Can you get a Skilled Worker visa as a marine or waterways transport operative?
Usually no. New applicants cannot get a UK Skilled Worker visa as a marine or waterways transport operative (SOC 8232). 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 8232 (Marine and waterways transport 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 | Marine and waterways transport operatives |
|---|---|
| Skilled Worker eligibility | Medium Skilled |
| Going rate | £38,300 a year (£19.64 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) | 8232 |
| SOC 2020 group | 82 Transport and mobile machine drivers and operatives › 823 Other drivers and transport operatives |
Going rates for 8232 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. | £38,300 £19.64/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. | £26,300 £13.49/hr | n/a | n/a | £25,000 £12.82/hr |
Salary thresholds that apply to 8232
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 | £38,300 (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 | £26,300 (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 8232
GOV.UK lists these related job titles:
- Marine and waterways transport operatives
More job titles from the ONS SOC 2020 index (6)
- Deck hand (shipping)
- Engine room attendant (shipping)
- Engineer(nos: boat, barge)
- Ferryman
- Merchant seaman
- Seaman (shipping)
What the job involves
Marine and waterways transport operatives supervise and carry out a variety of deck duties and operate and maintain engines, boilers and mechanical equipment on board ships, boats and other marine vessels.
Typical tasks
- Ensures that necessary fuel supplies are on board and inspects engine, boilers and other mechanisms for correct functioning
- Removes and repairs or replaces damaged or worn parts of plant and machinery and ensures that engine and plant machinery are well lubricated
- Stows cargo, assists passengers to embark and disembark, watches for hazards and moors or casts off mooring ropes as required
- Steers ship, under the supervision of a duty officer, checks navigational aids and keeps bridge, wheel and chartroom clean and tidy
- Performs other deck duties, including servicing and maintaining deck gear and rigging, splicing wire and fibre ropes, greasing winches and derricks, opening up and battening down hatches, securing gangways and ladders and lowering and raising lifeboats
Typical entry routes and qualifications
There are no formal academic entry requirements, although some employers may expect entrants to possess GCSEs/S grades. Candidates are expected to pass a medical examination and have good eyesight. Training takes place at nautical college and lasts between 11-13 weeks.
Description: ONS SOC 2020 Volume 1.
Questions about SOC 8232
Can you get a Skilled Worker visa as a marine or waterways transport operative?
Usually no. New applicants cannot get a UK Skilled Worker visa as a marine or waterways transport operative (SOC 8232). 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 8232 (Marine and waterways transport 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 8232?
8232 is the SOC 2020 code for Marine and waterways transport operatives. Marine and waterways transport operatives supervise and carry out a variety of deck duties and operate and maintain engines, boilers and mechanical equipment on board ships, boats and other marine vessels.
What is the going rate for SOC code 8232?
Table 1a of Appendix Skilled Occupations gives a going rate of £38,300 a year (£19.64 an hour) for 8232, based on a 37.5-hour week. It must be pro-rated for other working hours.
What job titles use SOC code 8232?
GOV.UK lists: Marine and waterways transport 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.