The UK has expanded its Skilled Worker visa initiative to include over 70 mid-tier professions, permitting international professionals—such as fashion creators, technicians, and IT experts—to work in the nation with entry-level salaries starting at €29,000.
This development, effective from July 22, 2025, forms part of the government’s strategy to address urgent workforce shortages by facilitating access to positions traditionally viewed as outside the high-skilled visa framework.
The revision unveils a newly enhanced Temporary Shortage Occupation List (TSOL), featuring notably reduced salary criteria and streamlined visa processes for qualified roles across sectors like engineering, construction, healthcare, science, finance, the creative arts, and information technology.
These alterations signify a calculated maneuver to fill staffing voids in industries vital to the UK economy.
Under the updated guidelines, salary prerequisites now differ based on an applicant’s visa history. While standard requirements still pertain to newcomers, those classified as “new entrants,” PhD degree holders, or individuals with continuous Skilled Worker visas before April 4, 2024, can qualify with lower salary benchmarks.
For example, a pipe fitter who once needed to earn a minimum of £46,000 can now be eligible with £40,400. Engineering technicians are accepted at £34,700, down from £42,500. In the creative domain, fashion designers can qualify with £29,100, while data analysts in technology are eligible at £28,600. Laboratory technicians in science and healthcare can apply at £25,000, reduced from the standard £33,400.
This revamped visa roster is perceived as a direct reaction to economic and political pressures regarding skills shortages. It aims to enhance the UK’s labor market competitiveness on a global scale while addressing local voids in practical, mid-tier professions.
Regardless of these new allowances, all candidates must still satisfy basic eligibility criteria, including having a confirmed job offer from a licensed UK sponsor and acquiring a Certificate of Sponsorship. Applications must also incorporate proof of qualifications, salary details, and a valid job match corresponding with the official occupation codes.
Although the government refers to the revised list as temporary, no definite termination date has been provided.