Can you get a Skilled Worker visa as a chemical or related process operative?
Usually no. New applicants cannot get a UK Skilled Worker visa as a chemical or related process operative (SOC 8113). 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 8113 (Chemical and related process operatives) 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 | Chemical and related process operatives |
|---|---|
| Skilled Worker eligibility | Medium Skilled |
| Going rate | £33,400 a year (£17.13 an hour)T1a |
| Appendix table(s) | Table 1a, Table 2aa |
| Immigration Salary List | No |
| Temporary Shortage List | No |
| Eligible for PhD points | No |
| SOC 2020 group | 81 Process, plant, machine and construction operatives › 811 Process operatives |
Going rates for 8113 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. | £33,400 £17.13/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. | £26,700 £13.69/hr | n/a | n/a | £25,000 £12.82/hr |
Salary thresholds that apply to 8113
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 | £33,400 (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 | £26,700 (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 8113
GOV.UK lists these related job titles:
- Chemical and related process operatives
More job titles from the ONS SOC 2020 index (5)
- Chemical process operator
- Gas producer operator
- Process technician (chemical mfr)
- Process worker (cement mfr)
- Process worker (nuclear fuel production)
What the job involves
Chemical and related process operatives operate machinery in the processing of chemical and related materials by chemical, heat or other treatment, manufacture synthetic materials and bleach, dye or otherwise treat textiles, and treat hides, skins and pelts for making into fur, leather and skin products.
Typical tasks
- Loads prescribed quantities of ingredients into plant equipment, starts operational cycle, monitors instruments and gauges indicating conditions affecting the operation of the plant and adjusts controls as necessary
- Prepares dye, bleaching, water repellent, fixing salt and other chemical solutions to finish and treat textiles
- Regulates input of polymer into melting unit, extrudes polymer, gathers extruded filaments and feeds strands through rolling, cutting and treatment units to produce synthetic fibre
- Operates kilns, furnaces and ovens to produce charcoal, coke and other carbon products
- Operates machines to coat film and tape with sensitising material and otherwise impregnate materials by immersion, split and mould mica and produce asbestos pipes and sheets
- Cuts and trims skins, hides and pelts, removes wool, hair, flesh and other waste material, and washes, limes, tans, dyes and otherwise treats hides for making into leather, skin and fur products
- Withdraws samples for quality control testing, removes and regulates discharge of batch material upon completion of processing
Typical entry routes and qualifications
There are no formal academic entry requirements, although some employers require entrants to possess GCSEs/S grades. Training is typically received on-the-job, supplemented by specialised training courses. Vocational qualifications in Process Technology at levels 2 and 3 and apprenticeships are available.
Description: ONS SOC 2020 Volume 1.
Questions about SOC 8113
Can you get a Skilled Worker visa as a chemical or related process operative?
Usually no. New applicants cannot get a UK Skilled Worker visa as a chemical or related process operative (SOC 8113). 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 8113 (Chemical and related process operatives) 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 8113?
8113 is the SOC 2020 code for Chemical and related process operatives. Chemical and related process operatives operate machinery in the processing of chemical and related materials by chemical, heat or other treatment, manufacture synthetic materials and bleach, dye or otherwise treat textiles, and treat hides, skins and pelts for making into fur, leather and skin products.
What is the going rate for SOC code 8113?
Table 1a of Appendix Skilled Occupations gives a going rate of £33,400 a year (£17.13 an hour) for 8113, based on a 37.5-hour week. It must be pro-rated for other working hours.
What job titles use SOC code 8113?
GOV.UK lists: Chemical and related process operatives.
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.