Hire services managers and proprietors (SOC 1257) 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.
Managers and proprietors in hire services plan, organise and direct the activities of businesses which hire goods and services, such as tools, heavy machinery and vehicles.
There are no pre-set qualification requirements however, relevant experience is usually essential and qualifications in engineering or other relevant services may be an advantage.
UK market salary · ASHE 2025
Basic-pay figures were suppressed for this SOC — showing gross pay instead.
All figures are before tax. Calculate your take-home pay.
SOC 1257 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 1257 doesn't qualify, but these related occupations do:
Not under SOC 1257. Hire services managers and 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.
SOC 1257 covers a range of hire services managers and proprietors roles, including: Hire services managers and 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 1257 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.