The UK government has released its Immigration Salary List for 2026, which includes dozens of roles across various sectors that are eligible for a lower salary threshold for Skilled Worker visas. This move comes as other European countries, such as Ireland and the Czech Republic, have raised their income bars for migrant workers. The list includes jobs like bricklaying, care work, and laboratory technicians, among others.
The list of eligible jobs spans a wide range of trades and professions, including construction, healthcare, science, and the arts. In the construction sector, roles such as bricklayers, carpenters, and joiners, roofers, and stonemasons are included. Healthcare and social care roles, such as care workers, home carers, and senior care workers, are also eligible. Additionally, science and technical roles like biological scientists, pharmaceutical technicians, and laboratory technicians are on the list.
Most positions on the list apply across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, but some roles are limited to Scotland only. For example, chemical scientists in the nuclear industry and boat and ship builders are restricted to Scotland. Some roles, such as laboratory technicians and high integrity pipe welders, require at least three years of related on-the-job experience. Performing arts roles, like classical ballet and contemporary dancers, require formal endorsement from recognized UK industry bodies.
The discounted threshold is not a permanent fixture of the UK's immigration system, with most roles on the list carrying a removal date of 31 December 2026. The UK government has not announced any wider changes to the Skilled Worker visa framework alongside this publication. Care sector sponsors in England must be registered with the Care Quality Commission and actively delivering regulated care, with private households barred from sponsoring under these categories.
The UK's move comes as other popular destinations have made it harder for Ghanaian jobseekers. Ireland raised its General Employment Permit salary threshold to about GH¢484,000, while the Czech Republic raised its EU Blue Card salary bar to roughly GH¢481,000. Ghana was left out when the UK handed Australia 38,500 youth mobility visa slots, and Canada has been courting workers through its Atlantic Immigration route.
For Ghanaian tradespeople, care workers, scientists, and artists, the practical effect is that a UK employer sponsoring one of the listed roles can offer a lower qualifying salary than the standard Skilled Worker visa demands. This potentially makes UK job offers more attainable for those without the highest wages. However, because most entries expire at the end of 2026, it is unclear whether the list will be renewed or which roles might be extended or removed sooner.
The Skilled Worker visa is the UK's main route for employers to sponsor foreign nationals in jobs meeting set skill and salary rules. The Immigration Salary List is a government-maintained list of occupations judged to be in shortage, allowing sponsors to pay below the usual minimum salary for those specific roles. No timeline beyond the stated 31 December 2026 removal date has been given for most roles, and the UK government has not signaled any further adjustments to the broader Skilled Worker visa system.
Key points
- The UK has published a list of jobs eligible for a lower salary requirement for Skilled Worker visas, including roles in construction, healthcare, and the arts.
- The list is not a permanent fixture, with most roles expiring on 31 December 2026.
- The move comes as other European countries have raised their income bars for migrant workers, making the UK a more attractive option for Ghanaian jobseekers.
