The Statement of Changes to Immigration rules dated 1st July 2025 introduce interim measures, under which occupations below RQF level 6 continue to be eligible for the Skilled Worker route where they appear on either:
• an expanded Immigration Salary List, containing the existing entries plus occupations at RQF levels 3-5 which the Migration Advisory Committee MAC identified as being in shortage in its 2023 review and 2024 rapid review.
• an interim Temporary Shortage List, containing occupations at RQF levels 3-5 which the Department for Business and Trade and His Majesty’s Treasury have identified as being important for the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy.
The above interim measures make the skilled worker rules relating to Soc Code and minimum pay much more complex. The Appendix Skilled Occupations where the Home Office includes all the Soc Codes and salaries for the skilled jobs has more tables than it used to prior to the July 2025 changes.
Temporary Shortage List and The Immigration Salary List
The Immigration Salary List will be phased out in future changes to Immigration Rules.
As the name suggests, entries on the Temporary Shortage List are time-limited and conditional. These changes therefore include removal dates for occupations on both lists, set at the end of 2026 (with the exception of adult social care where there are specific separate arrangements).
The Government reserves the right to bring that date forward if compliance issues present on these lists. The future contents (and visa terms and conditions) of the Temporary Shortage List will be subject to review by the Migration Advisory Committee MAC. Occupations will only be included or retained on the list where the MAC has advised it is justified, where there is a workforce strategy in place, and where employers seeking to recruit from abroad are committed to playing their part in increasing recruitment from the domestic workforce.
Dependants not permitted for occupations on both Immigration Salary List and Temporary Shortage List
Workers sponsored in occupations on either list at RQF levels 3-5 will not be able to bring dependants. This does not apply to occupations at RQF 6 or above, or workers sponsored in occupations at RQF levels 3-5 who are already in the Skilled Worker route and able to bring dependants before these changes come into effect.
In line with the existing restrictions on dependants of care workers and senior care workers, these changes also exempt dependent children who were born in the UK or where the Skilled Worker has sole parental responsibility for them.
Adult social care Soc Code 6135 and 6136 – switching until 22 July 2028 and no entry clearance
Concerns over workers sponsored as care workers and senior care workers (occupation codes 6135 and 6136) are well known. These include visa holders who have found themselves out of work due to employers over-estimating demand for their services or losing their ability to sponsor workers due to non-compliance, as well as significant concerns over abuse and exploitation of workers. As set out in the Immigration White Paper, these changes close entry clearance applications for Skilled Workers sponsored in these occupation codes.
The changes also provide for in-country applications, for those switching from other visa routes, to continue for a transition period until 22 July 2028, at which point these occupations will be removed from the Immigration Salary List or Temporary Shortage List.
Workers must have been legally working for the provider that is sponsoring them for at least 3 months before the date their certificate of sponsorship was issued to them by their sponsor. This requirement supports continuity of employment, and provides assurance that workers are suitable to be sponsored to work in the sector, and that sponsors and workers have been in an employer-employee relationship for a reasonable period of time, allowing both parties to demonstrate compliance with basic employment law (including National Minimum Wage regulations) and mitigate risks relating to potential exploitation.
The requirement for sponsors to first try to recruit from the pool of Skilled Workers seeking new sponsorship is being removed. As a result of the above changes, all applications to which the requirement applied are being closed.
Transitional arrangements to exempt workers who are already in the Skilled Worker route (or have been sponsored for an application which is later successful) or who switch to the route before the closing date of 22 July 2028.