SOC 2020 code 8222 · Process, plant and machine operatives

Can fork-lift truck drivers get a Skilled Worker visa? (SOC 8222)

Can a new applicant be sponsored in this job today?

No. Fork-lift truck drivers (SOC 8222) 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.

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 8222

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 8222

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.

Fork lift driver
Fork lift truck driver
Fork truck operator
Stacker-driver
Fork-lift truck drivers

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 8222, 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 822

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.

These employers hold licences for the roles they can sponsor. A licence does not make this occupation eligible.

Common questions

Can fork-lift truck drivers be sponsored for a UK Skilled Worker visa?

No. Fork-lift truck drivers (SOC 8222) 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 8222 (fork-lift truck drivers) 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 8222. 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.