SOC 2020 code 2321 · Professional occupations
Head teachers and principals: Skilled Worker visa salary and sponsorship (SOC 2321)
Can a new applicant be sponsored in this job today?
Yes. Head teachers and principals (SOC 2321) 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
- Qualified teacher
- £31,650
- England (excluding London / Fringe)
Checked against gov.uk on 23 October 2026. Sources: Appendix Skilled Occupations, Appendix Skilled Worker.
What the rules say about code 2321
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 2321 is a national pay scale, set out in Appendix Skilled Occupations (source: Teachers’ national pay scales: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales). 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.
| Role | England (excluding London / Fringe) | London Fringe | Outer London | Inner London | Scotland | Wales | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unqualified teachers / Probationers | £21,731 | £23,140 | £25,758 | £27,252 | £33,594 | £21,812 | - |
| Qualified teachers | £31,650 | £33,075 | £36,413 | £38,766 | £40,305 | £32,433 | £30,000 |
| Chartered teachers | - | - | - | - | £52,158 | - | - |
| Principal teachers | - | - | - | - | £55,155 | - | - |
| Leadership group | £49,781 | £51,151 | £53,731 | £59,186 | - | £50,653 | £47,241 |
| Leading practitioner | £50,025 | £51,403 | £53,994 | £59,478 | - | £50,902 | - |
| Head teacher | £56,316 | £57,693 | £60,266 | £65,731 | £62,556 | £57,304 | £53,309 |
Figures as published in Appendix Skilled Occupations, checked on 23 October 2026.
Job titles in code 2321
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.
- Head master (secondary school)
- Head teacher (primary school)
- Principal (further education)
- Rector (university)
- Heads of further education establishments
- Heads of higher education establishments
- Heads of nursery schools
- Heads of primary schools
- Heads of secondary schools and sixth form colleges
- Heads of special needs education schools
- Head teachers and principals 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 2321, 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 232
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.
- Search the register of licensed sponsors
- Check one employer's licence, free
- Work out the salary for a specific offer
- Every occupation code and its answer
- Schools, colleges and education providers with a licence in London (1,091)
- Schools, colleges and education providers with a licence in Birmingham (105)
- Schools, colleges and education providers with a licence in Manchester (80)
- Schools, colleges and education providers with a licence in Cambridge (65)
Common questions
Can head teachers and principals be sponsored for a UK Skilled Worker visa?
Yes. Head teachers and principals (SOC 2321) 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. Checked against gov.uk on 23 October 2026.
Is SOC 2321 (head teachers and principals) 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.
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.