Working Multiple Jobs on a Skilled Worker Visa

The Supplementary Employment Rules

Skilled Worker visa holders are permitted to take supplementary employment under specific conditions:

• The supplementary job must be one of: a job in an eligible Skilled Worker occupation code (the codes GOV.UK lists as higher skilled), a job in an occupation on the Immigration Salary List, or a job in the same profession and at the same professional level as your sponsored role.
• The supplementary work must be for no more than 20 hours per week.
• It must take place outside the hours you are contracted to work for your sponsor, and you must keep working in your sponsored job.
• You do not need a Certificate of Sponsorship from the second employer.

Which Occupations Count?

The SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code is the occupation assigned to your role on your Certificate of Sponsorship. For example, if you are sponsored as a software developer (SOC 2134, programmers and software development professionals), you can take supplementary work as a software developer with another employer. You can also take a second job in a different occupation, as long as that occupation is one of the eligible Skilled Worker codes or is on the Immigration Salary List. A job that is in none of these groups is not permitted as supplementary employment.

If you were first sponsored before 22 July 2025 and have held Skilled Worker permission continuously since then, the medium-skilled occupation codes that were eligible before that date also count. Check the SOC code on your Certificate of Sponsorship, and tell the second employer that the work is supplementary so it can carry out a right to work check.

The 20-Hour Limit

The 20-hour weekly limit applies to your supplementary employment only. There is no formal limit on hours in your main sponsored role (beyond normal UK employment law). However, your total working hours across both jobs must comply with the Working Time Regulations, which limit average working hours to 48 per week (unless you opt out).

Impact on Salary Threshold

Income from supplementary employment does not count towards the Skilled Worker salary threshold. Your sponsored role must independently meet the minimum salary requirement. Supplementary income is additional.

However, for ILR applications, it is your sponsored salary that is assessed, not your total income. See our overtime and bonuses guide for how additional earnings are treated.

Volunteering

Unpaid voluntary work for a registered charity, voluntary organisation, fundraising body or statutory body is permitted regardless of occupation code, and GOV.UK says you can be paid reasonable travel expenses. See our employment rights guide.

Changing Your Main Job

If you want to change your main sponsored job (not just take a supplementary role), you need a new Certificate of Sponsorship from your new employer and must apply for a new Skilled Worker visa or a change of employer. You cannot simply swap your main job and supplementary job.

Tax Considerations

If you work two jobs, your second employer will typically tax you at the basic rate on all earnings (no personal allowance). You can contact HMRC to split your personal allowance between employers or wait until the end of the tax year for a reconciliation. See our PAYE guide.

Next Steps

Check the SOC code on your Certificate of Sponsorship. If a potential second job is in an eligible occupation code, on the Immigration Salary List, or in the same profession at the same level, you can take it for up to 20 hours per week outside your sponsored hours. For more than 20 hours, you must apply to update your visa with a Certificate of Sponsorship from the second employer. If in doubt, consult an immigration solicitor.

For official guidance, see the GOV.UK Skilled Worker second job page.

Questions and answers