The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has completed the first stage of its review of the Temporary Shortage List (TSL) and provided recommendations for the future. The stage 1 report includes a list of occupations for potential inclusion on the TSL, which will be considered further after an industry?wide call for evidence.
Following the recent changes to the Points?Based Immigration System, which included raising the threshold for a Skilled Worker Visa to RQF Level 6, the TSL is a way for occupations at RQF Levels 3 - 5 to be eligible for a Skilled Worker Visa. The MAC has provisionally identified 82 occupations, out of the 151 occupations at RQF Levels 3 - 5 in the UK, as ‘potentially crucial’ to delivering the 10?Year Infrastructure Strategy, and this initial list will be considered further at the next stage of the review. It includes a range of construction occupations such as bricklayers, carpenters and joiners, construction supervisors, floorers and wall tilers, painters and decorators, plasterers, plumbers, roofers, stone masons, steel erectors, and welders, and Build UK will be working with the CLC to coordinate the industry’s response to the call for evidence.
The MAC has recommended that occupations on the TSL should generally be reviewed every three years and not receive any discount against the standard salary threshold for a Skilled Worker Visa. MAC’s stage 2 report, including final recommendations for the occupations that should be included, is expected to be published in July 2026, and the Home Secretary will make the final decision on whether to accept the recommendations.
Build UK have produced a number of support documents: a flowchart providing an overview of the process of employing a worker from outside the UK is being regularly updated in line with changes to the immigration system, detailed guidance on How to Get a Sponsor Licence and How to Apply for a Skilled Worker Visa. All three documents can be accessed via the CFA member area and are located in the contractors section under the Build UK tab.
