Can you get a UK Skilled Worker visa as a food, drink or tobacco process operative?
No. You cannot get a UK Skilled Worker visa as a food, drink or tobacco process operative (SOC 8111).
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 8111 (Food, drink and tobacco process operatives) 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 | Food, drink and tobacco process operatives |
|---|---|
| Skilled Worker eligibility | Ineligible |
| Going rate | Not applicable |
| Appendix table(s) | Table 6 |
| Immigration Salary List | No |
| Temporary Shortage List | No |
| SOC 2020 group | 81 Process, plant, machine and construction operatives › 811 Process operatives |
Job titles under SOC 8111
GOV.UK lists these related job titles:
- Brewery and distillery workers
- Dairy workers
- Food process bakery workers
- Tobacco workers
- Food, drink and tobacco process operatives not elsewhere classified
More job titles from the ONS SOC 2020 index (6)
- Baker (food products mfr)
- Bakery assistant
- Factory worker (food products mfr)
- Meat processor (meat packing)
- Process worker (brewery)
- Process worker (dairy)
What the job involves
Food, drink and tobacco process operatives set, operate and attend machinery to bake, freeze, heat, crush, mix, blend and otherwise process foodstuffs, beverages and tobacco leaves.
Typical tasks
- Sets, operates and attends machinery and ovens to mix, bake and otherwise prepare bread and flour confectionery products
- Operates machinery to crush, mix, malt, cook and ferment grains and fruits to produce beer, wines, malt liquors, vinegar, yeast and related products
- Attends equipment to make jam, toffee, cheese, processed cheese, margarine, syrup, ice, pasta, ice-cream, sausages, chocolate, maize starch, edible fats and dextrin
- Operates equipment to cool, heat, dry, roast, blanch, pasteurise, smoke, sterilise, freeze, evaporate and concentrate foodstuffs and liquids used in food processing
- Mixes, pulps, grinds, blends and separates foodstuffs and liquids with churning, pressing, sieving, grinding and filtering equipment
- Processes tobacco leaves by hand or machine to make cigarettes, cigars, pipe and other tobacco products
Typical entry routes and qualifications
There are no formal academic entry requirements, though some GCSEs/S grades can be an advantage. Off and on-the-job training is available. Vocational qualifications related to food and drink manufacturing, including apprenticeships, are available at up to level 3.
Description: ONS SOC 2020 Volume 1.
Questions about SOC 8111
Can you get a UK Skilled Worker visa as a food, drink or tobacco process operative?
No. You cannot get a UK Skilled Worker visa as a food, drink or tobacco process operative (SOC 8111). SOC 2020 code 8111 (Food, drink and tobacco process operatives) 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 8111?
8111 is the SOC 2020 code for Food, drink and tobacco process operatives. Food, drink and tobacco process operatives set, operate and attend machinery to bake, freeze, heat, crush, mix, blend and otherwise process foodstuffs, beverages and tobacco leaves.
What job titles use SOC code 8111?
GOV.UK lists: Brewery and distillery workers, Dairy workers, Food process bakery workers, Tobacco workers, Food, drink and tobacco process operatives 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.