Can you get a Skilled Worker visa as a pest control officer?
No. You cannot get a UK Skilled Worker visa as a pest control officer (SOC 6121).
You might be able to work in the UK on a different visa. Compare UK work visas.
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 6121 (Pest control officers) is listed as not eligible for the Skilled Worker, Global Business Mobility and Scale-up routes in Table 6 of Appendix Skilled OccupationsT6 · 29 Oct 26.
Source: Appendix Skilled Occupations and eligible occupations and codes, GOV.UK.| Occupation | Pest control officers |
|---|---|
| Skilled Worker eligibility | Ineligible |
| Going rate | Not applicable |
| Appendix table(s) | Table 6 |
| Immigration Salary List | No |
| Temporary Shortage List | No |
| SOC 2020 group | 61 Caring personal service occupations › 612 Animal care and control services |
Job titles under SOC 6121
GOV.UK lists these related job titles:
- Fumigators
- Mole catchers
- Rodent control officers
- Pest control officers not elsewhere classified
More job titles from the ONS SOC 2020 index (4)
- Fumigator
- Pest control officer
- Pest control technician
- Pest controller
What the job involves
Pest controllers investigate the presence of pests that are hazardous to public health or cause nuisance, lay traps to capture pests and treat areas of infestation.
Typical tasks
- Receives reports from public, property owners and authorities regarding the presence of pests and infestations
- Visits sites to investigate the presence of rodents, infestations and other pests that may be hazardous to public health
- Lays traps to capture pests, and fumigates and disinfects areas to remove infestations
- Advises property owners on courses of action to prevent the return of pests
- Liaises with environmental health officers, housing officers and other relevant authorities where measures on a large scale are required to remove pests
- Returns to sites to examine contents of traps laid and the continued presence of reported pests
- Treats wood for effects of termites, woodworm and other infestations of timber
Typical entry routes and qualifications
There are no formal academic entry qualifications, though some employers may expect entrants to possess GCSEs/S grades. Training is provided on-the-job, supplemented by specialist courses covering different aspects of pest control.
Description: ONS SOC 2020 Volume 1.
Questions about SOC 6121
Can you get a Skilled Worker visa as a pest control officer?
No. You cannot get a UK Skilled Worker visa as a pest control officer (SOC 6121). SOC 2020 code 6121 (Pest control officers) is listed as not eligible for the Skilled Worker, Global Business Mobility and Scale-up routes in Table 6 of Appendix Skilled Occupations.
What is SOC code 6121?
6121 is the SOC 2020 code for Pest control officers. Pest controllers investigate the presence of pests that are hazardous to public health or cause nuisance, lay traps to capture pests and treat areas of infestation.
What job titles use SOC code 6121?
GOV.UK lists: Fumigators, Mole catchers, Rodent control officers, Pest control officers 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.