Table Of Contents:
- Occupations Allowed Under the UK Skilled Worker Visa
- UK Skilled Worker Visa – Top In-Demand Occupations
- Healthcare Professionals
- Data Scientists and Analysts
- Educational Teachers
- Artificial Intelligence
- Finance and Accounting Professionals
- Renewable Energy Experts
- Final Thoughts
With a UK skilled worker visa, you can work for an employer in the UK who has sponsored you. Any UK-based company or organization looking to sponsor foreign workers needs to first obtain a UK sponsor licence from the Home Office. After they become an approved sponsor, they can employ foreign workers for various jobs in the UK. Foreign workers applying for a skilled worker visa must obtain a certificate of sponsorship from their UK employer.
Occupations Allowed Under the UK Skilled Worker Visa
A UK skilled worker visa allows you to work for a licenced employer in the UK in an eligible job role. Each job has a 4-digit occupation code. You can find the list of eligible jobs with their corresponding occupation codes here. On this list, you can see which jobs are eligible for a skilled worker visa. The jobs listed for skilled workers are from different sectors such as healthcare, IT, engineering, and teaching, which are top in-demand occupations for skilled workers.
If you cannot find a specific job title listed, you can search for similar roles or check the CASCOT occupation coding tool to find the appropriate occupation code. You can also ask your employer for the occupation code.
You must meet the skill threshold of RQF 3. This is going to rise to the RQF 6 level in the future.
UK Skilled Worker Visa – Top In-Demand Occupations
The UK is full of career opportunities for foreign workers. Even though the government aims to fill up jobs with local workers first but it also welcomes talented and skilled people internationally to come and work in the UK. Also, there is not enough supply in the local labor market to meet the demand. The sectors like healthcare, education, data science, cyber security, Artificial Intelligence, and Finance offer great opportunities to skilled workers.
In this article, we are going to discuss the top-in-demand occupations for the UK skilled worker visa.
1. Healthcare Professionals
The NHS and private healthcare providers keep looking actively to fill a shortage of healthcare workers every year. The sector has relied on international workers for several years. The UK has an aging population, and the demand for healthcare is on the rise. Hence, professionals like doctors, nurses, caregivers, home support workers, and paramedics are always in demand for the UK’s healthcare system
Required Skills and Qualifications:
Doctors: Medical degree, clinical experience, specialty training.
Nurses: Registered Nurse qualification, clinical training, and CPR certification.
Paramedics: Paramedic qualification, emergency medical training.
Average Salary, depending on role and experience, ranges between £25,000 and £80,000 per year.
2. Data Scientists and Analysts
The UK’s data economy is growing. It is expected to grow by £20 billion by 2030. Therefore, data science professionals looking to work on a UK skilled worker visa are and will be in high demand. Industries, for example, the NHS, IT companies, and Government Departments, are increasingly relying on big data for decision-making. This is going to create more demand for data scientists and analysts, as the demand for data scientists and analysts is expected to grow by 28% over the next decade.
You can apply directly to UK companies and organisations or use job portals if you have the right skills and experience in the field of data science. You may be able to find roles with the NHS, IT companies, financial and professional services firms, retail and sales organisations, and government departments.
Required Skills and Qualifications
Data Scientist – Degree in statistics, math, data science, advanced proficiency in Python, R, machine learning, and data visualization.
Data Analysts – Strong background in Excel, SQL, and statistical analysis.
Average Salary, depending on role and experience, ranges between £40,000 and £110,000 per year.
3. Educational Teachers
The UK puts lots of focus on quality education and skill development. However, the sector experiences shortages of local teachers, especially in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) subjects. This shortage creates big opportunities for qualified education professionals in public schools, private schools, special educational institutions, and online tutoring. Therefore, secondary school teachers (maths, physics, chemistry, computer science), and special education needs (SEN) teachers are in high demand.
Required Skills and Qualifications
Degree in education, PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education), strong communication skills, and subject-specific knowledge Average Salary, depending on role and experience, ranges between £25,000 and £50,000 per year.
4. Artificial Intelligence
AI and ML (Machine Learning) are the present and the future. They are on the rise, and the technology is transforming industries across the UK. The healthcare sector, education sector, and retail and financial sectors are all looking for sharp and skilled workers. The UK is investing heavily in AI research. Companies in the Tech, financial services, healthcare, and automotive sectors are hiring AI and ML-skilled workers. Due to this, there’s a huge demand for AI and ML specialists who can both develop and deploy AI and ML models. The AI sector is expected to be worth £17 billion in the UK.
Required Skills and Qualifications
Expertise in Python, TensorFlow, scikit-learn, and data science principles, experience in deep learning, neural networks, and NLP.
Average Salary, depending on role and experience, ranges between £45,000 and £85,000 per year.
5. Finance and Accounting Professionals
The finance sector in the UK continues to be a major player in the economy. The sector has a high demand for accountants, financial analysts, and investment bankers. Post-Brexit, financial institutions have ramped up their hiring for finance and accounting professionals, particularly in taxation, risk management, and financial planning. On top of it, the finance industry (Banks, financial institutions, investment firms, insurance) in the UK is expected to see a 10-12% increase in job openings over the next few years. This has created huge opportunities for foreign workers on the UK skilled worker visa.
Required Skills and Qualifications
Professional certifications like ACCA, ACA, or CFA, and a strong understanding of financial modeling, budgeting, and investment strategies.
Average Salary, depending on role and experience, ranges between £30,000 and £100,000 per year.
6. Renewable Energy Experts
The UK has set its commitment to become net-zero emissions by 2050. This has enabled the demand for renewable energy experts to rise. The renewable energy sector, particularly in wind and solar energy projects, is expected to grow by 20-22% by 2029. To help the country achieve its environmental goals and benefit from the opportunities available in energy companies, consulting firms, government projects, and green tech startups, professionals working in wind, solar, and sustainability consulting are vital.
Required Skills and Qualifications
Knowledge of wind/solar energy systems, environmental regulations, and energy efficiency, and experience in energy audits, sustainability certifications, and project management.
Average Salary, depending on role and experience, ranges between £30,000 and £60,000 per year.
Final Thoughts
If you are planning to work in the UK’s high-demand industries, getting the UK Skilled Worker Visa is the first step. Certain professions also benefit from relaxed requirements under the jobs on ISL(Immigration Salary List) (The ISL will be replaced by TSL (Temporary Shortage List)).
You can use Top Job Search Websites
- LinkedIn Jobs – Best job portal for networking and applying directly.
- NHS Jobs – Dedicated platform for job positions in healthcare.
- Indeed UK – Covers all industries with a wide range of job postings.
- Reed.co.uk – Strong in IT, finance, and legal jobs.
- TotalJobs – Popular platform for engineering and technical roles.
You should also attend job fairs and industry networking events organised by UK universities and professional bodies. You can join LinkedIn groups and online communities in your field of expertise and participate in conferences and webinars related to your industry.
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