Commission and is currently carrying on a regulated activity. Private households or individuals (other than sole traders sponsoring someone to work for their business) cannot sponsor Skilled Worker applicants.	UK wide	£30,960 (£15.88 per hour)	£23,200 (£11.90 per hour)
6136	Senior care workers – all jobs, except jobs with a working location in England are only eligible in this SOC 2020 occupation code where the sponsor holds registration with the Care Quality Commission and is currently carrying on a regulated activity.	UK wide	£30,960 (£15.88 per hour)	£23,200 (£11.90 per hour)
6129	Animal care services occupations not elsewhere classified – only racing grooms, stallion handlers, stud grooms, stud hands, stud handlers and work riders	UK wide	£30,960 (£15.88 per hour)	£23,200 (£11.90 per hour)
9119	Fishing and other elementary agriculture occupations not elsewhere classified – only deckhands on large fishing vessels (9 metres and above) where the job requires the worker to have at least 3 years’ full-time experience in using their skills. This experience must not have been gained through working illegally.	UK wide	£30,960 (£15.88 per hour	£23,200 (£11.90 per hour)

These are the shortage occupation list in UK under skilled worker visa. If do not know the code of your job, you can find jobs from ONS Occupation Coding Tool

Shortage occupation list in UK under skilled worker visa (Healthcare & Education sector)

Previously, we discussed the skilled worker visa shortage occupation list in the UK for different sectors. But there is another list of shortage occupations if you work in the healthcare or education sector under the skilled worker visa.

Occupation code	Job type	Related job titles
2211	Generalist medical practitioners	DoctorGeneral practitionerHouse officer (hospital service)Medical practitionerPhysician
2212	Specialist medical practitioners	AnaesthetistConsultant (hospital service)Homeopath (medically qualified)Medical acupuncturistPaediatricianPsychiatristRadiologistSurgeon
2221	Physiotherapists	Electro-therapistPhysiotherapistPhysiotherapy practitioner
2222	Occupational therapists	Community occupational therapistOccupational therapistPaediatric occupational therapist
2223	Speech and language therapists	Communication therapistLanguage therapistSpeech and language therapistSpeech therapist
2224	Psychotherapists and cognitive behaviour therapists	Cognitive behavioural therapistPsycho-analystPsychological counsellorPsychotherapist
2225	Clinical psychologists	Clinical psychologistConsultant clinical psychologist
2226	Other psychologists	Educational psychologistForensic psychologistOccupational psychologistPsychologistPsychometrist
2229	Therapy professionals not elsewhere classified	AcupuncturistArt therapistChiropractorDance movement therapistFamily therapistGenetic counsellorNutritionistOsteopathSports massage therapistSports therapist
2231	Midwifery nurses	Delivery suite managerMidwifeMidwifery manager
2232	Registered community nurses	Community care nurseDistrict nurseHealth visitorPractice nurse
2233	Registered specialist nurses	Advanced primary care nurseIntensive care nurseClinical nurse specialistTheatre manager (hospital service)
2234	Registered nurse practitioners	Health care practitionerMental health practitionerPractitioner (nursing)
2235	Registered mental health nurses	Community mental health nursePsychiatric nurse
2236	Registered children’s nurses	Community children’s nurseNeonatal nursePaediatric nurseSchool nurse
2237	Other registered nursing professionals	Clinical lead nurseMatron (care/residential home)NurseNurse educatorOccupational health nurseStaff nurseTeam leader (nursing)Ward manager
2251	Pharmacists	Chemist (pharmaceutical)Dispensary managerPharmaceutical chemistPharmacistPharmacy manager
2252	Optometrists	Doctor of optometryOphthalmic opticianOptician
2253	Dental practitioners	Dental surgeonDentistOrthodontistPeriodontist
2254	Medical radiographers	Medical photographerNuclear medicine practitionerRadiographerSonographerTherapeutic radiographerVascular technologist
2255	Paramedics	Ambulance paramedicEmergency care practitionerParamedicParamedic-ECP
2256	Podiatrists	ChiropodistFoot health practitioner (qualified)Podiatrist
2259	Other health professionals not elsewhere classified	AudiologistClinical physiologistDietician-nutritionistFamily plannerOccupational health adviserOperating theatre practitionerPhysiologist
2312	Further education teaching professionals	FE College lecturerLecturer (further education)Teacher (further education)Tutor (further education)
2313	Secondary education teaching professionals	Curriculum leader (secondary school)Deputy head teacher (secondary school)Head of year (secondary school)Secondary school teacherSixth form teacherTeacher (secondary school)
2314	Primary education teaching professionals	Deputy head teacher (primary school)Infant teacherJunior school teacherPrimary school teacher
2315	Nursery education teaching professionals	Kindergarten teacher (professional)Nursery school teacherPre-school teacher
2316	Special and additional needs education teaching professionals	Behaviour support teacherDeputy head teacher (special/additional needs school)Learning support teacherSpecial educational needs coordinatorSpecial needs teacher
2321	Head teachers and principals	Head master (secondary school)Head teacher (primary school)Principal (further education)Rector (university)
2461	Social workers	Independent review officer (social worker)Mental health social workerSenior practitioner (local government: social services)Social workerTeam leader (local government: social services)
3213	Medical and dental technicians	CardiographerDental hygienistDental technicianMedical technical officerOcularistOrthopaedic technicianRadiography assistant practitioner
3219	Health associate professionals not elsewhere classified	Antenatal teacherDiet adviserHealth trainerTherapist
3231	Higher level teaching assistants	Advanced teaching assistantHLTALearning support practitionerTeaching assistant (qualified)
6112	Teaching assistants	Classroom assistantSchool assistantTeaching assistant
6113	Educational support assistants	Education support assistantLearning support assistantNon-teaching assistant (schools)Special needs assistantSupport assistant (educational establishments)
6131	Nursing auxiliaries and assistants	Auxiliary nurseHealth care assistant (hospital service)Health care support workerNursing assistantNursing auxiliary
6132	Ambulance staff (excluding paramedics)	Ambulance care assistantAmbulance driverAmbulance service preparation operativeAmbulance technicianEmergency medical technician
6133	Dental nurses	Dental assistantDental nurseDental nurse-receptionistDental surgery assistant

Advantages of shortage occupation list in UK for employers

Employers in the UK can hire individuals abroad having a skilled worker visa if the jobs they are applying for are included in the shortage occupation list in UK. The employers enjoy several benefits for hiring from the UK skilled worker visa list. Such as-

Lower fees for visa applications

Generally, the application cost of a skilled worker visa ranges from £625 to £1,423 depending on your circumstances. The skilled worker visa application fees are lower for the roles on the UK occupation shortage list. 

Permission to work in a second job

The workers having sponsorship for a role on the occupation shortage list UK can work for a second job. Employees who have a skilled worker visa can also work for 20 hours a week.

Salary discount for ILR

Workers on the UK job shortage list under the skilled worker visa applying for an indefinite leave to remain in the UK may benefit from a salary discount. 

Tradeable points 

Workers under the UK skilled worker visa jobs list can gain 20 points in many cases towards the point requirements under the skilled worker visa. 

Do’s and don’ts of having a skilled worker visa in UK

If you are a non-UK resident, you may have some restrictions on what you can and can’t do with your visa. The restrictions generally depend on your visa. Here’s what you can and can’t do with a skilled worker visa in the UK.

Do’s of a  UK skilled worker visa

• Work in an eligible job included in the shortage occupation list in UK
• Study
• Bring depeandants
• Do additional jobs
• Voluntary work
• Travel and return to the UK
• Apply for the settlement ( after 5 years of living in the UK)

Don’ts of a UK skilled worker visa

• Apply for benefits like (public funds, and state pensions)
• Change jobs or employer

After making a successful application, you will get a full list of what you can do or can’t do with a skilled worker visa. 

How long can you stay in UK with a skilled worker visa?

If you want to work in the United Kingdom, you must apply for a work visa. And the primary route is to have a skilled worker visa. Under the skilled worker visa, you can stay in the UK for up to 5 years. You must extend or update your visa before it expires or if you want to change jobs or employers. You can only apply for this visa if your job is included in the occupation shortage list in UK.

Eligibility to switch to a skilled worker visa

You may be able to apply to switch to a skilled worker visa if you are currently living in the UK on a different type of visa. But there is a prohibition that says you can’t travel outside the UK, the Channel Islands, Ireland, or the Isle of Man until you get any decision on your application. If you do this, your application will be withdrawn immediately. Check out the eligibility criteria to switch to a skilled worker visa from a different type of visa.

• Your job meets the eligibility requirements (involved in the shortage occupation list in UK)
• You can speak, read, write and understand  English well

If you are living in the UK with a UK student visa, you must meet one of the following requirements:

• You have completed the course that you were sponsored to study
• Your job start date is after your course has been completed
• You have studied for a PhD programme for at least 24 months

Your partner’s or child’s visa will not automatically switch to the skilled worker visa if you switch yours. They can either apply at the same time as you or the time before their current visa expires.

Who can’t apply to switch to a skilled worker visa

A skilled Worker Visa is a pathway for non-resident UK workers to come to the UK for working purposes. If your job is involved in the skilled worker visa UK list, you can apply for a skilled worker visa from inside or outside the UK. But you can’t apply to switch to a skilled worker visa if you are currently living in the UK on a-

• Visit visa
• Short-term student visa
• Parent of a Child Student visa
• Seasonal worker visa
• Domestic worker in a private household visa
• Immigration bail and
• If you were permitted to stay outside the immigration rules

If you are from one of those categories, you must leave the UK and apply for a skilled worker visa from abroad.

Final words

If the job you’ve applied for is included in the list of skilled workers in the UK it makes it easier for the employers to meet the point requirements for a skilled worker visa. The job shortage list in UK was recognised first in December 2020. Under this visa, the owner can get jobs that are included in the shortage occupation list in UK. This article is based on the shortage occupation list under the skilled worker visa updated by the UK government on 4th April 2024. But if you’ve got any more queries about the UK visa requirements or settlement in UK, you can always contact AIMS Education. 

FAQ