Can you get a Skilled Worker visa as a water or sewerage plant operative?
Usually no. New applicants cannot get a UK Skilled Worker visa as a water or sewerage plant operative (SOC 8134). 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 8134 (Water and sewerage plant 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 | Water and sewerage plant operatives |
|---|---|
| Skilled Worker eligibility | Medium Skilled |
| Going rate | £38,000 a year (£19.49 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) | 8126 |
| SOC 2020 group | 81 Process, plant, machine and construction operatives › 813 Plant and machine operatives |
Going rates for 8134 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. | £38,000 £19.49/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. | £31,300 £16.05/hr | n/a | n/a | £25,000 £12.82/hr |
Salary thresholds that apply to 8134
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 | £38,000 (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 | £31,300 (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 8134
GOV.UK lists these related job titles:
- Water and sewerage distribution operatives
- Water treatment operatives
- Water and sewerage plant operatives not elsewhere classified
More job titles from the ONS SOC 2020 index (5)
- Controller (water treatment)
- Plant operator (sewage works)
- Pump attendant
- Water treatment engineer
- Water treatment operator
What the job involves
Water and sewerage plant operatives operate valves to control water supplies in mains and pipelines, attend screening, filtering, water purifying and sedimentation plant, clear any blockages and patrol and maintain sewerage systems.
Typical tasks
- Attends water filtration and purification plant, monitors chemical treatment and regulates treatment of water supply within strict guidelines
- Opens and closes valves to regulate quantity and pressure of water and reports defective valves or abnormal water pressure
- Stops water supply in an emergency and informs consumers likely to be affected
- Regulates flow of raw sewage into screening plant, releases screened sewage and regulates its flow into detritus pits, sedimentation tanks and filtration beds
- Cleans out screen compartments, sedimentation tanks and filtration beds manually or using mechanical scraper
- Patrols sections of sewer, examines for any blockages or gas releases and clears blockages by flushing or by using boring rods
- Digs trench and assists pipe layers to lay, renew or repair sewerage pipes
Typical entry routes and qualifications
There are no formal academic entry requirements. Training is provided Off and on-the-job. NVQs/ SVQs in Operating Process Plant are available at level 2.
Description: ONS SOC 2020 Volume 1.
Questions about SOC 8134
Can you get a Skilled Worker visa as a water or sewerage plant operative?
Usually no. New applicants cannot get a UK Skilled Worker visa as a water or sewerage plant operative (SOC 8134). 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 8134 (Water and sewerage plant 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 8134?
8134 is the SOC 2020 code for Water and sewerage plant operatives. Water and sewerage plant operatives operate valves to control water supplies in mains and pipelines, attend screening, filtering, water purifying and sedimentation plant, clear any blockages and patrol and maintain sewerage systems.
What is the going rate for SOC code 8134?
Table 1a of Appendix Skilled Occupations gives a going rate of £38,000 a year (£19.49 an hour) for 8134, based on a 37.5-hour week. It must be pro-rated for other working hours.
What job titles use SOC code 8134?
GOV.UK lists: Water and sewerage distribution operatives, Water treatment operatives, Water and sewerage plant 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.