Can you get a Skilled Worker visa as a property, housing or estate manager?
Usually no. New applicants cannot get a UK Skilled Worker visa as a property, housing or estate manager (SOC 1251). It is only open to people who already had a Skilled Worker visa before 22 July 2025 and have kept it without a break.
What you need
You must have:
- a job offer from a UK employer that's allowed to sponsor visas (check the sponsor list)
- a "certificate of sponsorship" from that employer: a reference number with details of your job
- English at level B2: you can usually prove it with an approved test or a degree taught in English (ways to prove it)
- £1,270 in savings, unless your employer covers your first month or you've been in the UK for 12 months or more
Based on the UK Immigration Rules and the Skilled Worker visa guide on GOV.UK. This is a summary, not advice about your own situation.
The rules in detail
SOC 2020 code 1251 (Property, housing and estate managers) is Medium Skilled (RQF level 3–5). It is listed in Table 1a of Appendix Skilled OccupationsT1a · 29 Oct 26: only for people granted Skilled Worker permission under the rules before 22 July 2025 who have held it continuously since, unless the job is on the Immigration Salary List (option D) or the Temporary Shortage List.
Source: Appendix Skilled Occupations and eligible occupations and codes, GOV.UK.| Occupation | Property, housing and estate managers |
|---|---|
| Skilled Worker eligibility | Medium Skilled |
| Going rate | £42,600 a year (£21.85 an hour)T1a |
| Appendix table(s) | Table 1a, Table 2aa |
| Immigration Salary List | No |
| Temporary Shortage List | No |
| Eligible for PhD points | No |
| Equivalent SOC 2010 code(s) | 1251 |
| SOC 2020 group | 12 Other managers and proprietors › 125 Managers and proprietors in other services |
Going rates for 1251 in Appendix Skilled Occupations
A code can appear in more than one table. Each table applies to different applicants. Rates are per year for a 37.5-hour week and must be pro-rated for other hours.
| Table and who it applies to | Going rate | 90% | 80% | 70% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Table 1aOnly for people granted Skilled Worker permission under the rules before 22 July 2025 who have held it continuously since, unless the job is on the Immigration Salary List (option D) or the Temporary Shortage List. | £42,600 £21.85/hr | n/a | n/a | £33,400 £17.13/hr |
| Table 2aaFor applicants using options F–J who were granted Skilled Worker permission before 22 July 2025 and have held it continuously, unless option I (Immigration Salary List) or the Temporary Shortage List applies. Not eligible for Global Business Mobility or Scale-up. | £32,500 £16.67/hr | n/a | n/a | £25,000 £12.82/hr |
Salary thresholds that apply to 1251
Under Appendix Skilled Worker, the salary must equal or exceed both the general threshold and the going-rate figure for the points option used. This table puts the two figures side by side for each option. It does not say which option applies to any person. See salary thresholds for the conditions on each option.
| Option | Condition | General threshold | Going-rate figure | Higher of the two |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Standard | £41,700 | £42,600 (100%) | £42,600 |
| B | The applicant has a PhD in a subject relevant to the job | £37,500 | Not applicable | – |
| C | The applicant has a PhD in a STEM subject relevant to the job | £33,400 | Not applicable | – |
| D | The applicant is being sponsored for a job on the Immigration Salary List (this code is not on the list) | £33,400 | Not applicable | – |
| E | The applicant is a new entrant at the start of their career | £33,400 | £33,400 (70%) | £33,400 |
| Option | Condition | General threshold | Going-rate figure | Higher of the two |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F | Standard | £31,300 | £32,500 (100%) | £32,500 |
| G | The applicant has a PhD in a subject relevant to the job | £28,200 | Not applicable | – |
| H | The applicant has a PhD in a STEM subject relevant to the job | £25,000 | Not applicable | – |
| I | The applicant is being sponsored for a job on the Immigration Salary List (this code is not on the list) | £25,000 | Not applicable | – |
| J | The applicant is a new entrant at the start of their career | £25,000 | £25,000 (70%) | £25,000 |
Job titles under SOC 1251
GOV.UK lists these related job titles:
- Facilities managers
- Landlords, property and housing managers
- Property investors and developers
- Sales and lettings managers
- Shopping centre managers
- Property, housing and estate managers not elsewhere classified
More job titles from the ONS SOC 2020 index (5)
- Estate manager
- Facilities manager
- Housing manager
- Landlord (property management)
- Property manager
What the job involves
Property, housing and estate managers manage shopping centres, residential areas, offices and private estates, arrange for the sale, purchase, rental and leasing of property on behalf of clients and employers, and provide facilities management services for businesses
Typical tasks
- Determines staffing, financial, material and other short- and long-term requirements
- Manages general upkeep, maintenance and security of the estate’s amenities
- Makes sure that the amenities meet health and safety standards and legal requirements
- Oversees the support services of a business, such as catering, IT, utilities and physical environment
- Advises on energy efficiency
- Discusses client’s requirements and may advise client on the purchase of property and land for investment and other purposes
- Conducts or arranges for structural surveys of properties and undertakes any necessary valuations of property or agricultural land, and deals with grant and subsidy applications
- Negotiates land or property purchases and sales or leases and tenancy agreements and arranges legal formalities with solicitors, building societies and other parties
- Maintains or arranges for the maintenance of estate accounts and records and produces financial forecasts
- Acts as arbiter in disputes between landlord and tenant and ensures that both fulfil their legal obligations
- Examines and assesses housing applications, advises on rent levels, investigates complaints and liaises with tenants’ association and social workers to resolve any family problems
Typical entry routes and qualifications
There are no formal academic requirements, although entrants usually possess a BTEC/SQA award, a degree or equivalent qualification. Apprenticeships are available in some areas. Many employers expect the attainment of membership to a relevant professional body.
Description: ONS SOC 2020 Volume 1.
Questions about SOC 1251
Can you get a Skilled Worker visa as a property, housing or estate manager?
Usually no. New applicants cannot get a UK Skilled Worker visa as a property, housing or estate manager (SOC 1251). It is only open to people who already had a Skilled Worker visa before 22 July 2025 and have kept it without a break. SOC 2020 code 1251 (Property, housing and estate managers) is Medium Skilled (RQF level 3–5). It is listed in Table 1a of Appendix Skilled Occupations: only for people granted Skilled Worker permission under the rules before 22 July 2025 who have held it continuously since, unless the job is on the Immigration Salary List (option D) or the Temporary Shortage List.
What is SOC code 1251?
1251 is the SOC 2020 code for Property, housing and estate managers. Property, housing and estate managers manage shopping centres, residential areas, offices and private estates, arrange for the sale, purchase, rental and leasing of property on behalf of clients and employers, and provide facilities management services for businesses
What is the going rate for SOC code 1251?
Table 1a of Appendix Skilled Occupations gives a going rate of £42,600 a year (£21.85 an hour) for 1251, based on a 37.5-hour week. It must be pro-rated for other working hours.
What job titles use SOC code 1251?
GOV.UK lists: Facilities managers, Landlords, property and housing managers, Property investors and developers, Sales and lettings managers, Shopping centre managers, Property, housing and estate managers not elsewhere classified.
Sources
- Skilled Worker visa: eligible occupations and codes (GOV.UK, updated 29 April 2026)
- Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Occupations (GOV.UK, updated 29 October 2026)
- Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Worker (GOV.UK, updated 29 October 2026)
- ONS SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions of unit groups
Compiled by SWC Editorial Team from the sources above. An information summary, not immigration advice. Report an error on this page.