Child and early years officers (SOC 3222) 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.
Child and early years officers work with babies and with children up to 14 years of age (or 16 for those with special needs), providing support, help and advice to individuals or within a family context.
There are no formal qualification requirements for entry although many employers will expect those appointed to have A-levels and to be working towards a relevant diploma or degree, together with work experience in a relevant field. For some roles workers must be registered with the appropriate statutory body. Some jobs are regulated and require job holders to satisfy the criteria for registration (including holding appropriate qualifications). Background checks including a DBS check are mandatory.
UK market salary · ASHE 2025
How visa salary requirements compare to what employers pay.
Most child and early years officers in the UK earn between £28,652 and £38,220 in basic pay. For Skilled Worker visa holders, the minimum salary (going rate) for this role is £33,400 (SOC 3222), sitting at the 51st percentile of what UK employers pay and £120 above the median. Since this falls below the general salary threshold, sponsors must pay at least £41,700.
All figures are before tax. Calculate your take-home pay.
SOC 3222 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:
Not under SOC 3222. Child and early years officers 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 3222 covers a range of child and early years officers roles, including: Child protection officers, Learning and behaviour mentors, Welfare and attendance officers, Child and early years officers 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.
SOC 3222 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.