Health and education SOC codes in Tables 3 and 3a of Appendix Skilled Occupations use national pay scales as their going rate, and points option K applies. NHS roles use Agenda for Change bands, which differ between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (Table 4). Teachers use the pay scales in Table 5.
NHS Agenda for Change bands (Table 4)
Going rates in Table 4 are per year and based on a 37.5-hour week (in Scotland, a 37-hour week). They must be pro-rated for other working patterns, based on the weekly working hours stated by the applicant’s sponsor. Band 1 and band 2 jobs are not eligible to be sponsored.
Except for “6131 Nursing auxiliaries and assistants”, sponsors may ONLY sponsor Skilled Worker applicants in band 3 and band 4 jobs if the applicant was granted permission as a Skilled Worker under the rules in place before 22 July 2025, and they have had continuous permission as a Skilled Worker since then.
Band 1 to band 4 jobs are not eligible for the Global Business Mobility or Scale-up routes.
| Band | England | Scotland | Wales | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 3 | £24,071 | £26,869 | £24,433 | £22,816 |
| Band 4 | £26,530 | £29,116 | £26,928 | £25,147 |
| Band 5 | £29,970 | £31,892 | £30,420 | £28,407 |
| Band 6 | £37,338 | £39,912 | £37,898 | £35,392 |
| Band 7 | £46,148 | £48,788 | £46,840 | £43,742 |
| Band 8a | £53,755 | £60,126 | £54,550 | £50,952 |
| Band 8b | £62,215 | £70,986 | £63,150 | £58,972 |
| Band 8c | £74,290 | £83,837 | £75,405 | £70,417 |
| Band 8d | £88,168 | £99,534 | £89,491 | £83,571 |
| Band 9 | £105,385 | £117,732 | £106,967 | £99,891 |
Teacher pay scales (Table 5)
Going rates in Table 5 are per year and based on the definition of a full-time teacher used when determining these pay scales. They must be pro-rated for other working patterns, based on the weekly working hours stated by the applicant’s sponsor.
| Role | England (excluding London / Fringe) | London Fringe | Outer London | Inner London | Scotland | Wales | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unqualified teachers / Probationers | £21,731 | £23,140 | £25,758 | £27,252 | £33,594 | £21,812 | – |
| Qualified teachers | £31,650 | £33,075 | £36,413 | £38,766 | £40,305 | £32,433 | £30,000 |
| Chartered teachers | – | – | – | – | £52,158 | – | – |
| Principal teachers | – | – | – | – | £55,155 | – | – |
| Leadership group | £49,781 | £51,151 | £53,731 | £59,186 | – | £50,653 | £47,241 |
| Leading practitioner | £50,025 | £51,403 | £53,994 | £59,478 | – | £50,902 | – |
| Head teacher | £56,316 | £57,693 | £60,266 | £65,731 | £62,556 | £57,304 | £53,309 |
Health and education codes (Tables 3 and 3a)
These SOC 2020 occupation codes are considered to be skilled to Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) level 6 or above, and are eligible for the Skilled Worker, Global Business Mobility and Scale-up routes, other than roles below Agenda for Change band 5, which are ineligible for the Global Business Mobility and Scale-up routes, and are only eligible for the Skilled Worker route if the conditions specified in Table 4 are met.
| Code | Occupation | Table | Going rate basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2211 | Generalist medical practitioners | Table 3 | 8 grades by nation |
| 2212 | Specialist medical practitioners | Table 3 | As 2211 |
| 2221 | Physiotherapists | Table 3 | Agenda for Change bands (Table 4) |
| 2222 | Occupational therapists | Table 3 | Agenda for Change bands (Table 4) |
| 2223 | Speech and language therapists | Table 3 | Agenda for Change bands (Table 4) |
| 2224 | Psychotherapists and cognitive behaviour therapists | Table 3 | Agenda for Change bands (Table 4) |
| 2225 | Clinical psychologists | Table 3 | Agenda for Change bands (Table 4) |
| 2226 | Other psychologists | Table 3 | Agenda for Change bands (Table 4) |
| 2229 | Therapy professionals not elsewhere classified | Table 3 | Agenda for Change bands (Table 4) |
| 2231 | Midwifery nurses | Table 3 | Agenda for Change bands (Table 4) |
| 2232 | Registered community nurses | Table 3 | Agenda for Change bands (Table 4) |
| 2233 | Registered specialist nurses | Table 3 | Agenda for Change bands (Table 4) |
| 2234 | Registered nurse practitioners | Table 3 | Agenda for Change bands (Table 4) |
| 2235 | Registered mental health nurses | Table 3 | Agenda for Change bands (Table 4) |
| 2236 | Registered children’s nurses | Table 3 | Agenda for Change bands (Table 4) |
| 2237 | Other registered nursing professionals | Table 3 | Agenda for Change bands (Table 4) |
| 2251 | Pharmacists | Table 3 | Agenda for Change bands (Table 4) |
| 2252 | Optometrists | Table 3 | Agenda for Change bands (Table 4) |
| 2253 | Dental practitioners | Table 3 | 7 grades by nation |
| 2254 | Medical radiographers | Table 3 | Agenda for Change bands (Table 4) |
| 2255 | Paramedics | Table 3 | Agenda for Change bands (Table 4) |
| 2256 | Podiatrists | Table 3 | Agenda for Change bands (Table 4) |
| 2259 | Other health professionals not elsewhere classified | Table 3 | Agenda for Change bands (Table 4) |
| 2312 | Further education teaching professionals | Table 3 | 4 grades by nation |
| 2313 | Secondary education teaching professionals | Table 3 | Teacher pay scales (Table 5) |
| 2314 | Primary education teaching professionals | Table 3 | Teacher pay scales (Table 5) |
| 2315 | Nursery education teaching professionals | Table 3 | Teacher pay scales (Table 5) |
| 2316 | Special and additional needs education teaching professionals | Table 3 | Teacher pay scales (Table 5) |
| 2321 | Head teachers and principals | Table 3 | Teacher pay scales (Table 5) |
| 2461 | Social workers | Table 3 | Agenda for Change bands (Table 4) |
| 3213 | Medical and dental technicians | Table 3a | Agenda for Change bands (Table 4) |
| 3219 | Health associate professionals not elsewhere classified | Table 3a | Agenda for Change bands (Table 4) |
| 3231 | Higher level teaching assistants | Table 3a | 2 grades |
| 6112 | Teaching assistants | Table 3a | 1 grades |
| 6113 | Educational support assistants | Table 3a | 1 grades |
| 6131 | Nursing auxiliaries and assistants | Table 3a | Agenda for Change bands (Table 4) |
| 6132 | Ambulance staff (excluding paramedics) | Table 3a | Agenda for Change bands (Table 4) |
| 6133 | Dental nurses | Table 3a | Agenda for Change bands (Table 4) |
Sources
- Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Occupations (GOV.UK, updated 29 October 2026)
- Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Worker (GOV.UK, updated 29 October 2026)
Compiled by SWC Editorial Team from the sources above. An information summary, not immigration advice.