SOC 2020 code 3314 · Associate professional occupations

Prison officer visa sponsorship UK: can you still be sponsored? (SOC 3314)

Official occupation name: Prison service officers (below principal officer)

Only in some cases

Can a new applicant be sponsored in this job today?

Only from inside the UK, and only on a certificate of sponsorship issued before 1 January 2027. The rules allow a switch into Prison service officers (below principal officer) (SOC 3314) from another visa, or an extension, but not an application from abroad. Gov.uk adds: "If you apply for a prison officer role now, you will not get a certificate of sponsorship before 31 December 2026."

Salary needed: £41,700; 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 (£38,800 a year) is lower than the £41,700 general salary threshold, so £41,700 is the figure to meet. Going rates are set for a 37.5-hour week (£19.90 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.

Check an offer in the salary calculator Check an employer's licence free

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

What the rules say about code 3314

Appendix Skilled Occupations lists this code in Table 1a, and the gov.uk eligible occupations table labels it “Medium Skilled”.

Appendix Skilled Worker SW 6.1(g) allows this code only for an application for permission to stay, from inside the UK, on a certificate of sponsorship issued before 1 January 2027 (with the certificate running for no more than three years), or for someone last granted permission as a prison officer on a certificate assigned before that date. Gov.uk's guidance adds: “If you apply for a prison officer role now, you will not get a certificate of sponsorship before 31 December 2026.” Source.

This code is not eligible for PhD points, so a doctorate does not lower the salary needed.

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.

Job titles in code 3314

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.

Operational support grades
Prison officers
Prison service officers (below principal officer) 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 3314, 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 331

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 prison officers be sponsored for a UK Skilled Worker visa?

What salary do prison officers need for a Skilled Worker visa?

At least £41,700 a year for a 37.5-hour week. The going rate for this code (£38,800 a year) is lower than the £41,700 general salary threshold, so £41,700 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 3314 (prison service officers (below principal officer)) 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 3314. 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.