The new Temporary Shortage List, introduced in 2025, replaces the old Shortage Occupation List, aiming to address persistent mid-skill labour gaps with precision and urgency. Established by the Labour Market Evidence Group, this framework is rooted in transparent evidence, linking visa access directly to the UK’s skills priorities and training availability. Unlike its predecessor, which offered broad concessions across a wide range of roles, the updated list is far more selective. Employers and visa applicants now face tighter criteria, with inclusion rules focusing on whether shortages are genuine, structural, and unable to be solved in the short term by domestic training.
A New Framework
As of July 2025, the UK government has transitioned from the traditional Shortage Occupation List (SOL) to a more nuanced, interim Temporary Shortage List (TSL), forming a key plank of the latest Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules.
Previously, the SOL — a legacy of the Tier 2 route — identified jobs with chronic labour shortages, granting lighter salary thresholds and priority processing. The Immigration Salary List (ISL) replaced it in April 2024, providing narrower but still reduced salary thresholds. Now, the TSL enters as an interim bridge, capturing medium-skill roles below RQF Level 6.
What’s Changed?
Old Shortage Occupation List (SOL)
- Broad range of roles.
- Visa applicants got salary discounts (shortage thresholds around 80 % of the going rate).
- Employers had to meet less stringent salary floors.
Immigration Salary List (ISL)
- Introduced in April 2024.
- Narrower job range.
- Reduced salary thresholds remained, but only for listed roles.
Temporary Shortage List (TSL)
- Effective from 22 July 2025.
- Covers ~50 medium-skill (RQF 3-5) occupations.
- No salary discounts: roles on this list must meet standard salary thresholds, often the higher standard rate.
- These roles remain eligible until 31 December 2026, after which only MAC-recommended roles tied to training plans may remain eligible.
Importantly, unlike the SOL, which offered salary relief, the TSL focuses on preserving eligibility only, without financial concessions — a significant shift.
Implications for Visa Applicants and Employers
Visa Applicants
- Must secure roles on the updated TSL or the ISL (during its phase-out) to qualify at RQF 3-5.
- For the first time, applicants in such roles lose visa-related financial advantages and may not be allowed to bring dependents.
- Salary must adhere to full Skilled Worker thresholds, which have risen to align with median UK earnings.
Employers
- Still able to sponsor overseas workers in mid-skill roles, but without discounted salary help.
- Must issue a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) to qualify under TSL benefits.
- Post-2026, responsibility shifts to investment in UK training solutions and justifying continuing reliance on foreign labour under MAC’s new recommendations.
Strategic Sectors
- Roles such as IT technicians, welders, bookkeepers, HR officers, dancers, set designers, and clinical trial administrators — previously eligible under older rules — remain accessible, notably supporting key industrial sectors.
- Architecture remains excluded (previously on SOL), prompting industry calls to reverse changes.
Training, Skills, and the Future of the Visa Landscape
The real focus of the new Temporary Shortage List lies in encouraging the UK to grow its own talent base. Rather than being a permanent fix, the TSL has been designed as a stop-gap — a flexible tool that plugs urgent labour gaps while nudging employers and industries to invest more seriously in training people already in the UK. It signals a mindset shift: international recruitment is still part of the picture, but it is no longer the default answer.
Looking ahead, the system points towards a gradual tightening. In future years, only those occupations that can demonstrate both critical shortages and clear alignment with workforce training and development plans are expected to keep their place on the list. This represents a quiet but powerful move towards long-term self-reliance, where the UK balances targeted overseas talent with stronger homegrown skills pipelines.
Summary!
| Aspect | Old Shortage Occupation List (SOL) | Immigration Salary List (ISL) | Temporary Shortage List (TSL) |
| Skill Levels | Broad, including lower-skill roles | Narrowed, often RQF Level 6+ roles | Medium-skill (RQF 3–5): sub-degree occupations. |
| Salary Concessions | Yes — discounted thresholds | Yes — reduced thresholds | No — full going rates required. |
| Duration | Until replaced | Transitional | Until 31 Dec 2026, unless extended post-MAC review. |
| Dependents Allowed? | Yes | Yes | No (except narrow exceptions, e.g. sole parental responsibility or UK-born child). |
| Future Outlook | Phased out | Phased out | MAC-guided retention possible from 2026, based on workforce strategy and evidence. |
Final Advice for Stakeholders
Visa applicants — if your role falls under TSL, apply promptly under current rules, bearing in mind dependency restrictions and higher salary thresholds.
Employers — if recruiting in mid-skill roles, act now. Secure CoS by end-2026, and work toward developing UK training pipelines.
Industry Groups, particularly in construction, creative sectors, and tech, monitor MAC’s review closely; make the case for roles to remain post-2026 through workforce planning.
Final word!
The Temporary Shortage List is best seen as a moment in transition — a bridge carefully placed between today’s labour demands and tomorrow’s skills vision. It isn’t built to last forever; it’s designed to offer breathing space. For employers, that means the door remains open to recruit into key mid-skill roles, but under conditions that are tighter and timelines that are shorter. For skilled applicants, it means there’s still an opportunity to enter the UK market, but it comes with the knowledge that the route will narrow with every passing review.
What’s really being communicated here is a shift in mindset. The UK wants to fill its immediate gaps, yes, but not at the expense of the bigger picture. The list acts like a marker on the journey — giving reassurance that overseas workers remain valued while underlining that the future lies in homegrown skills and structured training.
For businesses, this means adapting strategies. It’s not enough to rely on overseas recruitment; investment in UK training, apprenticeships, and workforce development must become part of the plan. For workers, it’s about recognising the urgency: the opportunity exists today, but the window is closing.
And if you want to keep track of how these changes unfold, don’t just glance at the headlines — follow Skilled Worker Mag. It’s where the conversation continues, where the implications are unpacked, and where you’ll find insights to help you prepare for a future that is moving steadily towards self-reliance.
