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July 22, 2025
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August 14, 2025Immigration Salary List UK 2026: All You Need to Know
Vishang Shah
If your job is on the UK's Immigration Salary List, you may qualify for a reduced salary threshold on a Skilled Worker visa - but the rules around how this works have changed significantly, and they are changing again before the end of 2026. From 22 July 2025, the minimum salary for most Skilled Worker visa applicants rose to £41,700 per year (£17.13 per hour). Roles on the Immigration Salary List (ISL) can still benefit from a discount on that general threshold - but only if the application is done correctly, using the right SOC code, the right option table, and the right calculation method. Get any of those wrong and you are looking at a refusal. We've seen it happen more times than we'd like.
This guide covers everything you need to know what the ISL is, how to calculate the minimum salary step by step, which occupations are currently listed, what the Temporary Shortage List means for your plans, and what happens when it all expires in December 2026.
What Is the UK Immigration Salary List?
The Immigration Salary List (ISL) is a formal annex to the UK's Immigration Rules - specifically Appendix Immigration Salary List - that identifies certain occupations where Skilled Worker or Health and Care Worker visa applicants can meet a lower general salary threshold than the standard route requires.
In terms: if your job is on the ISL, your employer may be able to sponsor you at a salary below £41,700, provided the salary still meets the occupation-specific going rate.
The ISL replaced the old Shortage Occupation List (SOL) on 4 April 2024, following recommendations from the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC). The key policy shift was this: rather than simply identifying "shortage" roles and applying blanket discounts, the ISL targets occupations where a salary discount makes strategic economic sense - and removes the going rate discount that existed under the SOL. So, it's more selective, and in some cases, the actual saving for employers is smaller than it looks.
ISL vs. Shortage Occupation List: What Changed?
| Feature | Old Shortage Occupation List | Immigration Salary List (Current) |
|---|---|---|
| Introduced | Pre-2024 | 4 April 2024 |
| General threshold discount | Yes (20%) | Yes (20%) |
| Going rate discount | Yes (additional 20%) | No, full going rate applies |
| Number of eligible occupations | 53 | Significantly reduced |
| Skill level requirement | RQF Level 3+ | RQF Level 6+ for new grants (from July 2025) |
| Expiry | No fixed expiry | Most roles expire 31 December 2026 |
The removal of the going rate discount is the bit a lot of people miss. Under the old SOL, you could get a double discount - on both the general threshold and the going rate. The ISL only gives you one: a 20% reduction on the general threshold. The going rate still has to be paid in full.
2026 Skilled Worker Visa Salary Thresholds: What Applies to You?
From 22 July 2025, a set of new thresholds came into force. Here's how they break down:
| Applicant Type | General Salary Threshold |
|---|---|
| Standard new Skilled Worker (no ISL, no PhD) | £41,700 / £17.13 per hour |
| PhD holder (non-STEM, relevant role) | £37,500 |
| STEM PhD / New Entrant / ISL role (RQF 6+) | £33,400 |
| TSL / ISL role (RQF 3-5 with transitional eligibility) | £25,000 |
| Existing Skilled Worker (first CoS before 4 April 2024, extending) | £31,300, £28,200 or £25,000 depending on band |
| Health and Care Worker (continuing employment) | £31,300 |
One critical rule that catches people out: you cannot combine options. If you are using an ISL or TSL option (Option D or I in the points table), you cannot also claim a new entrant discount or PhD discount on the same application. You pick one path, and that path determines your threshold.
The hourly rate check also applies to most option types - using no more than 48 hours per week as the divisor, regardless of actual contracted hours.
Not sure your current visa lets you switch in-country?
Speak with a Solicitor →How to Calculate the Minimum Salary for an ISL Role: Step by Step
This is where confusion usually starts, honestly. The ISL doesn't simply set a flat salary - it interacts with occupation-specific going rates, and whichever figure is higher wins. Here's the exact calculation method:
Step 1: Check whether your job appears on the Immigration Salary List
Use the live GOV.UK publication - search "Skilled Worker visa: immigration salary list" - and confirm the occupation code, any geographic restriction (some roles are Scotland-only), and the removal date. If the role has already expired from the list, the ISL discount no longer applies.
Step 2: Identify the applicable going rate from Appendix Skilled Occupations
There are two rates shown for each ISL occupation:
- Standard rate - applies if the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) was assigned on or after 4 April 2024
- Lower rate - transitional rate for workers whose first CoS was assigned before 4 April 2024 and who have held continuous Skilled Worker status since
The rates are based on a 37.5-hour working week. Always use the hourly rate for your calculation, not the annual figure - especially if the contracted hours differ from 37.5.
Step 3: Calculate the annual salary from the going rate
Formula: Hourly going rate × your contracted weekly hours × 52 weeks = annual salary required
Step 4: Identify your applicable discounted general threshold
For a new ISL application (CoS on or after 4 April 2024): £33,400 For an extension under transitional rules (first CoS before 4 April 2024): £25,000
Step 5: Pay whichever figure is higher
Compare the going rate of salary you calculated in Step 3 against the discounted general threshold in Step 4. The higher of the two is the minimum salary required.
Occupations on the Immigration Salary List 2026
ISL is narrower than many people expect. Here's a summary of the main occupational groups currently listed, along with key details:
Current ISL Occupations - Summary Table
| SOC Code | Occupation | Coverage | Standard Rate | Lower Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Science & Research | |||||
| 2111 | Chemical scientists (nuclear industry only) | Scotland only | £35,200 / £18.05/hr | £29,600 / £15.18/hr | Industry specific |
| 2112 | Biological scientists (all roles) | UK wide | £38,000 / £19.49/hr | £28,100 / £14.41/hr | All experience levels |
| 2115 | Social & humanities scientists (archaeologists only) | UK wide | £36,400 / £18.67/hr | £25,200 / £12.92/hr | Archaeology specific |
| 3111 | Laboratory technicians | UK wide | £30,960 / £15.88/hr | £25,000 / £12.82/hr | 3+ years' experience required |
| 3212 | Pharmaceutical technicians | UK wide | £30,960 / £15.88/hr | £25,000 / £12.82/hr | All levels |
| Creative Industries | |||||
| 2142 | Graphic and multimedia designers | UK wide | £30,960 / £15.88/hr | £25,100 / £12.87/hr | All levels |
| 3411 | Artists (all roles) | UK wide | £32,800 / £16.82/hr | £25,900 / £13.28/hr | All levels |
| 3414 | Dancers and choreographers | UK wide | £31,200 / £16.00/hr | £30,000 / £15.38/hr | Classical ballet / contemporary only |
| 3415 | Musicians | UK wide | £35,300 / £18.10/hr | £30,400 / £15.59/hr | Orchestral musicians only |
| 3416 | Arts officers, producers and directors | UK wide | £37,500 / £19.23/hr | £31,300 / £16.05/hr | All levels |
| Construction & Trades | |||||
| 5213 | Welding trades | UK wide | £31,700 / £16.26/hr | £26,400 / £13.54/hr | High integrity pipe welders, 3+ years |
| 5235 | Boat and ship builders/repairers | Scotland only | £34,100 / £17.49/hr | £26,300 / £13.49/hr | All levels |
| 5312 | Stonemasons and related trades | UK wide | £32,400 / £16.62/hr | £26,200 / £13.44/hr | All levels |
| 5313 | Bricklayers | UK wide | £30,960 / £15.88/hr | £25,600 / £13.13/hr | All levels |
| 5314 | Roofers, roof tilers and slaters | UK wide | £30,960 / £15.88/hr | £25,000 / £12.82/hr | All levels |
| 5316 | Carpenters and joiners | UK wide | £30,960 / £15.88/hr | £25,200 / £12.92/hr | All levels |
| 5319 | Construction trades (retrofitters only) | UK wide | £30,960 / £15.88/hr | £25,500 / £13.08/hr | Retrofitters only |
| Maritime & Agriculture | |||||
| 1212 | Fishing boat masters | Scotland only | £30,960 / £15.88/hr | £25,200 / £12.92/hr | Management level |
| 5119 | Agriculture and fishing trades | UK wide | £30,960 / £15.88/hr | £25,000 / £12.82/hr | Fishing industry only |
| 9119 | Deckhands on large fishing vessels (9m+) | UK wide | £30,960 / £15.88/hr | £25,000 / £12.82/hr | 3+ years' experience required |
| Care Sector | |||||
| 6135 | Care workers and home carers | UK wide | £30,960 / £15.88/hr | £25,000 / £12.82/hr | CQC registration required (England); expires July 2028 |
| 6136 | Senior care workers | UK wide | £30,960 / £15.88/hr | £25,000 / £12.82/hr | CQC registration required (England); expires July 2028 |
| 6129 | Animal care services | UK wide | £30,960 / £15.88/hr | £25,000 / £12.82/hr | All levels |
Important for care sponsors: Codes 6135 and 6136 have extended removal dates of 22 July 2028 - but new recruitment of overseas care workers ended on 22 July 2025. These codes now primarily cover extensions and in-country switches for workers already employed by the sponsor. This is a critical distinction that some care employers are still getting wrong.
ISL and TSL: What's the Difference?
This is one of the most misunderstood areas right now - and honestly, it matters enormously for workforce planning.
The ISL covers RQF Level 6+ roles (broadly, graduate-level occupations). It offers a discount on the general salary threshold (to 80% of the standard minimum). The going rate must still be paid in full. Most ISL entries expire on 31 December 2026.
The Temporary Shortage List (TSL) covers RQF Level 3-5 roles (sub-degree, trade and mid-skilled occupations). It came into force on 22 July 2025. It does NOT offer a salary discount - workers in TSL roles must meet the standard Skilled Worker salary thresholds. What the TSL does is restore sponsorship eligibility to those mid-skill roles that lost access when the skill threshold moved back to RQF Level 6 in July 2025.
The TSL also expires on 31 December 2026, at which point the Migration Advisory Committee's Stage 2 report (due July 2026) will determine which occupations get a permanent home in the revised framework.
| Feature | ISL | TSL |
|---|---|---|
| Skill level | RQF 6+ | RQF 3-5 |
| Salary discount? | Yes, 20% off general threshold | No, standard thresholds apply |
| Dependents permitted? | Generally, yes (for RQF 6+ roles) | No (for new applicants from July 2025) |
| Current expiry | 31 Dec 2026 (care roles: July 2028) | 31 Dec 2026 |
| Can you combine a PhD discount? | No | No |
For employers currently sponsoring trades workers - electricians, plumbers, some engineering roles - the TSL is the relevant mechanism, not the ISL. And workers on TSL routes cannot bring dependents to the UK. That's a significant restriction that's catching some applicants completely off-guard.
West End Consultants' IAA-regulated team has helped 6,000+ individuals and 1,500+ businesses handle the full range of UK immigration requirements.
If you are unsure whether your role falls under the ISL or TSL - or neither
Speak with a Solicitor →Key Changes Since July 2025: What Every Employer and Applicant Needs to Know
The July 2025 changes were significant. But they weren't the only ones. Here's a consolidated overview of what's changed in the last 12 months and what's coming:
What Changed on 22 July 2025:
- Standard Skilled Worker salary threshold increased from £38,700 to £41,700 (£17.13/hr)
- Skill requirement raised back to RQF Level 6 for new grants (reversing the temporary Level 3 threshold)
- Approximately 180 mid-skill occupations removed from Skilled Worker eligibility (now potentially eligible via TSL)
- Temporary Shortage List introduced for RQF 3-5 roles
- New ISL roles added: Residential, day and domiciliary care managers, and Care proprietors
- Dependents restriction introduced - workers first sponsored from 22 July 2025 in ISL or TSL roles cannot bring dependents (with narrow exceptions)
- New care worker recruitment closed (codes 6135/6136 now extension-only for new applications from overseas)
What Changed on 8 January 2026:
- English language requirement for first-time Skilled Workers raised from B1 to B2
- Workers already on Skilled Worker visas before this date can extend using B1
What Changed on 16 December 2025:
- Immigration Skills Charge increased by 32%
- Large sponsors now pay £1,000 per year (up from £1,000) - but the total for a five-year visa is now £6,600 for large sponsors
What's Coming by December 2026:
- MAC Stage 2 TSL report due July 2026 with final recommendations
- ISL entries expire 31 December 2026 (most roles)
- New framework replaces both ISL and TSL from January 2027
From a workforce planning perspective: if your business relies on ISL or TSL roles, you need to be planning now for what happens post-December 2026. In our experience working with HR teams at larger organizations, many are only just waking up to the fact that the ISL is not a permanent feature - it has an end date, and the replacement framework will look different.
What Counts Towards the Salary Threshold? (And What Doesn't)
These trips people up surprisingly often. Only guaranteed gross pay in sterling counts toward meeting the salary thresholds. That means:
Counts:
- Basic salary (as stated in the employment contract)
- Guaranteed allowances (e.g., a guaranteed London weighting, a guaranteed shift allowance)
Does NOT count:
- Bonuses (even "expected" annual ones)
- Overtime payments
- Tips or gratuities
- Non-guaranteed allowances
- Benefits in kind (health insurance, company car, gym membership, etc.)
The Home Office have become stricter about this over the last two years. We have seen applications refused where sponsors included performance bonuses to meet the threshold on paper, only for the Home Office to identify that the payments weren't contractually guaranteed. This isn't a grey area - it needs to be right on the Certificate of Sponsorship.
Also worth noting: the salary on the CoS must reflect guaranteed gross pay for the contracted hours. If the worker is part-time, you must pro-rate using the hourly rate. If they work 30 hours a week but the ISL rate is based on 37.5 hours, you calculate: hourly rate × 30 hours × 52 weeks. The annual figure shown in the ISL is simply a reference based on 37.5 hours.
Common Mistakes We See in ISL Applications
In over 15 years of handling Skilled Worker and sponsor licence work, our team has seen clear patterns in where ISL-related applications go wrong. Here are the most frequent - and avoidable - issues:
- Wrong SOC Code Possibly the most common. Job titles don't determine SOC codes - job duties do. An employer who sponsors a "Technical Analyst" under the wrong SOC code because the job title sounds like a listed role has a real problem when the Home Office reviews the application. Use the CASCOT occupation coding tool, and where the role sits on a boundary between two codes, get professional advice.
- Using the Expired List the ISL changes with little notice. We have seen employers rely on a version of the list they downloaded months earlier, not realising occupations had been removed or conditions changed. Always check the live GOV.UK publication on the date you assign the CoS - and keep a time-stamped screenshot of the list as it appears on that date.
- Incorrectly Applying Transitional Rates, the lower going rate is only available to workers whose first Skilled Worker CoS was assigned before 4 April 2024 and who have continuously held Skilled Worker status since. If there was a gap - even a short one - the transitional protection may not apply. We've helped employers correct this before submission, but it's a painful fix if caught post-refusal.
- Including Non-Qualifying Salary Elements As above - bonuses, overtime, and non-guaranteed allowances cannot be included. The salary shown on the CoS must be achievable through contracted, guaranteed pay alone.
- Combining Incompatible Options You cannot claim the ISL discount (Option D) and a new entrant discount (Option E) on the same application. Choose one path. Get this wrong and the application fails the points calculation.
- Ignoring Regional Restrictions Certain ISL roles are only available in Scotland (fishing boat masters, some science roles). Sponsoring a worker in an England-based role under a Scotland-specific code is a clear ground for refusal.
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What Happens If a Role Isn't on the Immigration Salary List?
If the job isn't on the ISL, the standard Skilled Worker route still applies - you just don't get the salary discount. That means:
- Minimum salary: £41,700 per year or £17.13 per hour
- Job must be RQF Level 6 or above (from July 2025)
- Meeting both the general threshold and the occupation-specific going rate
For roles that are RQF Level 3-5 and not on the TSL, standard Skilled Worker sponsorship simply isn't available from July 2025 onwards. Those roles need a different pathway - whether that's the Global Business Mobility route, the Scale-up Visa for eligible individuals, or domestic recruitment.
Our team can advise on alternative routes where standard Skilled Worker sponsorship is available. The answer isn't always "this person can't come to the UK" - it's often "they need a different route, and here's how."
Dependents and the ISL: What's Changed in 2026
This is important and not covered clearly enough in most guides.
Workers first sponsored from 22 July 2025 in a role on the ISL (for the discounted threshold, not the standard route) cannot bring dependants - spouses, partners, or children - unless narrow exceptions apply. The same rule applies to TSL routes.
The exceptions include:
- Workers who were already in the UK as a dependent of a Skilled Worker before 22 July 2025
- Workers where there is sole parental responsibility for a child already in the UK
For workers already in the UK on an ISL or TSL role before 22 July 2025, existing dependents with leave granted before that date may continue in line with their visa terms.
This is a material restriction. Someone taking a role as a biological scientist or a stonemason under ISL conditions needs to understand clearly, before accepting the job, that they may not be able to bring their family. That's a conversation worth having early - ideally with a regulated adviser who can look at the full picture.
What Happens When the ISL Expires?
Most ISL roles have a removal date of 31 December 2026. That's not a soft deadline - it means that from 1 January 2027, new CoS assignments cannot rely on ISL points for those occupations, unless the government extends entries (which it can do, and has done before, but shouldn't be assumed).
The MAC is conducting a full review through 2026, with Stage 2 of the TSL review due in July 2026. That report will set out recommendations for which occupations should continue to have access to the Skilled Worker route - either via a permanent TSL or otherwise.
For employers and HR teams planning their overseas recruitment beyond 2026:
- Identify which roles in your workforce currently rely on ISL or TSL eligibility
- Model what happens to those roles under the standard Skilled Worker threshold (£41,700+)
- Consider whether a domestic training pipeline can reduce long-term reliance on immigration for those roles (the MAC's "Jobs Plans" framework is moving in this direction)
- Keep an eye on the MAC's July 2026 report for confirmed next steps
Our advisers work with businesses on exactly this kind of workforce planning - not just individual visa applications, but the strategic picture. If you'd like to discuss your organisation's longer-term immigration position, we are happy to help.
Conclusion:
The UK Immigration Salary List remains a valuable tool for employers sponsoring workers in certain shortage areas - but it's more complex, more restricted, and more time-limited than many people realize. The July 2025 changes raised thresholds, removed many mid-skill roles, introduced dependents restrictions, and set a clear expiry date. Understanding the dual-test framework, the transitional rules, and the distinction between the ISL and TSL is now essential for any employer with overseas workers.
At West End Consultants UK Ltd, our IAA-regulated advisers have spent 15+ years helping individuals and businesses get this right - from straightforward ISL applications to complex cases involving transitional rules, refusals, and compliance concerns.
Reach out to us - regulated by the IAA at the highest level - for personalized guidance on your visa application, sponsor license, or settlement matter. Call +44 (0) 203 3437701 or email info@westendconsultants.co.uk
FAQs
Vishang Shah
Co-Founder of Westend Consultants
Vishang is Co-Founder of Westend Consultants and has been helping clients with UK immigration matters since the firm was established in 2008. With nearly 18 years of experience, he has built his practice around giving clear, honest and practical advice to both businesses and private clients.