- The UK Home Office published a Temporary Shortage List covering around 70 job types that foreigners can apply for under the Skilled Worker route
- Applicants must meet one of five salary thresholds ranging from £28,200 to £41,700 and secure a Certificate of Sponsorship before 31 December 2026
- Care workers face additional conditions, including a minimum of three months working with their sponsor before the sponsorship certificate is issued
The UK Home Office set out about eight conditions that foreign nationals must satisfy to apply for jobs listed on its newly created Temporary Shortage List, a register of around 70 job types where the country currently lacks enough workers.
The changes were introduced through a statement of amendments to the Immigration Rules. The rules were laid before Parliament under the Starmer Labour government.
Source: UGC
What the Temporary Shortage List Covers
The list spans a wide range of sectors. On the technical and trades side, roles include electricians, plumbers, welders, pipe fitters, vehicle technicians, painters and decorators, steel erectors, and construction supervisors.
In the professional and business space, roles such as data analysts, insurance underwriters, HR officers, legal associate professionals, IT support technicians, and advertising and marketing professionals are included.
For any of these roles to qualify, the applicant's Certificate of Sponsorship must be issued by the sponsor before 31 December 2026.
The 8 Requirements Explained
According to the updated Immigration Rules, the eight conditions are as follows. First, the Certificate of Sponsorship must be issued before 31 December 2026.
Second, the job must appear on the Temporary Shortage List. Third, the applicant must be sponsored under an eligible SOC 2020 occupation code listed on that register.
Fourth, the applicant must meet one of five salary thresholds: £41,700, £37,500, £33,400, £31,300, or £28,200, depending on the route being used.
Fifth, the applicant must also meet the going rate for their specific occupation code. Sixth, where a person works more than 48 hours per week, only the salary earned within the first 48 hours will count towards those thresholds.
For example, someone working 60 hours weekly at £15 per hour would be assessed on a salary of £37,440, not £46,800.
Seventh, care workers applying under SOC 2020 codes 6135 and 6136 face a specific set of conditions. They must have been legally working for the sponsoring employer in one of those occupation codes for at least three months before the Certificate of Sponsorship was issued, and the application must be submitted before 22 July 2028.
Alternatively, they must already hold Skilled Worker permission under either of those care worker codes. Eighth, applications made using a Certificate of Sponsorship issued before 22 July 2025 will be decided under the rules that were in force on 21 July 2025.
UK mentions long-term visa route for foreign graduates
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that UK government posted a publication about different visa applications and their duration for applicants.
Graduate visa allows foreign graduates to remain in the country for at least 18 months after completing an eligible degree.
Source: Legit.ng