Skilled Worker Visa for IT and Data Professionals: UK Guide

Who This Guide Is For

The UK has steady demand for IT and data skills. The Skilled Worker visa is the main way for overseas professionals in these fields to work in the UK. This guide is for people who work in IT and data roles that are not software development.

That includes IT project and service managers, business analysts, solutions architects, data architects and data engineers, network professionals, testers, DevOps engineers, IT consultants, and cyber security specialists. It also covers data analysts, database administrators, and IT operations technicians, which the rules now treat separately — see the section below. If you write code as your main job, you are a software developer. In that case, use our guide for software engineers instead, because a different occupation code applies to you.

SOC Codes for IT and Data Roles

Your Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code sets the going rate for your job. It also decides which rules apply to you. Your employer chooses the code when they create your Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS). The main IT and data codes are:

• SOC 2131 — IT project managers. Going rate £58,200.
• SOC 2132 — IT managers. For people who lead IT teams or services. Going rate £55,000.
• SOC 2133 — IT business analysts, architects, and systems designers. The published example job titles include data architects, data engineers, IT solutions architects, and IT business analysts. Going rate £54,900.
• SOC 2135 — Cyber security professionals. For security analysts, engineers, and specialists who protect systems and data. Going rate £48,500.
• SOC 2136 — IT quality and testing professionals. Going rate £41,200.
• SOC 2137 — IT network professionals. Going rate £45,600.
• SOC 2139 — Information technology professionals not elsewhere classified. The published example job titles include DevOps engineers, IT consultants, and website managers. Going rate £52,300.

The code must match the work you will actually do. Check the eligible jobs list to confirm the right code for your role.

Data and IT Support Roles Are Treated Differently

Since 22 July 2025 a new applicant's job must sit at RQF level 6, which is degree level. Several familiar IT and data jobs sit below that line, and they are handled under separate codes with tighter rules:

• SOC 3544 — Data analysts. Going rate £34,900.
• SOC 3133 — Database administrators and web content technicians. Going rate £34,600.
• SOC 3131 — IT operations technicians. Going rate £35,200.

All three are on the Temporary Shortage List. A new applicant can still be sponsored in one of them, but only where the Certificate of Sponsorship is issued before 31 December 2026, and a worker sponsored this way cannot bring a partner or children. Outside that window, these codes are open only to someone who already held Skilled Worker permission before 22 July 2025 and has kept it since.

So the job title on the offer matters a great deal. "Data analyst" and "data engineer" sound similar but sit in different codes with different rules — data engineers fall under SOC 2133, which has none of these restrictions.

Salary and Going Rates

Your pay must meet two figures: the general salary threshold and the going rate for your SOC code. You must meet whichever of the two is higher.

Since 22 July 2025 the general threshold has been £41,700. Going rates for the degree-level IT codes listed above run from £41,200 to £58,200, so for most of them the going rate is the number that decides your minimum salary. The one exception in that group is SOC 2136, at £41,200, where the general threshold is the higher figure. These rates change, so always check GOV.UK for the current value before you rely on it.

The salary calculation uses your guaranteed basic gross pay. It does not count bonuses or overtime. If you hold a relevant PhD, you may be able to use PhD tradeable points to meet a lower salary requirement.

Qualifications and Experience

You do not need a degree yourself. Since 22 July 2025, though, the job itself must be at RQF level 6, which is degree level, unless it is on the Immigration Salary List or the Temporary Shortage List. The route measures the skill level of the role, which is fixed by its occupation code, not your own paper qualifications. Many experienced professionals are sponsored in a degree-level code on the strength of their work history.

A relevant degree or recognised certification can still help. It can make it easier for your employer to evidence the role, and it can support your career growth. If you trained abroad, our guide on the recognition of foreign qualifications explains how UK employers and bodies assess overseas study.

Finding a Sponsor

You need an employer who holds a sponsor licence and who will assign you a Certificate of Sponsorship. Many technology firms, banks, consultancies, and public bodies sponsor IT and data staff.

You can check whether an employer can sponsor you by searching the register of licensed sponsors on GOV.UK. If your employer is not on the register, they would need to apply for a licence before they could sponsor you.

English Language Requirement

For applications made on or after 8 January 2026, the level for a new Skilled Worker application is CEFR level B2 (upper intermediate). The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is the standard scale used to measure language skill. B1 is still accepted when you extend an existing Skilled Worker permission. You can often meet the requirement through a degree taught in English.

If your degree was not taught in English, you can take an approved test. Our guide to English language tests for UK visas lists the accepted options.

Costs to Plan For

The main costs are the visa application fee, the Immigration Health Surcharge, and, in many cases, fees that your employer pays. Our Skilled Worker visa cost guide breaks down what you pay and what your sponsor pays. Budget for these before you apply so there are no surprises.

Path to Settlement

The published qualifying period for settlement (indefinite leave to remain) on this route is 5 years. The rules require ongoing sponsored work at the required salary, a Life in the UK test pass, and English at the required level — B1 now, rising to B2 for settlement applications from 26 March 2027. A move to a 10-year qualifying period has been proposed but is not law. Our settlement timeline guide maps out the full journey.

Next Steps

Confirm the SOC code for your role, check the current going rate on GOV.UK, and find an employer that can sponsor you. If you write code as your main job, switch to the software engineers guide instead.

Related guides:

• Skilled Worker Visa Guide
• Skilled Worker Visa for Software Engineers
• Going Rate for Skilled Workers
• Skilled Worker Salary Threshold
• Skilled Worker Visa Costs

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