Finding the right SOC code

How occupation codes work and how to use them in your job search.

Checked against gov.uk on 22 Oct 2026

Who this is for: Anyone planning to move into a Skilled Worker role.

SOC stands for Standard Occupational Classification. It is the system the UK uses to group jobs into numbered occupation codes. For sponsored work, the Home Office keeps a list of eligible occupations, and the job you are offered must be on it.

Your employer assigns the code. When a sponsor issues a Certificate of Sponsorship, the sponsor chooses the occupation code that matches the real duties of the job. A job title alone can mislead. Two roles with the same title can sit under different codes, and two different titles can share one.

What you can do as a candidate is read job descriptions closely, compare the duties with the official code descriptions, and use that to focus your search on roles that are likely to be eligible. If a code looks wrong for the job you were offered, raise it with your employer and speak to an IAA-registered adviser or a solicitor.

Key points

  • SOC codes group jobs by what the person actually does, not by the job title.
  • The employer, not the candidate, chooses the code on the Certificate of Sponsorship.
  • Check the Home Office eligible occupations list for the code and for any salary requirement attached to it.
  • Use the ONS SOC 2020 descriptions to compare duties, then use that to sharpen your job search.
  • Do not apply for a role only because the title sounds right. Read the duties first.

Typical order of events

  1. Before applyingRead the duties in the job description and note the closest occupation descriptions.
  2. Before interviewsAsk the employer whether the role is sponsored and who handles sponsorship.
  3. After an offerThe employer issues a Certificate of Sponsorship with the code and salary.
  4. Before you applyCheck the details on the certificate against the job you were offered.

General information only. This page does not say whether you qualify for anything, and rules change, so check the linked gov.uk pages. For advice on your own case, use an IAA-registered adviser or a solicitor.