Estate agents and auctioneers (SOC 3555) 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.
Estate agents and auctioneers arrange for the valuation, sale, purchase, rental and leasing of property on behalf of clients, as well as the auction of livestock and antiques.
There are no formal academic entry requirements although entrants to professional training via the National Federation of Property Professionals (NFOPP) will normally possess GCSEs/S grades, an NVQ/SVQ and/or relevant experience. Off and on-the-job training is possible, and apprenticeships are available in some areas.
UK market salary · ASHE 2025
How visa salary requirements compare to what employers pay.
Most estate agents and auctioneers in the UK earn between £24,596 and £31,564 in basic pay. For Skilled Worker visa holders, the minimum salary (going rate) for this role is £33,400 (SOC 3555), sitting above the 90th percentile of what UK employers pay and £6,412 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 3555 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 3555 doesn't qualify, but these related occupations do:
Not under SOC 3555. Estate agents and auctioneers 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 3555 covers a range of estate agents and auctioneers roles, including: Estate agents, Land and property auctioneers and valuers, Letting agents, Estate agents and auctioneers 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 3555 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.