Animal care services occupations not elsewhere classified (SOC 6129) qualifies for UK Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. Your employer must pay at least the going rate of £33,400 per year. It is also on the Immigration Salary List, which can reduce the salary threshold. Scroll down for salary benchmarks, the visa rules, and live jobs from licensed sponsors.
Job holders in this unit group care for animals held in kennels, stables, zoos and similar establishments, provide specialised training, grooming, clipping and trimming services for animals, and searches for and captures stray or nuisance dogs in public areas and perform a variety of animal care tasks not elsewhere classified in minor group 612: Animal care and control services.
Entry is possible without formal academic qualifications, although some employers may ask for GCSEs/S grades. There is a variety of vocational qualifications available, including NVQs/SVQs in Animal Care at levels 1 and 2, in Dog Grooming at levels 2 and 3, and BTEC qualifications and apprenticeships relating to Horse Care.
UK market salary · ASHE 2025
How visa salary requirements compare to what employers pay.
Most animal care services occupations n.e.c. in the UK earn between £23,816 and £28,600 in basic pay. For Skilled Worker visa holders, the minimum salary (going rate) for this role is £33,400 (SOC 6129), sitting above the 90th percentile of what UK employers pay and £8,024 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.
Browse our register of UK companies with an active sponsor licence. Filter by industry, size, sponsor rating, and whether they're currently hiring animal care services occupations not elsewhere classified, 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 6129 (£33,400) 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 £25,000 (70% of the going rate) for up to four years.
Because Animal care services occupations not elsewhere classified (SOC 6129) is on the Immigration Salary List, employers may apply a 20% discount to the standard going rate.
Yes. Animal care services occupations not elsewhere classified roles fall under SOC 6129 (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. It's on the Immigration Salary List too, so a reduced salary threshold may apply.
The going rate for Animal care services occupations not elsewhere classified (SOC 6129) is £33,400 (£17.13 per hour). Immigration salary list rate applies. Your employer must pay whichever is higher: this going rate or the general Skilled Worker threshold of £41,700 per year.
SOC 6129 covers a range of animal care services occupations not elsewhere classified roles, including: Animal boarding assistants, Animal breeders, Animal groomers, Animal trainers (excludes performing animals), Animal walkers, Animal welfare workers, and 4 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.
Because Animal care services occupations not elsewhere classified (SOC 6129) is on the Immigration Salary List, employers can sponsor workers at a salary 20% below the standard going rate. This discount replaced the old Shortage Occupation List concession in April 2024.
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 Animal care services occupations not elsewhere classified, that works out to £25,000. The discount lasts up to four years.
We list Animal care services occupations not elsewhere classified 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.