Temporary Shortage List and Immigration Salary List: what ends for Skilled Worker visas on 31 December 2026

The Temporary Shortage List (TSL) lets employers sponsor 52 occupation codes that are otherwise too low-skilled for the Skilled Worker visa, and the Immigration Salary List (ISL) gives a lower salary floor and cheaper visa fees to a shorter list of jobs. Under the Immigration Rules as they stand on 23 October 2026, both lists only apply where the certificate of sponsorship was issued before 31 December 2026, with a later date of 22 July 2028 for care workers and senior care workers on the ISL. The Migration Advisory Committee has recommended keeping 28 occupations on the TSL for another 18 months, but when we checked gov.uk we found no rule change putting that into effect.

This is general information, not immigration advice. Rules can change by a new Statement of Changes at short notice. Check the current lists on gov.uk before acting, or speak to a regulated adviser from the Immigration Advice Authority register.

What is the Temporary Shortage List?

On 22 July 2025 the Skilled Worker route was narrowed to jobs at degree level (RQF 6) and above. Jobs between RQF 3 and 5 are labelled "medium skilled" in gov.uk's eligible occupations table, and most can no longer be sponsored for new workers. The TSL is the exception. Gov.uk's Temporary Shortage List page says that if your job is on it and is medium skilled, you can apply from outside the UK, switch from another visa, or extend.

The list in paragraph SW 6.1A of Appendix Skilled Worker (last updated on 8 October 2026) has 52 codes. Some are limited to named job types. A selection, with the "standard rate" from gov.uk's TSL table for a 37.5-hour week:

The standard rate applies if your first certificate of sponsorship was issued after 4 April 2024. A lower rate column applies to people sponsored before that date who have held Skilled Worker visas continuously since. New-entrant and PhD discounts can also apply. Check the full TSL table for your code and the job types it covers.

What is the Immigration Salary List?

The ISL is older and does something different. It does not open closed jobs on its own. It lowers the general salary threshold for listed jobs from £41,700 to £33,400, although you must still be paid at least the standard going rate for the occupation, as gov.uk's When you can be paid less page explains. It also cuts the visa fee to £628 (up to 3 years) or £1,235 (over 3 years), from inside or outside the UK.

Appendix Immigration Salary List (checked on 23 October 2026) includes, among others:

The appendix says an occupation only counts as on the list "where an application has been made using a certificate of sponsorship issued by a sponsor to an applicant before the removal date". Care worker roles have extra restrictions under paragraph SW 6.1B: new applications must be made from inside the UK.

What happens on 31 December 2026?

Read the wording carefully, because it turns on the date the certificate was issued, not the date of your visa decision.

• TSL: paragraph SW 6.1A says a code is only on the TSL where "an application has been made using a certificate of sponsorship issued by a sponsor to an applicant before 31 December 2026".
• ISL: the same structure, with 31 December 2026 as the removal date for every entry except care workers and senior care workers.

A certificate must be used in an application within three months of being assigned. So an employer that assigns a certificate before the cut-off gives you a short window to apply. After the cut-off, unless the rules change, a new certificate in a medium-skilled TSL code would not qualify, and an ISL job would fall back to the general £41,700 threshold if it is still eligible at all.

What has the Migration Advisory Committee recommended?

The MAC published its Temporary Shortage List: Stage 2 report on 23 July 2026. It assessed 46 occupations with "Jobs Plans" and recommended that 28 should receive 18-month access to the TSL, with none earning the full three years. They include:

• engineering and manufacturing: electrical and electronics technicians, engineering technicians, welding trades, sheet metal workers, metal working fitters, pipe fitters
• construction: bricklayers, roofers, carpenters and joiners, plasterers, plumbers, electricians, floorers and wall tilers, painters and decorators, construction supervisors
• digital: data analysts, database administrators, telecoms installers
• others: CAD and architectural technicians, ship and hovercraft officers, building and civil engineering technicians

The MAC also recommended that 18 occupations with Jobs Plans should not get access. This is advice. The MAC work in progress page, updated 16 September 2026, lists the report as published, and the latest Statement of Changes, HC 584, does not change either list. As of 23 October 2026 we found no government response or rule change on gov.uk. If one is published, the dates in this article could change.

Can you bring your family on a TSL job?

Usually not, if you are a new applicant. Gov.uk's partner and children page says that for a job listed as medium skilled, a partner or child can only join you if you have been continuously employed on a Skilled Worker visa in a medium-skilled job since before 22 July 2025, or in limited cases involving children (for example a child born in the UK).

How do you find out which occupation code your job has?

Ask your employer. Gov.uk's Your job page says that if you already have an offer, the employer can tell you the code, and that you can search job titles with the CASCOT coding tool otherwise. The sponsor chooses the code. Paragraph SW 6.2 of Appendix Skilled Worker lets the Home Office look behind that choice: an application fails if there are reasonable grounds to believe the sponsor chose a less appropriate code because the right one is not eligible, has a higher going rate than the salary, or is not on the Immigration Salary List. Match the duties, not just the job title.

Our Skilled Worker salary calculator shows the general threshold and going rate for a code side by side. For graduate roles, our guide to Skilled Worker salary thresholds works through 15 real jobs.

What should you do if your job is on one of the lists?

1. Confirm the code in writing. A mis-coded job is a common reason for refusal.
2. Ask about timing. If you need a certificate under the TSL or ISL, ask your employer when it plans to assign it and whether it can do so before 31 December 2026.
3. Apply promptly. A certificate is only usable for three months, and the start date on it must be no more than three months after your application.
4. Check the employer. Make sure it holds an A-rated Skilled Worker licence using the Register of Licensed Sponsors or our sponsor licence check.

Sources: every gov.uk page linked in this article was checked on 23 October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Temporary Shortage List ending on 31 December 2026? Under the current Immigration Rules, a job only counts as on the TSL where the certificate of sponsorship was issued before 31 December 2026. The MAC has recommended 18 more months for 28 occupations, but as of 23 October 2026 no rule change implementing that had been published on gov.uk.

What is the difference between the Temporary Shortage List and the Immigration Salary List? The TSL makes certain medium-skilled jobs eligible for sponsorship. The ISL lowers the general salary threshold to £33,400 and reduces visa fees for listed jobs, but the going rate for the occupation still applies.

How many jobs are on the Temporary Shortage List? 52 occupation codes, listed in paragraph SW 6.1A of Appendix Skilled Worker as last updated on 8 October 2026. Some codes are limited to specific job types.

Can healthcare assistants still be sponsored? Code 6131, nursing auxiliaries and assistants, is on the Immigration Salary List with a removal date of 31 December 2026, and only applies to roles in settings where registered nurses or other registered healthcare professionals also work.

Can I bring my partner if my job is on the Temporary Shortage List? Usually not. Gov.uk says partners of people in medium-skilled jobs can only join them if the worker has been continuously employed in a medium-skilled Skilled Worker job since before 22 July 2025, with limited exceptions for children.

What happens if my certificate of sponsorship is issued after 31 December 2026? Under the rules in force today, the job would no longer count as being on the TSL or, for most jobs, the ISL. Check gov.uk for any later change before relying on this.