Visa sponsorship in UK hospitality
Since 22 July 2025, most UK hospitality jobs can no longer be sponsored for a Skilled Worker visa when an employer hires someone new. This page shows which hospitality roles can still be sponsored, checked every day against GOV.UK, so you know where you stand before you apply.
Checked against GOV.UK on 8 November 2026. No hospitality roles are on the Temporary Shortage List or the Immigration Salary List.
Read this first
- This is general information, not immigration advice. Cookaburra is a recruitment agency, not an immigration adviser. For advice on your own situation, speak to a regulated immigration adviser or solicitor.
- The rules change often. We check GOV.UK every day, but GOV.UK is the source of truth. If anything here differs from GOV.UK, GOV.UK applies.
- The salary has to be high enough. GOV.UK says you will usually need to be paid at least £41,700 a year, or the going rate for the job, whichever is higher. Lower minimums apply in limited cases, for example £33,400 a year for jobs on the Immigration Salary List.
- This is about new sponsored jobs. If you already hold a Skilled Worker visa in one of these roles, different rules may apply to your extension. See the questions at the end.
How sponsorship works now
Every sponsored job is placed in one of three groups, and the group decides whether an employer can sponsor someone for it.
Higher skilled
Jobs skilled to RQF level 6, which is broadly degree level, can be sponsored if the salary and the other rules are met.
Medium skilled
Jobs skilled to RQF levels 3 to 5. For a new hire these can only be sponsored if the job is on the Temporary Shortage List or the Immigration Salary List.
Ineligible
Jobs below that level. They cannot be sponsored for the Skilled Worker route, whatever the employer or the salary.
Hospitality jobs and sponsorship today
The job names and four digit occupation codes below are the ones GOV.UK uses. Filter by area, by the answer, or search by job title. Your own job may sit under a different code, because the code follows the duties, not the title.
Area
Can a new hire be sponsored?
Greyed out choices have no jobs in the current view.
Showing 21 of 21 jobs. Checked 8 November 2026.
| GOV.UK job and code | Area | Skill group | New hire sponsored? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel and accommodation managers and proprietorsIncludes Hotel manager, Hotel owner, Hotelier, Hotel keeper, Hotel services manager, Accommodation manager and 8 moreThis code is for managing a single venue. A senior role above one venue, such as a director across a group, can be coded differently, so take advice.Code 1221 · Management · Medium skilled | Management | Medium skilled | Not for new hires |
| Restaurant and catering establishment managers and proprietorsIncludes Restaurant manager, Restaurant owner, Restaurateur, Cafe manager, Cafe owner, Coffee shop manager and 9 moreThis code is for managing a single venue. A senior role above one venue, such as a director across a group, can be coded differently, so take advice.Code 1222 · Management · Medium skilled | Management | Medium skilled | Not for new hires |
| Publicans and managers of licensed premisesIncludes Publican, Pub landlord, Pub landlady, Pub licensee, Pub manager, Licensee and 9 moreThis code is for managing a single venue. A senior role above one venue, such as a director across a group, can be coded differently, so take advice.Code 1223 · Management · Medium skilled | Management | Medium skilled | Not for new hires |
| Events managers and organisersIncludes Events manager, Event coordinator, Events coordinator, Event planner, Wedding planner, Wedding coordinator and 12 moreCode 3557 · Management · Medium skilled | Management | Medium skilled | Not for new hires |
| Office managersIncludes Hotel front office manager, Front office manager (hotel)Hotel front office managers are coded as office managers here, so the code depends on the duties.Code 4141 · Management · Medium skilled | Management | Medium skilled | Not for new hires |
| Customer service managersIncludes Reservations manager (hotel)Hotel reservations managers are coded as customer service managers here, so the code depends on the duties.Code 4143 · Management · Medium skilled | Management | Medium skilled | Not for new hires |
| ReceptionistsIncludes Hotel receptionist, Receptionist, Reception manager, Reception supervisor, Reception officer, Guest service assistant and 3 moreCode 4216 · Front of house · Ineligible | Front of house | Ineligible | No |
| Bakers and flour confectionersIncludes Baker, Master baker, Skilled baker, Bakery manager, Bakery supervisor, Baker's assistant and 7 moreCode 5432 · Kitchen · Medium skilled | Kitchen | Medium skilled | Not for new hires |
| ChefsIncludes Chef, Head chef, Sous chef, Commis chef, Chef de partie, Chef de cuisine and 6 moreExecutive chef is not listed in the ONS index, so check the code against the duties.Code 5434 · Kitchen · Medium skilled | Kitchen | Medium skilled | Not for new hires |
| CooksIncludes Cook, Head cook, Chief cook, Pastry cook, Pastrycook, Cook in charge and 4 moreCode 5435 · Kitchen · Ineligible | Kitchen | Ineligible | No |
| Catering and bar managersIncludes Bar manager, Duty manager (public house), Bar duty manager, Catering manager, Kitchen manager, Food and beverage manager and 11 moreThis code is for managing a single venue. A senior role above one venue, such as a director across a group, can be coded differently, so take advice.Code 5436 · Management · Medium skilled | Management | Medium skilled | Not for new hires |
| Housekeepers and related occupationsIncludes Housekeeper, House keeper, Daily house keeper, Cook-housekeeper, Companion-housekeeper, Chalet host and 4 moreCode 6231 · Front of house · Ineligible | Front of house | Ineligible | No |
| Cleaning and housekeeping managers and supervisorsIncludes Head housekeeper, Hotel house keeper, Housekeeping manager, Head of housekeeping, Housekeeping supervisor, Floor supervisor (hotel) and 8 moreCode 6240 · Management · Ineligible | Management | Ineligible | No |
| Bed and breakfast and guest house owners and proprietorsIncludes Guest house owner, Guest house manager, Guest house keeper, Hotelier (guest house), Hotelier (bed and breakfast accommodation), Landlady (guest house) and 3 moreCode 6250 · Management · Medium skilled | Management | Medium skilled | Not for new hires GOV.UK note: extending in same occupation only |
| Cleaners and domesticsIncludes Room attendant, Chambermaid, Hotel room attendant, Bedroom assistant (hotel), Room assistant (hotel), Housekeeping assistant and 11 moreCode 9223 · Front of house · Ineligible | Front of house | Ineligible | No |
| Bar and catering supervisorsIncludes Head waiter, Head waitress, Maitre d'hotel, Chef de rang, Restaurant supervisor, Bar supervisor and 11 moreCode 9261 · Front of house · Ineligible | Front of house | Ineligible | No |
| Kitchen and catering assistantsIncludes Kitchen porter, Kitchen assistant, Kitchen hand, Kitchen helper, Kitchen attendant, Dishwasher and 12 moreCode 9263 · Kitchen · Ineligible | Kitchen | Ineligible | No |
| Waiters and waitressesIncludes Waiter, Waitress, Waiting staff, Restaurant waiter, Silver service waiter, Wine waiter and 14 moreCode 9264 · Front of house · Ineligible | Front of house | Ineligible | No |
| Bar staffIncludes Bar staff, Barman, Barmaid, Barperson, Bartender, Bar tender and 11 moreCode 9265 · Front of house · Ineligible | Front of house | Ineligible | No |
| Coffee shop workersIncludes Barista, Barista maestro, Coffee shop assistant, Coffee barman, Coffee barmaid, Coffee stall attendantCode 9266 · Front of house · Ineligible | Front of house | Ineligible | No |
| Other elementary services occupations not elsewhere classifiedIncludes Hotel porter, Hall porter, Night porter, Left luggage attendantCode 9269 · Front of house · Ineligible | Front of house | Ineligible | No |
The job titles are taken from the official ONS SOC 2020 coding index of job titles, the system that the occupation codes belong to. A title is a guide, not a ruling: the code follows the duties, so the same title can sit under a different code. Cooks and chefs are separate codes, for example a pastry chef is filed under Chefs and a pastry cook under Cooks. Check the duties against GOV.UK or ask a regulated adviser.
Senior and similar roles: the answer can change
The table shows the code for each hospitality job as GOV.UK lists it. Some titles are not listed, and a few jobs can be coded differently depending on the duties and the size of the organisation. A general manager is the clearest example.
- Running a single venue. A general manager running one hotel, restaurant or pub, doing what a hotel, restaurant or pub manager does, would most likely be coded as one of the Management jobs above. Those are medium skilled, which means not for new hires.
- A senior role across a larger group. This could be coded as a senior official or director instead, and those codes are higher skilled, which is eligible if the salary and other rules are met. This is the case where the answer can change.
- Titles that are not listed. Executive chef and general manager are not in the ONS index for hospitality, so the code depends on what you actually do.
If your role is senior, spans more than one venue, or has a title that is not listed, do not rely on the table. Check the code with the CASCOT tool and take advice from a regulated immigration adviser.
The two shortage lists
Two government lists let some medium skilled jobs be sponsored. Neither is permanent.
- The Temporary Shortage List is a short, temporary list of medium skilled jobs. A job is only on it where the certificate of sponsorship was issued before 31 December 2026. GOV.UK list
- The Immigration Salary List sets a reduced skills and salary threshold for the jobs on it, and some entries only apply in certain parts of the UK. Its entries also carry a removal date of 31 December 2026. GOV.UK list
Both were set to lapse at the end of 2026 unless replaced following advice from the Migration Advisory Committee. People sponsored through either list generally cannot bring dependants, with exceptions for people who were already on the Skilled Worker route before 22 July 2025. This page updates when the lists change.
If you do not need sponsorship
Already have the right to work
Many people can work in UK hospitality without a sponsor, including British and Irish citizens, people with settled or pre-settled status, and people on some family routes. Some Youth Mobility Scheme and Graduate visa holders can too. Always check your own visa conditions and any limits on hours or employment.
How this affects your application
When you apply to Cookaburra we ask about your right to work in the UK. Unless a venue tells us it offers sponsorship, we only put forward people who already have the right to work for the role, so that nobody's time is wasted.
Common questions
Can I get a UK visa sponsored as a chef?
For a new job, usually not. Chefs are classed as medium skilled, and medium skilled jobs can only be sponsored if they are on the Temporary Shortage List or the Immigration Salary List. No hospitality jobs are on either list at the moment. The table on this page shows the current position.
What is the salary threshold?
GOV.UK says you will usually need to be paid at least £41,700 a year or the going rate for your job, whichever is higher. Each occupation code has its own going rate. Lower minimums apply in limited cases, for example £33,400 a year for some people who qualify to be paid less and for jobs on the Immigration Salary List. Check GOV.UK for the figure that applies to a particular job.
Can a restaurant or bar sponsor a waiter or bar worker?
No. Waiters, bar staff and kitchen assistants are listed as ineligible for the Skilled Worker route, so no sponsor licence can change that.
Can a hotel or restaurant manager be sponsored?
Hotel, restaurant, pub and catering and bar manager jobs are classed as medium skilled. For a new hire they can only be sponsored if the job appears on one of the two lists, and none do at the moment.
How do I find the occupation code for my job?
The code is a four digit number that classifies the job, and it depends on the duties, not the job title. GOV.UK points people to the CASCOT occupation coding tool, and your employer or an immigration adviser can confirm the code.
I already have a Skilled Worker visa in a hospitality job. Do I have to leave?
Not necessarily. GOV.UK sets out rules for extending and switching for people whose first certificate of sponsorship was issued before 22 July 2025. The position depends on dates and occupation codes, so take advice from a regulated immigration adviser early.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Skilled Worker visa, your job
- GOV.UK: eligible occupations and codes
- Immigration Rules: Appendix Skilled Occupations
- CASCOT occupation coding tool
- ONS: SOC 2020 coding index (job titles)
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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