Immigration Salary List 2026 — UK Discounts

The Immigration Salary List (ISL) is the Home Office list of occupations eligible for a discounted going-rate salary under the Skilled Worker route. It came into force on 4 April 2024 and replaced the older Shortage Occupation List. Jobs on the ISL can be sponsored at 80% of the standard going rate for that SOC code.

Critically, the ISL discount only applies to the going-rate component. The general Skilled Worker salary threshold in force at the time of the visa application still applies on top — see our Skilled Worker salary thresholds 2026 guide for the current figures.

How the ISL discount works

For every SOC 2020 code, the Home Office publishes a "going rate" — the median UK salary for that occupation. If the code appears on the ISL, the sponsor can pay 80% of that going rate. But the worker's gross annual salary must still clear, separately, the general Skilled Worker minimum salary for the route they are applying under.

Whichever of the two floors is higher is the floor the salary has to beat. For lower-paid SOC codes, the ISL discount is meaningful. For higher-paid SOC codes, the general threshold often becomes the binding constraint and the ISL discount delivers no real benefit.

Who can use the Immigration Salary List

• Sponsors holding a current sponsor licence in the Worker category.
• Roles that fall under one of the SOC codes currently on the ISL.
• Workers applying under the Skilled Worker route — not the Health & Care visa or Senior or Specialist Worker route, which use their own salary rules.

What is and is not on the list

The ISL is intentionally narrow. It covers a small number of occupations identified by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) as having genuine, evidenced UK labour shortages — typically including specific construction trades, laboratory technicians, certain animal care roles, and a handful of healthcare-adjacent codes. It does not cover most professional, IT, finance, or general management occupations.

The list is reviewed by the MAC and amended by the Home Office. Always confirm the live list on gov.uk before assigning a Certificate of Sponsorship in reliance on it — assigning a CoS at the 80% rate for a code that has since been removed will lead to a refused visa and a wasted CoS fee.

Care sector caveat

Care worker (SOC 6135) and senior care worker (SOC 6136) routes have been progressively restricted since 2024 — including the closure of most overseas recruitment into these codes. The ISL is not a workaround. Additional sector-specific rules (CQC registration, domestic-recruitment evidence, and a moratorium on certain new sponsorships) apply on top. See our CQC sponsor licence guide for the current position.

How the ISL interacts with other discounts

• New Entrant — workers under 26, recent graduates, postdoctoral researchers and those moving into regulated professions get a 30% discount on the going rate plus a lower general threshold. The ISL and New Entrant discounts are not stacked; the worker uses whichever produces the better outcome for that role.
• PhD-relevant roles — separate discounts apply for jobs where a relevant PhD is required. These are independent of the ISL.
• Health & Care visa — uses its own salary rules and is not affected by ISL changes.

Compliance notes for sponsors

• Salary is assessed at the date the CoS is assigned. If the ISL changes after assignment but before the visa decision, the existing CoS remains valid at the assigned rate.
• UKVI checks at audit that the SOC code on the CoS is genuinely correct for the worker's duties — using an ISL code that doesn't match the actual role is a common revocation trigger.
• Salary changes after the visa is granted must be reported through the SMS within 10 working days under the reporting rules.

Frequently asked questions