The Immigration Salary List (ISL) and the Temporary Shortage List (TSL) are two different lists with two different jobs. The ISL is a list of 25 occupations whose Skilled Worker applicants get a lower salary floor (£33,400 instead of £41,700, while still meeting the full going rate). The TSL is a list of 52 medium-skilled occupation codes that can still be sponsored on the Skilled Worker route even though they sit below the degree-level (RQF 6) skill threshold introduced on 22 July 2025. Both apply only to certificates of sponsorship issued before 31 December 2026, except the two care codes on the ISL, which run to 22 July 2028. Source: Immigration Rules Appendix Immigration Salary List and Appendix Skilled Worker; gov.uk Temporary Shortage List publication; checked 29 October 2026.
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Check a code: ISL and TSL checker · all 52 TSL codes · SOC codes with salary
What happens next: what ends on 31 December 2026
TL;DR: ISL vs TSL
- ISL: 25 occupations; lowers the salary floor to £33,400; the full going rate still applies; lower visa fee; mostly higher-skilled codes plus the two care codes.
- TSL: 52 occupation codes; makes medium-skilled jobs eligible at all; no salary discount; workers cannot bring dependants.
- Both end for new certificates on 31 December 2026 (ISL care codes: 22 July 2028). The MAC has proposed a 28-code TSL for 2027; not yet law.
- A code can be on both (for example laboratory technicians, 3111). Then the ISL salary floor and the TSL eligibility both apply.
Sources: gov.uk Immigration Rules and Temporary Shortage List publication, checked 29 October 2026. Tarve is not a regulated immigration adviser.
Side by side
| Immigration Salary List | Temporary Shortage List | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Lowers the fixed salary floor for shortage occupations | Makes medium-skilled (below RQF 6) occupations eligible for sponsorship |
| Introduced | 4 April 2024, replacing the Shortage Occupation List | 22 July 2025, with the rise of the skill threshold to RQF 6 |
| Size | 25 occupations | 52 occupation codes (some with job-title restrictions) |
| Salary rule | At least £33,400 and at least the standard going rate | The normal rules: the higher of £41,700 (or a reduced floor you qualify for) and the going rate |
| Visa fee | Lower application fee for ISL jobs | Standard fee |
| Dependants | Allowed, except care workers and senior care workers (since 11 March 2024) | Not allowed |
| Who uses it | Employers in science, engineering, the arts and care who can pay the going rate but not £41,700 | Employers in trades, technician, IT support, finance administration and similar roles that are below degree level |
| End date | 31 December 2026 for most codes; 22 July 2028 for care workers (6135) and senior care workers (6136) | 31 December 2026 (certificate issue date); a successor list is proposed, not confirmed |
| Where to check | Appendix Immigration Salary List | gov.uk Skilled Worker visa: temporary shortage list |
Which one applies to you
Start from the occupation code on your certificate of sponsorship, not the job title. If the code is higher skilled (RQF 6 and above), you do not need the TSL; the ISL matters only if the code is on it and your pay is between £33,400 and £41,700. If the code is medium skilled, you can only be sponsored for a new application if the code is on the TSL (or on the ISL, which also carries eligibility for its two care codes); without either, a new Skilled Worker visa is not possible in that code, though people already on the route can usually extend in the same occupation. The checker gives the position for any code, and every SOC code page states its gov.uk skill level.
What is changing
Both lists are explicitly temporary. The ISL is being phased out, with the TSL as the successor for sub-degree shortage roles. The Migration Advisory Committee's July 2026 review recommended a 28-occupation TSL from January 2027 to June 2028; the government has not yet put it into the rules. Our 31 December guide covers the transition and the certificate-date rule that decides which regime applies.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Temporary Shortage List the same as the Shortage Occupation List?
No. The Shortage Occupation List was replaced by the Immigration Salary List in April 2024. The Temporary Shortage List is a separate list created in July 2025 for medium-skilled occupations.
Does a TSL job get a salary discount?
No. The TSL only makes the occupation eligible; the normal salary rules apply. Only the ISL lowers the fixed floor, and only to £33,400 with the full going rate still required.
Can I bring my family on a Temporary Shortage List job?
No. Workers sponsored in TSL occupations cannot bring dependants under the current rules. Standard Skilled Worker and most ISL occupations can; care workers and senior care workers cannot.
What happens if my code is on both lists?
Both apply: the TSL gives eligibility for a medium-skilled code and the ISL gives the £33,400 floor. Laboratory technicians (3111) are an example.
The Tarve team researches UK visa sponsorship directly from official gov.uk and Home Office sources — the register of licensed sponsors, the Immigration Rules, and published salary and going-rate data — to produce clear, regularly updated guides for international professionals. Tarve is an independent information and job-search service, not a regulated immigration adviser.
Figures and rules on this page are taken from official gov.uk and Home Office publications and were last verified on 2 November 2026. Tarve is an independent information and job-search service, not a regulated immigration adviser: guidance here is for information only, and you should always confirm the current rules on gov.uk.