Bookmark Print

UK Visa Bureau » UK Visas and Immigration » Tier 2 Work Permit » Work Permit Requirements » Shortage Occupations List

UK Shortage Occupations List

The UK Shortage Occupations List details the professions that are in high demand in the UK. Employers for the occupations listed below are not required to advertise the posts they wish to fill.

Engineering Occupations
Healthcare Occupations
Arts and Entertainment Occupations
Other Occupations

Take the Online UK Work Permit Assessment and Find Out If You're Eligible!

Please note that while each of the occupations listed below are in high demand in the UK, each may be subject to further conditions or requirements such as minimum salary, experience or qualification requirements.

To read more about each occupation, please consult the Home Office Shortage Occupation page.

Engineering Occupations

Civil Engineers (2121)

Geotechnical Design Engineer

Geotechnical Specialist

Reservoir Panel Engineer

Rock Mechanics Engineer

Soil Mechanics Engineer

Geomechanics Engineer

Mining Geotechnical Engineer

Mining and Coal Engineer

Wells Engineer

Tunnelling Engineer

Petroleum Engineer

Drilling Engineer

Completions Engineer

Fluids Engineer

Reservoir Engineer

Offshore and Subsea Engineer

Control and Instrument Engineer

Process Safety Engineer

Mechanical Engineers (2122)

Mechanical Engineer in the Aerospace Sector

Electrical Engineers (2122)

All electrical engineers in the oil and gas industry

The following jobs in the electricity transmission and distribution industry

Power System Engineer

Control Engineer

Protection Engineer

Chemical Engineers (2125)

Any Appropriate

Design and Development Engineers (2126)

Design Engineer in the Electricity Transmission and Distribution Industry

Simulation Development Engineer

Production and Process Engineers (2127)

Manufacturing engineer (process planning) in the aerospace sector

Simulation Development Engineer

Planning and Quality Control Engineers (2128)

The following jobs in the electricity transmission and distribution industry:

Planning / Development engineer

Quality, Health, Safety and Environment (QHSE) Engineer

Engineering Professionals not elsewhere classified (2129)

Geoenvironmental Specialist

Geoenvironmental Engineer

Contaminated Land Engineer

Landfill Engineer

Metallurgical / Mineral Processing Engineer

The Following jobs in the Aerospace Sector

Aerothermal Engineer

Stress Engineer

Chief of Engineering

Advance Tool and Fixturing Engineer

The Following Jobs in the Decommissioning and Waste Management Areas of the Nuclear Industry

Operations Manager

Decommissioning Specialist Manager

Project / Planning Engineer

Radioactive Waste Manager

Radiological Protection Advisor

The Following Jobs in the Electricity Transmission and Distribution Industry

Project Engineer

Proposals Engineer

Engineering Technicians (3113)

The following jobs in the electricity transmission and distribution industry

Commissioning Engineer

Substation Electrical Engineer

Is your career on the Occupation Shortage list? Take the Online UK Work Permit Assessment!

Healthcare Occupations

Medical Practitioners (2211)

Consultants in the following specialities

Clinical Neurophysiology

Emergency Medicine

Genitourinary Medicine

Haematology

Neurology

Occupational Medicine

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

Anaesthetics

Paediatrics

General Medicine Specialities Delivering Acute Care Services (Intensive Care Medicine, General Internal Medicine (Acute))

Emergency Medicine

General Surgery

Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery

ST4 Level Trainees in Paediatrics

Social Workers (2442)

Social Worker in Children’s and Family Services

Nurses (3211)

Specialist Nurse Working in Operating Theatres

Operating Department Practitioner

Specialist Nurse Working in Neonatal Intensive Care Units

Medical Radiographers (3214)

HPC-Registered Diagnostic Radiographer

HPC-Registered Therapeutic Radiographer

Sonographer

Medical and Dental Technicians (3218)

Nuclear Medicine Technologist

Radiotherapy Technologist

Biological Scientists and Biochemists (2112)

Cardiac Physiologist

Clinical Neurophysiologist

Clinical Vascular Scientist

Respiratory Physiologist

Sleep Physiologist

Medical Practitioners (2211)

ALL Jobs on the UK Shortage Occupation List

ST3, ST5 and ST6 Level Trainees in Paediatrics (ST4 Level Trainee)

Staff Grade and Associate Specialist (SAS) Doctors in Paediatrics

Consultants in Paediatrics

Apply Online for an Occupation Shortage Work Permit

Arts and Entertainment Occupations

Artists (3411)

Animator in Visual Effects and 2D / 3D Computer Animation for Film, Television or Video Games

Dancers and Choreographers (3414)

Skilled Classical Ballet Dancers
Must meet the standard required by internationally recognised United Kingdom ballet companies (e.g. Birmingham Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, Northern Ballet Theatre, The Royal Ballet and Scottish Ballet).

Skilled Contemporary Dancers
Must 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).

Musicians (3415)

Skilled Orchestral Musicians
Must meet the standard required by internationally recognised United Kingdom orchestras (e.g. London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra).

Arts Officers, Producers and Directors (3416)

The following roles within visual effects and 2D / 3D computer animation for film, television or video games:

2D Supervisor

3D Supervisor

Computer Graphics Supervisor

Producer

Production Manager

Technical Director

Visual Effects Supervisor

Graphic Designers (3421)

The following roles within visual effects and 2D / 3D computer animation for film, television or video games:

Compositing Artist

Matte Painter

Modeller

Rigger

Stereo Artist

Texture Artist

Apply Online for an Occupation Shortage Work Permit

Other Occupations

Directors and Chief Executives of Major Organisations (1112)

The following jobs in the decommissioning and waste management areas of the nuclear industry:

Managing Director

Programme Director

Site Director

Production, Works and Maintenance Managers (1121)

Project Manager in the Electricity Transmission and Distribution Industry

Managers in Mining and Energy (1123)

Site Manager in the Electricity Transmission and Distribution Industry

Physicists, Geologists and Meteorologists (2113)

Hydro Geologist

Geophysicist

Geoscientist

Geophysical Specialist

Engineering Geophysicist

Engineering Geomorphologist

Geologist

Geochemist

Environmental Scientist

Technical Services Manager in the Decommissioning and Waste Areas of the Nuclear Industry

Nuclear Medicine Scientist

Radiotherapy Physicist

Staff Working in Diagnostic Radiology (Including Magnetic Resonance Imaging)

Software Professionals (2132)

The following roles within visual effects and 2D / 3D computer animation for film, television or video games:

Software Developer

Systems Engineer

Shader Writer

Secondary education teaching professionals (2314)

Secondary Education Teachers in the Subjects of Maths or Pure Sciences (Physics and / or Chemistry)

Secondary Education Teaching Professionals (2314)

Secondary Education Teachers in the Subjects of Maths or Pure Sciences (Physics and / or Chemistry)

Management Consultants, Actuaries, Economists and Statisticians (2423)

Qualified Actuaries Working in the Life Assurance, General Insurance, and Health and Care Sectors

Buyers and Purchasing Officers (3541)

Manufacturing Engineer (Purchasing) in the Aerospace Sector

Welding Trades (5215)

High Integrity Pipe Welder where the Job Requires Three or More Years Relevant Experience

Line Repairers and Cable Jointers (5243)

Overhead Linesworker in the Electricity Transmission and Distribution Industry, Working on High Voltage Lines that carry at least 275,000 volts

Chefs, Cooks (5434)

Skilled chef which constitutes one of the following roles

Executive Chef - limited to one per establishment

Head Chef - limited to one per establishment

Sous Chef - limited to one for every four kitchen staff per establishment

Specialist Chef - limited to one per speciality per establishment

Take the Online Assessment for a UK Work Permit

Top of Page