Senior officers in fire, ambulance, prison and related services (SOC 1163, also written as job code 1163) qualifies for UK Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. Your employer must pay at least the going rate of £61,600 per year. Scroll down for salary benchmarks, the visa rules, and live jobs from licensed sponsors.
Not sure if SOC 1163 applies to your situation?
The answer above is the general rule. Your case can be different if you already hold a visa and are extending or switching, if you were sponsored before a rule change, or depending on your salary. Our AI assistant can explain the full rules from gov.uk guidance.
Ask AI about SOC 1163Fire officers plan, organise, direct and co-ordinate the activities and resources of a specific physical or functional area of a statutory or private fire brigade/service and the resources necessary for the protection of property at fires within a salvage corps area. Ambulance officers plan, organise, direct and co-ordinate the resources necessary for the provision of ambulance services. Prison officers (principal officer and above) plan, organise, direct, and co-ordinate the activities and resources necessary for the running of a prison, remand or detention centre. Customs officers plan and direct the work of customs, excise and immigration staff in the monitoring and inspection of goods and persons crossing national borders.
The position of senior fire officer is achieved by internal promotion. Entry to senior positions within the prison service and revenue and customs is either by internal promotion or by open competition; both organisations operate accelerated promotion schemes available to internal and external applicants. Entry to the prison and fire services are subject to age restrictions, and both the prison service and revenue and customs impose nationality conditions. Entry to senior positions within the ambulance service is largely by internal promotion from supervisory roles.
Browse our register of UK companies with an active sponsor licence. Filter by industry, size, sponsor rating, and whether they're currently hiring senior officers in fire, ambulance, prison and related services, so you only apply where a visa is actually on the table.
Browse licensed sponsorsYour employer must pay whichever is higher: the going rate for SOC 1163 (£61,600) or the general Skilled Worker threshold of £41,700 per year.
New entrants and ISL roles may qualify for a lower rate. See the New entrant & discount rates section below.
Your sponsor issues a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS), a reference number the Home Office uses to check the job offer, salary, and duties line up with an eligible SOC code.
Submit the Skilled Worker visa application online within 3 months of your CoS assignment date. You'll also book a biometric appointment and pay the immigration health surcharge.
Apply on gov.ukTravel to the UK before your CoS start date and begin working for the sponsor named on the certificate.
If you're under 26, switching from a Student visa, or a recent UK graduate, your employer can pay the new entrant rate of £43,100 per year for up to 4 years.
Continuously sponsored as a Skilled Worker since before 4 April 2024? Lower thresholds apply: £50,000 standard, or £35,000 as a new entrant.
Other Skilled Worker-eligible roles in the same SOC minor group (116xx):
Yes. Senior officers in fire, ambulance, prison and related services roles fall under SOC 1163 (Higher Skilled), so they qualify for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. Your employer will need a sponsor licence and must pay at least the going rate for this occupation.
Job code 1163, SOC code 1163 and occupation code 1163 all refer to the same thing: the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 2020) unit group covering senior officers in fire, ambulance, prison and related services. The Home Office uses this 4-digit code on a Certificate of Sponsorship to check Skilled Worker visa eligibility and to set the going rate salary threshold for the role.
The going rate for Senior officers in fire, ambulance, prison and related services (SOC 1163) is £61,600 (£31.59 per hour). Occupation rate applies. Your employer must pay whichever is higher: this going rate or the general Skilled Worker threshold of £41,700 per year.
SOC 1163 covers a range of senior officers in fire, ambulance, prison and related services roles, including: Senior officers in ambulance services, Senior officers in fire services, Senior officers in immigration services, Senior officers in prison services, Senior officers in revenue and customs. Keep in mind that the Home Office matches jobs by duties rather than title alone. Two roles with the same title can fall under different SOC codes depending on the actual work involved.
Yes. If you're under 26, a recent graduate, a PhD student, or switching from a Student or Graduate visa, you count as a "new entrant". For Senior officers in fire, ambulance, prison and related services (SOC 1163) the new entrant minimum is £43,100 per year, based on the Home Office's published lower going rate and the £33,400 new entrant threshold. The discount lasts up to 4 years in total.
We list Senior officers in fire, ambulance, prison and related services roles from companies with a Home Office sponsor licence. Scroll down to see what's currently open, or search our full jobs database for more visa-sponsored positions across the UK.
This information is provided as guidance only and should not be treated as legal advice. Eligibility criteria and salary thresholds are based on the latest published government data. Always verify with the official UK government guidance or seek professional immigration advice.