Early education and childcare services proprietors (SOC 1233, also written as job code 1233) does not currently qualify for UK Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. It is classified as medium skilled and would need to be added to the Immigration Salary List or Temporary Shortage Occupation List before employers could sponsor for it. There are closely related roles that do qualify, listed further down.
Not sure if SOC 1233 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 1233Early childhood and childcare services proprietors plan, organise, direct and co-ordinate the activities and resources of residential or day nurseries, play groups, and similar establishments.
Whilst no formal academic qualifications are required by proprietors in this area, a range of relevant courses in early years childcare and management are available. A DBS check is necessary if you run or own a childcare organisation.
SOC 1233 is classified as medium skilled but does not currently appear on the Immigration Salary List or Temporary Shortage List, so it's not currently eligible for new sponsorship.
If you're interested in this field, you have a few options:
SOC 1233 doesn't qualify, but these related occupations do:
Not under SOC 1233. Early education and childcare services proprietors is classified as Medium Skilled, which doesn't meet the requirements for Skilled Worker sponsorship right now. That said, some closely related occupation codes in the same field are eligible, so have a look at the related codes section on this page.
Job code 1233, SOC code 1233 and occupation code 1233 all refer to the same thing: the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 2020) unit group covering early education and childcare services proprietors. 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.
SOC 1233 covers a range of early education and childcare services proprietors roles, including: Early education and childcare services proprietors. 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.
SOC 1233 itself doesn't qualify, but that doesn't mean you're out of options. The most common workaround is finding a closely related role that falls under an eligible SOC code. We've listed any eligible alternatives further up this page. It's also worth looking into visa routes that aren't tied to a specific occupation, like the Global Talent visa, Graduate visa, or High Potential Individual visa.
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.