Can you get a Skilled Worker visa for a job in “fishing and other elementary agriculture occupations not elsewhere classified”?
Yes, for now. You can get a UK Skilled Worker visa for a job in “fishing and other elementary agriculture occupations not elsewhere classified” (SOC 9119) because the job is on a shortage list, until the list’s end date.
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
- a salary of at least £33,400 a year
- 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
Check the date. This job comes off the Immigration Salary List on 31 December 2026.
How much it costs
| Visa fee | £628 for up to 3 years £1,235 for more than 3 years |
|---|---|
| Healthcare surcharge | usually £1,035 a year |
| Savings to show (if needed) | £1,270 |
For example, a 3-year visa from outside the UK costs £628 plus £3,105 for the healthcare surcharge: £3,733 in total. Your partner and children pay too if they come with you. The lower fee applies because the job is on the Immigration Salary List. Full fees.
How long it takes
- You'll usually get a decision within 3 weeks if you apply from outside the UK.
- It's usually 8 weeks if you apply from inside the UK.
- Your visa can last up to 5 years. You can extend it.
- After 5 years you may be able to apply to settle in the UK.
How to apply
- Get a job offer from a licensed sponsor and ask for this job's occupation code (9119).
- Get your certificate of sponsorship reference number from your employer.
- Prove your English and get your documents ready (documents list).
- Apply online on GOV.UK: apply from outside the UK. You'll pay the fee and the healthcare surcharge.
- Prove your identity, using the ID Check app or at a visa application centre.
Things to check
- Do make sure the job description matches the work you'll actually do. The occupation code must fit the job.
- Do check your employer is on the licensed sponsor list.
- Don't apply before you have a certificate of sponsorship. You need a confirmed job offer first.
- Don't count overtime, bonuses or allowances. Only guaranteed basic pay counts towards the salary.
- Don't change job or employer without updating your visa.
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 9119 (Fishing and other elementary agriculture occupations not elsewhere classified) is Medium Skilled – ONLY Vent chick sexer or Deckhand on large fishing vessel (9 metres and above) (RQF level 3–5) and is on the Immigration Salary List. 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 | Fishing and other elementary agriculture occupations not elsewhere classified |
|---|---|
| Skilled Worker eligibility | Medium Skilled – ONLY Vent chick sexer or Deckhand on large fishing vessel (9 metres and above) |
| Going rate | £33,400 a year (£17.13 an hour)T1a |
| Appendix table(s) | Table 1a, Table 2aa, Table 6 |
| Immigration Salary List | Yes, until 31 December 2026Only deckhands on large fishing vessels (9 metres and above) where the job requires the worker to have at least 3 years’ full-time experience in using their skills. This experience must not have been gained through working illegally. (all UK) |
| Temporary Shortage List | No |
| Eligible for PhD points | No |
| Equivalent SOC 2010 code(s) | 9119 |
| SOC 2020 group | 91 Elementary trades and related occupations › 911 Elementary agricultural occupations |
Conditions attached to 9119
Appendix Skilled Occupations attaches these conditions to this code:
- ONLY the listed job titles are eligible in this SOC 2020 occupation code and ONLY where the job requires the worker to have at least 3 years’ full-time experience in using their skills. This experience must not have been gained through working illegally. (Table 1a, Table 2aa)
- - all jobs not listed in Table 1 and Table 2. (Table 6)
Going rates for 9119 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. | £25,000 £12.82/hr | n/a | n/a | £25,000 £12.82/hr |
Salary thresholds that apply to 9119
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 | £33,400 | £33,400 (100%) | £33,400 |
| 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 | £25,000 (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 | £25,000 | £25,000 (100%) | £25,000 |
| J | The applicant is a new entrant at the start of their career | £25,000 | £25,000 (70%) | £25,000 |
Rule changes that named 9119
- HC 997: Skilled Worker changes laid on 1 July 2025 (1 July 2025)
Job titles under SOC 9119
GOV.UK lists these related job titles:
- Cutters and pickers
- Fisheries and aquaculture labourers
- Garden and park labourers
- Milkers
- Sheep shearers
- Fishing and other elementary agriculture occupations not elsewhere classified
More job titles from the ONS SOC 2020 index (6)
- Grass cutter
- Hatchery worker (fishing)
- Horticultural worker
- Labourer (landscape gardening)
- Mushroom picker
- Nursery worker
What the job involves
Job holders in this unit group perform a variety of tasks in relation to the breeding and rearing of animals and fish, catch fish at sea and from inland waterways, assist in the picking and lifting of crops, plant and maintain hedges, oversee the incubation and hatching of eggs and perform other fishing and elementary agricultural tasks not elsewhere classified in minor group 911: Elementary agricultural occupations.
Typical tasks
- Assists with the shooting, hauling and repairing of nets, prepares, lays and empties baited pots at intervals, operates winches and lifting gear, and guts, sorts and stows fish
- Harvests oysters, mussels, clams and seaweed off natural or artificial beds, nets river fish and maintains them in spawning pens, assists with feeding and water treatment, and empties and cleans outdoor tanks
- Cleans animals’ quarters and renews bedding as necessary
- Extracts semen for storage, selects appropriate semen from store, injects recipient animal and issues certificate giving pedigree and date of insemination
- Incubates eggs in hatchery and supplies chicks for meat and egg production and game birds for reserves
- Plants cuttings or shrubs, maintains hedges by clipping, pruning and re-planting, and picks fruit, vegetables, hops and flowers
- Performs other farming and related tasks not elsewhere classified including sorting and marking livestock, catching rabbits, cutting peat, shearing sheep and sexing chickens
Typical entry routes and qualifications
There are no minimum academic entry requirements. Training is typically received on-the-job, supplemented by vocational training at an agricultural college. A variety of vocational qualifications in Agriculture and Fish Husbandry are available at levels 2 and 3 and in Maritime Studies: Sea Fishing at level2. Apprenticeships are available in some areas. Fishermen/women are required to undertake safety courses before and during the early stages of employment.
Description: ONS SOC 2020 Volume 1.
Questions about SOC 9119
Can you get a Skilled Worker visa for a job in “fishing and other elementary agriculture occupations not elsewhere classified”?
Yes, for now. You can get a UK Skilled Worker visa for a job in “fishing and other elementary agriculture occupations not elsewhere classified” (SOC 9119) because the job is on a shortage list, until the list's end date. SOC 2020 code 9119 (Fishing and other elementary agriculture occupations not elsewhere classified) is Medium Skilled – ONLY Vent chick sexer or Deckhand on large fishing vessel (9 metres and above) (RQF level 3–5) and is on the Immigration Salary List. 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 9119?
9119 is the SOC 2020 code for Fishing and other elementary agriculture occupations not elsewhere classified. Job holders in this unit group perform a variety of tasks in relation to the breeding and rearing of animals and fish, catch fish at sea and from inland waterways, assist in the picking and lifting of crops, plant and maintain hedges, oversee the incubation and hatching of eggs and perform other fishing and elementary agricultural tasks not elsewhere classified in minor group 911: Elementary agricultural occupations.
What is the going rate for SOC code 9119?
Table 1a of Appendix Skilled Occupations gives a going rate of £33,400 a year (£17.13 an hour) for 9119, based on a 37.5-hour week. It must be pro-rated for other working hours.
Is 9119 on the Immigration Salary List?
Yes. Only deckhands on large fishing vessels (9 metres and above) where the job requires the worker to have at least 3 years’ full-time experience in using their skills. This experience must not have been gained through working illegally. in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland. The list states a removal date of 31 December 2026.
What job titles use SOC code 9119?
GOV.UK lists: Cutters and pickers, Fisheries and aquaculture labourers, Garden and park labourers, Milkers, Sheep shearers, Fishing and other elementary agriculture occupations 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 Immigration Salary List (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.