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Jobs Eligible for Sponsorship in the Construction Sector

Jobs Eligible for Sponsorship in the Construction Sector

A variety of construction jobs in the United Kingdom are eligible for sponsorship, using the Skilled Worker visa route. These positions include project managers, architects, construction engineers, and many more. This also includes specific plumbing, welding, or electrical tradespeople. 

By sponsoring international workers, businesses can benefit from a diverse workforce with various skills and experiences. Additionally, these workers can bring new perspectives and ideas to their positions, helping to drive innovation and growth within the company. In this article, we will provide you with a complete list of jobs eligible for sponsorship in the UK Construction industry. 

Which construction jobs are eligible for sponsorship?

Once you have obtained a Sponsor Licence and become a sponsor you can hire migrant workers for any of the following positions:

Occupation CodeJob Type Related Job RolesSalary Requirements
1122Production managers and directors in constructionBuilding Services manager
Construction manager
Director (building construction)
Owner (electrical contracting)
£35,700 per year (£18.31 per hour)
2121Civil engineersBuilding engineer
Civil engineer (professional)
Highways engineer
Petroleum engineer
Public health engineer
Site engineer
Structural engineer
£34,700 per year (£17.79 per hour)
2431ArchitectsArchitect
Architectural consultant
Chartered architect
Landscape architect
£32,900 per year (£16.87 per hour)
2432Town planning officersPlanning officer (local government: building and contracting)
Town planner
Town planning consultant
£27,700 per year (£14.21 per hour)
2433Quantity surveyorsQuantity surveyor
Surveyor (quantity surveying)
£31,100 (£15.95 per hour)
2434Chartered surveyorsBuilding surveyor
Chartered surveyor
Hydrographic surveyor
Land surveyor
£31,400 per year (£16.10 per hour)
2435Chartered architectural technologists
Architectural technologist£30,600 per year (£15.69 per hour)
2436Construction project managers and related professionalsContract manager (building construction)
Project manager (building construction)
Transport planner
£29,500 per year (£15.13 per hour)
3112Electrical and electronics techniciansAvionics technician
Electrical technician
Electronics technician
Installation engineer (electricity supplier)
£27,800 per year (£14.26 per hour)
3114Building and civil engineering techniciansBuilding services consultant
Civil engineering technician
Survey technician
Technical assistant (civil engineering)
£23,000 per year (£11.79 per hour)
3121Architectural and town planning techniciansArchitectural assistant
Architectural technician
Construction planner
Planning enforcement officer
£26,600 per year (£13.64 per hour)
3122DraughtspersonsCAD operator
Cartographer
Design technician
Draughtsman
£28,600 per year (£14.67 per hour)
3565Inspectors of standards and regulationsBuilding inspector
Driving examiner
Housing inspector
Meat hygiene inspector
Trading standards officer
£28,600 per year (£14.67 per hour)
3567Health and safety officersFire protection engineer (professional)
Health and safety officer
Occupational hygienist
Safety consultant
Safety officer
£31,000 per year (£15.90 per hour)
5214Metal plate workers, and rivetersBoiler maker
Metal plate worker
Plater
Plater-welder
£27,700 per year (£14.21 per hour)
5215Welding tradesFabricator-welder
Fitter-welder
Spot welder (metal)
Welder
Welding technician
£23,100 per year (£11.85 per hour)
5216Pipe fittersPipe engineer
Pipe fitter
Pipe welder-fitter
£31,700 per year (£16.26 per hour)
5223Metal working production and maintenance fittersAgricultural engineer
Bench fitter
Engineering machinist
Fabricator
Installation engineer
Maintenance fitter
Mechanical engineer
£24,700 per year (£12.67 per hour)
5311Steel erectorsSteel erector
Steel fabricator
Steelworker (structural engineering)
£23,900 per year (£12.26 per hour)
5312Bricklayers and masonsBricklayer
Dry stone waller
Stone mason
£23,300 per year (£11.95 per hour)
5313Roofers, roof tilers and slatersMastic asphalt spreader
Roof tiler
Roofer
Roofing contractor
Slater
Thatcher
£20,200 per year (£10.36 per hour)
5314Plumbers and heating and ventilating engineersGas engineer
Gas service engineer
Heating and ventilating engineer
Heating engineer
Plumber
Plumbing and heating engineer
£26,700 per year (£13.69 per hour)
5315Carpenters and joinersCarpenter
Carpenter and joiner
Joiner
Kitchen fitter
Shop fitter
£22,500 per year (£11.54 per hour)
5316Glaziers, window fabricators and fittersGlass Cutter
Glazier
Installer (double glazing)
Window fabricator
Window fitter
£19,200 per year (£9.85 per hour)
5319Construction and building trades not elsewhere classifiedAcoustician
Builder
Building contractor
Fencer
Maintenance manager (buildings and other structures)
Property developer (building construction)
£22,200 per year (£11.38 per hour)
5321PlasterersFibrous plasterer
Plasterer
Plastering contractor
£24,000 per year (£12.31 per hour)
5322Floorers and wall tilersCarpet fitter
Ceramic tiler
Flooring contractor
Mosaic floor layer
£23,000 per year (£11.79 per hour)
5323Painters and decoratorsArtexer
French polisher
Paper hanger
Ship sprayer
Wood stainer
£21,200 per year (£10.87 per hour)
5330Construction and building trades supervisorsBuilder’s foreman
Construction foreman
Construction supervisor
Maintenance supervisor
Site foreman
£32,200 per year (£16.51 per hour)

Some of the positions listed above for the Skilled Worker visa are also on the Shortage Occupation List, meaning there are not enough workers in the UK labour market to fulfil the vacancies available in the sector. Positions found on the Shortage Occupation List benefit from a reduction in visa fees. The construction jobs currently experiencing shortages are listed in the table below. Click here for a full list of jobs on the Shortage Occupation List

Occupation CodeJob Type Related Job Roles
2113Physical scientists – in the following construction-related ground engineering industryEngineering geologists Hydrogeologists
Geophysicists
2121Civil engineersAll Jobs
2431ArchitectsAll Jobs
5215Welding tradesOnly high integrity pipe welders, with 3 or more years of related experience

Which construction jobs are not eligible for sponsorship?

Despite a growing number of vacancies in the sector, there are some construction jobs which are not eligible for sponsorship, this includes:

Occupation code Job titles
8149 Construction operatives N.E.C. Asbestos remover
Cable layer
Demolition worker
Dry liner
General handyman
Maintenance man
Thermal insulation engineer
8221 Crane drivers Crane driver
Crane operator
Haulage engine driver
Winchman
8229 Mobile machine drivers and operatives N.E.C. Digger driver
Dredger
Excavator driver
JCB driver
Plant operator
Rig operator
9120 Elementary construction occupations Electrician’s mate (building construction)
Ground worker (building construction)
Hod carrier
Labourer (building construction)

How much would it cost to sponsor an eligible construction employee?

Before UK construction companies can hire international talent they will need to obtain a Sponsor Licence. Then there are other fees associated with the immigration process which include, assigning your preferred candidate with a Certificate of Sponsorship, submitting your candidate’s visa application and covering the Home Offices’ surcharges and fees. 

Let’s look at an example of how to break down these costs. A construction company would like to hire a bricklayer for 2 years using the Skilled Worker visa. The construction company does not have a Sponsor Licence and has 150 employees.

  • The construction company will need to obtain a Sponsor Licence before they can hire international workers. The Sponsor Licence application can take up to 8 weeks to process. At Nation.better we can help businesses obtain a licence for £1,000 + VAT (not including Home Office fees)
  • The company will be considered a large organisation because it meets the criteria set out by the Home Office, therefore the visa application fee will cost £1,476
  • Once the constructor has obtained a Sponsor Licence they will have a Certificate of Sponsorship allocation in their Sponsor Management System (SMS) to assign it to prospective international candidates. It costs £199 for a sponsor to assign a CoS to the bricklayer they’d like to sponsor 
  • Once the CoS has been allocated and the visa application process is underway, the company will also need to pay the Immigration Skill Charge. In this case, this would cost £728 for the 2 years in total, equivalent to £364 per year for the duration of the visa 
  • The restaurant or candidate will need to pay the Healthcare surcharge which costs £1,248 for the 2 years, equivalent to £624 per year
  • Once the Skilled Worker visa application is ready to be submitted, the sponsor will be asked to pay the application fee which costs £625. The visa application will take 3 weeks to process for candidates applying from within the UK, or 8 weeks for those applying from outside the UK.  
  • In order to expedite the visa application process, the restaurant may choose to use the 5-day priority service which costs an additional £500.

Therefore it would cost the construction company £5,776 to sponsor an overseas restaurant manager to work for them for two years in the UK, using the priority service. 

How can Nation.better assist you?

Nation.better allows businesses to streamline their immigration processes in one digital platform. Whether you require a Sponsor Licence, or you want to support a prospective employee with their visa application. The Nation.better platform seamlessly automates immigration processes to ensure employers remain compliant with Home Office regulations. With our self-guided digital platform, you can simplify your immigration processes. Our immigration advisors review your case and provide relevant feedback to boost your chances of success on your first try. 

Furthermore, we offer businesses the opportunity to invite their preferred candidate to complete a complementary Visa Eligibility Check on our platform. This will verify their eligibility and suitability for the determined visa route. 

Please book a complimentary consultation with our team, to learn more about our services and how we can assist you.

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FAQs

Workers considering migrating to the UK for work must have a job offer from an approved UK employer or sponsor before applying for the Skilled Worker visa. You can apply for jobs in the UK before you obtain the visa, but you must inform the recruiter that you are applying from outside the UK and will require a skilled worker visa to gain entry to the UK. For more information consult the Home Office website.

The minimum salary or hourly going rate for each occupation varies between different positions. For further information regarding salary bands within the construction industry click here

The skilled worker visa is valid for 5 years before it will need to be renewed. After 5 years of living in the UK, visa holders may apply for Indefinite Leave To Remain status enables them to live and work in the UK without requiring a visa. Read our Sponsor Licence Guide for more details. 

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