UK Shortlists 82 Mid-Skilled Jobs for Temporary Work Visas: Full List Inside

The United Kingdom is close to rewriting the rules on who can come in and work in middle-skill jobs. On 9 October 2025, the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) published the first of two reports on a new visa mechanism, laying out a shortlist of 82 occupations deemed strong candidates for a Temporary Shortage List (TSL).

Here’s what’s going on, why it matters, and what to watch for.

What Is a Temporary Work Visa?

In the UK’s system, a temporary work visa is an immigration route that allows overseas citizens to live and work in Britain for a set period, typically to fill urgent gaps in the labour market. Unlike permanent work visas, these are time-limited and often tied to specific roles or sectors facing shortages.

What’s a Temporary Shortage List (TSL)?

You can think of the Temporary Shortage List (TSL) as a narrow doorway: it allows access to UK work visas for mid-skilled roles (Regulated Qualifications Framework levels 3 to 5), but only for those roles deemed critical to UK industry or infrastructure.

That doorway didn’t always exist. Until recently, only jobs at RQF level 6 (degree level) and above qualified under the main Skilled Worker route. The TSL is meant to be a limited carve-out for roles outside that band, but only under strict conditions.

To be clear: being on the 82-job list now doesn’t guarantee inclusion in the final TSL. That’s what Stage 2 of the review is for.

What Stage 1 Did: The Shortlist

In Stage 1, the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) filtered through several criteria to pick occupations that might be “crucial to delivering the Industrial Strategy or critical infrastructure.”

They settled on 82 RQF 3–5 jobs to carry forward into Stage 2. Here’s the key: Stage 2 will test whether each role is in real shortage, whether migration is a proper way to fill it, and whether the concerned sectors have solid “Jobs Plans” to ensure UK workers are used first.

Below is the full list of the 82 occupations the MAC advanced for further review. (Some are familiar; some are surprises.)

Full List of 82 Mid-Skilled Occupations in Contention

Below are the occupations the MAC has earmarked for possible inclusion on the new Temporary Shortage List. All are classified between RQF 3 and 5.

4-Digit Code	Occupation Title
1243	Managers in logistics
1257	Hire services managers and proprietors
1258	Directors in consultancy services
3111	Laboratory technicians
3112	Electrical and electronics technicians
3113	Engineering technicians
3114	Building and civil engineering technicians
3115	Quality assurance technicians
3116	Planning, process and production technicians
3119	Science, engineering and production technicians not elsewhere classified (n.e.c).
3120	CAD, drawing and architectural technicians
3131	IT operations technicians
3132	IT user support technicians
3133	Database administrators and web content technicians
3213	Medical and Dental Technicians
3411	Artists
3412	Authors, writers and translators
3413	Actors, entertainers and presenters
3414	Dancers and choreographers
3415	Musicians
3417	Photographers, audio-visual and broadcasting equipment operators
3421	Interior designers
3422	Clothing, fashion and accessories designers
3429	Design occupations n.e.c.
3512	Ship and hovercraft officers
3520	Legal associate professionals
3532	Insurance underwriters
3533	Financial and accounting technicians
3534	Financial accounts managers
3541	Estimators, valuers and assessors
3543	Project support officers
3544	Data analysts
3549	Business associate professionals n.e.c.
3552	Business sales executives
3554	Marketing associate professionals
3556	Sales accounts and business development managers
3571	Human resources and industrial relations officers
3573	Information technology trainers
3581	Inspectors of standards and regulations
3582	Health and safety managers and officers
4121	Credit controllers
4122	Book-keepers, payroll managers and wages clerks
4129	Financial administrative occupations n.e.c.
4132	Pensions and insurance clerks and assistants
4159	Other administrative occupations n.e.c.
4214	Company secretaries and administrators
5211	Sheet metal workers
5212	Metal plate workers, smiths, moulders and related occupations
5213	Welding Trades
5214	Pipe fitters
5221	Metal machining setters and setter-operators
5223	Metal working production and maintenance fitters
5224	Precision instrument makers and repairers
5225	Air-conditioning and refrigeration installers and repairers
5231	Vehicle technicians, mechanics and electricians
5234	Aircraft maintenance and related trades
5235	Boat and ship builders and repairers
5241	Electricians and electrical fitters
5242	Telecoms and related network installers and repairers
5243	TV, video and audio servicers and repairers
5244	Computer system and equipment installers and servicers
5245	Security system installers and repairers
5246	Electrical service and maintenance mechanics and repairers
5249	Electrical and electronic trades n.e.c.
5250	Skilled metal, electrical and electronic trades supervisors
5311	Steel erectors
5312	Stonemasons and related trades
5313	Bricklayers
5314	Roofers, roof tilers and slaters
5315	Plumbers & heating and ventilating installers and repairers
5316	Carpenters and joiners
5319	Construction and building trades n.e.c.
5321	Plasterers
5322	Floorers and wall tilers
5323	Painters and decorators
5330	Construction and building trades supervisors
5441	Glass and ceramics makers, decorators and finishers
8113	Chemical and related process operatives
8133	Energy plant operatives
8134	Water and sewerage plant operatives
8143	Routine inspectors and testers
9249	Elementary sales occupations n.e.c.

How Did We Get Here? The Background

In May 2025, the UK government released a new Immigration White Paper. Among other changes, the government raised the skills threshold for most work visas, allowing only degree-level (RQF 6+) roles to qualify unless RQF 3–5 jobs pass scrutiny through the new TSL.

Because some sectors still depend heavily on mid-skilled roles (trades, technicians, infrastructure), the government wanted a mechanism to make exceptions, hence the MAC’s commission to define and populate the TSL.

Currently, there’s an interim TSL plus an expanded Immigration Salary List (ISL) in force until 31 December 2026. These are placeholders while the full review plays out.

Why It Matters: Impacts and Strategy

For Employers

• If your company depends heavily on mid-skilled roles (technicians, trades, infrastructure), this could make or break your ability to sponsor foreign workers.
• You’ll need to engage in the Call for Evidence and contribute to strong Jobs Plans. Weak or generic plans risk your sector being shut out.
• You’ll need to recalculate costs: no more discounted salary thresholds, likely higher salary floors, and stricter rules on dependants and settlement.

Migrant Workers/Applicants

• If your job is among those 82, you may get access to a visa route you otherwise wouldn’t have (if the role makes it to final TSL).
• But remember: TSL visas may not lead to settlement. They look intended to be temporary.
• Dependants are currently not allowed for new entrants under RQF 3–5 TSL roles.
• Visa durations might be 3 to 5 years. After that, you may have to switch to a different visa class (say RQF 6+), if possible.

For the United Kingdom

• The TSL represents a shift in how migration policy and industrial strategy intersect. Rather than being reactive, immigration becomes a tool.
• The intention is to force sectors to invest in skills and reduce long-term reliance on overseas labour.
• But it’s a gamble: too restrictive and you choke growth; too loose and you undercut the government’s own aim of reducing net migration.

What Happens Next

The MAC will soon launch a Call for Evidence for Stage 2, inviting employers, trade bodies, and other stakeholders to present data and arguments on why these roles deserve TSL inclusion.

The goal is to ensure that temporary migration works hand-in-hand with domestic workforce development. For travellers looking to work in the UK or employers struggling to source talent, the final TSL in mid-2026 could be one of the most important policy moves to watch.