White Paper Proposal: Abolishing the immigration salary list | White Paper

The White Paper policy "Restoring Control Over the Immigration System" published in May 2025 has created a lot of uncertainty around the UK immigration system and what the proposed changes will mean for UK employers, visa holders, and the wider UK economy. The document outlines significant changes aimed at reforming the immigration system, among those is the proposition to introduce a temporary shortage list and to abolish the immigration salary list.

Abolition of the Immigration Salary List

The immigration salary list (“ISL”) was renamed in April 2024, replacing the shortage occupation list which allowed over 50 roles to benefit from a salary discount, allowing for an easier recruitment into those roles. The ISL only has 23 roles that can currently benefit from a lower salary, eligibility depending on whether you are applying to work in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. The government will ask the Migration Advisory Committee (“MAC”) to undertake a thorough review of the salary requirements to prevent international recruitment being used as a ‘cheap alternative to fair pay’.

Introduction of the Temporary Shortage List

In place of the immigration salary list, the government has proposed the introduction of a temporary shortage list. This new list will provide time-limited eligibility for visa sponsorship for occupations facing long-term shortages, particularly those below RQF 6 level. It is proposed that occupations below RQF 6 will have to be listed on the TSL to be eligible for sponsorship.

MAC will assess which roles should appear on the TSL. For roles to appear on the list, there will have to be a proper workforce strategy in place which will aim to maximise the use of the UK workforce and include agreed training and broader skills plans. This will try to ensure that employers seeking to recruit from abroad are committed to investing in the domestic workforce.

The MAC workforce strategy will consider issues such as risk of exploitation of workers within certain sectors, appropriate visa terms and conditions, visa time limits and caps on the number of visas. It is proposed that jobs on the TSL which are below RQF6 will also carry restrictions on bringing dependants to the UK.

It is proposed that the TSL list will initially contain occupations in sectors that MAC has recently considered to be in shortage such as health and care, IT, and hospitality.

Considerations for employers

The proposed changes to the immigration system will have significant implications for both employers and employees. For employers, the abolition of the Immigration Salary List and the introduction of the Temporary Shortage List could make hiring more rigid and difficult. This approach will also place a greater responsibility on employers to be compliant with the new regulations and to demonstrate that they are making genuine efforts to recruit and train domestic workforce.