Temporary Shortage List 2027: The 28 Occupations Recommended and What Employers Can Do Now
Quick answer
On 23 July 2026, the Migration Advisory Committee recommended 28 occupations for 18-month access to the Temporary Shortage List from January 2027. These are recommendations, not a new list already in force. The Home Office must decide whether to accept them and implement any change through the Immigration Rules.
Employers should not assign a Certificate of Sponsorship on the assumption that a recommended occupation will qualify in 2027. Current eligibility remains governed by the Immigration Rules in force on the assignment and application dates.
What the MAC recommended
The Temporary Shortage List is intended to give selected middle-skilled occupations time-limited access to the Skilled Worker route where they support the Industrial Strategy or critical infrastructure and where a credible workforce plan exists. The MAC considered 82 occupations at Stage 2, received Jobs Plans for 46 and recommended 28 for limited access.
None was recommended for the full three-year period. The MAC proposed 18 months because the relevant Jobs Plans still needed improvement. If the government accepts the package, the report anticipates access from January 2027 to the end of June 2028, followed by a lighter-touch review of whether any access should be extended.
The 28 occupations recommended for 18-month access
| SOC 2020 | Occupation recommended by the MAC |
|---|---|
| 3112 | Electrical and electronics technicians |
| 3113 | Engineering technicians |
| 5211 | Sheet metal workers |
| 5221 | Metal machining setters and setter-operators |
| 5223 | Metal working production and maintenance fitters |
| 5213 | Welding trades |
| 5235 | Boat and ship builders and repairers |
| 3116 | Planning, process and production technicians |
| 5212 | Metal plate workers, smiths, moulders and related occupations |
| 5249 | Electrical and electronic trades n.e.c. — overhead line workers only |
| 3133 | Database administrators and web content technicians |
| 3544 | Data analysts |
| 5242 | Telecoms and related network installers and repairers |
| 3114 | Building and civil engineering technicians |
| 3512 | Ship and hovercraft officers |
| 5214 | Pipe fitters |
| 5241 | Electricians and electrical fitters |
| 5313 | Bricklayers |
| 5314 | Roofers, roof tilers and slaters |
| 5315 | Plumbers and heating and ventilating installers and repairers |
| 5316 | Carpenters and joiners |
| 5319 | Construction and building trades n.e.c. — building envelope specialists and curtain wall installers only |
| 5321 | Plasterers |
| 5322 | Floorers and wall tilers |
| 5323 | Painters and decorators |
| 5330 | Construction and building trades supervisors |
| 8113 | Chemical and related process operatives |
| 3120 | CAD, drawing and architectural technicians |
What employers can do now
1. Map the real job, not the preferred code
Review the day-to-day duties, skill level, reporting line and required experience. A job title alone does not determine the SOC code. Using a code because it appears on a list, rather than because it is the most appropriate match, creates refusal and sponsor-compliance risk.
2. Record the salary and hours accurately
Prepare the proposed gross salary, weekly hours and work location. Skilled Worker salary assessment can require comparison with both a general threshold and the going rate, with different options applying to different applicants and occupations. Inclusion on a shortage list does not remove every salary requirement.
3. Separate current recruitment from 2027 planning
If recruitment is needed before 2027, check eligibility under the current Rules. For later recruitment, create a contingency plan: one route if the government accepts the MAC recommendation and another if it does not. Do not promise a candidate that sponsorship will be available before the Rules are published.
4. Review sponsor-licence readiness
An eligible occupation is only one part of the process. The employer must hold the correct sponsor licence, have an appropriate allocation, be able to justify the genuine vacancy and meet reporting, record-keeping and monitoring duties. Organisations without a licence should allow time for an application and for building compliant HR systems.
5. Preserve the decision trail
Keep the job description, organisation chart, recruitment rationale, salary calculation and evidence of how the SOC code was selected. That record helps the authorising officer and Level 1 users make a defensible decision if the Home Office later asks why the role was sponsored.
Why the recommendation is deliberately temporary
The MAC said none of the submitted Jobs Plans justified full three-year access. It considered the 18-month period a chance for sectors to improve domestic training and workforce measures. This means the recommendation is not a permanent relaxation. Even if adopted, employers should plan for another review and possible removal or narrowing in 2028.
The current list still applies until the Rules change
Appendix Skilled Worker currently contains an interim Temporary Shortage List and links access to an application made using a Certificate of Sponsorship issued before 31 December 2026. That current list is not identical to the MAC’s 28 recommendations. An occupation can appear on the interim list without being among the occupations recommended for the new period, while some recommendations are restricted to named job types.
For each live recruitment exercise, record the date the Certificate of Sponsorship is assigned, the proposed application date and the employment start date. Then check the Rules and sponsor guidance that apply. Do not rely on a table copied from an earlier article or on an occupational title used by a payroll or recruitment system.
Communicating with candidates
Employers can discuss workforce plans without representing a future visa route as certain. A sensible conditional statement is that the role is being reviewed against possible 2027 changes and that sponsorship depends on the final Immigration Rules, salary, individual eligibility and the organisation’s sponsor position.
Avoid asking a candidate to resign from existing employment, incur relocation costs or make irreversible arrangements solely because the occupation was recommended by the MAC. If a conditional offer is made, the immigration condition and responsibility for fees or repayment should be expressed clearly and lawfully.
Monitor the government decision
The next authoritative step is a government response or Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules. Employers should monitor GOV.UK rather than treating commentary as implementation. Once final Rules appear, check the exact occupation wording, permitted job types, salary options, dependant position, certificate cut-off and implementation provisions. A final list may differ from the MAC table.
Sponsor and role assessment
This paid assessment is for employers deciding whether a proposed role may qualify and what needs to be ready before sponsorship. Send us:
- the job description and proposed SOC code;
- salary, weekly hours and work location;
- your organisation structure and recruitment reason; and
- whether you already hold a sponsor licence.
We will assess the position against the Rules and official material current at the time. The assessment is preliminary legal advice and does not guarantee a licence, Certificate of Sponsorship or visa outcome.
Temporary Shortage List FAQs
Are the 28 occupations already eligible for 2027 sponsorship?
No. They are MAC recommendations. The government must decide whether to accept them and make any required Immigration Rules changes.
Does a recommended occupation avoid the salary rules?
No. The applicable Skilled Worker salary option, going rate and other requirements still need to be checked.
Should an employer wait until January 2027?
Not automatically. Current and future recruitment should be assessed separately against the Rules applying at the relevant time.
Why is access proposed for only 18 months?
The MAC found that the Jobs Plans needed improvement and did not justify full three-year access.