UK Temporary Shortage List 2026: Powerful Update on 28 Occupations Added for Visa Access
Discover the latest UK Temporary Shortage List 2026 update. Learn about the 28 occupations recommended by the Migration Advisory Committee, temporary visa access, UK immigration changes, and what they mean for international workers.
UK Temporary Shortage List 2026: Powerful Update on 28 Occupations Added for Visa Access
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Migration Advisory Committee suggests 28 occupations for limited access to new Temporary Shortage List (TSL) – UK Immigration Update 2026
Migration Advisory Committee suggests 28 occupations for limited access to new Temporary Shortage List
The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has issued the second stage evaluation of the Government’s new Temporary Shortage List (TSL) and recommended that 28 occupations should be added to the list for an initial period of 18 months.
The TSL is designed to provide temporary migration access for middle-skilled occupations that support the UK Government’s Industrial Strategy and key infrastructure projects.
MAC presents second stage review of jobs required to back Government industrial policy
Yesterday, the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) issued the second stage evaluation of the Government’s new Temporary Shortage List (TSL) and recommended that 28 jobs should be added to the list for an initial period of 18 months. No vocations were judged to have a strong enough case for inclusion until the next thorough review of the TSL, due in three years.
The 83-page study can be downloaded here or read online here. This follows the MAC’s first stage review published last October.
The study says that the TSL is a new tool to enable temporary migration access for specified middle-skilled occupations when individuals are deemed necessary to support the Government’s Industrial Strategy or key infrastructure projects. The TSL is restricted to jobs backed by workforce plans, known as “Jobs Plans” in the MAC’s assessment, which outline how sectors will boost training, recruitment and retention and make better use of the domestic workforce.
The MAC’s report describes what it considers to be qualifying occupations and also looks at whether there has been sufficient evidence of intentions from employers and government to improve recruitment and training from the domestic labour.
The MAC claimed it was comparatively easy to identify which jobs were associated with priority sectors, compared with monitoring labour shortages which can vary by area, company and vocation. The Committee received evidence on vacancy numbers, earnings, hours worked and comments from businesses, industry organisations, trade unions, government departments and devolved authorities.
The evaluation examined in detail 82 occupations, identified in the first stage examination. The MAC has now recommended admission to the TSL for 18 months for 28 of those 82. It recommended no occupation for full access until the next planned three-year assessment.
The 28 Recommended Occupations
Electrical and electronics technicians
Engineering technician
Sheet-metal workers
Setters and setter-operators for metal machining
Metal working, manufacturing and maintenance fitters
Welding trades
Builders and repairers of boats and ships
Planning, process and production technicians
Metal plate workers, smiths, moulders and kindred trades
Electrical and electronic trades n.e.c. – Overhead Line Workers only
Web content technicians and database administrators
Data Analysts
Telecoms and other network installation and repair workers
Technicians in construction and civil engineering
Officers of ships and hovercrafts
Piping fitters
Electricians and electrical fitters
Bricklayers
Roofers, slaters and roof tilers
Heating and Ventilating Installers and Repairers, Plumbers
Joiners and carpenters
Construction and construction trades n.e.c. – construction envelope specialists, Curtain wall installers
Plasterers
Floor tilers and wall tilers
Painting and decorating
Supervisors in construction and building trades
Chemical and associated process operatives
CAD, Drafting and Architectural Technicians
The MAC said that these jobs were chosen on the basis that the evidence for present or future shortages was credible, and the Jobs Plans submitted for these jobs were usually relevant to the shortfall causes identified (although the quality of the plans varied). The Committee said that in some situations the importance of vocations to immediate government priorities, such as housebuilding and infrastructure delivery, made temporary immigration access reasonable.
The analysis stated that the recommended jobs accounted for about 4,000 visas a year on average between 2022/23 and 2024/25 compared to about 10,000 visas a year for all 82 occupations assessed. The MAC said its advice is projected to lead to a relatively slight reduction in migration overall, with limited anticipated impact on public finances, economic growth or business confidence.
In conclusion the MAC said:
“Our suggestions are constrained by the framework set out for us in the commissioning letter and the government’s Immigration White Paper. We have strived to be pragmatic in keeping with the commissioning letter, aware that this is the first time that this exercise has been completed, and mindful of the potential that high-priority industries could be deprived of workforce that stifles their growth. This has resulted in a higher number of occupations being recommended for 18-month access (28) than we would in future assessments if presented with the same level of evidence and if the government maintains its stance that a credible Jobs Plan is a pre-requisite to TSL access. No occupations were strong enough to justify full three-year TSL access.”
The full TSL reviews are carried out every three years and the first set of vocations will be subject to another review before their 18-month access period expires. Going forward, decisions will increasingly be based on evidence of progress, including if workforce initiatives are producing more trained workers and reducing long-term dependency on migration.
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