UK hospitality visa guide · Reviewed September 2026
Dishwasher, kitchen porter and kitchen assistant jobs are common in UK hotels, restaurants and catering businesses. But common work is not the same as a Skilled Worker visa route. Under the current occupation list, kitchen and catering assistants are ineligible for Skilled Worker sponsorship, and cooks are also ineligible.
1. Can a kitchen porter get a UK Skilled Worker visa in 2026?
GOV.UK’s current Skilled Worker occupation table marks Kitchen and catering assistants, SOC 9263, as Ineligible.
Typical job titles within that code include catering assistant, fast-food crew member, kitchen assistant and kitchen porter.
This means a new Skilled Worker application cannot be based on an ordinary kitchen porter or dishwasher job under that occupation.
Check the current official table
2. Dishwasher, kitchen porter, cook and chef are different immigration roles
Job adverts use hospitality titles loosely, but immigration sponsorship depends on the occupation code matching the real duties.
| Common role | SOC code | Current Skilled Worker position |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen assistant / kitchen porter / catering assistant | 9263 | Ineligible |
| Cook / head cook | 5435 | Ineligible |
| Chef | 5434 | Medium Skilled; not on current Temporary Shortage or Immigration Salary List for normal new entry |
| Waiter / waitress | 9264 | Ineligible |
| Bar staff | 9265 | Ineligible |
An employer cannot lawfully solve the problem by changing the title from “kitchen porter” to “chef” when the actual duties remain basic kitchen assistance.
3. Why a sponsor licence does not make the job eligible
A hotel or restaurant can appear on the official Register of Licensed Sponsors. That only tells you the organisation holds a sponsor licence.
For a Skilled Worker application, the specific job must also be eligible. The applicant must meet the route requirements, and the Certificate of Sponsorship must use the correct occupation and salary.
“Licensed sponsor” is not the same as “this job can be sponsored”.
Always check the occupation code before paying for documents or making travel plans.
4. Can you still work as a dishwasher or kitchen porter in the UK?
Yes, if you already have another immigration status that gives you the right to take that kind of work.
Examples may include:
- a Youth Mobility Scheme visa;
- a Graduate visa;
- UK Ancestry;
- some family visas;
- settled or pre-settled status, where applicable;
- indefinite leave to remain;
- another visa that permits the work within its conditions.
These are not kitchen-porter sponsorship routes. Your right to work comes from the other immigration status.
5. Student visa holders: check your work conditions
Some international students can work limited hours during term time and more outside term time, depending on the course and sponsor. Student work conditions do not turn an ineligible hospitality occupation into a Skilled Worker route.
Check the conditions on your own Student permission before accepting shifts.
6. Where to find legitimate hospitality vacancies
If you already have UK work rights, search through:
- hotel and restaurant career pages;
- large hospitality groups;
- established UK recruitment platforms;
- local hospitality recruitment agencies;
- seasonal event and catering employers.
Read whether the vacancy says “must already have the right to work in the UK”. For an ineligible Skilled Worker occupation, that wording is especially important.
7. What should you check in the job offer?
Hospitality pay can be hourly and schedules can change each week. Before accepting a role, check:
Contract check
- hourly pay;
- guaranteed or expected weekly hours;
- zero-hours, casual, part-time or full-time status;
- night or weekend arrangements;
- tips or service-charge policy;
- holiday pay;
- uniform deductions;
- meals during shifts;
- work location and transport after late shifts;
- probation and notice terms.
The UK National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage depend on age and the current annual rate. Use GOV.UK or Acas for the current rate rather than relying on an old vacancy.
8. What if an employer offers a Certificate of Sponsorship anyway?
Ask what occupation code they intend to use and why it matches your real duties.
If the job is genuinely a kitchen porter or catering assistant, SOC 9263 is currently ineligible. A Certificate of Sponsorship with a different code must still accurately describe the job.
Submitting misleading duties can create problems for both sponsor and worker.
9. Common kitchen-job sponsorship scams
- “Kitchen porter visa guaranteed.”
- “Pay £3,000 for a Certificate of Sponsorship.”
- “No English or occupation check needed.”
- “We will write chef on the visa even though you will wash dishes.”
- The company is not on the sponsor register.
- The recruiter uses a real restaurant name but a personal email account.
- You are told to pay before seeing a contract.
Do not send passport scans or money until you have independently verified the employer and understood the immigration route.
10. If you want a longer-term UK hospitality career
Build skills that match occupations with stronger labour-market value, but do not assume training automatically creates visa eligibility. Immigration occupation lists can change.
Hospitality career paths can move from entry-level kitchen work into supervision, management, specialised food production or other professional roles. If immigration sponsorship matters, check the current occupation table again when you are ready to apply.
Frequently asked questions
Can a dishwasher get UK visa sponsorship in 2026?
An ordinary dishwasher or kitchen assistant job normally falls under SOC 9263, which GOV.UK currently marks as ineligible for Skilled Worker sponsorship.
Can a kitchen porter be sponsored if the restaurant has a sponsor licence?
No, not simply because the company is licensed. The occupation itself must also be eligible.
Are cooks eligible for Skilled Worker?
No. SOC 5435 Cooks is currently listed as ineligible.
What about chefs?
Chefs are SOC 5434 and classed as Medium Skilled. New medium-skilled applications normally need the occupation to be on the Temporary Shortage List or Immigration Salary List. Chef 5434 is not currently on either list, although transitional rules can matter for some existing Skilled Workers.
Can I work as a kitchen porter on a Graduate visa?
A Graduate visa normally allows work, subject to its conditions, so an eligible Graduate visa holder may take hospitality work even though the job itself is not a Skilled Worker occupation.
Official sources used for this guide
- GOV.UK — Skilled Worker eligible occupations
- GOV.UK — Skilled Worker job requirements
- GOV.UK — Register of licensed sponsors
- GOV.UK — National Minimum Wage rates
Guide Travel note: UK occupation eligibility can change. Check the current GOV.UK table on the day you consider any sponsorship offer.
