1. Government-approved shortage occupation list for Tier 2 of the Points Based System
1 March 2010
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.
A small amendment to the skill levels included for skilled contemporary dancers has been made
from 1 March 2010.
UK list:
Related occupation Job titles and skill levels included on the shortage Relevant code
title and SOC code occupation list of practice
Production, works ONLY the following job in this occupation code: Section C –
and maintenance • project manager in the electricity transmission and manufacturing
managers (1121) distribution industry
Managers in mining ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code: Section B –
and energy (1123) • the following jobs in the electricity transmission and mining and
distribution and the electricity generation industries: quarrying
- site manager
- station manager
- shift/group leader
Biological scientists ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code: Section Q –
and biochemists • cardiac physiologist human health
(2112) • clinical neurophysiologist and social work
• clinical vascular scientist activities
• respiratory physiologist
• sleep physiologist
Physicists, geologists ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code: Section M –
and meteorologists • engineering geologist professional,
(2113) • hydro geologist scientific and
• geophysicist technical
• geoscientist activities
• geophysical specialist
• engineering geophysicist
• engineering geomorphologist
• nuclear medicine scientist
• radiotherapy physicist
• staff working in diagnostic radiology (including
magnetic resonance imaging).
Civil engineers ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code: Section F –
(2121) • geotechnical engineer construction
• geotechnical design engineer
• geotechnical specialist
• reservoir panel engineer
• rock mechanics engineer
• soil mechanics engineer
• geomechanics engineer
• tunnelling engineer
• petroleum engineer
• geoenvironmental engineer

2. • 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
Mechanical ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code: Section M –
engineers (2122) • mechanical engineer in the electricity transmission and professional,
distribution industry scientific and
• mechanical engineer in the electricity generation technical
industry activities
Electrical engineers ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code: Section M –
(2123) • all electrical engineers in the oil and gas industry professional,
• all electrical engineers in the electricity transmission scientific and
and distribution industry, including the following: technical
- power system engineer activities
- control engineer
- protection engineer
- project control engineer
- control and instrumentation engineer
- assistant engineer
Chemical engineers ALL jobs in this occupation code Section M –
(2125) professional,
scientific and
technical
activities
Design and ONLY the following job in this occupation code: Section C –
development • design engineer in the electricity transmission and manufacturing
engineers (2126) distribution industry
Production and ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code: Section C –
process engineers • plant process engineer in the electricity transmission manufacturing
(2127) and distribution industry
Planning and quality ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code: Section M –
control engineers • the following jobs in the electricity transmission and professional,
(2128) distribution industry: scientific and
- planning / development engineer technical
- quality, health, safety and environment activities
engineer
Engineering ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code: Section M –
professionals not • the following jobs in the electricity transmission and professional,
elsewhere classified distribution industry: scientific and
(2129) - project engineer technical
- proposals engineer activities

3. Medical practitioners ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code: Section Q –
(2211) • Consultants in the following specialities: human health
- audiological medicine and social work
- genito-urinary medicine activities
- 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
Pharmacists/ ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code: Section Q –
pharmacologists • pre-registration pharmacist working in the NHS or human health
(2213) hospitals and social work
• registered pharmacist working in the NHS or hospitals activities
Dental practitioners ONLY the following job in this occupation code: Section Q –
(2215) • consultants in paediatric dentistry human health
and social work
activities
Veterinarians (2216) ONLY the following job in this occupation code: Section S –
• veterinary surgeon other service
activities
Must be registered as a member of the Royal College of
Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) to work in the UK.
Secondary education ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code: Section P –
teaching • secondary education teachers in the subjects of maths education
professionals (2314) or pure sciences (physics, chemistry, biology and any
combinations of these)
Special needs ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code: Section P –
education teaching • all teaching posts in special schools education
professionals (2316)
Social workers ONLY the following job in this occupation code: Section Q –
(2442) • social worker in children’s and family services human health
and social work
activities
Engineering ONLY the following job in this occupation code: Section M –
Technicians (3113) • commissioning engineer professional,
scientific and
technical
activities

4. Science and ONLY the following job in this occupation code: Section M –
engineering • production controller in the electricity generation professional,
technicians not industry scientific and
elsewhere classified technical
(3119) activities
Nurses (3211) ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code: Section Q –
• specialist nurse working in operating theatres human health
• operating department practitioner and social work
• specialist nurse working in neonatal intensive care activities
units
Medical ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code: Section Q –
radiographers (3214) • HPC-registered diagnostic radiographer human health
• HPC-registered therapeutic radiographer and social work
• sonographer activities
Medical and dental ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code: Section Q –
technicians (3218) • nuclear medicine technologist human health
• radiotherapy technologist and social work
activities
Speech and ONLY the following job in this occupation code: Section Q –
language • speech and language therapist at Agenda for Change human health
therapists (3223) bands 7+ or their independent sector equivalents and social work
activities
Therapists not ONLY the following job in this occupation code: Section Q –
elsewhere classified • HPC-registered orthoptist human health
(3229) and social work
activities
Dancers and ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code: Section R –
choreographers • skilled classical ballet dancers who meet the standard arts,
(3414) required by internationally recognised United Kingdom entertainment
ballet companies (e.g. Birmingham Royal Ballet, and 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
- 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

5. - 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: Section R –
• skilled orchestral musicians who meet the standard arts,
required by internationally recognised companies (e.g. entertainment
London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic and recreation
Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, and Royal
Philharmonic Orchestra)
Photographers and ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code: Section M –
audio visual • the following roles within visual effects and 2D/3D professional,
equipment operators, computer animation for film, television or video games: scientific and
(3434) - animation supervisor technical
- animator activities
- 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
Agricultural and ONLY the following job in this occupation code: Section A –
fishing trades not • Skilled work rider where the job: agriculture,
elsewhere classified - requires registration by the British Horseracing forestry and
(5119) Authority (and the trainer has therefore fishing
submitted the SER1 registration form); 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
Welding trades ONLY the following job in this occupation code: Section C –
(5215) • high integrity pipe welder where the job requires three manufacturing
or more years related on-the-job experience
Metal working ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code: Section C –
production and • licensed and military certifying engineer / inspector manufacturing
maintenance fitters technician
(5223) • airframe fitter
Line repairers and ONLY the following job in this occupation code: Section D –
cable jointers (5243) • overhead linesworker in the electricity transmission electricity, gas,
and distribution industry steam and air
conditioning
supply

6. Electrical/electronics ONLY the following job in this occupation code: Section M –
engineers not • site supervisor in the electricity transmission and professional,
elsewhere classified distribution industry scientific and
(5249) technical
activities
Butchers, meat ONLY the following job in this occupation code: Section I –
cutters (5431) • skilled meat boner where the pay is at least £9.00 per accommodation
hour and food
• skilled meat trimmer where the pay is at least £9.00 service
per hour activities
Chefs, cooks (5434) ONLY the following job in this occupation code: Section I –
• skilled chef where: accommodation
- the pay is at least £8.45 per hour after and food
deductions for accommodation, meals etc; and service
- the job requires three or more years relevant activities
experience
Care assistants and ONLY the following jobs in this occupation code: Section Q –
home carers (6115) • skilled senior care workers where: human health
- the pay is at least £7.80 per hour after and social work
deductions for accommodation, meals etc; and activities
- 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
Fishing and ONLY the following job in this occupation code: Section A –
agriculture related • skilled sheep shearer with a British Wool Marketing agriculture,
occupations not Board bronze medal (or equivalent) or above forestry and
elsewhere classified fishing
(9119)
Scotland list:
Related occupation Job titles and skill levels included on the shortage Relevant code
title and SOC code occupation list of practice
N/A ALL job titles and occupations on the UK shortage list See UK list for
details
Medical practitioners ONLY the following job in this occupation code: Section Q –
(2211) • consultant radiologist human health
and social work
activities