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UK Visas and Immigration

GuidanceSkilled Worker visa: shortage occupations

Updated 6 October 2021

Check which jobs are on the shortage occupations list in each area of the UK.

If your job is on the list, you can be paid 80% of the job’s usual going rate to qualify for a Skilled Worker visa.

The annual salaries for these jobs are based on a 39-hour working week. They must be pro-rated for other working patterns, based on the weekly working hours stated by your employer.

There’s a different list of shortage occupations if you work in healthcare or education.

If you do not know your job’s occupation code, you can search for your job in the ONS occupation coding tool.

Occupation codeJob types included on the shortage occupations listAreas of the UK where there is a shortageAnnual salary (80% of going rate)1181Health services and public health managers and directors – all jobsEngland, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland80% of going rate: £30,720 (£15.15 per hour)1242Residential, day and domiciliary care managers and proprietors – all jobsEngland, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland80% of going rate: £21,360 (£10.53 per hour)2111Chemical scientists – only jobs in the nuclear industryScotland only80% of going rate: £21,360(£10.53 per hour)2112Biological scientists and biochemists – all jobsEngland, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland80% of going rate: £23,760(£11.72 per hour)2113Physical scientists – only the following jobs in the construction-related ground engineering industry:
engineering geologist
hydrogeologist
geophysicistEngland, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland80% of going rate: £29,200(£14.40 per hour)2113Physical 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 sectorEngland, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland80% of going rate: £29,200(£14.40 per hour)2114Social and humanities scientists – only archaeologistsEngland, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland80% of going rate: £20,720(£10.22 per hour)2121Civil engineers – all jobsEngland, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland80% of going rate: £28,000(£13.81 per hour)2122Mechanical engineers – all jobsEngland, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland80% of going rate: £26,720(£13.18 per hour)2123Electrical engineers – all jobsEngland, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland80% of going rate: £29,600(£14.60 per hour)2124Electronics engineers – all jobsEngland, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland80% of going rate: £27,760(£13.69 per hour)2126Design and development engineers – all jobsEngland, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland80% of going rate: £27,280(£13.45 per hour)2127Production and process engineers – all jobsEngland, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland80% of going rate: £26,480(£13.06 per hour)2129Engineering professionals not elsewhere classified – all jobsEngland, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland80% of going rate: £26,160(£12.90 per hour)2135IT business analysts, architects and systems designers – all jobsEngland, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland80% of going rate: £29,280(£14.44 per hour)2136Programmers and software development professionals – all jobsEngland, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland80% of going rate: £26,640(£13.14 per hour)2137Web design and development professionals – all jobsEngland, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland80% of going rate: £20,800(£10.26 per hour)2139Information technology and communications professionals not elsewhere classified – only cyber security specialistsEngland, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland80% of going rate: £25,440(£12.54 per hour)2216Veterinarians – all jobsEngland, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland80% of going rate: £26,000(£12.82 per hour)2425Actuaries, economists and statisticians – only bio-informaticians and informaticiansEngland, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland80% of going rate: £26,240(£12.94 per hour)2431Architects – all jobsEngland, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland80% of going rate: £28,000(£13.81 per hour)2461Quality control and planning engineers – all jobsEngland, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland80% of going rate: £24,400(£12.03 per hour)3111Laboratory technicians – all jobsEngland, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland80% of going rate: £14,560 (£7.18 per hour)3411Artists – all jobsEngland, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland80% of going rate: £16,800(£8.28 per hour)3414Dancers 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 Ireland80% of going rate: £23,840(£11.76 per hour)3415Musicians – 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 Ireland80% of going rate: £22,000 (£10.85 per hour)3416Arts officers, producers and directors – all jobsEngland, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland80% of going rate: £24,000(£11.83 per hour)3421Graphic designers – all jobsEngland, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland80% of going rate: £18,800(£9.27 per hour)5215Welding 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 Ireland80% of going rate: £18,240(£8.99 per hour)6146Senior care workers – all jobsEngland, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland80% of going rate: £13,520 (£6.67 per hour)

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