The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has published the second stage of its review of the new Temporary Shortage List (TSL), setting out which occupations should retain access to sponsorship following the government’s decision to raise the Skilled Worker skill threshold back to RQF Level 6 (degree level). The MAC recommends that only 28 occupations receive temporary access to the TSL, all for a limited period of 18 months.
The recommendations reinforce the government’s policy objective of linking migration policy more closely to domestic skills and workforce planning. The MAC has taken the view that immigration should only be available where there is evidence of shortage, a clear connection to the Industrial Strategy or critical infrastructure delivery, and a credible plan to reduce reliance on overseas labour over time.
The TSL was announced in the government’s Immigration White Paper published in May 2025 and is intended to replace the Immigration Salary List for sub-degree level occupations. Following the increase of the Skilled Worker skill threshold to RQF Level 6, occupations at RQF Levels 3–5 can only access sponsorship where they are included on the TSL.
The TSL is designed to provide temporary immigration access to occupations that:
The TSL in its current form is available to sponsor migrants until 31 December 2026.
This Stage 2 report should be read alongside the MAC’s earlier TSL recommendations issued during Stage 1 of the review and its subsequent Salary Review.
The MAC previously recommended that:
Importantly, the MAC’s salary review assumed that the TSL would not lead to settlement. It stated that if the government decides that TSL workers will continue to have a route to settlement, salary thresholds would likely need to be increased further due to the longer-term fiscal impact of settlement. This is currently under review by the Government.
The MAC reviewed 82 occupations as part of this review and recommends that only 28 occupations receive TSL access. The interim TSL in its current format contains 52 occupations. All recommended occupations would receive access for 18 months only, rather than three years. This reflects the MAC’s view that the quality of sector workforce plans was generally insufficient to justify longer-term access. The recommended occupations primarily fell within advanced manufacturing, clear energy, digital and technology, construction and critical infrastructure.
| 3544 Data analysts | 3113 Engineering technicians | 5211 Sheet metal workers |
| 5221 Metal machining setters and setter-operators | 5223 Metal working production and maintenance fitters | 5213 Welding trades |
| 5235 Boat and ship builders and repairers | 3116 Planning, process and production technicians | 5212 Metal plate workers, smiths, moulders and related occupations |
| 5249 Electrical and electronic trades n.e.c. (Overhead Line Workers only) | 3133 Database administrators and web content technicians | 3112 Electrical and electronics technicians |
| 5242 Telecoms and related network installers and repairers | 3114 Building and civil engineering technicians | 3512 Ship and hovercraft officers |
| 5214 Pipe fitters | 5241 Electricians and electrical fitters | 5313 Bricklayers |
| 5314 Roofers, roof tilers and slaters | 5315 Plumbers and heating and ventilating installers and repairers | 5316 Carpenters and joiners |
| 5319 Construction and building trades n.e.c. (Building envelope specialists and curtain wall installers only) | 5321 Plasterers | 5322 Floorers and wall tilers |
| 5323 Painters and decorators | 5330 Construction and building trades supervisors | 8113 Chemical and related process operatives |
| 3120 CAD, drawing and architectural technicians |
The MAC has recommended that a number of occupations should not receive Temporary Shortage List (TSL) access. These are predominantly office-based, business, sales, marketing, finance and professional services roles, alongside certain technical, laboratory, logistics, maintenance and automotive occupations. The MAC concluded that many of these roles either lacked convincing evidence of current or future labour shortages, were associated with relatively transferable skills that could be sourced from the domestic workforce, or were supported by weak workforce plans that failed to demonstrate how sectors would reduce reliance on overseas recruitment. Examples of this, include the following:
| 3111 Laboratory technicians | 3115 Quality assurance technicians | 3549 Business associate professionals n.e.c. |
| 3554 Marketing associate professionals | 3556 Sales accounts and business development managers | 5234 Aircraft maintenance and related trades |
| 5250 Skilled metal, electrical and electronic trades supervisors | 5225 Air-conditioning and refrigeration installers and repairers | 1243 Managers in logistics |
| 3533 Financial and accounting technicians | 3552 Business sales executives | 3541 Estimators, valuers and assessors |
| 3581 Inspectors of standards and regulations | 5245 Security system installers and repairers | 3429 Design occupations n.e.c. |
| 5231 Vehicle technicians, mechanics and electricians | 3414 Dancers and Choreographers (requires additional review) | 3415 Musicians (requires additional review) |
The report focuses largely on future sponsorship eligibility and does not propose any immediate action against individuals already sponsored in affected occupations. The MAC does not set out transitional arrangements for existing visa holders, and this will ultimately be determined by the Home Office when implementing any changes.
Historically, existing sponsored workers have often benefited from transitional protections when occupations have been removed from shortage occupation arrangements. However, employers should monitor future Immigration Rules changes carefully before making assumptions about extension or settlement eligibility. Until further details are published, uncertainty remains regarding how existing sponsored workers in affected occupations will be treated beyond December 2026.
The MAC expects the Home Office to implement any accepted recommendations from January 2027. The 28 recommended occupations could receive access until June 2028, at which point a further review would assess whether sectors have demonstrated meaningful progress in reducing reliance on migration. The MAC is clear that future access will depend increasingly on evidence of investment in domestic skills and workforce development, rather than reliance on overseas recruitment.
For employers, future access to sponsorship for sub-degree level occupations is likely to become more limited, more temporary and more closely tied to demonstrable workforce planning and skills investment.
For a deeper discussion on the above, please reach out to your Vialto Partners point of contact, or alternatively:
Lyudmyla Davies
Partner
Sarah Ingles
Partner
Ian Robinson
Partner
Adam Sinfield
Director
Andrea Als
Director
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