SOC 2020 code 2312 · Professional occupations

Further education teaching professionals: Skilled Worker visa salary and sponsorship (SOC 2312)

Yes

Can a new applicant be sponsored in this job today?

Yes. Further education teaching professionals (SOC 2312) 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. Its going rate is a national pay scale, so the job must pay at least £25,000 and the pay-scale rate for the role, whichever is higher.

Minimum: £25,000; or the pay-scale rate, if higher

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Checked against gov.uk on 23 October 2026. Sources: Appendix Skilled Occupations, Appendix Skilled Worker.

What the rules say about code 2312

Appendix Skilled Occupations lists this code in Table 3, and the gov.uk eligible occupations table labels it “Higher Skilled”.

Table 3 is for health and education occupations skilled to RQF level 6 or above whose going rates come from national pay scales. They use points option K: the job must pay at least £25,000 and the pay-scale rate for the role.

Pay scale

The going rate for code 2312 is a national pay scale, set out in Appendix Skilled Occupations (source: General Further Education Colleges 2023 national pay scales Sixth Form Colleges 2023 national pay scales). The job must pay at least £25,000 and the rate for the role, whichever is higher, and the rate is pro-rated to the contracted hours.

England

Unqualified lecturer: £22,387
Qualified lecturer: £27,786
Advanced teaching and training: £41,905
Leadership & management: £41,905
These going rates are per year and based on the definition of a full-time teaching professional used when determining these pay scales. They must be pro-rated for other working patterns, based on the weekly working hours stated by the applicant’s sponsor.

Scotland

Lecturer and equivalent: £27,786
Senior lecturer and equivalent: £41,905
These going rates are per year and based on the definition of a full-time teaching professional used when determining these pay scales. They must be pro-rated for other working patterns, based on the weekly working hours stated by the applicant’s sponsor.

Wales

Instructor / demonstrator and associate lecturer: £24,048.75
Main grade lecturer: £30,619.64
Upper pay spine: £44,010.49
Management: £47,696.57
These going rates are per year and based on the definition of a full-time teaching professional used when determining these pay scales. They must be pro-rated for other working patterns, based on the weekly working hours stated by the applicant’s sponsor.

Northern Ireland

Lecturer: £30,000
Principal lecturer: £52,361
Heads of Departments: £55,339
These going rates are per year and based on the definition of a full-time teaching professional used when determining these pay scales. They must be pro-rated for other working patterns, based on the weekly working hours stated by the applicant’s sponsor.

Figures as published in Appendix Skilled Occupations, checked on 23 October 2026.

Job titles in code 2312

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.

FE College lecturer
Lecturer (further education)
Teacher (further education)
Tutor (further education)
Further education teaching professionals

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 2312, 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 231

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 further education teaching professionals be sponsored for a UK Skilled Worker visa?

Is SOC 2312 (further education teaching professionals) on a UK shortage list?

No. It is on neither the Temporary Shortage List nor the Immigration Salary List. 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.

This is information, not immigration advice. It sets out what the published Home Office rules say about occupation code 2312. It cannot see your history or your offer, and real cases turn on details it does not model. Confirm on gov.uk, ask the employer which code they will use, and take advice from an adviser regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority before making a decision that matters.

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.