What is SOC code 8151?

SOC code 8151 is the Standard Occupational Classification code for scaffolders, stagers and riggers. UK employers use it on a Certificate of Sponsorship to identify the job being sponsored.

Is occupation code 8151 eligible for the Skilled Worker visa?

No. Code 8151 is ineligible for the Skilled Worker route following the July 2025 skills threshold increase to RQF level 6.

SOC Code 8151: Scaffolders, stagers and riggers

Occupation code 8151 covers scaffolders, stagers and riggers. On the UK Skilled Worker route this code is classed as Ineligible.

Is code 8151 eligible for sponsorship?

Occupation code 8151 is ineligible for the Skilled Worker route. Since the skills threshold rose to RQF level 6 on 22 July 2025, this occupation can no longer be sponsored, and no salary will make it eligible. Your options are to look at a more senior role that genuinely matches a different code, or at another visa route — see which jobs still qualify.

Salary requirement for code 8151

GOV.UK does not publish a going rate for this occupation code, which is normally the case for codes that cannot be sponsored. If your role is eligible under a different code, use that code's going rate instead.

Job titles under this code

GOV.UK lists the following related job titles for occupation code 8151. Your employer should choose the code that matches your actual duties, not your job title — different employers use different titles for the same work.

Engineering construction riggers
Scaffolders and stagers
Scaffolders, stagers and riggers not elsewhere classified

Which employers can sponsor this role?

Any employer holding a Skilled Worker sponsor licence can sponsor an eligible occupation — the licence is not granted per occupation code. What you need to check is that the employer appears on the Home Office register with the Skilled Worker route and an A rating.

Search over 125,000 licensed sponsor records on the UK sponsor list, filter by town on sponsors by city, or check a specific employer in the A–Z company directory.

Related occupation codes

Other codes in the same process, plant and machine operatives group:

Source: GOV.UK Skilled Worker visa: going rates for eligible occupation codes and eligible occupations tables, in force since 22 July 2025 and checked on 10 August 2026. This is general information, not legal advice — confirm the current position on GOV.UK before applying.