Can you get a Skilled Worker visa as a metal plate worker, smith or moulder?
Usually no. New applicants cannot get a UK Skilled Worker visa as a metal plate worker, smith or moulder (SOC 5212). 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 5212 (Metal plate workers, smiths, moulders and related occupations) 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 | Metal plate workers, smiths, moulders and related occupations |
|---|---|
| Skilled Worker eligibility | Medium Skilled |
| Going rate | £36,700 a year (£18.82 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) | 5211, 5212, 5214 |
| SOC 2020 group | 52 Skilled metal, electrical and electronic trades › 521 Metal forming, welding and related trades |
Going rates for 5212 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. | £36,700 £18.82/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. | £29,200 £14.97/hr | n/a | n/a | £25,000 £12.82/hr |
Salary thresholds that apply to 5212
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 | £36,700 (100%) | £41,700 |
| 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 | £29,200 (100%) | £31,300 |
| 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 5212
GOV.UK lists these related job titles:
- Die casters
- Farriers
- Moulders, mould makers and core makers
- Smiths
- Metal plate workers, smiths, moulders and related occupations not elsewhere classified
More job titles from the ONS SOC 2020 index (9)
- Boiler maker
- Core Maker (metal trades)
- Die Caster
- Chain repairer
- Farrier
- Moulder and coremaker
- Pewtersmith
- Pipe Maker (foundry)
- Steel presser
What the job involves
Metal plate workers, smiths, moulders and related occupations mark off, drill, shape, position, rivet and seal metal plates and girders to form structures and frameworks operate power hammers and presses to shape heated metal to requirements and to make and repair a variety of metal articles and make moulds and cores for casting metal and pour or inject molten metal into dies.
Typical tasks
- Examines drawings and specifications to determine operational requirements
- Marks out metal plate with guidelines and reference points and cuts metal plate using hand or machine tools
- Uses machine tools to bend, curve, punch, drill and straighten metal plate as required
- Uses hydraulic jacks to position and align metal platework or frame for welding and bolting and rivets together metal plate and girders
- Creates mould units out of sand, loam or plaster by hand or machine and fits cores into mould to form hollow parts in casting
- Seals seams with caulking compound, smooths welds, fixes metal doors, metal collars, portholes, tank and hatch covers and performs other metal plate finishing tasks using a variety of hand and power tools
- Heats metal for forging and positions heated metal on anvil or other work surface
- Operates press or hammer and repositions workpiece between strokes
- Uses forging tools to shape and cut metal and bends or shapes metal by hand forging methods using hammers, punches, drifts and other hand tools
- Tempers and hardens forged pieces, as required, by quenching in oil or water
- Fits and secures horses shoes
- Scoops molten metal from furnace into die or die casting machine
Typical entry routes and qualifications
Entrants typically possess GCSEs/S grades. Training is usually via apprenticeship including practical experience and technical training. NVQs at levels 2 and 3 are available.
Description: ONS SOC 2020 Volume 1.
Questions about SOC 5212
Can you get a Skilled Worker visa as a metal plate worker, smith or moulder?
Usually no. New applicants cannot get a UK Skilled Worker visa as a metal plate worker, smith or moulder (SOC 5212). 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 5212 (Metal plate workers, smiths, moulders and related occupations) 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 5212?
5212 is the SOC 2020 code for Metal plate workers, smiths, moulders and related occupations. Metal plate workers, smiths, moulders and related occupations mark off, drill, shape, position, rivet and seal metal plates and girders to form structures and frameworks operate power hammers and presses to shape heated metal to requirements and to make and repair a variety of metal articles and make moulds and cores for casting metal and pour or inject molten metal into dies.
What is the going rate for SOC code 5212?
Table 1a of Appendix Skilled Occupations gives a going rate of £36,700 a year (£18.82 an hour) for 5212, based on a 37.5-hour week. It must be pro-rated for other working hours.
What job titles use SOC code 5212?
GOV.UK lists: Die casters, Farriers, Moulders, mould makers and core makers, Smiths, Metal plate workers, smiths, moulders and related occupations 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.