Farmers (SOC 5111) 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.
Farmers and related occupations cultivate arable crops, fruits and trees, and raise cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry and other livestock for consumption.
No formal academic qualifications are required, but prior practical farming experience is normally needed. Training is typically received on-the-job and via a variety of vocational qualifications in agriculture, including NVQs/SVQs at levels 1 to 4. Apprenticeships are also available in some areas.
UK market salary · ASHE 2025
How visa salary requirements compare to what employers pay.
Most farmers in the UK earn between £28,444 and ~£33,748 in basic pay. For Skilled Worker visa holders, the minimum salary (going rate) for this role is £34,100 (SOC 5111), sitting above the 90th percentile of what UK employers pay and £3,004 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 5111 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 5111 doesn't qualify, but these related occupations do:
Not under SOC 5111. Farmers 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 5111 covers a range of farmers roles, including: Agricultural contractors, Aquaculture farmers, Arable farmers, Dairy farmers, Livestock farmers, Poultry farmers, and 1 more. 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 5111 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.