UK Points System

UK Skills Shortage List was updated on June 11, 2009

Below is a list of the UK Skills Shortage Occupation list that was released by the UK government. If your skilled occupation is on this list, you will be able to qualify for a UK work permit under the forthcoming UK Points Based System Tier 2. These professions are in demand and understaffed, posisitions that can't be filled from within the UK.

Don't worry though, if your profession is not on the list, you may still be able to immigrate under UK Points Tier 2. Your employer must prove that they cannot find anyone suitable in the EU to do the job, and they can get permission from the government to sponsor you.

This list will be updated at more information becomes available.

Various Engineering occupations:

• Transportation Engineers
• Highways Engineers
• Engineers who are required to have a transport-related degree, or a degree and at least 2 years relevant experience from a civil background in the following specialisms:
  • Traffic Engineer or Transport Planner
  • Highways Design Engineer or Highways Planning Engineer

Electricity Generation Engineers:

• mechanical engineer
• senior project mechanical engineer
• project mechanical engineer
• electrical engineer
• senior project electrical engineer
• project electrical engineer
• senior project civil engineer
• project civil engineer
• system health engineer (nuclear)
• design engineer (nuclear)
• work cycle planner (nuclear)
• shift or team leader
• production controller
• plant process engineer
• network planners
• network design engineers
• senior project control and instrumentation engineer
• project control and instrumentation engineer
• senior project control engineer
• central control room supervisor
• assistant engineer (shift operations)
• performance engineer
• system infrastructure engineer
• assistant chemist
• reactor physicist
• assistant reactor physicist
• assistant physicist

Ground Engineering Professions:

• Ground Engineering occupations related solely to the construction sector and not to oil/gas extraction
• Geoenvironmental Engineer
• Geotechnical Engineer
• Geological Advisor
• Geological Analyst
• Geological Associate
• Geological Engineer
• Geologist / Hydrogeologist
• Geology / Reservoir Engineer
• Geomechanics Engineer
• Geophysical Specialist
• Geophysicist
• Geoscientist
• Geosupport Engineer
• Engineering Geologist
• Ground Engineer
• Contaminated Land Engineer

Other Engineering Professions:

• Quantity Surveyors
• CAA Licensed Aircraft Engineer - Removed Effecteive July 18th 2008
• Overhead Electricity Linesworker

UK Healthcare Occupations in Shortage:

Doctors:

• Salaried GPs

Dentists:

• Consultants in Dental Specialities

UK Shortage in Consultant posts in the following specialist areas:

• Accident & Emergency
• Additional Dental Specialities
• Anaesthetics
• Cardiology
• Cardiothoracic Surgery
• Chemical Pathology
• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Clinical Neurophysiology
• Clinical Oncology
• Clinical Radiology
• Dermatology
• Endocrinology & Diabetes Mellitus
• Endodentics
• Forensic Psychiatry
• Gastroenterology
• General Adult Psychiatry
• General Internal Medicine
• General Surgery
• Genito-urinary Medicine
• Geriatric Medicine - Removed Effective July 18th 2008
• Haematology
• Histopathology
• Immunology
• Infectious Diseases
• Intensive Care Medicine
• Medical Microbiology & Virology
• Medical Oncology
• Neurology
• Neurosurgery
• Nuclear Medicine
• Obstetrics & Gynaecology
• Occupational Health
• Old Age Psychiatry
• Opthalmology
• Oral & Maxillo-facial Surgery
• Orthodontics
• Otolaryngology
• Paediatric Cardiology
• Paediatrics
• Palliative Medicine
• Plastic Surgery
• Psychotherapy
• Public Health Medicine
• Rehabilitation Medicine - Removed Effective July 18th 2008
• Renal Medicine
• Respiratory Medicine
• Rheumatology
• Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgery
• Urology

General Health UK Shortage Jobs:

• Audiologist
• Audiological Scientist
• Clinical Psychologist
• Dietician
• Occupational Therapist
• Pharmacy Technician Higher Level (Band 5 and above)
• Pre-Registration Cytogeneticists
• Speech & Language Therapist
• Social Worker
• State Registered Scientists in Cytogenetics
• Biomedical Scientist / Medical Laboratory Scientific Officer (MLSO)
• Qualified HPC Registered Diagnostic & Therapeutic Radiographers, including Ultrasonographers
• Pharmacist (including pre-registration pharmacists)

UK Nurses Shortage Jobs:

• Midwives
• Registered Nurse employed or engaged at Band 7 or Band 8 of Agenda for Change or their Independent sector equivalents

UK Registered Nurse Shortage employed or engaged in the following specialities:

• Audiology
• Sleep / Respiratory Physiology
• Neurophysiology
• Cardiac Physiology
• Operating Theatre Nurse
• Clinical Radiology
• Pathology
• Critical Care (nurses working in wards with a Level 2 or Level 3 classification)

Other UK Job in shortage:

• Teachers – All posts in England and Scotland covering compulsory schooling - UK shortage of teachers, you can immigrate UK to Teach
• Veterinary Surgeons