UK Temporary Shortage List 2026: MAC Recommends 28 Occupations for Skilled Worker Access

Key Takeaways

• On 23 July 2026, the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) published its Temporary Shortage List (TSL) Stage 2 report, recommending 28 mid-skilled occupations for time-limited access to the Skilled Worker route.
• All 28 occupations would receive 18-month access only, not the full three years, because the MAC judged that the supporting Jobs Plans still need improvement.
• The recommendations do not change the Immigration Rules yet. The government must decide whether to accept them, and any change would take effect through a Statement of Changes.
• If accepted, access is proposed to run from January 2027 to the end of June 2028, with a lighter-touch review of Jobs Plans before that window closes.
• The recommended roles are concentrated in construction, engineering, advanced manufacturing, clean energy, digital and technology, maritime and process industries.
• 18 occupations were not recommended, while two creative roles (skilled ballet or contemporary dancers and orchestral musicians) were recommended for direct Skilled Worker access instead of the TSL.
• WorkPermitCloud helps employers navigate these changes through sponsor licence support, Skilled Worker visa applications and immigration compliance, and workers can search verified sponsored vacancies on WPC Jobs.

Introduction

The UK’s Temporary Shortage List has become one of the most closely watched parts of the sponsored work visa system. It was created to soften the impact of a major change: from 22 July 2025, the Skilled Worker visa skill threshold was raised to graduate level, which removed around 180 medium-skilled occupations from the route. The TSL gives a limited number of those occupations a temporary way back in, provided they are important to the government’s priority sectors and backed by a credible plan to grow the domestic workforce.

On 23 July 2026, the MAC published the second stage of its TSL review and recommended that 28 occupations should be added to the list. In this guide we explain, in plain English, what the report actually says, which jobs are in and which are out, why every recommended role received only 18 months of access, and what UK employers and sponsors should be doing now. The figures and recommendations here are drawn directly from the MAC’s Temporary Shortage List: Stage 2 report.

What is the Temporary Shortage List (TSL)?

The Temporary Shortage List is a list of medium-skilled occupations (broadly RQF levels 3 to 5, which sit below degree level) that are allowed to keep using the Skilled Worker route on a time-limited basis. It was introduced in July 2025 when the general Skilled Worker skill threshold rose to RQF level 6, and it runs alongside the Immigration Salary List (ISL). The ISL replaced the Shortage Occupation List in April 2024 and still applies. For a breakdown of the current live list, see our guide to the UK Temporary Shortage Occupation List 2025 to 2026.

The purpose of the TSL is narrow and deliberate. Access is meant for occupations that are considered crucial to the delivery of the UK’s Industrial Strategy or its critical infrastructure, where there is genuine evidence of shortage, and where the relevant sector has a credible “Jobs Plan” showing how it will train and recruit more UK-based workers over time. In other words, the TSL is designed as a temporary bridge while domestic supply is built up, not a permanent solution to labour shortages.

Importantly, appearing on the TSL is not the same as appearing on the Immigration Salary List, which lowers the general salary threshold. The MAC recommended no general salary discount for TSL roles, so sponsors must still meet the applicable salary rules and pay the standard fees. Under the current rules that means at least £41,700 and the going rate, unless another salary option applies. Our guide to Skilled Worker eligibility and salary sets out the current Temporary Shortage List and Immigration Salary List rules. To understand how this fits into the wider reforms, see our explainer on the UK Immigration White Paper 2025 and the full list of occupations removed as the RQF threshold rose.

Why the MAC reviewed the TSL

The review flows directly from the government’s Immigration White Paper, “Restoring Control over the Immigration System”, published on 12 May 2025. The White Paper set out to link immigration more closely to domestic skills and training, so that no industry relies solely on migration to fill shortages.

On 2 July 2025 the Home Secretary commissioned the MAC to advise on the new TSL. The Stage 1 report (October 2025) set the design of the route, including a default access period of three years, the option of a shorter 18-month period where Jobs Plans needed work, and the ability for TSL visa holders to switch into higher-skilled roles in-country. This Stage 2 report answers the harder question: which of the 82 occupations identified as potentially crucial to priority sectors should actually be placed on the list.

The MAC set its assessment against a much looser labour market than in recent years. Vacancies fell from around 1.3 million in early 2022 to about 0.7 million in early 2026, and the number of vacancies per unemployed person dropped to 0.4. Because shortages are generally less acute in a looser market, the MAC applied a relatively generous test for signs of shortage and gave many occupations the benefit of the doubt in this first review.

The 28 occupations recommended for the TSL

The MAC assessed 46 occupations that were supported by departmental Jobs Plans. It concluded that 28 should be recommended for 18-month access to the TSL. The recommended roles span advanced manufacturing and engineering, clean energy, digital and technology, construction and critical infrastructure, maritime and shipping, and process industries. The table below groups them by sector.

Source: MAC, Temporary Shortage List: Stage 2 report, Table 3.2 (28 occupations, all 18-month access).

Why only 18 months, not three years?

Under the Stage 1 design, an occupation could be added to the TSL for a default period of three years, or for a shorter 18-month period where its Jobs Plan needed to be strengthened. In this review, the MAC concluded that none of the 28 occupations had a strong enough plan to justify the full three years. Every recommended role therefore received 18-month access.

The MAC assessed each occupation against four sequential tests: whether it is in shortage now or likely to be soon; whether the sector has a credible plan to make greater use of the domestic workforce; whether risks of abuse or exploitation are being managed; and whether TSL access is appropriate overall. Jobs Plan evidence was often broad and pitched at sector rather than occupation level, which is why access was granted cautiously and for a shorter period.

The MAC was clear that inclusion on the TSL should be the exception rather than the norm. It expects future Jobs Plans to link actions directly to the drivers of shortage and to show the scale and timing of their impact. In several sectors it encouraged employers and government to focus on pay, training, retention and productivity alongside sponsored migration, rather than treating the visa system as a long-term substitute for domestic recruitment.

Occupations not recommended for the TSL

The MAC recommended that 18 occupations should not receive TSL access. Seven were judged not to be in shortage, seven had Jobs Plans that were not credible or well targeted, and two were not considered appropriate for the route. Two further creative occupations were given separate treatment, which we explain in the next section. The table below summarises the roles that missed out and why.

Source: MAC, Temporary Shortage List: Stage 2 report, Tables 3.3 to 3.5.

Special treatment for dancers and musicians

The MAC recommended separate treatment for two creative occupations rather than placing them on the TSL. It proposed that skilled classical ballet dancers and contemporary dancers who meet the standard required by internationally recognised UK dance companies, and skilled orchestral musicians who meet the standard required by internationally recognised UK orchestras, should have direct access to the Skilled Worker route as roles treated at graduate skill level.

This is a narrow, exceptional recommendation. It would not extend Skilled Worker eligibility to all dancers, choreographers or musicians. The MAC reasoned that these employers are hiring exceptional international talent as a long-term strategy, rather than filling a short-term shortage that a Jobs Plan could solve.

What TSL access does and does not give employers

It is easy to assume that a place on the TSL brings back the old salary discounts. It does not. The MAC recommended that TSL occupation-specific salary thresholds should be set at the median of each occupation’s full-time earnings, with a general floor set at least at the 30th percentile of UK full-time earnings (£30,900 in 2025), and no salary discount. Sponsors should therefore plan on paying competitive wages and the standard visa fees.

On settlement, the picture may change. The MAC’s salary recommendation originally assumed the route would not lead to settlement, but at the time of writing, visas in TSL occupations do still lead to settlement. The government has separately consulted on an “earned settlement” model that could lengthen qualifying periods, so employers should keep an eye on that outcome. The table below sets out the key points at a glance.

What happens next, and the proposed timeline

The recommendations do not change the Immigration Rules. Ministers will now decide whether to accept them in full, adopt only some, or depart from the MAC’s advice. If the government proceeds, the changes would be introduced through a Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules, after which the Home Office would update the relevant appendices and sponsor guidance. There is no confirmed government timetable yet.

Note: dates and durations are the MAC’s proposals and depend on the government accepting the recommendations.

What this means for UK employers and sponsors

For sponsors, the key message is not to act as if the list has already changed. The occupations recommended by the MAC do not become eligible simply because they appear in the report. Until a Statement of Changes takes effect, you should continue to assess occupation eligibility, salary requirements and Certificates of Sponsorship under the rules currently in force.

At the same time, it is worth preparing now. If your recruitment plans depend on any of the 28 recommended roles, review where your reliance on sponsored workers is concentrated and which roles are most exposed to policy change. Because access is time-limited and construction occupations in particular will be closely monitored for compliance, robust immigration compliance and accurate SOC coding will matter more than ever. Good record-keeping through UKVI-compliant HR software can make audits and reporting far easier to manage.

How Can WorkPermitCloud Help?

WorkPermitCloud is an IAA-regulated Business Immigration and HR-tech specialist that helps UK employers stay ahead of changes like the Temporary Shortage List. Our team supports you with sponsor licence applications and licence changes, Skilled Worker visa applications, ongoing immigration compliance and UKVI-compliant HR software, so you are ready to move quickly if the government accepts the MAC’s recommendations. Job seekers can also explore verified sponsored vacancies on WPC Jobs.

Conclusion

The MAC’s Temporary Shortage List Stage 2 report is an important signal of where the UK’s sponsored work system is heading. By recommending just 28 occupations, all for 18 months only, the Committee has confirmed that TSL access is meant to be the exception, tightly linked to shortage evidence and genuine plans to grow the domestic workforce. For employers, the practical takeaway is to prepare without pre-empting: keep working within the current rules, understand where your business is exposed, and be ready to move if the government accepts the recommendations.

As the picture develops through late 2026 and into 2027, WorkPermitCloud will keep tracking the changes so you do not have to. If your workforce planning depends on any of these roles, our sponsor licence and Skilled Worker visa specialists are here to help you stay compliant and ready.

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