Skilled Worker Visa for Engineers: UK Guide
Engineering jobs have their own occupation codes on the UK Skilled Worker visa. This guide covers the codes and going rates for each engineering discipline, salary requirements, PhD tradeable points, the English language requirement, and what the rules say about chartered status.
- Section
- Skilled Worker Visa
- Reading time
- 11 min
- Last checked
- 21 October 2026
- Source
- The published Immigration Rules and GOV.UK guidance, linked throughout this guide.
- Rowan does not
- Look at your own case, tell you which route to choose, or say what the Home Office will decide. This guide shows the published rules and where to read them.
In short
- Engineering professional codes 2121 to 2129 are at degree level and open to new applicants.
- Each discipline maps to a specific SOC code with its own going rate.
- The visa rules do not require chartered engineer status.
- No engineering professional code (2121 to 2129) is on the Immigration Salary List; some technician codes are on the Temporary Shortage List.
- A PhD in a STEM subject can earn tradeable points for a lower salary threshold.
- The published qualifying period for settlement on this route is 5 years.
Engineering professional jobs (codes 2121 to 2129) are at degree level, so a new applicant can be sponsored in them on the UK Skilled Worker visa. Each code has its own published going rate, from £45,000 to £58,700. The visa rules do not require chartered engineer status.
Eligible Engineering Roles
Engineering professional jobs have their own occupation codes on the Skilled Worker visa. Appendix Skilled Occupations lists the examples below:
- Civil and structural engineers (2121)
- Mechanical engineers (2122)
- Electrical engineers (2123) and electronics engineers (2124)
- Chemical engineers (2125, production and process engineers)
- Aerospace engineers (2126)
- Environmental engineers (2152, environment professionals)
- Production and manufacturing engineers (2125)
- Software engineers and developers (an IT code; see below)
Each code has a specific going rate. Check the eligible jobs list for your specific role.
SOC Codes by Engineering Discipline
Your SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code determines your going rate and whether your role appears on the Immigration Salary List. Your employer selects the code when assigning your Certificate of Sponsorship. The code must accurately reflect the work you will do. The main engineering codes are:
- SOC 2121 — Civil engineers. Going rate £50,400 a year.
- SOC 2122 — Mechanical engineers. Going rate £46,800 a year.
- SOC 2123 — Electrical engineers. Going rate £58,700 a year.
- SOC 2124 — Electronics engineers. Covers engineers who design and develop electronic systems and devices. Going rate £52,000 a year.
- SOC 2125 — Production and process engineers. Covers engineers who plan and manage manufacturing and production. Going rate £45,000 a year.
- SOC 2126 — Aerospace engineers. Covers aircraft and spacecraft design and development. Going rate £52,400 a year.
- SOC 2127 — Engineering project managers and project engineers. Covers engineers who run engineering projects. Going rate £51,900 a year.
- SOC 2129 — Engineering professionals not elsewhere classified. A catch-all for engineering roles that do not fit the other codes. Going rate £46,100 a year.
The going rates above are the figures published in Appendix Skilled Occupations (last updated 11 November 2025). They are updated from time to time, so always confirm the current going rate for your code on GOV.UK before you rely on a number. Our going rate guide explains how the rate interacts with the general threshold.
Software engineers are usually classified under information technology (IT) SOC codes rather than the engineering codes above. If you write software for a living, see our dedicated guide for software engineers for the correct codes and going rates.
Professional Registration
The Skilled Worker rules do not require professional registration for the engineering codes above. Professional bodies set their own rules for registration, and those rules are not part of the visa. Our professional registration guide explains how registration works in the UK. Your overseas qualifications may be accepted, sometimes with additional requirements.
PhD and Tradeable Points
The Skilled Worker visa awards points for several factors. Some of these points are tradeable, which means a strength in one area can offset a lower salary. A PhD is one of these factors, and every engineering code from 2121 to 2129 is listed as eligible for PhD points.
With a PhD in a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subject relevant to your job, the published figure is 80% of the going rate and at least £33,400 a year. With a relevant PhD in another subject, it is 90% of the going rate and at least £37,500 a year.
The PhD must be relevant to the role you are being sponsored for, and your sponsor must explain how. Our PhD points guide explains how the trade-off works, and the salary calculation guide shows how the numbers combine.
Salary Expectations
GOV.UK publishes the minimum salary the visa rules require for each code, not what engineering jobs pay in the market. The going rates above run from £45,000 to £58,700. The general Skilled Worker salary threshold is £41,700. You must meet both the general threshold and the going rate for your specific SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code, so for these codes the going rate is the higher figure.
The PhD rules and the new-entrant rules allow a lower figure in some cases, never below £33,400 a year (£37,500 for a PhD in a subject other than science, technology, engineering or mathematics). The salary calculation uses your guaranteed basic gross pay.
English Language Requirement
For a new Skilled Worker application made on or after 8 January 2026 you must show English at CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference) level B2, which is upper intermediate. This is the same requirement that applies to all new Skilled Worker applicants. B1 still applies if you are extending or updating a visa you held before 8 January 2026.
A degree taught in English can be used as proof. If the degree was not awarded by a UK institution, GOV.UK says you need an assessment confirming it is equivalent to a UK bachelor's degree or higher and was taught in English. If your degree was not taught in English, you take an approved Secure English Language Test instead.
Our English language tests guide lists the approved tests and explains how to prove your level. Note that the visa requirement is separate from any higher standard an individual employer may set.
Chartered Status (CEng) and Career Value
Chartered Engineer (CEng) status is not a requirement for the Skilled Worker visa. The rules do not mention it for the engineering codes.
The rules do refer to chartered status in one place. Someone who is working towards full registration or chartered status with the relevant professional body for their job counts as a "new entrant". For a new entrant, the published figure is 70% of the going rate and at least £33,400 a year. This lower rate cannot be granted if it would take your combined permission as a Skilled Worker, Graduate or Tier 2 worker past 4 years in total, counted whether or not that time was continuous and at whatever salary rate (paragraph SW 12.3). Someone who already has 3 years of Skilled Worker permission at the standard rate therefore has at most 1 year left at the new entrant rate.
Immigration Salary List for Engineers
The Immigration Salary List replaced the older Shortage Occupation List. Roles on it can use a lower general threshold of £33,400, but still need the full going rate. None of the engineering professional codes (2121 to 2129) is on the version last updated on 11 November 2025.
Four engineering technician codes (3112, 3113, 3114 and 3116) are on the separate Temporary Shortage List. That list allows sponsorship below degree level, but only where the certificate of sponsorship is issued before 31 December 2026. A worker sponsored through it cannot usually bring a partner or children. GOV.UK lists some exceptions for children, such as a child born in the UK.
Check the current version against your specific SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code before relying on a lower threshold. Our Immigration Salary List guide explains how the list works and where to find the latest version. Even if your role is listed, you must still meet the going rate that applies to it.
Finding a Sponsor
Your employer must hold a sponsor licence. Check the register of sponsors on GOV.UK.
Path to Settlement
The published qualifying period for settlement (indefinite leave to remain) on the Skilled Worker route is 5 years. At settlement the rules also require a salary at the published settlement rate and a Life in the UK test pass. For applications made on or after 26 March 2027, they also require English at level B2 in speaking and listening. On 2 November 2026 the government announced its decision on earned settlement: a standard qualifying period of 10 years, with a 5-year path for people who earned at least £50,271 in 3 of the last 5 years or worked 5 years in a listed public service job, and a 3-year path for people who earned at least £125,141 in 3 of the last 4 years (the government's response, CP 1707, pages 12 and 42). It is not yet in the Immigration Rules. The Home Secretary told Parliament the rules will be laid from December 2026 and brought in during 2027, so the published qualifying period is still 5 years. See our guide to earned settlement. After settlement, the rules for British citizenship apply.
Next Steps
Related guides:
Questions and answers
Can engineers get a Skilled Worker visa?
Engineering professional jobs have their own occupation codes (2121 to 2129). Appendix Skilled Occupations lists them as degree level, so a new applicant can be sponsored in them. Chemical engineers are listed under code 2125, and environmental engineers under code 2152 (environment professionals). Software engineers use an IT code. The job must be with an employer that holds a sponsor licence.
Do I need chartered engineer status?
No. The Skilled Worker rules do not require chartered status. The rules do allow a lower salary, 70% of the going rate and at least £33,400 a year, for someone working towards full registration or chartered status with the relevant professional body.
What salary do engineers need?
Engineers must meet the general salary threshold of £41,700 and the going rate for their specific engineering SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code, whichever is higher. The going rates for codes 2121 to 2129 run from £45,000 to £58,700, so for these codes the going rate is the higher figure.
Are engineering roles on the Immigration Salary List?
No. None of the engineering professional codes (2121 to 2129) is on the Immigration Salary List (last updated 11 November 2025). Four engineering technician codes (3112, 3113, 3114 and 3116) are on the separate Temporary Shortage List. That list allows sponsorship below degree level where the certificate of sponsorship is issued before 31 December 2026. A worker sponsored through it cannot usually bring a partner or children, though GOV.UK lists some exceptions for children. The lists change, so check the current version for your SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code.
What SOC code do engineers use for a Skilled Worker visa?
The SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code depends on your discipline. Civil engineers use SOC 2121, mechanical engineers use SOC 2122, and electrical engineers use SOC 2123. Software engineers are usually classified under IT codes rather than engineering codes. Your employer selects the code when assigning your Certificate of Sponsorship.
Can a PhD lower the salary I need as an engineer?
Yes. With a PhD in a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subject relevant to the job, the published figure is 80% of the going rate and at least £33,400 a year. With a relevant PhD in another subject it is 90% of the going rate and at least £37,500 a year.
Do engineers need to take an English language test?
For a new Skilled Worker application made on or after 8 January 2026 you must show English at CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference) level B2, which is upper intermediate. B1 still applies if you are extending or updating a visa you held before that date. A degree taught in English can be used as proof. If your degree was not taught in English, you take an approved Secure English Language Test.
This guide is general information about published immigration rules. It is not advice about an individual application under s.82 Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, and Rowan is not regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority. Immigration rules change several times a year. For advice on a particular situation, contact an adviser authorised by the Immigration Advice Authority or an immigration solicitor. Always check GOV.UK for the authoritative current rules.