SOC 2020 code 5316 · Skilled trades occupations

Carpenter visa sponsorship UK: on the shortage list until 31 December 2026 (SOC 5316)

Official occupation name: Carpenters and joiners

Yes, for now

Can a new applicant be sponsored in this job today?

Yes, for now. Carpenters and joiners (SOC 5316) is a medium-skilled occupation, and since 22 July 2025 the rules only open those to new applicants while they are on a shortage list. This one is on the Immigration Salary List, which covers certificates of sponsorship issued before 31 December 2026. The job must pay at least £33,400 a year.

Salary needed (salary list): £33,400; a year at 37.5 hours a week

The going rate for this code and the reduced minimum for jobs on the Immigration Salary List are both £33,400. Going rates are set for a 37.5-hour week (£17.13 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.

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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 5316

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

Tables 1a and 3a are for medium-skilled occupations (RQF levels 3 to 5). Since 22 July 2025, sponsors may only use them for someone granted Skilled Worker permission under the rules in place before 22 July 2025 who has held it continuously since, unless the job is on the Temporary Shortage List or the Immigration Salary List (Appendix Skilled Worker SW 6.1).

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

Shortage lists

Immigration Salary List

Until 31 December 2026

Covers: 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 5316

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.

Bedroom and kitchen fitters
Carpenters
Joiners
Carpenters and joiners 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 5316, 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 531

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 carpenters be sponsored for a UK Skilled Worker visa?

What salary do carpenters need for a Skilled Worker visa?

At least £33,400 a year for a 37.5-hour week. The going rate for this code and the reduced minimum for jobs on the Immigration Salary List are both £33,400.

Is SOC 5316 (carpenters and joiners) 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.

This is information, not immigration advice. It sets out what the published Home Office rules say about occupation code 5316. 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.