SOC 2020 code 5422 · Skilled trades occupations
Can printers get a Skilled Worker visa? (SOC 5422)
Can a new applicant be sponsored in this job today?
No, not for a new applicant. Printers (SOC 5422) is a medium-skilled occupation, and since 22 July 2025 the rules only allow it for people already sponsored in it: granted Skilled Worker permission under the rules before 22 July 2025, and holding it continuously since.
Checked against gov.uk on 23 October 2026. Sources: Appendix Skilled Occupations, Appendix Skilled Worker.
What the rules say about code 5422
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 on neither list.
Appendix Skilled Occupations gives a going rate of £33,400, alongside the £41,700 general threshold, and a lower going rate of £26,200, with a £31,300 floor, for people first granted Skilled Worker permission under the rules before 4 April 2024 who apply before 4 April 2030. Which of these applies depends on the person's own visa history.
Job titles in code 5422
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.
- Digital printers
- Flexographic printers
- Lithographic printers
- Screen printers
- Printers 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 5422, 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 542
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 printers be sponsored for a UK Skilled Worker visa?
No, not for a new applicant. Printers (SOC 5422) is a medium-skilled occupation, and since 22 July 2025 the rules only allow it for people already sponsored in it: granted Skilled Worker permission under the rules before 22 July 2025, and holding it continuously since. Checked against gov.uk on 23 October 2026.
What salary do printers need to extend a Skilled Worker visa?
No salary opens this job to a new applicant. Appendix Skilled Occupations gives a going rate of £33,400, alongside the £41,700 general threshold, and a lower going rate of £26,200, with a £31,300 floor, for people first granted Skilled Worker permission under the rules before 4 April 2024 who apply before 4 April 2030. Which applies depends on the person's own visa history, so check it with the employer or a regulated adviser.
Is SOC 5422 (printers) 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.