Tier 2 National Shortage Occupation List
UK National Shortage Occupation List
The list below constitutes the UK Shortage Occupation list relating to entry under Tier 2 of the new five-tier system. Tier 2 replaced the UK Work Permit scheme on 27 November, 2008.
If the job is on the shortage occupation list then an employer can offer the job to an overseas person without having first fulfilled the Resident Labour Market Test by advertising the vacancy in the UK. The list is current at 28 August, 2010 but is subject to change at any time.
SOC stands for Standard Occupational Classification. The 4 digit code relates to a group of job titles. Specific job titles within this group which are included on the shortage occupation list are shown below.
UK List
| Related occupation title and SOC code | Job titles and skill levels included on the shortage occupation list | Relevant code of practice |
|---|---|---|
| Production, works and maintenance managers (1121) | project manager in the electricity transmission and distribution industry | Section C – manufacturing |
| Managers in mining and energy (1123) | site manager, station manager, shift/group leader | Section B – mining and quarrying |
| Biological scientists and biochemists (2112) | cardiac physiologist, clinical neurophysiologist, clinical vascular scientist, respiratory physiologist, sleep physiologist | Section Q – human health and social work activities |
| Physicists, geologists and meteorologists (2113) | engineering geologist, hydro geologist, geophysicist, geoscientist, geophysical specialist, engineering geophysicist, engineering geomorphologist, nuclear medicine scientist, radiotherapy physicist, staff working in diagnostic radiology (including magnetic resonance imaging) | Section M – professional, scientific and technical activities |
| Civil engineers (2121) | geotechnical engineer, geotechnical design engineer, geotechnical specialist, reservoir panel engineer, rock mechanics engineer, soil mechanics engineer, geomechanics engineer, tunnelling engineer, petroleum engineer, geoenvironmental engineer, contaminated land engineer, drilling engineer, completions engineer, fluids engineer, reservoir engineer, status resource engineer, offshore and subsea engineer, control and instrument engineer, process safety engineer, planning drilling engineer, subsurface engineer, project civil engineer in the electricity generation industry, contaminated land engineer | Section F – construction |
| Mechanical engineers (2122) | mechanical engineer in the electricity transmission and distribution industry, mechanical engineer in the electricity generation industry | Section M – professional, scientific and technical activities |
| Electrical engineers (2123) | all electrical engineers in the oil and gas industry, all electrical engineers in the electricity transmission and distribution industry, including the following:, power system engineer, control engineer, protection engineer, project control engineer, control and instrumentation engineer, assistant engineer | Section M – professional, scientific and technical activities |
| Chemical engineers (2125) | ALL jobs in this occupation code | Section M – professional, scientific and technical activities |
| Design and development engineers (2126) | design engineer in the electricity transmission and distribution industry | Section C – manufacturing |
| Production and process engineers (2127) | plant process engineer in the electricity transmission and distribution industry | Section C – manufacturing |
| Planning and quality control engineers (2128) | planning/development engineer, quality, health, safety and environment engineer | Section M – professional, scientific and technical activities |
| Engineering professionals not elsewhere classified (2129) | project engineer, proposals engineer | Section M – professional, scientific and technical activities |
| Medical practitioners (2211) | audiological medicine, genito-urinary medicine, haematology, medical microbiology and virology, neurology, nuclear medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, occupational medicine, paediatric surgery, forensic psychiatry, general psychiatry, learning disabilities psychiatry, old age psychiatry, anaesthetics, paediatrics and general medicine specialities delivering acute care services (intensive care medicine, general internal medicine (acute), emergency medicine, general surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, and trauma and orthopaedic surgery), ST4 level trainees in paediatrics | Section Q – human health and social work activities |
| Pharmacists/pharmacologists (2213) | pre-registration pharmacist working in the NHS or hospitals, registered pharmacist working in the NHS or hospitals | Section Q – human health and social work activities |
| Dental practitioners (2215) | consultants in paediatric dentistry | Section Q – human health and social work activities |
| Veterinarians (2216) | veterinary surgeon. Note: Must be registered as a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) to work in the UK | Section S – other service activities |
| Secondary education teaching professionals (2314) | secondary education teachers in the subjects of maths or pure sciences (physics, chemistry, biology and any combinations of these) | Section P – education |
| Special needs education teaching professionals (2316) | all teaching posts in special schools | Section P – education |
| Social workers (2442) | social worker in children's and family services | Section Q – human health and social work activities |
| Engineering Technicians (3113) | commissioning engineer | Section M – professional, scientific and technical activities |
| Science and engineering technicians not elsewhere classified (3119) | production controller in the electricity generation industry | Section M – professional, scientific and technical activities |
| Nurses (3211) | specialist nurse working in operating theatres, operating department practitioner, specialist nurse working in neonatal intensive care units | Section Q – human health and social work activities |
| Medical radiographers (3214) | HPC-registered diagnostic radiographer, HPC-registered therapeutic radiographer, sonographer | Section Q – human health and social work activities |
| Medical and dental technicians (3218) | nuclear medicine technologist, radiotherapy technologist | Section Q – human health and social work activities |
| Speech and language therapists (3223) | speech and language therapist at Agenda for Change bands 7+ or their independent sector equivalents | Section Q – human health and social work activities |
| Therapists not elsewhere classified (3229) | HPC-registered orthoptist | Section Q – human health and social work activities |
| Dancers and choreographers (3414) | skilled classical ballet dancers who meet the standard required by internationally recognised UK ballet companies such as the Birmingham Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, Northern Ballet Theatre, The Royal Ballet and Scottish Ballet. The company must either have performed at or been invited to perform at high calibre venues such as the Royal Opera House, Sadler's Wells or Barbican, either in the UK or abroad; or attract dancers and/or choreographers and other artists from other countries; or, be endorsed as being internationally recognised by a UK industry body such as the Arts Councils of England, Scotland and/or Wales. Skilled contemporary dancers who meet the standard required by internationally recognised UK contemporary dance companies. The company must either:, have performed at or been invited to perform at venues of the calibre of Sadler's Wells, the Southbank Centre or The Place, either in the UK or overseas; or, attract dancers and/or choreographers and other artists from all over the world; or be endorsed as being internationally recognised by a UK industry body such as the Arts Councils (of England, Scotland and/or Wales) | Section R – arts, entertainment and recreation |
| Musicians (3415) | skilled orchestral musicians who meet the standard required by internationally recognised companies | Section R – arts, entertainment and recreation |
| Photographers and audio visual equipment operators (3434) | animation supervisor, animator, computer graphics supervisor, technical director, VFX supervisor, modeller, rigging supervisor, rigger, matte painter, texture artist, compositing artist, producer, production manager, editor, R&D tools, R&D software, software engineer, system engineer | Section M – professional, scientific and technical activities |
| Agricultural and fishing trades not elsewhere classified (5119) | skilled work rider where the job:, requires registration by the British Horseracing Authority; and, requires three or more years' relevant experience, with work responsibilities covering those acquired in an S/NVQ level 3 in Horse Care and Management or Racehorse Care and Management | Section A – agriculture, forestry and fishing |
| Welding trades (5215) | high integrity pipe welder where the job requires three or more years related on-the-job experience | Section C – manufacturing |
| Metal working production and maintenance fitters (5223) | licensed and military certifying engineer / inspector technician, airframe fitter | Section C – manufacturing |
| Line repairers and cable jointers (5243) | overhead linesworker in the electricity transmission and distribution industry | Section D – electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply |
| Electrical/electronics engineers not elsewhere classified (5249) | site supervisor in the electricity transmission and distribution industry | Section M – professional, scientific and technical activities |
| Butchers, meat cutters (5431) | skilled meat boner where the pay is at least £9.00 per hour, skilled meat trimmer where the pay is at least £9.00 per hour | Section I – accommodation and food service activities |
| Chefs, cooks (5434) | skilled chef where:, the pay is at least £8.45 per hour after deductions for accommodation, meals etc; and, the job requires three or more years relevant experience | Section I – accommodation and food service activities |
| Care assistants and home carers (6115) | skilled senior care workers where:, the pay is at least £7.80 per hour after deductions for accommodation, meals etc; and, the job includes supervisory responsibilities (as defined in the code of practice); and, the job requires at least a relevant S/NVQ level 2 or equivalent qualification in care; and, the job requires two or more years relevant experience (this does not include experience gained during a work placement as part of a qualification), skilled senior care workers in Scotland / Wales where:, the pay is at least £7.80 per hour after deductions for accommodation, meals etc; and, there is a regulatory requirement for the jobholder to hold at least a relevant S/NVQ level 3 or equivalent qualification in care | Section Q – human health and social work activities |
| Fishing and agriculture related occupations not elsewhere classified (9119) | skilled sheep shearer with a British Wool Marketing Board bronze medal (or equivalent) or above | Section A – agriculture, forestry and fishing |
Scotland list:
| Related occupation title and SOC code | Job titles and skill levels included on the shortage occupation list | Relevant code of practice |
|---|---|---|
| N/A | ALL job titles and occupations on the UK shortage list | See UK list for details |
| Medical practitioners (2211) | consultant radiologist | Section Q – human health and social work activities |