Last reviewed · First published
Complete 2026 guide to SOC 2020 occupation codes (also called job codes) with official going rates, salary thresholds, and eligibility levels for UK Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. If CASCOT could not find your job title, search it here instead. This covers related job titles, and the titles employers actually used on live jobs.
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) 2020 codes are used by UK Visas and Immigration to determine visa eligibility. The "going rate" is the salary benchmark for your specific job, which you must generally meet alongside a £41,700 general threshold. It's based on a 37.5-hour working week and must be pro-rated for other working patterns. Lower rates may apply if you are applying for a Health and Care Worker Visa in certain occupations or got your certificate of sponsorship for your first Skilled Worker visa before 4 April 2024 and have continually held one or more Skilled Worker visas since then.
Higher Skilled (RQF Level 6+): professional occupations typically requiring a degree-level qualification. Eligible for standard Skilled Worker sponsorship.
Medium Skilled (RQF Level 3+): A-level-equivalent roles. Can only apply if the job is on the immigration salary list or temporary shortage list.
Extending only: eligible only for visa extensions in the same role, not new applications.
With conditions: specific conditions must be met for eligibility.
Specific roles: only certain positions within these codes are eligible for sponsorship.
Ineligible: does not meet the skill level requirements for Skilled Worker sponsorship.
Find your SOC code — search the table by job title or duties, not just the title on your contract.
Check the skill level — Higher Skilled qualifies directly; Medium Skilled needs the immigration salary list or temporary shortage list.
Check the salary — you must be paid the higher of £41,700 or the going rate. New entrants and Health & Care roles may qualify for less.
Find a licensed sponsor — search our jobs board for live roles under your code, or browse the register of licensed sponsors.
Use the search function above to find your occupation by job title, related positions, or SOC code. Check the eligibility status to confirm if your role qualifies for visa sponsorship, and review the going rates to ensure your salary meets UKVI requirements. This information is based on official UK government guidance and is updated regularly.
The standard rate (going rate) is the salary benchmark for your specific job. The lower rate applies to specific circumstances: if you got your first certificate of sponsorship before 4 April 2024 with continuous visa holdings, or are applying for a Health and Care Worker Visa in certain occupations. New entrants (under 26 or recent graduates) instead qualify for 70% of the going rate, with a £33,400 minimum.
The annual salaries shown are based on a 37.5-hour working week. They must be pro-rated for other working patterns based on the weekly working hours stated by your employer. For example, if you work 30 hours per week, your minimum salary would be proportionally adjusted.
Yes, there are different salary rules for some healthcare and education jobs. The going rates for these positions are based on national pay scales set by relevant independent bodies (like the NHS). Look for the "national pay scale" note in the salary columns and check the government's pay-scale guidance for your grade.
Yes, you can apply for any eligible occupation code if you meet the qualification and experience requirements. Your sponsor must confirm that your role genuinely matches the SOC code and that you meet the skill level requirements.
The related job titles are examples, not an exhaustive list. Search yours anyway: this page also matches the titles employers used on live sponsored jobs, so a title the official coding index does not carry can still find its code here. What matters in the end is whether your actual duties and responsibilities match the occupation description. The Home Office matches jobs by duties rather than title alone, and two roles with the same title can fall under different SOC codes.
According to UK government requirements, medium skilled occupations can only apply for a Skilled Worker visa if the job is listed on either the immigration salary list or the temporary shortage list. Medium skilled occupations that don't appear on either list are not eligible for visa sponsorship.
An occupation on the immigration salary list has a lower salary threshold: you need the going rate for the occupation rather than the higher general threshold. It does not reduce your visa application fee, and it does not change the skill level requirement — the list is about salary only. The temporary shortage list works the same way and is what makes some medium skilled occupations eligible at all.
SOC codes are reviewed periodically; the current version is SOC 2020. Going rates are usually revised each April, based on the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE). Salary thresholds can change separately when the immigration rules are updated. Check the official government guidance before relying on a figure for an application.
Some occupation codes are only eligible at the lower rate, under specific circumstances such as a Health and Care Worker visa or a transitional arrangement for people already in the route. It means the role cannot be sponsored on the standard salary rules alone, so check which of those situations applies to you.