Do you have a skilled worker visa and are looking for a job in the UK? With the recognition of UK skilled worker visa in December 2020, the employers can hire people from abroad having this type of visa only if the job is in the shortage occupation list in UK. It is mandatory for the 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 15th May 2023, 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 shortage skills list in the United Kingdom. So, let’s discuss.
What is the shortage occupation list in UK?
The shortage occupation list in UK for skilled worker visa 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 the individuals obtaining health and care or skilled worker visa. A lack of local efficient workers creates opportunities for the foreign nationals who have the required skills to apply for the vacant jobs in UK.
Who is eligible for a skilled worker visa in UK?
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. And 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 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 the UK
- Applied for a job under the shortage occupation list in UK
- You must be paid a minimum salary depends 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 UK under the skilled worker visa is given below.
| Job Code | Occupations | Shortage Areas | Annual Salary ( 80% of going rate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2124 | Electronics engineers – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | £13.91 per hour in total £27,120 |
| 2126 | Design and development engineers – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | £13.99 per hour in total £27,280 |
| 2127 | Production and process engineers – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | £13.13 per hour in total £25,600 |
| 2129 | Engineering professionals not elsewhere classified – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | £13.70 per hour in total £26,720 |
| 2135 | IT business analysts, architects and systems designers – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | £15.43 per hour in total £30,080 |
| 2136 | Programmers and software development professionals – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | £13.95 per hour in total £27,200 |
| 2137 | Web design and development professionals – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | £10.99 per hour in total £21,440 |
| 2139 | Information technology and communications professionals not elsewhere classified – only cyber security specialists | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | £13.17 per hour in total £25,680 |
| 2216 | Veterinarians – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | £13.83 per hour in total £26,960 |
| 2425 | Actuaries, economists and statisticians – only bioinformaticians and informaticians | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | £13.78 per hour in total £26,880 |
| 1181 | Health services and public health managers and directors – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | £16.94 per hour in total £33,040 |
| 1242 | Residential, day and domiciliary care managers and proprietors – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | £11.61 per hour in total £22,640 |
| 2111 | Chemical scientists – only jobs in the nuclear industry | Scotland only | £11.69 per hour in total £22,800 |
| 2112 | Biological scientists and biochemists – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | £12.55 per hour in total £24,480 |
| 2113 | Physical scientists – only the following jobs in the construction-related ground engineering industry: engineering geologist hydrogeologist geophysicist | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | £13.37 per hour in total £26,080 |
| 2113 | Physical scientists – only the following jobs in the oil and gas industry: geophysicist geoscientist geologist geochemist technical services manager in the decommissioning and waste areas of the nuclear industry senior resource geologist and staff geologist in the mining sector | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | £13.37 per hour in total £26,080 |
| 2114 | Social and humanities scientists – only archaeologists | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | £10.50 per hour in total £20,480 |
| 2121 | Civil engineers – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | £14.24 per hour in total £27,760 |
| 2122 | Mechanical engineers – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | £13.54 per hour in total £26,400 |
| 2123 | Electrical engineers – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | £16.12 per hour in total £31,440 |
| 2431 | Architects – all jobs | Architects – all jobs | £13.50 per hour in total £26,320 |
| 2461 | Quality control and planning engineers – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | £12.96 per hour in total £25,280 |
| 3111 | Laboratory technicians – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | £7.75 per hour in total £15,120 |
| 3411 | Artists – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | £8.41 per hour in total £16,400 |
| 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). | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | £8.70 per hour in total £16,960 |
| 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 a full member of the Association of British Orchestras | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | £12.80 per hour in total £24,960 |
| 3416 | Arts officers, producers and directors – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | £11.98 per hour in total £23,360 |
| 3421 | Graphic designers – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | £9.44 per hour in total £18,400 |
| 5215 | 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 illegal working. | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | £9.48 per hour in total £18,480 |
| 6145 | Care workers and home carers - private households or individuals (other than sole traders sponsoring someone to work for their business) cannot sponsor Skilled Worker applicants | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | £10.75 per hour in total £20,960 per |
| 6146 | Senior care workers – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | £7.63 per hour in total £14,880 |
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 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.
| Job Code | Occupations | Shortage Area |
|---|---|---|
| 2211 | Medical practitioners – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland |
| 2212 | Psychologists – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland |
| 2213 | Pharmacists – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland |
| 2217 | Medical radiographers – all jobs (including radiotherapy practitioners / technologists) | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland |
| 2219 | Health professionals not elsewhere classified – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland |
| 2221 | Physiotherapists – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland |
| 2222 | Occupational therapists – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland |
| 2223 | Speech and language therapists – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland |
| 2231 | Nurses – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland |
| 2314 | Secondary education teaching professionals – only teachers in Gaelic | Scotland only |
| 2315 | Primary and nursery education teaching professionals – only Gaelic medium teachers | Scotland only |
| 2442 | Social workers – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland |
| 3213 | Paramedics – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland |
| 6141 | Nursing auxiliaries and assistants – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland |
Advantages of shortage occupation list in UK for employers
The employers of 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 shortage occupation list in UK (SOL). 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 shortage occupation list in UK.
Permission to work in a second job
The workers having sponsorship for a role on Shortage Occupation List in UK can work for a second job. Employees having a skilled worker visa, can also work for 20 hours a week additionally.
Salary discount for ILR
Workers on the shortage occupation list in UK under the skilled worker visa applying for an indefinite leave to remain in UK may benefit from a salary discount.
Tradeable points
Workers under the shortage occupation list in UK 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 do or what you can’t do with your visa. The restrictions generally depend on your visa. Here’s what you can do and can’t do with a skilled worker visa in 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 the benefits like (public funds, state pensions)
- Change jobs or employer
After making a successful application, you will get a full list of what you can do or what you can’t 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 the employers. You can only apply for this visa if your job is included in the shortage occupation 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 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 an 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 completed
- You have studied for a PhD programme for at least 24 months
Your partner 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
Skilled worker visa is a pathway to the non-resident UK workers to come to the UK for working purposes. If your job is involved in the shortage occupation list in UK, 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 given permission 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 shortage occupation list in UK it makes it easier for the employers to meet the point requirements for a skilled worker visa. The skilled worker visa 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 15th May 2023. But if you’ve any more queries about the UK visa requirements or settlement in UK, you can always contact AIMS Education.
FAQ
What is a skilled worker visa?
How much is the cost of a skilled worker visa in UK?
What jobs are included in the shortage occupation list in UK?
Programmers and software development professionals
Web design and development professionals
IT systems analysts, architects and systems designers
Civil engineers
Mechanical engineers
Electrical engineers.
Graphic designers
Arts officers, producers and directors etc.
What is the shortage occupation list in UK?
How much can I earn under a skilled worker visa shortage occupation list in UK?
Who can switch to the Skilled worker 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 an 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 finished
You have studied for a PhD programme for at least 24 months
