The Immigration Salary List UK (ISL) was introduced in 2024 to replace the old Shortage Occupation List. This change is part of the government’s plan to raise salary thresholds for Skilled Worker visas while still allowing certain key roles to qualify with lower pay.
If you’re applying for a UK work visa in 2025, it’s vital to understand how the new Immigration Salary List UK works, which jobs are included, and what salary levels are required.
The Immigration Salary List UK is not to be confused with other lists such as the Skilled Worker Occupation List / Healthcare and Education Shortage Occupation List / Temporary Shortage List
Depending on your job role or Standard Occupational Classification (SOC), will decide which work visa is appropriate for you. However, most work visas can lead to permanent residence in the UK after five years and then on to citizenship.
What is Immigration Salary List UK?
The Immigration Salary List UK (ISL) was created to help British businesses who are experiencing skills shortages and need to hire from overseas. There are currently 23 occupations on the Immigration Salary List UK of which 20 are needed in all four countries, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
This UK shortage occupation list is compatible with the Skilled Worker and Health and Care Worker visas.
UK companies benefit as they can sponsor skilled professionals with a lower salary threshold, whilst workers benefit with reduced visa fees.
Immigration Salary List UK
The most recent Immigration Salary List UK is below, it was published on July 2025.
All job roles on this list can be applied through the Skilled Worker or Health and Care Worker visa routes.
In addition, you qualify for the lower rate if you are applying for specific roles in the Health and Care Worker visa, or you got a Certificate of Sponsorship before April 2024.
| SOC Code | Job Role | Country | Standard rate | Lower rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1212 | Managers and proprietors in forestry, fishing and related services – only “fishing boat masters” | Scotland only | £30,960 (£15.88 per hour) | £25,200 (£12.92 per hour) |
| 2111 | Chemical scientists – only jobs in the nuclear industry | Scotland only | £35,200 (£18.05 per hour) | £29,600 (£15.18 per hour) |
| 2112 | Biological scientists – all jobs | UK wide | £38,000 (£19.49 per hour) | £28,100 (£14.41 per hour) |
| 2115 | Social and humanities scientists – only archaeologists | UK wide | £36,400 (£18.67 per hour) | £25,200 (£12.92 per hour) |
| 2142 | Graphic and multimedia designers – all jobs | UK wide | £30,960 (£15.88 per hour) | £25,100 (£12.87 per hour) |
| 3111 | Laboratory technicians – only jobs requiring 3 or more years’ related on-the-job experience. This experience must not have been gained through working illegally. | UK wide | £30,960 (£15.88 per hour) | £23,200 (£11.90 per hour) |
| 3212 | Pharmaceutical technicians – all jobs | UK wide | £30,960 (£15.88 per hour) | £23,400 (£12.00 per hour) |
| 3411 | Artists – all jobs | UK wide | £32,800 (£16.82 per hour) | £25,900 (£13.28 per hour) |
| 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). | UK wide | £31,200 (£16.00 per hour) | £30,000 (£15.38 per hour) |
| 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 be a full member of the Association of British Orchestras. | UK wide | £35,300 (£18.10 per hour) | £30,400 (£15.59 per hour) |
| 3416 | Arts officers, producers and directors – all jobs | UK wide | £37,500 (£19.23 per hour) | £31,300 (£16.05 per hour) |
| 5119 | Agriculture and fishing trades not elsewhere classified – only jobs in the fishing industry | UK wide | £30,960 (£15.88 per hour) | £23,200 (£11.90 per hour) |
| 5213 | 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 working illegally. | UK wide | £31,700 (£16.26 per hour) | £26,400 (£13.54 per hour) |
| 5235 | Boat and ship builders and repairers – all jobs | Scotland only | £34,100 (£17.49 per hour) | £26,300 (£13.49 per hour) |
| 5312 | Stonemasons and related trades – all jobs | UK wide | £32,400 (£16.62 per hour) | £26,200 (£13.44 per hour) |
| 5313 | Bricklayers – all jobs | UK wide | £30,960 (£15.88 per hour) | £25,600 (£13.13 per hour) |
| 5314 | Roofers, roof tilers and slaters – all jobs | UK wide | £30,960 (£15.88 per hour) | £23,200 (£11.90 per hour) |
| 5316 | Carpenters and joiners – all jobs | UK wide | £30,960 (£15.88 per hour) | £25,200 (£12.92 per hour) |
| 5319 | Construction and building trades not elsewhere classified – only retrofitters | UK wide | £30,960 (£15.88 per hour) | £25,500 (£13.08 per hour) |
| 6135 | Care workers and home carers – all jobs, except jobs with a working location in England are only eligible in this SOC 2020 occupation code where the sponsor holds registration with the Care Quality Commission and is currently carrying on a regulated activity. Private households or individuals (other than sole traders sponsoring someone to work for their business) cannot sponsor Skilled Worker applicants. | UK wide | £30,960 (£15.88 per hour) | £23,200 (£11.90 per hour) |
| 6136 | Senior care workers – all jobs, except jobs with a working location in England are only eligible in this SOC 2020 occupation code where the sponsor holds registration with the Care Quality Commission and is currently carrying on a regulated activity. | UK wide | £30,960 (£15.88 per hour) | £23,200 (£11.90 per hour) |
| 6129 | Animal care services occupations not elsewhere classified – only racing grooms, stallion handlers, stud grooms, stud hands, stud handlers and work riders | UK wide | £30,960 (£15.88 per hour) | £23,200 (£11.90 per hour) |
| 9119 | Fishing and other elementary agriculture occupations not elsewhere classified – only deckhands on large fishing vessels (9 metres and above) where the job requires the worker to have at least 3 years’ full-time experience in using their skills. This experience must not have been gained through working illegally. | UK wide | £30,960 (£15.88 per hour) | £23,200 (£11.90 per hour) |
Other Skilled Occupation Lists
If your job type is not in the Immigration Salary List UK, you may still qualify for job sponsorship on another occupations list. Similar to ISL, your occupation must be eligible and you must earn a salary above the “Going Rate”.
Skilled Worker Occupation List
There are 225 occupations currently on this list, you can find the list here.
The largest of all the occupation lists in the UK, there is wide range of job roles across many industries.
Careers on this list can be applied for through the Skilled Worker visa.
Health and Education Occupation List
Are nurses on the Immigration Salary List? Yes!
Doctors, nurses, social workers and teaching professionals will find their code through the Healthcare and Education Occupations List.
The Health and Care worker visa is currently the most popular way to immigrate to the UK, 50,591 applicants moved here year ending September 2024.
| SOC | Job Role | Related job titles |
|---|---|---|
| 2211 | Generalist medical practitioners | Doctor General practitioner House officer (hospital service) Medical practitioner Physician |
| 2212 | Specialist medical practitioners | Anaesthetist Consultant (hospital service) Homeopath (medically qualified) Medical acupuncturist Paediatrician Psychiatrist Radiologist Surgeon |
| 2221 | Physiotherapists | Electro-therapist Physiotherapist Physiotherapy practitioner |
| 2222 | Occupational therapists | Community occupational therapist Occupational therapist Paediatric occupational therapist |
| 2223 | Speech and language therapists | Communication therapist Language therapist Speech and language therapist Speech therapist |
| 2224 | Psychotherapists and cognitive behaviour therapists | Cognitive behavioural therapist Psycho-analyst Psychological counsellor Psychotherapist |
| 2225 | Clinical psychologists | Clinical psychologist Consultant clinical psychologist |
| 2226 | Other psychologists | Educational psychologist Forensic psychologist Occupational psychologist Psychologist Psychometrist |
| 2229 | Therapy professionals not elsewhere classified | Acupuncturist Art therapist Chiropractor Dance movement therapist Family therapist Genetic counsellor Nutritionist Osteopath Sports massage therapist Sports therapist |
| 2231 | Midwifery nurses | Delivery suite manager Midwife Midwifery manager |
| 2232 | Registered community nurses | Community care nurse District nurse Health visitor Practice nurse |
| 2233 | Registered specialist nurses | Advanced primary care nurse Intensive care nurse Clinical nurse specialist Theatre manager (hospital service) |
| 2234 | Registered nurse practitioners | Health care practitioner Mental health practitioner Practitioner (nursing) |
| 2235 | Registered mental health nurses | Community mental health nurse Psychiatric nurse |
| 2236 | Registered children’s nurses | Community children’s nurse Neonatal nurse Paediatric nurse School nurse |
| 2237 | Other registered nursing professionals | Clinical lead nurse Matron (care/residential home) Nurse Nurse educator Occupational health nurse Staff nurse Team leader (nursing) Ward manager |
| 2251 | Pharmacists | Chemist (pharmaceutical) Dispensary manager Pharmaceutical chemist Pharmacist Pharmacy manager |
| 2252 | Optometrists | Doctor of optometry Ophthalmic optician Optician |
| 2253 | Dental practitioners | Dental surgeon Dentist Orthodontist Periodontist |
| 2254 | Medical radiographers | Medical photographer Nuclear medicine practitioner Radiographer Sonographer Therapeutic radiographer Vascular technologist |
| 2255 | Paramedics | Ambulance paramedic Emergency care practitioner Paramedic Paramedic-ECP |
| 2256 | Podiatrists | Chiropodist Foot health practitioner (qualified) Podiatrist |
| 2259 | Other health professionals not elsewhere classified | Audiologist Clinical physiologist Dietician-nutritionist Family planner Occupational health adviser Operating theatre practitioner Physiologist |
| 2312 | Further education teaching professionals | FE College lecturer Lecturer (further education) Teacher (further education) Tutor (further education) |
| 2313 | Secondary education teaching professionals | Curriculum leader (secondary school) Deputy head teacher (secondary school) Head of year (secondary school) Secondary school teacher Sixth form teacher Teacher (secondary school) |
| 2314 | Primary education teaching professionals | Deputy head teacher (primary school) Infant teacher Junior school teacher Primary school teacher |
| 2315 | Nursery education teaching professionals | Kindergarten teacher (professional) Nursery school teacher Pre-school teacher |
| 2316 | Special and additional needs education teaching professionals | Behaviour support teacher Deputy head teacher (special/additional needs school) Learning support teacher Special educational needs coordinator Special needs teacher |
| 2321 | Head teachers and principals | Head master (secondary school) Head teacher (primary school) Principal (further education) Rector (university) |
| 2461 | Social workers | Independent review officer (social worker) Mental health social worker Senior practitioner (local government: social services) Social worker Team leader (local government: social services) |
| 3213 | Medical and dental technicians | Cardiographer Dental hygienist Dental technician Medical technical officer Ocularist Orthopaedic technician Radiography assistant practitioner |
| 3219 | Health associate professionals not elsewhere classified | Antenatal teacher Diet adviser Health trainer Therapist |
| 3231 | Higher level teaching assistants | Advanced teaching assistant HLTA Learning support practitioner Teaching assistant (qualified) |
| 6112 | Teaching assistants | Classroom assistant School assistant Teaching assistant |
| 6113 | Educational support assistants | Education support assistant Learning support assistant Non-teaching assistant (schools) Special needs assistant Support assistant (educational establishments) |
| 6131 | Nursing auxiliaries and assistants | Auxiliary nurse Health care assistant (hospital service) Health care support worker Nursing assistant Nursing auxiliary |
| 6132 | Ambulance staff (excluding paramedics) | Ambulance care assistant Ambulance driver Ambulance service preparation operative Ambulance technician Emergency medical technician |
| 6133 | Dental nurses | Dental assistant Dental nurse Dental nurse-receptionist Dental surgery assistant |
Unskilled Shortage Occupation List UK
There are no visa sponsorship opportunities if your job role is not listed in any of the three lists discussed above.
However, some UK work visas do not require a job offer or job sponsorship at all.
Here are the top 5 most popular UK work visa without job offer:
UK Work Visas with Job Sponsorship
How to apply for Immigration Salary List UK? Depending on your personal circumstances such as age, nationality, SOC code and education. Will decide which UK work visa is correct for you.
Eligibility varies depending on your circumstances and the type of visa, but there are some general rules. You will have to be on one of the occupations lists linked to that visa, for example to apply for the Scale-Up visa it must on the Scale-Up Occupation List.
To apply for a job in the National Health Service (NHS) or healthcare in general. You would apply through the Health and Care Worker visa as this would relate to your job role. You would find the SOC code for your role on the Healthcare and Education Occupations List.
- You must work for an employer that has been approved for a sponsor license.
- Salary must meet a minimum threshold for that job role.
- Pass an English language test.
Can a job through Immigration Salary List UK lead to citizenship?
Yes, depending on the visa type and your length of stay. You need to accumulate five years of working in the UK before you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).
There are 3 main stages to being granted British citizenship.
- Live and Work in the UK for 5 years on a work visa
- Apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)
- Apply for Naturalisation/British citizenship
FAQs: Immigration Salary List UK
❓ What is the difference between the Immigration Salary List and the Shortage Occupation List?
The Shortage Occupation List no longer applies. The Immigration Salary List UK has replaced it, with updated roles and salary rules.
❓ Do all Skilled Worker visas require £38,700 now?
No. If your job is on the ISL, you can qualify with a lower salary. Health and care workers also have separate rules.
❓ How often is the ISL updated?
The government reviews the list regularly and makes changes depending on labour market needs.
Have questions or want help choosing the right visa? Subscribe or explore more articles on UK visas and immigration tips.
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