SOC 2020 code 3432 · Associate professional occupations
Can sports coaches, instructors and officials get a Skilled Worker visa? (SOC 3432)
Can a new applicant be sponsored in this job today?
No. Sports coaches, instructors and officials (SOC 3432) is in Table 6 of Appendix Skilled Occupations, the list of occupations that cannot be sponsored on the Skilled Worker route, and no salary changes that.
Checked against gov.uk on 23 October 2026. Sources: Appendix Skilled Occupations, Appendix Skilled Worker.
What the rules say about code 3432
Appendix Skilled Occupations lists this code in Table 6, and the gov.uk eligible occupations table labels it “Ineligible”.
Table 6 lists the occupations that cannot be sponsored on the Skilled Worker, Global Business Mobility or Scale-up routes. The rules give three reasons and do not say which applies to each code: the job does not meet the required skill level, it has to be sponsored on a different route, or people subject to immigration control cannot apply for it.
No salary, however high, makes a Table 6 job eligible, and a sponsor cannot choose a different code to get round it (SW 6.2, below).
Gov.uk runs separate visas for some of this work: International Sportsperson visa. Each has its own rules; whether one fits is a question for gov.uk or a regulated adviser.
Job titles in code 3432
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.
- Referee
- Riding instructor
- Sports coach
- Sports development officer
- Swimming teacher
- Basketball coaches
- Cricket coaches
- Football coaches
- Forest school practitioners
- Golf coaches
- Gymnastics coaches
- Horse riding instructors
- Martial arts instructors
- Outdoor pursuits instructors
- Referees, umpires and other sports officials
- Rugby coaches
- Sailing instructors
- Ski instructors
- Swimming coaches
- Tennis coaches
- Sports coaches, instructors and officials 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 3432, 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 343
Nearby occupations that are open to new applicants
Codes in the same part of the classification that a new applicant can be sponsored in today. They are only relevant if the actual job fits one of them: re-labelling a job does not work (see above).
- 3429 Design occupations not elsewhere classifiedSome jobs only
- 3422 Clothing, fashion and accessories designersShortage list to 31 December 2026
- 3417 Photographers, audio-visual and broadcasting equipment operatorsShortage list to 31 December 2026
- 3416 Arts officers, producers and directorsEligible
- 3415 MusiciansEligible
- 3414 Dancers and choreographersShortage list to 31 December 2026
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
- Arts, media and sports organisations with a licence in London (1,655)
- Arts, media and sports organisations with a licence in Manchester (83)
- Arts, media and sports organisations with a licence in Birmingham (72)
- Arts, media and sports organisations with a licence in Bristol (65)
These employers hold licences for the roles they can sponsor. A licence does not make this occupation eligible.
Common questions
Can sports coaches, instructors and officials be sponsored for a UK Skilled Worker visa?
No. Sports coaches, instructors and officials (SOC 3432) is in Table 6 of Appendix Skilled Occupations, the list of occupations that cannot be sponsored on the Skilled Worker route, and no salary changes that. Checked against gov.uk on 23 October 2026.
Is SOC 3432 (sports coaches, instructors and officials) 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.