Tier 2 Shortage Occupation List
Government-approved version: 16 March 2011
In addition to this shortage occupation list, Sponsors must also refer to the Tier 2 codes of
practice for detailed information about occupations, appropriate salary rates, and the
evidence they need to keep to show that the shortage occupation criteria have been met.
SOC codes relate to the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) 2000. For official job
descriptions relating to four-digit occupations in SOC 2000, please refer to the SOC 2000
Structure and descriptions of unit groups, published by the Office for National Statistics.
UK list:
Related
occupation title
and SOC code
Production, works
and maintenance
managers (1121)
Managers in
mining and
energy (1123)
Job titles and skill levels included on the shortage
occupation list
ONLY the following job in this occupation code:
• project manager in the electricity transmission and
distribution industry
Relevant
code of
practice
Section C –
manufacturing
ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code:
• the following jobs in the electricity transmission and
distribution and the electricity generation industries:
- site manager
- station manager
- shift/group leader
Section B –
mining and
quarrying
ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code:
• cardiac physiologist
• clinical neurophysiologist
• clinical vascular scientist
• respiratory physiologist
• sleep physiologist
Section Q –
human health
and social
work activities
Physicists,
geologists and
meteorologists
(2113)
ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code:
• 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)
ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code:
• geotechnical engineer
• geotechnical design engineer
• geotechnical specialist
• reservoir panel engineer
• rock mechanics engineer
• soil mechanics engineer
• geomechanics engineer
Section F –
construction
Biological
scientists
and biochemists
(2112)
Page 1 of 9
Tier 2 Shortage Occupation List
Government-approved version: 16 March 2011
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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
Mechanical
engineers (2122)
ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code:
• 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)
ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code:
• 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
Design and
development
engineers (2126)
ONLY the following job in this occupation code:
• design engineer in the electricity transmission and
distribution industry
Section M –
professional,
scientific and
technical
activities
Section C –
manufacturing
Production and
process
engineers (2127)
ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code:
• plant process engineer in the electricity transmission
and distribution industry
Section C –
manufacturing
Planning and
quality control
engineers (2128)
ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code:
• the following jobs in the electricity transmission and
distribution industry:
- planning / development engineer
- quality, health, safety and environment engineer
ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code:
• the following jobs in the electricity transmission and
Section M –
professional,
scientific and
technical
activities
Section M –
professional,
Engineering
professionals not
Page 2 of 9
Tier 2 Shortage Occupation List
Government-approved version: 16 March 2011
elsewhere
classified (2129)
Medical
practitioners
(2211)
Pharmacists/
pharmacologists
(2213)
distribution industry:
- project engineer
- proposals engineer
scientific and
technical
activities
ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code:
• Consultants in the following specialities:
- audiological medicine
- genito-urinary medicine
- haematology
- medical microbiology and virology
- neurology
- nuclear medicine
- obstetrics and gynaecology
- occupational medicine
- paediatric surgery
• Consultants in the following specialities of psychiatry:
- forensic psychiatry
- general psychiatry
- learning disabilities psychiatry
- old age psychiatry
• Non-consultant, non-training, medical staff posts in
the following specialities:
- 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
ALL jobs in this occupation code
Section Q –
human health
and social
work activities
Section Q –
human health
and social
work activities
Section S –
other service
activities
Dental
practitioners
(2215)
ONLY the following job in this occupation code:
• consultants in paediatric dentistry
Veterinarians
(2216)
ONLY the following job in this occupation code:
• veterinary surgeon
Must be registered as a member of the Royal College of
Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) to work in the UK.
Secondary
education
teaching
professionals
(2314)
Special needs
education
teaching
professionals
(2316)
ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code:
• secondary education teachers in the subjects of
maths or pure sciences (physics, chemistry, biology
and any combinations of these)
Section P –
education
ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code:
• all teaching posts in special schools
Section P –
education
Page 3 of 9
Tier 2 Shortage Occupation List
Government-approved version: 16 March 2011
Social workers
(2442)
Engineering
Technicians
(3113)
Science and
engineering
technicians not
elsewhere
classified (3119)
Nurses (3211)
Section Q –
human health
and social
work activities
Section M –
ONLY the following job in this occupation code:
professional,
• commissioning engineer
scientific and
This SOC code is not an overall graduate level occupation. technical
activities
Please refer to the NVQ level 3 occupation codes of
(NVQ level 3
practice for details.
codes of
practice)
ONLY the following job in this occupation code:
Section M –
professional,
• production controller in the electricity generation
scientific and
industry
technical
This SOC code is not an overall graduate level occupation. activities
(NVQ level 3
Please refer to the NVQ level 3 occupation codes of
codes of
practice for details.
practice)
ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code:
Section Q –
human health
• specialist nurse working in operating theatres
and social
• operating department practitioner
work activities
• specialist nurse working in neonatal intensive care
units
ONLY the following job in this occupation code:
• social worker in children’s and family services
Medical
radiographers
(3214)
ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code:
• HPC-registered diagnostic radiographer
• HPC-registered therapeutic radiographer
• sonographer
Medical and
dental
technicians
(3218)
Speech and
language
therapists (3223)
ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code:
• nuclear medicine technologist
• radiotherapy technologist
Therapists not
elsewhere
classified (3229)
Dancers and
choreographers
(3414)
Section Q –
human health
and social
work activities
Section Q –
human health
and social
work activities
ONLY the following job in this occupation code:
Section Q –
• speech and language therapist at Agenda for Change human health
and social
bands 7+ or their independent sector equivalents
work activities
Section Q –
ONLY the following job in this occupation code:
human health
• HPC-registered orthoptist
and social
work activities
Section R –
ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code:
• skilled classical ballet dancers who meet the standard arts,
required by internationally recognised United Kingdom entertainment
and
ballet companies (e.g. Birmingham Royal Ballet,
recreation
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
venues of the calibre of the Royal Opera House,
Sadler’s Wells or Barbican, either in the United
Kingdom or overseas; or
Page 4 of 9
Tier 2 Shortage Occupation List
Government-approved version: 16 March 2011
-
•
attract dancers and/or choreographers and other
artists from other countries; or
be endorsed as being internationally recognised
by a United Kingdom industry body such as the
Arts Councils (of England, Scotland and/or
Wales)
skilled contemporary dancers who meet the standard
required by internationally recognised United Kingdom
contemporary dance companies (e.g. Shobana
Jeyasingh Dance Company, Scottish Dance Theatre
and Rambert Dance Company). 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
United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom industry body such as the
Arts Councils (of England, Scotland and/or
Wales)
Musicians (3415)
ONLY the following job in this occupation code:
• skilled orchestral musicians who meet the standard
required by internationally recognised companies (e.g.
London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic
Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, and Royal
Philharmonic Orchestra)
Section R –
arts,
entertainment
and
recreation
Photographers
and audio visual
equipment
operators, (3434)
ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code:
• the following roles within visual effects and 2D/3D
computer animation for film, television or video
games:
- animation supervisor
- animator
- VFX supervisor
- technical director
- CG 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
(NVQ level 3
codes of
practice)
Page 5 of 9
Tier 2 Shortage Occupation List
Government-approved version: 16 March 2011
This SOC code is not an overall graduate level occupation.
Please refer to the NVQ level 3 occupation codes of
practice for details.
Metal working
production and
maintenance
fitters (5223)
Line repairers
and cable jointers
(5243)
Chefs, cooks
(5434)
Section C –
manufacturing
(NVQ level 3
codes of
This SOC code is not an overall graduate level occupation. practice)
Please refer to the NVQ level 3 occupation codes of
practice for details.
ONLY the following job in this occupation code:
• licensed and military certifying engineer / inspector
technician
Section D –
electricity,
gas, steam
and air
conditioning
This SOC code is not an overall graduate level occupation. supply (NVQ
level 3 codes
Please refer to the NVQ level 3 occupation codes of
of practice)
practice for details.
ONLY the following job in this occupation code:
• overhead linesworker in the electricity transmission
and distribution industry, working on high voltage lines
that carry at least 275,000 volts
ONLY the following job in this occupation code:
• skilled chef where:
- the pay is at least £28,260 per year after
deductions for accommodation, meals etc; and
- the job requires five or more years relevant
experience in a role of at least equivalent status
to the one they are entering; and
- the job is not in either a fast food outlet, a
standard fare outlet, or an establishment which
provides a take-away service; and
- the job is in one of the following roles:
o executive chef – limited to one per
establishment
o head chef – limited to one per
establishment
o sous chef – limited to one for every four
kitchen staff per establishment
o specialist chef – limited to one per
speciality per establishment
A fast food outlet is one where food is prepared in bulk for
speed of service, rather than to individual order.
A standard fare outlet is one where the menu is designed
centrally for outlets in a chain / franchise, rather than by a
chef or chefs in the individual restaurant. Standard fare
outlets also include those where dishes and / or cooking
sauces are bought in ready-made, rather than prepared
from fresh / raw ingredients.
This SOC code is not an overall graduate level occupation.
Please refer to the NVQ level 3 occupation codes of
practice for details.
Page 6 of 9
Section I –
accommodati
on and food
service
activities
(NVQ level 3
codes of
practice)
Tier 2 Shortage Occupation List
Government-approved version: 16 March 2011
Scotland list:
Related
occupation title
and SOC code
N/A
Medical
practitioners
(2211)
Job titles and skill levels included on the shortage
occupation list
ALL job titles and occupations on the UK shortage list
ONLY the following job in this occupation code:
• consultant radiologist
Relevant
code of
practice
See UK list
for details
Section Q –
human health
and social
work activities
Occupations at NVQ level 3:
On 6 April 2011, the skill threshold for Tier 2 (General) is being raised to graduate
level occupations. Occupations below this level are being removed from the UK
shortage occupation list as they will no longer qualify under Tier 2. The following
occupations only appear on the shortage occupation list for Tier 2 applicants until 5
April 2011.
Sponsors should note that in order to qualify, migrants must make their application
for entry clearance or leave to remain before 6 April 2011, even if they were
assigned a Certificate of Sponsorship before this date. This does not apply if the
migrant had leave as a work permit holder or under Tier 2 (General) under the
Immigration Rules in place before 6 April 2011 and is applying in-country to extend
that leave, either with the same employer or another employer.
The new graduate skill threshold does not apply to work permit applications to
employ Bulgarian or Romanian nationals. The following occupations will therefore
remain on the shortage occupation list after 6 April 2011 for Bulgarian and
Romanian national applications only.
Related
occupation title
and SOC code
Agricultural and
fishing trades not
elsewhere
classified (5119)
Welding trades
(5215)
Job titles and skill levels included on the shortage
occupation list
ONLY the following job in this occupation code:
• 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
ONLY the following job in this occupation code:
• high integrity pipe welder where the job requires three
or more years related on-the-job experience
Page 7 of 9
Relevant
code of
practice
Section A –
agriculture,
forestry and
fishing
(NVQ level 3
codes of
practice)
Section C –
manufacturing
(NVQ level 3
codes of
practice)
Tier 2 Shortage Occupation List
Government-approved version: 16 March 2011
Metal working
production and
maintenance
fitters (5223)
ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code:
• licensed and military certifying engineer / inspector
technician (This job remains on the shortage
occupation list after 6 April 2011)
• airframe fitter
Section C –
manufacturing
(NVQ level 3
codes of
practice)
Line repairers
and cable jointers
(5243)
ONLY the following job in this occupation code:
• overhead linesworker in the electricity transmission
and distribution industry
Section D –
electricity,
gas, steam
and air
conditioning
supply
(NVQ level 3
codes of
practice)
Section M –
professional,
scientific and
technical
activities
(NVQ level 3
codes of
practice)
Section I –
accommodati
on and food
service
activities
(NVQ level 3
codes of
practice)
Section I –
accommodati
on and food
service
activities
(NVQ level 3
codes of
practice)
(Overhead linesworker in the electricity transmission and
distribution industry, working on high voltage lines that
carry at least 275,000 volts, remains on the shortage
occupation list after 6 April 2011.)
Electrical/electron
ics engineers not
elsewhere
classified (5249)
ONLY the following job in this occupation code:
• site supervisor in the electricity transmission and
distribution industry
Butchers, meat
cutters (5431)
ONLY the following job in this occupation code:
• 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
Chefs, cooks
(5434)
ONLY the following job in this occupation code:
• 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
(Some skilled chefs remain on the shortage occupation list
after 6 April 2011 – please see UK list above)
Care assistants
and home carers
(6115)
ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code:
•
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)
Page 8 of 9
Section Q –
human health
and social
work activities
(NVQ level 3
codes of
practice)
Tier 2 Shortage Occupation List
Government-approved version: 16 March 2011
•
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
ONLY the following job in this occupation code:
Fishing and
agriculture related • skilled sheep shearer with a British Wool Marketing
occupations not
Board bronze medal (or equivalent) or above
elsewhere
classified (9119)
Page 9 of 9
Section A –
agriculture,
forestry and
fishing
(NVQ level 3
codes of
practice)