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SOC 2020 code 6129: Animal care services occupations n.e.c.

Can animal care workers still be sponsored in 2027?

Animal care workers (SOC 6129): certificates under the Immigration Salary List must be issued by 30 December 2026. The MAC left it off its 2027 list.

Last reviewed 11 November 2026

Likely affectedIn forceIn RulesMAC recommendation
ISL / TSL deadline

Relies on a list that ends in December 2026, and is not on the MAC's recommended list. Likely affected: check with a regulated adviser.

What changes

  • On the current Immigration Salary List (racing grooms, stallion handlers, stud grooms, stud hands, stud handlers and work riders only). The row is removed on 31 December 2026; a certificate must be issued before that date.
  • The last day to issue a certificate under the current lists is 30 December 2026.
  • The ISL and the interim TSL are separate lists. Neither rolls over automatically, and not every ISL occupation is on the MAC's recommended list.
  • This occupation is not among the 28 the MAC recommended for a new Temporary Shortage List from January 2027.

What to do

  • If a certificate depends on the current lists, it needs to be issued by 30 December 2026.
  • Watch for a Statement of Changes setting out the list that applies from 1 January 2027.
Sources:Immigration Rules: Appendix Skilled WorkerImmigration Rules: Appendix Immigration Salary Listgov.uk: Temporary Shortage Listgov.uk: Immigration Salary ListMAC: Temporary Shortage List Stage 2 report

At a glance

Immigration Salary List
Yes (racing grooms, stallion handlers, stud grooms, stud hands, stud handlers and work riders only). Removed on 31 December 2026, so the last day to issue a certificate is 30 December 2026.
Interim Temporary Shortage List
No
MAC's recommended list for 2027
No
Standard salary threshold today
£41,700 a year for a 37.5-hour week: the higher of the £41,700 general threshold and the £33,400 occupation rate.
ISL threshold today
£33,400, for certificates issued before 31 December 2026.
Example job titles
Animal boarding assistants, Animal breeders, Animal groomers, Animal trainers (excludes performing animals). From Appendix Skilled Occupations; the duties decide the code, not the title.
2027 salary figures
Not published. Occupation rates are to move to the 25th percentile of pay and the general threshold is to be uprated.

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Questions about animal care workers

Are animal care workers on the Temporary Shortage List?

Not the current interim Temporary Shortage List. The job is on the separate Immigration Salary List instead. The job is not among the 28 occupations the Migration Advisory Committee recommended for a new Temporary Shortage List from January 2027.

Are animal care workers on the Immigration Salary List?

Yes (racing grooms, stallion handlers, stud grooms, stud hands, stud handlers and work riders only). The row is removed on 31 December 2026, and a certificate must be issued before that date to use the lower ISL threshold, so the last day is 30 December 2026.

What salary do animal care workers need for a Skilled Worker visa?

The occupation rate is £33,400 and the general threshold is £41,700, for a 37.5-hour week. The higher of the two applies, so today's standard threshold is £41,700. Certificates that use the ISL rate can go down to £33,400 until the row ends. From spring 2027 occupation rates are to move to the 25th percentile of pay and the general threshold is to be uprated, but no 2027 figures have been published.

Which job titles come under SOC code 6129?

Appendix Skilled Occupations lists job titles for 6129 animal care services occupations n.e.c. including: Animal boarding assistants; Animal breeders; Animal groomers; Animal trainers (excludes performing animals). The code on a certificate depends on the duties of the job, not only its title.

What happens to animal care workers already on a Skilled Worker visa?

Workers first sponsored before 22 July 2025 may have transitional protection for extensions or job changes below degree level. Anyone sponsored later, or applying for the first time, relies on the list that applies on the date the certificate is issued. Check an individual case with a regulated immigration adviser.

Related occupations

See every occupation on the lists

Sources

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