8231 — Train and tram drivers

SOC 2020 code 8231 (Train and tram drivers) is a UK SOC 2020 occupation classification. It is not currently on the Skilled Worker eligible-occupations list, so it cannot be sponsored on that visa route.

Key facts

SOC 2020 code

8231

Job title

Train and tram drivers

2026 going rate (annual)

Not eligible

Route eligibility

Not on the Skilled Worker list

SOC 2020 classification

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

1. 8

   Major group

   PROCESS, PLANT AND MACHINE OPERATIVES

2. 82

   Sub-major group

   TRANSPORT AND MOBILE MACHINE DRIVERS AND OPERATIVES

3. 823

   Minor group

   Other Drivers and Transport Operatives

4. 8231

   Unit group

   Train and tram drivers

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Sponsors do not publish their per-SOC hiring plans in the public register — they only publish the visa routes they hold a licence for.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 train and tram drivers:

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.