Skills Shortage Occupation List

This list is current for Work Permit applications submitted on or after 29 May, 2007.

If a job is for a shortage occupation you can apply for a UK Work Permit without advertising the vacancy. The following Skills Shortage Occupation List is the current list of occupations in shortage in the UK:

Engineering Occupations

Transportation and Highways Engineers

Engineers who are required to have a transport-related degree, or another degree and at least 2 years' relevant experience from a civil background in the following specialities:

Traffic Engineer or Transport Planner
Highways Design Engineer or Highways Planning Engineer

Ground Engineering

Ground Engineering occupations relate 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 Specialist

Other Engineering

CAA Licensed Aircraft Engineer
Overhead Electricity Linesworker

Healthcare Shortage Occupations

Doctors

Salaried GPs

Dentists

Consultants in Dental Specialities

Consultant Posts

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
Endodontics
Forensic Psychiatry
Gastroenterology
General Adult Psychiatry
General Internal Medicine
General Surgery
Genito-urinary Medicine
Geriatric Medicine
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
Renal Medicine
Respiratory Medicine
Rheumatology
Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgery
Urology

General Healthcare

Audiologist
Audiological Scientist
Clinical Psychologist
Dietician
Occupational Therapist
Pharmacists
Pharmacy Technician
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

Nurses

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

Employed or Engaged Registered Nurses

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)