An occupation code is a four-digit Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) number that groups a job by the skills and qualifications it needs. On the Skilled Worker route the sponsor chooses a SOC 2020 code for the job. The code decides whether the job is eligible and which going rate applies to the salary.
Key points
- It is a four-digit SOC 2020 code. The sponsoring employer chooses it when it assigns the certificate of sponsorship.
- Appendix Skilled Occupations lists the eligible codes and gives each one an annual going rate.
- Jobs skilled to graduate level sit in Tables 1 to 3. Jobs below that level are usually eligible only if they are on the Immigration Salary List or the Temporary Shortage List, or a transitional rule applies.
- A wrong code can delay or lead to refusal of the application and can lead to compliance action against the sponsor.
- The CASCOT tool helps find a code, but not every job title is in it, and similar jobs can have different codes.
How an occupation code works
Before a worker can find out if a job is eligible for a Skilled Worker visa, they need its 4-digit occupation code.[1]Home Office, Skilled Worker visa: Your job The code is a Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) number. The Office for National Statistics developed the system.[3]UK Visas and Immigration, Workers and Temporary Workers: guidance for sponsors part 2: sponsor a worker (accessible)
The sponsor, not the worker, picks the code. When it assigns a certificate of sponsorship, the sponsor must give the SOC 2020 code that fits the job. SOC 2010 codes remain valid only for certificates assigned on or before 3 April 2024.[3]UK Visas and Immigration, Workers and Temporary Workers: guidance for sponsors part 2: sponsor a worker (accessible)
The sponsor is responsible for the choice. The sponsor guidance says UK Visas and Immigration cannot help with it. The guidance points to the ONS and to the CASCOT coding tool, built by the University of Warwick.[3]UK Visas and Immigration, Workers and Temporary Workers: guidance for sponsors part 2: sponsor a worker (accessible) GOV.UK adds that not every job title is in CASCOT and that the job description must match what the worker will actually do.[1]Home Office, Skilled Worker visa: Your job
What the code decides
The code sets several things at once. The table shows each one and where it is written.
| What the code decides | Where it is set |
|---|---|
| Whether the job is eligible at all | Tables 1 to 3 of Appendix Skilled Occupations for jobs at graduate level. Tables 1a, 2aa, 2a and 3a for lower-level jobs. Table 6 for codes that are not eligible |
| The annual going rate | The table row for the code, based on a 37.5-hour week |
| Whether PhD salary points are available | The “eligible for PhD points” column |
| Extra requirements | Rules tied to named codes, such as a criminal record certificate or an ATAS certificate |
Jobs skilled to graduate level or above are in Tables 1, 2 and 3. Jobs below graduate level are in the other tables. Those jobs are only eligible if they are on the Immigration Salary List or the Temporary Shortage List, or if the worker meets a transitional provision.[3]UK Visas and Immigration, Workers and Temporary Workers: guidance for sponsors part 2: sponsor a worker (accessible) Table 6 lists codes that are not eligible for the Skilled Worker route.[2]Home Office, Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Occupations
Each eligible code has its own going rate. The going rates are per year and must be pro-rated for other working patterns.[2]Home Office, Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Occupations The usual minimum salary is whichever is highest of £41,700 a year and the going rate for the code. Discounts and separate healthcare and education rules can change this.[1]Home Office, Skilled Worker visa: Your job
Some codes carry extra rules. A criminal record certificate is required for listed health, education and social care codes. An ATAS certificate may be needed for some research jobs. For care workers (6135) and senior care workers (6136) in England, the employer must be registered with the Care Quality Commission.[1]Home Office, Skilled Worker visa: Your job[4]Home Office, Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Worker
Choosing the right code
The Immigration Rules say the sponsor must choose an appropriate code. The decision maker must not have reasonable grounds to believe the sponsor chose a less appropriate one for any of these reasons.[4]Home Office, Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Worker The reasons are:
- the most appropriate code is not eligible under the Skilled Worker route
- the most appropriate code has a higher going rate than the proposed salary
- the most appropriate code is not on the Immigration Salary List, but the worker is claiming points for a job on it
- the most appropriate code is not eligible for PhD points, but the worker is claiming points for a qualification
To assess this, the decision maker may consider whether the sponsor has shown a genuine need for the job and whether the worker has the skills and experience for it. It may also consider the sponsor’s compliance history.[4]Home Office, Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Worker The sponsor guidance warns that a wrong code could lead to a delayed or refused application. False or misleading information about the skill or salary level can lead to compliance action, including revocation of the sponsor licence.[3]UK Visas and Immigration, Workers and Temporary Workers: guidance for sponsors part 2: sponsor a worker (accessible)
Example
Amara is offered a job as a software developer. Her employer checks Appendix Skilled Occupations and finds code 2134, Programmers and software development professionals, in Table 1. The going rate is £54,700 a year, or £28.05 an hour on a 37.5-hour week.[2]Home Office, Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Occupations The general minimum is £41,700, but the going rate is higher. Her salary must therefore reach £54,700, unless a discount applies.[1]Home Office, Skilled Worker visa: Your job
A different job shows the other side. Electricians and electrical fitters fall in code 5241. That code is below graduate level and appears in Table 1a with a going rate of £38,800.[2]Home Office, Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Occupations A sponsor can use it only if the job is on one of the two shortage lists or a transitional rule applies.[3]UK Visas and Immigration, Workers and Temporary Workers: guidance for sponsors part 2: sponsor a worker (accessible)
What people get wrong
Many people choose a code from the job title alone. GOV.UK says the job description must match the work, and that similar jobs can have different codes. Bricklayers, roofers and carpenters are eligible for a Skilled Worker visa, but construction labourers are not.
Codes also change between versions of the system. Using an old SOC 2010 code for a certificate assigned after 3 April 2024 does not meet the sponsor guidance, which asks for a SOC 2020 code.[3]UK Visas and Immigration, Workers and Temporary Workers: guidance for sponsors part 2: sponsor a worker (accessible)
The bottom line
An occupation code is the number that links a job to the Skilled Worker rules. It decides whether the job is eligible, which going rate applies and whether extra requirements attach. The sponsor chooses it and carries the risk if it is wrong. The rules and the going rates are in Appendix Skilled Occupations.
Common questions
Ask your employer, who must choose it. You can also search for your job in the CASCOT occupation coding tool. GOV.UK warns that not every job title is included, so you may need to try similar jobs.
No. The sponsor must choose the most appropriate code for the work. The Immigration Rules say the decision maker must not have reasonable grounds to believe a less appropriate code was chosen to avoid a higher going rate or an ineligible code.
In part. Each eligible code has its own annual going rate. The minimum salary is usually whichever is higher of the general figure of £41,700 and that going rate, although some discounts apply.
Only for some cases. SOC 2010 codes remain valid for certificates of sponsorship assigned on or before 3 April 2024. For later certificates the sponsor must use a SOC 2020 code.
Sources
We cite the Immigration Rules, legislation and GOV.UK guidance directly. Rules change, so each source shows the date we last checked it.
- Home Office. Skilled Worker visa: Your job. Checked 11 November 2026. ↩
- Home Office. Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Occupations. Checked 11 November 2026. ↩
- UK Visas and Immigration. Workers and Temporary Workers: guidance for sponsors part 2: sponsor a worker (accessible). Checked 11 November 2026. ↩
- Home Office. Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Worker. Checked 11 November 2026. ↩