Fitness and wellbeing instructors (SOC 3433) 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.
Fitness and wellbeing instructors deliver training in a range of fitness activities, including weight training, yoga, Pilates, personal training and other forms of exercise at private health and fitness centres, local authority run sports and leisure centres, other public and community establishments, and in private homes.
There are no formal academic requirements. Entrants must, however, possess coaching qualifications recognised by the appropriate governing body. Applicants to coaching courses must normally be over 18 years old and hold a first-aid certificate. Background checks including a DBS check are required for those working with children.
UK market salary · ASHE 2025
How visa salary requirements compare to what employers pay.
Most fitness and wellbeing instructors in the UK earn between £23,504 and £28,392 in basic pay. For Skilled Worker visa holders, the minimum salary (going rate) for this role is £33,400 (SOC 3433), sitting above the 90th percentile of what UK employers pay and £7,712 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 3433 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 3433. Fitness and wellbeing instructors 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 3433 covers a range of fitness and wellbeing instructors roles, including: Group fitness instructors and personal trainers, Pilates teachers, Yoga teachers, Fitness and wellbeing instructors 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 3433 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.