SOC 2020 code 2112 · Professional occupations
Biological scientists: Skilled Worker visa salary and sponsorship (SOC 2112)
Can a new applicant be sponsored in this job today?
Yes. Biological scientists (SOC 2112) is on the list of eligible occupations in the Immigration Rules, so an employer with a sponsor licence can sponsor a new applicant in it. The job must pay at least £40,300 a year, or £33,400 for someone who qualifies as a new entrant.
- Salary needed (salary list)
- £40,300
- a year at 37.5 hours a week
- New entrant
- £33,400
- 70% of the going rate, at least £33,400
The going rate for this code (£40,300 a year) is higher than the £33,400 reduced minimum for jobs on the Immigration Salary List, so the going rate is the figure to meet. Going rates are set for a 37.5-hour week (£20.67 an hour for this code) and are pro-rated to the hours on your contract. The flat minimums are not reduced for part-time hours, so a part-time job can meet its pro-rated going rate and still fall short.
Checked against gov.uk on 23 October 2026. Sources: Appendix Skilled Occupations, Appendix Skilled Worker, Appendix Immigration Salary List.
What the rules say about code 2112
Appendix Skilled Occupations lists this code in Table 1, and the gov.uk eligible occupations table labels it “Higher Skilled”.
Table 1 is for occupations skilled to RQF level 6 (degree level) or above. Being in it is what makes a job eligible for a new applicant on the Skilled Worker route, with a going rate taken from median earnings data.
Table 1 marks this code as eligible for PhD points, so a PhD relevant to the job lowers the bar: £33,400 with a STEM PhD, £37,500 with a non-STEM PhD. The PhD has to be relevant to the job, and the employer confirms that.
This is one of the codes where a postdoctoral position can be paid 70% of the going rate, with a £33,400 minimum: £33,400.
The new-entrant rate applies, for example, to someone under 26 on the date of application, someone in the UK on a Student visa studying at degree level or above, or someone on a Graduate visa (each also covers the last two years in some cases). Total time in the UK on new-entrant terms is capped at four years, including time on a Graduate visa. The full conditions are on gov.uk.
Shortage lists
Immigration Salary List
Until 31 December 2026Covers: all jobs.
Listed in every UK nation. A job on the list needs at least £33,400 and the going rate, rather than £41,700, and gov.uk says the visa fee is lower. The certificate of sponsorship must be issued before the removal date. Appendix Immigration Salary List.
Job titles in code 2112
Examples from the Immigration Rules and the gov.uk eligible occupations table. They are examples, not the full list: a job belongs in this code because of its duties, whatever it is called.
- Agricultural scientists
- Biologists
- Botanical and horticultural scientists
- Microbiologists and bacteriologists
- Pathologists
- Pharmacologists
- Zoological scientists
- Biological scientists not elsewhere classified
Who chooses the occupation code
The employer does, not you and not GoRizzume. The sponsor picks the code when it assigns the Certificate of Sponsorship, and Appendix Skilled Worker (SW 6.2) lets the Home Office refuse the application if it has reasonable grounds to believe a less appropriate code was chosen because the right one is not eligible, has a higher going rate, or is not on the Immigration Salary List. The duties decide the code, not the job title.
So treat this page as the rules for code 2112, not a verdict on any particular offer. Ask the employer which code they will use, then check that code. If you are unsure, the CASCOT coding tool suggests codes for a job title, and gov.uk says to make sure the description matches what you will actually do.
Other occupations in minor group 211
Find an employer that can sponsor
Only an employer on the Home Office register of licensed sponsors can sponsor a Skilled Worker visa, and a licence means they can sponsor eligible roles, not that every job comes with sponsorship.
Common questions
Can biological scientists be sponsored for a UK Skilled Worker visa?
Yes. Biological scientists (SOC 2112) is on the list of eligible occupations in the Immigration Rules, so an employer with a sponsor licence can sponsor a new applicant in it. The job must pay at least £40,300 a year, or £33,400 for someone who qualifies as a new entrant. Checked against gov.uk on 23 October 2026.
What salary do biological scientists need for a Skilled Worker visa?
At least £40,300 a year for a 37.5-hour week. The going rate for this code (£40,300 a year) is higher than the £33,400 reduced minimum for jobs on the Immigration Salary List, so the going rate is the figure to meet. Someone who qualifies as a new entrant, for example by being under 26 on the date of application or by being in the UK on a Graduate visa, can be paid 70% of the going rate with a £33,400 minimum: £33,400 here.
Is SOC 2112 (biological scientists) on a UK shortage list?
It is on the Immigration Salary List (all jobs) in every UK nation, until 31 December 2026. Checked against gov.uk on 23 October 2026.
Who decides which occupation code goes on a Certificate of Sponsorship?
The employer. The sponsor chooses the code when it assigns the certificate, and the Home Office can refuse the application if it has reason to think a less appropriate code was chosen to get round the eligibility or salary rules. A job title alone does not decide the code: the duties do. Ask the employer which code the offer will use.
Rules checked against gov.uk on 23 October 2026. Occupation codes are SOC 2020. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.