Special and additional needs education teaching professionals (SOC 2316) qualifies for UK Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. Scroll down for salary benchmarks, the visa rules, and live jobs from licensed sponsors.
Special and additional needs education teaching professionals organise and provide instruction at a variety of different levels to children who have emotional, behavioural or learning difficulties or physical disabilities. These professionals may also work with exceptionally gifted pupils.
Entry is with a first degree that provides QTS (qualified teacher status) or, in Scotland, TQ (teaching qualification); or other relevant degree followed by further postgraduate training (most commonly PGCE – Postgraduate Certificate in Secondary Education, or, in Scotland, PGDE – Professional Graduate Diploma in Education). Additionally, prior experience in mainstream teaching is usually required, and further training for special needs teaching may be mandatory. A DBS check is mandatory
UK market salary · ASHE 2025
How visa salary requirements compare to what employers pay.
Most special needs education teaching professionals in the UK earn between £38,480 and £54,548 in basic pay.
All figures are before tax. Calculate your take-home pay.
Browse our register of UK companies with an active sponsor licence. Filter by industry, size, sponsor rating, and whether they're currently hiring special and additional needs education teaching professionals, so you only apply where a visa is actually on the table.
Browse licensed sponsorsSpecial and additional needs education teaching professionals roles follow the national teacher and education pay scale. Your employer must pay at least the grade-specific rate set by the Home Office for this occupation code, not the general £41,700 Skilled Worker threshold.
See education pay scalesYour 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.
Other Skilled Worker-eligible roles in the same SOC minor group (231xx):
Yes. Special and additional needs education teaching professionals roles fall under SOC 2316 (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.
Special and additional needs education teaching professionals roles (SOC 2316) follow the national education pay scale rather than a fixed going rate. The minimum salary depends on your grade within the pay framework. Check the government's education pay-scale guidance.
SOC 2316 covers a range of special and additional needs education teaching professionals roles, including: Special and additional educational needs teachers and coordinators, Teachers of the deaf, Teachers of the visually impaired, Special and additional needs education teaching professionals not elsewhere classified.. 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.
We list Special and additional needs education teaching professionals 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.