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The Immigration Salary List is a list of occupations where a reduced general salary threshold applies to applications on the Skilled Worker route.
If your job is on the list, the minimum salary is 80% of the route’s usual minimum rate to qualify for a Skilled Worker or Health and Care Worker visa.
The annual salaries for these jobs are based on a 37.5-hour working week. They must be pro-rated for other working patterns, based on the weekly working hours stated by your employer.
Employers seeking to recruit under the Skilled Worker route must pay their skilled workers a salary which equals or exceeds both a general salary threshold and the occupation-specific threshold or ‘going rate’ for the applicable SOC 2020 occupation code.
In simple terms, if a job is on the Immigration Salary List, the general salary threshold is 80% of the Skilled Worker route’s usual minimum rate.
Occupations that are eligible for a Skilled Worker visa and that are on the Immigration Salary List do not need to satisfy the full general salary requirement of £38,700. Instead, Skilled Worker eligible occupations on the Immigration Salary List have a 20% discount on the general salary threshold, meaning that the general salary threshold is reduced to £30,960.
Meanwhile, occupations that are eligible for a Health and Care Worker visa (other than pay scale occupations) and that are on the Immigration Salary List are not subject to the £29,000 general salary threshold. Instead, Health and Care Worker visa eligible occupations not on a pay scale and on the Immigration Salary List have a minimum general salary threshold of £23,200.
Whilst occupations on the Immigration Salary List have a 20% discount to the general salary threshold (to £30,960 or £23,200, depending on whether they would otherwise be subject to the £38,700 or £29,000 threshold), it is important to note that ISL occupations must still additionally be paid at least the occupation-specific threshold (formerly known as the ‘going rate’) as stated in Appendix Skilled Occupations and the Home Office’s Immigration Salary List Guidance.
There is no discount on the occupation-specific threshold (previously a benefit of an occupation being on the Shortage Occupation List) and salaries cannot be reduced below the level of the occupation-specific threshold or ‘going-rate’. This means that, in practice, the actual salary discount may be less than 20%.
The main benefit of an occupation being included on the Immigration Salary List is that it allows employers to recruit migrants on a salary below the general salary threshold – with the discount being a maximum of 20%.
Roles on the Immigration Salary List do also have a marginally reduced visa application fee for a Skilled Worker Visa, amounting to a discount of roughly £60 per year. However, as the MAC has highlighted, the visa fee reduction is a negligible benefit, particularly when viewed in the context of the increased Skilled Worker salary thresholds and the increases to the Immigration Health Surcharge.
Roles on the Health and Care Worker Visa already have lower associated visa fees and therefore do not benefit from the Immigration Salary List visa fee reduction.
| Occupation code | Job types included on the immigration salary list | Areas of the UK which qualify | Standard rate | Lower rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1212 | Managers and proprietors in forestry, fishing and related services – only “fishing boat masters” | Scotland only | £30,960 (£15.88 per hour) | £27,000 (£13.85 per hour) |
| 2111 | Chemical scientists – only jobs in the nuclear industry | Scotland only | £35,200 (£18.05 per hour) | £29,600 (£15.18 per hour) |
| 2112 | Biological scientists – all jobs | UK wide | £41,900 (£21.49 per hour) | £32,100 (£16.46 per hour) |
| 2115 | Social and humanities scientists – only archaeologists | UK wide | £36,400 (£18.67 per hour) | £25,200 (£12.92 per hour) |
| 2142 | Graphic and multimedia designers – all jobs | UK wide | £30,960 (£15.88 per hour) | £35,800 (£18.36 per hour) |
| 3111 | Laboratory technicians – only jobs requiring 3 or more years’ related on-the-job experience. This experience must not have been gained through working illegally. | UK wide | £30,960 (£15.88 per hour) | £23,200 (£11.90 per hour) |
| 3212 | Pharmaceutical technicians – all jobs | UK wide | £30,960 (£15.88 per hour) | £23,400 (£12.00 per hour) |
| 3411 | Artists – all jobs | UK wide | £32,900 (£16.87 per hour) | £27,300 (£14.00 per hour) |
| 3414 | Dancers and choreographers – only skilled classical ballet dancers or skilled contemporary dancers who meet the standard required by internationally recognised UK ballet or contemporary dance companies. The company must be endorsed as being internationally recognised by a UK industry body such as the Arts Councils (of England, Scotland or Wales). | UK wide | £30,960 (£15.88 per hour) | £23,200 (£11.90 per hour) |
| 3415 | Musicians – only skilled orchestral musicians who are leaders, principals, sub-principals or numbered string positions, and who meet the standard required by internationally recognised UK orchestras. The orchestra must be a full member of the Association of British Orchestras. | UK wide | £32,900 (£16.87 per hour) | £27,300 (£14.00 per hour) |
| 3416 | Arts officers, producers and directors – all jobs | UK wide | £37,500 (£19.23 per hour) | £31,300 (£16.05 per hour) |
| 5119 | Agriculture and fishing trades not elsewhere classified – only jobs in the fishing industry | UK wide | £30,960 (£15.88 per hour) | £23,200 (£11.90 per hour) |
| 5213 | Welding trades – only high integrity pipe welders, where the job requires 3 or more years’ related on-the-job experience. This experience must not have been gained through working illegally. | UK wide | £31,700 (£16.26 per hour) | £26,400 (£13.54 per hour) |
| 5235 | Boat and shop builders and repairers – all jobs | Scotland only | £32,400 (£16.62 per hour) | £28,100 (£14.41 per hour) |
| 5312 | Stonemasons and related trades – all jobs | UK wide | £31,000 (£15.90 per hour) | £25,800 (£13.23 per hour) |
| 5313 | Bricklayers – all jobs | UK wide | £30,960 (£15.88 per hour) | £25,800 (£13.23 per hour) |
| 5314 | Roofers, roof tilers and slaters – all jobs | UK wide | £31,000 (£15.90 per hour) | £25,800 (£13.23 per hour) |
| 5316 | Carpenters and joiners – all jobs | UK wide | £30,960 (£15.88 per hour) | £25,200 (£12.92 per hour) |
| 5319 | Construction and building trades not elsewhere classified – only retrofitters | UK wide | £30,960 (£15.88 per hour) | £25,500 (£13.08 per hour) |
| 6135 | Care workers and home carers – all jobs, except jobs with a working location in England are only eligible in this SOC 2020 occupation code where the sponsor holds registration with the Care Quality Commission and is currently carrying on a regulated activity. Private households or individuals (other than sole traders sponsoring someone to work for their business) cannot sponsor Skilled Worker applicants. | UK wide | £30,960 (£15.88 per hour) | £23,200 (£11.90 per hour) |
| 6136 | Senior care workers – all jobs, except jobs with a working location in England are only eligible in this SOC 2020 occupation code where the sponsor holds registration with the Care Quality Commission and is currently carrying on a regulated activity. | UK wide | £30,960 (£15.88 per hour) | £23,200 (£11.90 per hour) |
| 6129 | Animal care services occupations not elsewhere classified – only racing grooms, stallion handlers, stud grooms, stud hands, stud handlers and work riders | UK wide | £30,960 (£15.88 per hour) | £23,200 (£11.90 per hour) |
| 9119 | Fishing and other elementary agriculture occupations not elsewhere classified – only deckhands on large fishing vessels (9 metres and above) where the job requires the worker to have at least 3 years’ full-time experience in using their skills. This experience must not have been gained through working illegally. | UK wide | £30,960 (£15.88 per hour) |
Adivis assists international clients in obtaining UK visas, residence and citizenship under the respective programs. Contact us to arrange an initial private consultation.
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Adivis is the trading name of Adivis Ltd company registered in England and Wales with company number: 12633225. This firm is regulated by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner.
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