The Migration Advisory Committee has recommended a significant reduction to the number of roles featuring on the Temporary Shortage List – workers in affected occupations may lose the ability to extend their Skilled Worker visas.
The Temporary Shortage List (“TSL”) was introduced as part of the significant overhaul of the Skilled Worker route in July 2025. Those July 2025 changes saw “medium skilled” roles at RQF levels 3 to 5 become ineligible for the Skilled Worker visa. However, the TSL allowed for some of these “medium skilled” roles to remain temporarily eligible for Skilled Worker visas, with the list of qualifying occupations being subject to review.
The TSL was intended to take account of those sectors and occupations suffering from skills or labour shortages in the UK, allowing for continued overseas recruitment into these roles. It’s worth noting that a role being on the TSL doesn’t give it equivalent status to a “higher skilled”, RQF 6 role, with Skilled Worker applicants for roles on the TSL having stricter prohibitions on bringing dependants (subject to various caveats and exceptions).
At the time of writing, 52 occupations feature on the TSL – you can view the full list here.
However, in July 2026 the Migration Advisory Committee (“MAC”) published its second-stage review of the TSL, recommending that just 28 occupations are included on the TSL for the next 18 months.
A common theme for the MAC’s new list is that many of the occupations are what typically might be referred to as the “trades” – construction, plumbing, electricians, roofers, carpenters, painters and plasterers – which aligns with the Government’s housebuilding push. There are also various engineering and metalworking roles, perhaps pointing towards the Prime Minister’s proposals to revive secondary sector industry in the UK. Despite this heavy focus on what some might describe as more “hands-on” occupations, there is still space for data analysts, database administrators and web content technicians.
This does, of course, mean that many occupations may soon leave the TSL, and will therefore cease to be eligible for the Skilled Worker visa.
We would recommend that employers consider the MAC’s report – which can be read here – and assess whether the proposed changes to the TSL are likely to impact on their recruitment plans or affect currently sponsored workers.
If you have any questions about the TSL or Skilled Worker sponsorship in general, or if you require support with assessing the impact of the MAC’s review on your business, please get in touch at immigration@fsp-law.com
This article is for information only and does not constitute legal advice. We recommend seeking professional advice before taking any action on the information provided. If you would like to discuss your specific circumstances, please feel free to contact us on 0118 951 6200.
