Visa Types
UK Visa Shortage Occupations - Priority Applicants
Check if your job is on the shortage occupations list for each area in the UK.
If it's on the list, you might get 80% of your usual pay for a Skilled Worker visa.
Salaries are based on a 37.5-hour week and adjust for different working hours. Healthcare and education have separate lists. If you don't know your job code, use the ONS tool to find it.
| Occupation code | Job types included on the shortage occupations list | Areas of the UK where there is a shortage | Annual salary (80% of going rate) |
| 1181 | Health services and public health managers and directors – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £33,040 (£16.94 per hour) |
| 1242 | Residential, day and domiciliary care managers and proprietors – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £22,640 (£11.61 per hour) |
| 2111 | Chemical scientists – only jobs in the nuclear industry | Scotland only | 80% of going rate: £22,800 (£11.69 per hour) |
| 2112 | Biological scientists and biochemists – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £24,480 (£12.55 per hour) |
| 2113 | Physical scientists – only the following jobs in the construction-related ground engineering industry: | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £26,080 (£13.37 per hour) |
| engineering geologist | |||
| hydrogeologist | |||
| geophysicist | |||
| 2113 | Physical scientists – only the following jobs in the oil and gas industry: | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £26,080 (£13.37 per hour) |
| 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 | |||
| 2114 | Social and humanities scientists – only archaeologists | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £20,480 (£10.50 per hour) |
| 2121 | Civil engineers – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £27,760 (£14.24 per hour) |
| 2122 | Mechanical engineers – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £26,400 (£13.54 per hour) |
| 2123 | Electrical engineers – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £31,440 (£16.12 per hour) |
| 2124 | Electronics engineers – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £27,120 (£13.91 per hour) |
| 2126 | Design and development engineers – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £27,280 (£13.99 per hour) |
| 2127 | Production and process engineers – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £25,600 (£13.13 per hour) |
| 2129 | Engineering professionals not elsewhere classified – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £26,720 (£13.70 per hour) |
| 2135 | IT business analysts, architects and systems designers – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £30,080 (£15.43 per hour) |
| 2136 | Programmers and software development professionals – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £27,200 (£13.95 per hour) |
| 2137 | Web design and development professionals – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £21,440 (£10.99 per hour) |
| 2139 | Information technology and communications professionals not elsewhere classified – only cyber security specialists | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £25,680 (£13.17 per hour) |
| 2216 | Veterinarians – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £26,960 (£13.83 per hour) |
| 2425 | Actuaries, economists and statisticians – only bio-informaticians and informaticians | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £26,880 (£13.78 per hour) |
| 2431 | Architects – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £26,320 (£13.50 per hour) |
| 2461 | Quality control and planning engineers – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £25,280 (£12.96 per hour) |
| 3111 | Laboratory technicians – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £15,120 (£7.75 per hour) |
| 3411 | Artists – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £16,400 (£8.41 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. | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £16,960 (£8.70 per hour) |
| The company must be endorsed as being internationally recognised by a UK industry body such as the Arts Councils (of England, Scotland or Wales). | |||
| 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. | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £24,960 (£12.80 per hour) |
| The orchestra must a full member of the Association of British Orchestras. | |||
| 3416 | Arts officers, producers and directors – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £23,360 (£11.98 per hour) |
| 3421 | Graphic designers – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £18,400 (£9.44 per hour) |
| 5119 | Agriculture and fishing trades not elsewhere classified – only jobs in the fishing industry | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £17,600 (£9.03 per hour) |
| 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 | 80% of going rate: £18,480 (£9.48 per hour) |
| 5312 | Bricklayers and masons – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £18,640 (£9.56 per hour) |
| 5313 | Roofers, roof tilers and slaters – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £16,160 (£8.29 per hour) |
| 5315 | Carpenters and joiners – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £18,000 (£9.23 per hour) |
| 5319 | Construction and building trades not elsewhere classified – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £17,760 (£9.11 per hour) |
| 5321 | Plasterers – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £19,200 (£9.85 per hour) |
| 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 | No going rate – the salary must be at least £20,960 per year or £10.75 per hour |
| 6146 | Senior care workers – all jobs | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £14,880 (£7.63 per hour) |
| 9119 | Fishing and other elementary agriculture occupations not elsewhere classified – only deckhands on large fishing vessel (9 metres and above). The job must require 3 or more years’ full-time experience. This experience must not have been gained through illegal working. | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | 80% of going rate: £14,400 (£7.38 per hour) |
Information sourced from: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skilled-worker-visa-shortage-occupations/skilled-worker-visa-shortage-occupations