UK expands skilled worker visa: 70 new roles added

DDM News

(DDM) – The United Kingdom has unveiled a significant expansion of its Skilled Worker visa scheme, adding over 70 mid-level occupations to its eligibility list, in a move designed to combat mounting labour shortages across multiple industries.

Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) gathered that this expansion, effective from July 22, 2025, introduces an updated Temporary Shortage Occupation List (TSOL), which lowers salary thresholds and simplifies visa requirements for a wide range of skilled professions.

For the first time, occupations such as fashion designers, data analysts, and lab technicians have been included, opening up new immigration pathways for foreign workers with specialized skills in mid-level roles.

The UK government’s decision reflects increasing economic pressures to fill vacant positions in vital sectors such as engineering, healthcare, IT, construction, science, finance, and the creative arts.

Previously, many of these roles were excluded due to the country’s narrow classification of “high-skilled” jobs.

However, as labour gaps deepen, the new policy recognizes the value of practical and technical skill sets, many of which are essential to the UK’s infrastructure and global competitiveness.

Starting salaries for the newly eligible roles begin at £29,000, although some positions qualify with even lower thresholds, depending on the applicant’s background and circumstances.

For instance, fashion designers are now eligible at £29,100, while data analysts can qualify with £28,600.

In the science field, laboratory technicians can now apply with a minimum salary of £25,000, significantly reduced from the earlier requirement of £33,400.

Engineering technicians benefit from a lowered threshold of £34,700, down from £42,500.

Even more striking, pipe fitters who were once required to earn at least £46,000 can now qualify with a salary of £40,400.

This policy shift comes with tailored salary adjustments for “new entrants,” PhD holders, and those who have maintained Skilled Worker visas since before April 4, 2024, a flexibility that is expected to benefit younger professionals, recent graduates, and returning applicants.

Applicants must still meet the core conditions of the visa, including securing a valid job offer from a UK-licensed sponsor, receiving a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS), and presenting supporting documents such as academic credentials and proof of appropriate job classification.

Despite the loosened salary caps and expanded eligibility, the government emphasizes that the TSOL remains a temporary intervention.

No clear timeline has been provided for its review or revision, making this an opportune moment for potential candidates to act.

Immigration analysts warn that roles included on the TSOL may change depending on future market demands, workforce training efforts, and political decisions.

The broader context reveals how the UK’s immigration strategy is being reshaped by both internal and external factors.

Domestically, industries have sounded alarms over persistent worker shortages in both technical and hands-on professions.

Internationally, the UK is vying with other developed nations for top talent amid a competitive global labour market.

By lowering financial and bureaucratic barriers, the UK hopes to attract workers who may have previously looked elsewhere.

The inclusion of creative and artistic professions, such as choreographers, translators, and fashion specialists, marks a notable turn in policy, which previously focused more heavily on STEM and healthcare occupations.

This broader lens acknowledges the cultural and economic value of mid-level professionals in diverse fields.

For workers in Nigeria and across the Global South, the new Skilled Worker visa landscape offers a rare opening to pursue UK-based employment under significantly more favourable terms.

While the application process remains rigorous, the new list increases access for qualified workers who may have been locked out by earlier restrictions.

For now, the message from British policymakers is clear: talent is welcome, and the country’s doors are open to skilled professionals ready to help fill urgent gaps in the labour force.

But as with any immigration policy tied to economic shifts, timing is critical.

The most prudent move for aspiring migrants?

Apply now, while the list is wide open and demand remains high.

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