UK List of Shortage Occupation (2025)

Quick Facts on UK Shortage Occupation List 2027

Conversions based on a GBP-INR rate of INR 128 as of October 29, 2026. Rates fluctuate; check the current rate before financial planning.

UK Shortage Occupation List 2027 Explained

The UK Shortage Occupation List 2027 is not one single list anymore. It now runs as two separate lists under the Skilled Worker route.

The Home Office uses these lists to decide which jobs face labour shortages. Workers hired for these roles can qualify for a lower salary floor. Indian students usually enter this system after finishing a UK degree. They do so by moving from the UK Graduate Route visa to the Skilled Worker visa.

The two active lists are:

• The Immigration Salary List (ISL) with 25 jobs, which expires on 31 December 2026.
• The Temporary Shortage List (TSL), reformed from 1 January 2027, with 28 jobs recommended by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC).

Both lists let a UK employer sponsor an Indian worker for a job that otherwise sits below the normal salary bar. Source: UK Home Office and Migration Advisory Committee reports, July 2026.

Key Insight: The phrase "UK Shortage Occupation List" still shows up in job ads and old guides, but the official system is now the ISL plus the new TSL. Treat the two together as the "modern" shortage list.

From SOL to ISL to TSL

The old Shortage Occupation List (SOL) was withdrawn on 4 April 2024. The ISL took its place. The TSL joined in July 2025 for medium-skilled jobs.

This matters for Indian applicants because the rules keep changing. A job that qualified under the old SOL may not qualify under the new TSL at all.

Here is a simple timeline of what changed and when:

Source: Statement of Changes HC 997 (July 2025) and MAC Stage 2 Review Report (23 July 2026). The direction is clear. Each round makes the list shorter and more degree-focused. If your UK job sits below degree level, your route is narrower from 2027.

Older guides still use "SOL" out of habit. Treat SOL, ISL and TSL as parts of the same evolving system. If you are switching from the 18-month Graduate Route cut, this change in list rules hits even harder.

Full ISL 2026 Occupation List

The current ISL covers 25 occupations across the UK, Scotland-only roles and specific industry codes. Most entries expire on 31 December 2026, so Indian applicants need to plan around that date.

Here are the main ISL occupations useful for Indian graduates:

Source: UK Home Office Immigration Salary List and SOC code guidance, 2026. The ISL mainly helps workers in science, care and creative roles. All codes except 6135 and 6136 end on 31 December 2026. Care worker codes run until 22 July 2028.

What the ISL gives Indian applicants

• A salary floor of £33,400 instead of £41,700 for listed jobs.
• Access for care roles even though they fall below degree level.
• Easier numbers for employers who sponsor overseas workers.

What the ISL does not cover

• Software engineers, data scientists or AI roles - these use the standard route.
• Teachers, finance analysts and management consultants.
• Any job already at or above the going rate.

Read More: UK Graduate Route Visa 2027 Rules for Indian Students

Temporary Shortage List 2027 Jobs

The MAC recommended 28 occupations for the reformed Temporary Shortage List on 23 July 2026. This list is set to run from 1 January 2027 to 30 June 2028, an initial 18-month term.

The TSL covers medium-skilled jobs that fall below RQF Level 6 but still face real shortages. Indian students who study technical and vocational courses can target these roles. Source: MAC Letter to Home Secretary, 23 July 2026.

Key occupations recommended for the 2027 TSL include:

Source: MAC Second Stage Report, July 2026. The list adds eight new entries, including data analysts and certain estates and facilities roles. Laboratory technicians were not recommended for inclusion, so that route is now closed.

Key Insight: The TSL from 2027 does not carry the ISL salary discount. Workers get access to below-degree-level jobs but still face the full going rate. Plan budgets around the standard, not the discounted number.

Skilled Worker Visa Salary Thresholds

The general Skilled Worker visa salary floor in 2026 is £41,700 per year. That is around INR 53.4 lakh. The ISL discount drops this to £33,400 for listed jobs.

Each occupation also has its own "going rate" based on the SOC code. The salary must meet the higher of the general floor or the role’s going rate.

The main salary bands are:

• Standard route: £41,700 per year (around INR 53.4 lakh).
• ISL discounted route: £33,400 per year (around INR 42.8 lakh).
• New entrant rate: £33,400 for under-26s or recent graduates switching from the Graduate Route visa.
• Health and Care route: £25,000 for eligible care roles (SOC 6135, 6136).

For Indian students fresh out of a UK master’s, the new entrant rate is the most useful. It gives you four years at the lower floor before you must meet the full rate. Source: UK Home Office Skilled Worker guidance, 2026.

Several industry groups have urged a lower threshold for recent graduates, as reported by the Eastern Eye in September 2026. The gap between a typical UK graduate salary (around £29,000) and the £41,700 floor is one reason many Indian students never make the switch.

What students say on Reddit discussions on r/IndianStudentsAbroad: many Indian graduates describe the £41,700 floor as the single biggest barrier, with offer salaries sitting £5,000 to £10,000 short in London tech and finance roles.

Visa Fees for Indian Applicants

A Skilled Worker visa for up to three years costs around £819 from April 2026. On top of that, the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) is £1,035 per year. The UK student visa cost breakdown shows a similar structure for the student stage.

Here is the full cost picture for a single Indian applicant on a 3-year visa:

Source: GOV.UK fees schedule effective 8 April 2026. Care workers under SOC 6135 and 6136 are exempt from the IHS, which cuts the total by around £3,100. Keep a 5 to 8% currency buffer in your budget. The rupee can weaken between offer and visa payment.

Check Full UK Visa Cost Breakdown for Indian Students

Graduate Route to Skilled Worker Switch

From 1 January 2027, the UK Graduate Route drops from 24 months to 18 months. Indian students have less time to find a sponsored job and switch to a Skilled Worker visa.

PhD graduates keep the three-year window. For bachelor’s and master’s students, the clock is tighter. If you cannot secure a Skilled Worker offer within 18 months, you must leave the UK.

Here is a clean switch timeline for an Indian master’s student starting in September 2026:

• September 2026: Start one-year master’s course.
• September 2027: Finish course, apply for Graduate Route visa.
• October 2027 to March 2029: 18-month window to find a sponsored job.
• By early 2029: Switch to Skilled Worker visa before Graduate Route ends.

If X is a job on the TSL or ISL, then Y is a lower salary floor. That means Z, your switch becomes affordable even at a graduate salary. Indian nationals received 90,153 Graduate Route grants in 2025 (around 42% of all extensions), per Home Office data. Many then struggle at the switch stage because standard roles pay below £41,700. The reforms make targeting a MS in UK colleges that feeds into a shortage role even more important.

Best UK Courses for Shortage Roles

Choose a UK course that leads to a job on the ISL or 2027 TSL. That is the simplest way to turn a UK degree into UK work rights.

The strongest course-to-shortage match for Indian students in 2026 to 2027 is:

Source: UK Home Office SOC guidance and best UK courses for Indian students market data, 2026. For context, 57% of UK graduates land full-time work within 15 months. Shortage-route courses sit at or above that average. Students at Russell Group universities see even stronger sponsorship numbers.

Common Mistakes Indian Students Make

The most common mistake is assuming the old Shortage Occupation List still exists. It does not. Indian applicants often chase outdated job lists from 2023 guides.

Other frequent errors include:

• Mixing up ISL and TSL discounts. Only the ISL cuts the salary floor.
• Missing the 31 December 2026 ISL expiry. Applications must beat this date.
• Picking a course that does not match any shortage SOC code.
• Ignoring the RQF Level 6 rule for Skilled Worker roles.
• Not checking if the sponsor holds a valid Skilled Worker sponsor licence.
• Skipping the English test. The IELTS score for UK work visas needs at least B1 (around 4.0).

If X is a sponsor without a licence, then Y is your Skilled Worker application fails. That means Z, verify the sponsor on the Home Office register before you accept an offer.

Key Insight: Many Indian students assume Big Four, Google and Deloitte will sponsor any role. In practice, only Skilled Worker-licenced employers can, and even then only for roles above the salary floor. Check both before applying.

Permanent Residence After Skilled Worker

Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), the UK’s PR status, needs five continuous years on a qualifying visa. The Skilled Worker visa counts. The Graduate Route does not.

The simplest route for an Indian student is:

1. Student visa for your UK course (one to two years).
2. Graduate Route for 18 months post-course (from January 2027).
3. Skilled Worker visa for five years.
4. Apply for ILR at year five of Skilled Worker.
5. Apply for British citizenship one year later.

Total time from first UK arrival to PR works out to seven to eight years. Source: UK Home Office ILR guidance, 2026. The ISL and TSL make year one of the Skilled Worker stage easier. After that, the salary rules shift to the full going rate. Indian students chasing jobs after MS in UK or jobs after MBA in UK should map this five-year path before paying tuition. Start the UCAS application process only after the full route makes financial sense.

Conversions based on a GBP-INR rate of INR 128 as of October 29, 2026. Rates fluctuate; check the current rate before financial planning.

Also Check:

The UK Shortage Occupation List 2027 is better understood as two linked systems rather than one list. The ISL ends on 31 December 2026 for most jobs, while the new TSL takes over from 1 January 2027. Indian applicants should pick courses that feed into a job on either list. Salary floors, visa fees and the shorter Graduate Route all shape the real cost of moving to UK work rights. Plan for the full five-year Skilled Worker path, not just the first job offer.