SOC 2020 code 8131 · Process, plant and machine operatives
Can paper and wood machine operatives get a Skilled Worker visa? (SOC 8131)
Can a new applicant be sponsored in this job today?
No. Paper and wood machine operatives (SOC 8131) 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 8131
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).
Job titles in code 8131
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.
- Box maker (cardboard)
- Guillotine operator (printing)
- Machinist (paper goods mfr)
- Sawyer
- Wood machinist
- Paper and wood machine operatives
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 8131, 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 813
- 8132 Mining and quarry workers and related operativesNot eligible
- 8133 Energy plant operativesShortage list to 31 December 2026
- 8134 Water and sewerage plant operativesExisting visa holders only
- 8135 Printing machine assistantsNot eligible
- 8139 Plant and machine operatives not elsewhere classifiedNot eligible
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 paper and wood machine operatives be sponsored for a UK Skilled Worker visa?
No. Paper and wood machine operatives (SOC 8131) 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 8131 (paper and wood machine operatives) 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.