3542 — Importers and exporters

SOC 2020 code 3542 (Importers and exporters) is an eligible occupation for the UK Skilled Worker visa. The 2026 minimum salary threshold for this code is £35,700 per year.

Key facts

SOC 2020 code

3542

Job title

Importers and exporters

2026 going rate (annual)

£35,700

Route eligibility

Skilled Worker (and Health & Care Worker where applicable)

SOC 2020 classification

Every four-digit SOC 2020 code sits inside a three-level parent hierarchy maintained by the Office for National Statistics. Importers and exporters belongs to:

1. 3

   Major group

   ASSOCIATE PROFESSIONAL OCCUPATIONS

2. 35

   Sub-major group

   BUSINESS AND PUBLIC SERVICE ASSOCIATE PROFESSIONALS

3. 354

   Minor group

   Business Associate Professionals

4. 3542

   Unit group

   Importers and exporters

Source: ONS Standard Occupational Classification 2020, published under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Finding sponsors hiring for this code

Sponsors do not publish their per-SOC hiring plans in the public register — they only publish the visa routes they hold a licence for. To find sponsors who realistically recruit for importers and exporters:

1. Use the search box to look for employers in your sector that hold a Skilled Worker licence.
2. Filter by Skilled Worker or, where applicable, Health & Care Worker.
3. Apply through each sponsor’s standard recruitment channel and ask early whether the role is open to sponsorship.

Related reading

• How SOC 2020 codes work
• 2026 salary thresholds — full breakdown

SOC 2020 reference data is refreshed annually from ONS each April. Salary thresholds are reviewed annually by the Migration Advisory Committee and re-ingested at the same time. Always verify against the original GOV.UK / ONS publications before relying on this information for a visa application.