Ship and hovercraft officers (SOC 3512) qualifies for UK Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. Your employer must pay at least the going rate of £58,300 per year. This role is on the Temporary Shortage Occupation List, so you may qualify with a lower salary and get extra points. Scroll down for salary benchmarks, the visa rules, and live jobs from licensed sponsors.
Ship and hovercraft officers command and navigate ships and other craft, co-ordinate the activities of officers and deck and engine room ratings, operate and maintain communications equipment on board ship and undertake minor repairs to engines, boilers and other mechanical and electrical equipment.
Entrants usually possess GCSEs/S grades and A levels/H grades. Good colour vision without spectacles or contact lenses is required for some posts and candidates must undergo a medical examination. Training lasts three to four years and combines taught courses and assessed training at sea.
Browse our register of UK companies with an active sponsor licence. Filter by industry, size, sponsor rating, and whether they're currently hiring ship and hovercraft officers, so you only apply where a visa is actually on the table.
Browse licensed sponsorsYour employer must pay whichever is higher: the going rate for SOC 3512 (£58,300) or the general Skilled Worker threshold of £41,700 per year.
New entrants and ISL roles may qualify for a lower rate. See the New entrant & discount rates section below.
Your 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.
If you're under 26, switching from a Student visa, or a recent UK graduate, your employer can pay the new entrant rate of £39,100 (70% of the going rate) for up to four years.
Other Skilled Worker-eligible roles in the same SOC minor group (351xx):
Yes. Ship and hovercraft officers roles fall under SOC 3512 (Medium 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. This role is also on the Temporary Shortage Occupation List, which can mean a lower salary bar.
The going rate for Ship and hovercraft officers (SOC 3512) is £58,300 (£29.90 per hour). Occupation rate applies. Your employer must pay whichever is higher: this going rate or the general Skilled Worker threshold of £41,700 per year.
SOC 3512 covers a range of ship and hovercraft officers roles, including: Ship and hovercraft captains and deck officers (excludes armed forces and fishing), Marine engineers, Ship and hovercraft 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.
Ship and hovercraft officers (SOC 3512) is on the Temporary Shortage Occupation List, which recognises a UK labour shortage in this field. In practice that means a lower salary threshold, plus extra "tradeable" points on your visa application. The Home Office lets shortage status stand in for a higher salary.
Yes. If you're under 26, a recent graduate, or switching from a Student visa, you count as a "new entrant" and your employer only needs to pay 70% of the going rate (with an absolute floor of £33,400/year — the new-entrant minimum cannot go below that). For Ship and hovercraft officers, that works out to £39,100. The discount lasts up to four years.
We list Ship and hovercraft officers 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.