UK Publishes List of 104 Jobs Foreigners Cannot Use to Secure Work Visa in the Country
- The UK government published its full list of occupations and their eligibility status for the Skilled Worker visa in 2026
- Jobs are classified as Higher Skilled, Medium Skilled, or Ineligible, covering hundreds of occupation codes across all industries
- Several common occupations, including hairdressers, bar staff, taxi drivers, and retail cashiers, appear on the ineligible list
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The UK government has published a comprehensive list of occupations showing which jobs qualify for the Skilled Worker visa in 2026, and which do not — a document that is essential reading for Nigerians and other foreign nationals hoping to work in the United Kingdom.
Each job on the list carries a Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code and is rated as either Higher Skilled, Medium Skilled, or Ineligible.
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The occupation codes were last updated on 4 April 2024, meaning some codes may differ from those used in previous visa applications.
Jobs that cannot qualify for the UK Skilled Worker visa
The following occupations are marked as Ineligible and cannot be used to secure a Skilled Worker visa:
1. Elected officers and representatives, including Members of Parliament and councillors.
2. Officers in the armed forces, covering Army, Royal Air Force, Royal Marines, and Royal Navy officers.
3. Non-commissioned officers and other ranks across the Army, Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, and Royal Marines.
4. Bank and post office clerks.
5. Records clerks and assistants, including admissions officers, court officers, and medical appointment clerks.
6. Stock control clerks and assistants.
7. Library clerks and assistants.
8. Human resources administrative occupations, including recruitment and training administrators.
9. Office supervisors.
10. Medical secretaries.
11. Legal secretaries.
12. School secretaries.
13. Receptionists.
14. Typists and related keyboard occupations, including stenographers and transcribers.
15. Data entry administrators.
16. Clergy.
17. Cooks.
18. Hairdressers and barbers.
19. Beauticians and related occupations, including nail technicians and make-up artists.
20. Housekeepers and related occupations.
21. Cleaning and housekeeping managers and supervisors.
22. Care escorts.
23. Undertakers, mortuary and crematorium assistants.
24. Sports players.
25. Sports coaches, instructors and officials, including football, cricket, and tennis coaches.
26. Pest control officers.
27. Sports and leisure assistants, including bookmakers, croupiers, and lifeguards.
28. Travel agents.
29. Leisure and travel service occupations not elsewhere classified, including tour guides and holiday representatives.
30. Parking and civil enforcement occupations.
31. Sales and retail assistants.
32. Retail cashiers and check-out operators.
33. Telephone salespersons.
34. Phar'macy and optical dispensing assistants.
35. Collector salespersons and credit agents.
36. Debt, rent and other cash collectors, including bailiffs and debt collectors.
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37. Roundspersons and van salespersons.
38. Call and contact centre occupations.
39. Telephonists.
40. Communication operators, including taxi controllers and emergency services call handlers.
41. Customer service occupations not elsewhere classified.
42. Food, drink and tobacco process operatives, including brewery, dairy, and food process bakery workers.
43. Textile process operatives.
44. Plastics process operatives.
45. Metal working machine operatives.
46. Paper and wood machine operatives.
47. Mining and quarry workers and related operatives.
48. Printing machine assistants.
49. Plant and machine operatives not elsewhere classified, including aerial installers and cable operatives.
50. Assemblers (electrical and electronic products).
51. Assemblers (vehicles and metal goods).
52. Weighers, graders and sorters.
53. Tyre, exhaust and windscreen fitters.
54. Sewing machinists.
55. Assemblers and routine operatives not elsewhere classified.
56. Scaffolders, stagers and riggers.
57. Road construction operatives.
58. Rail construction and maintenance operatives.
59. Construction operatives not elsewhere classified, including asbestos removers and demolition operatives.
60. Production, factory and assembly supervisors.
61. Heavy and large goods vehicle drivers.
62. Bus and coach drivers.
63. Taxi and cab drivers and chauffeurs.
64. Delivery drivers and couriers, including bicycle and motorcycle couriers.
65. Road transport drivers not elsewhere classified.
66. Crane drivers.
67. Fork-lift truck drivers.
68. Mobile machine drivers and operatives not elsewhere classified.
69. Train and tram drivers.
70. Air transport operatives, including baggage handlers, ramp agents, and aircraft refuellers.
71. Rail transport operatives.
72. Other drivers and transport operatives not elsewhere classified.
73. Farm workers and farm labourers.
74. Forestry and related workers.
75. Fishing and other elementary agriculture occupations not elsewhere classified (with narrow exceptions for vent chick sexers and deckhands on large fishing vessels).
76. Groundworkers.
77. Elementary construction occupations not elsewhere classified, including grave diggers and builder's labourers.
78. Industrial cleaning process occupations.
79. Packers, bottlers, canners and fillers.
80. Elementary process plant occupations not elsewhere classified.
81. Postal workers, mail sorters and messengers.
82. Elementary administration occupations not elsewhere classified.
83. Window cleaners.
84. Street cleaners.
85. Cleaners and domestics.
86. Launderers, dry cleaners and pressers.
87. Refuse and salvage occupations, including refuse collectors and recycling operatives.
88. Vehicle valeters and cleaners.
89. Elementary cleaning occupations not elsewhere classified, including chimney sweepers and drain cleaners.
90. Security guards and related occupations, including CCTV operators and door supervisors.
91. School midday and crossing patrol occupations.
92. Exam invigilators.
93. Shelf fillers.
94. Elementary storage supervisors.
95. Delivery operatives.
96. Elementary storage occupations not elsewhere classified, including dockers and stevedores.
97. Bar and catering supervisors.
98. Hospital porters.
99. Kitchen and catering assistants.
100. Waiters and waitresses.
101. Bar staff.
102. Coffee shop workers.
103. Leisure and theme park attendants, including cinema and theatre attendants and event stewards.
104. Other elementary services occupations not elsewhere classified, including stagehands and clairvoyants.
UK Skilled Worker visa: How to check your occupation
The government advises applicants who cannot locate their job title to search using similar job descriptions or the occupation code directly. Full words should be used when searching, for example "laboratory" rather than "lab."
Applicants who do not know their occupation code can use the CASCOT occupation coding tool to find the right classification before submitting a visa application.
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that the US named three qualifications that could help foreign graduates to work in Britain without sponsorship.
Jobs eligible for UK Skilled Worker visa with lower salary requirements
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the UK listed 25 jobs that qualify foreigners for a Skilled Worker visa with lower salary requirements.
The list covers roles in sectors including healthcare, construction, agriculture, science, and the arts.
Salaries on the list are calculated based on a 37.5-hour working week and must be adjusted proportionally for anyone working fewer or more hours, based on what the employer states.
Source: Legit.ng
