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Response to the consultation on Standard Occupational Classification 2020 revisions

Read a summary of the key messages from our submission to the consultation.

12 May 2026

We have submitted a response to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) consultation, which is proposing to revise the Standard Occupational Classification 2020 (SOC2020), the UK’s official framework for classifying occupations by skill level and job content.

Employers across the NHS rely on the SOC2020 framework when assessing roles for sponsorship eligibility under the Immigration Rules and when assigning Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) for international recruits.

The consultation sought views on areas of SOC2020 that may need updating, including:

creating new unit groups where the number of job titles have significantly grown and now require their own group
combining unit groups where numbers have significantly reduced
updating unit group descriptions to reflect current practice
reviewing entry qualification levels for occupation.

Sponsors are required to select the SOC code that most accurately reflects the role’s day‑to‑day duties. The Home Office will assess whether the responsibilities of the sponsored role correspond to the chosen SOC code; any discrepancy may result in CoS or visa refusals, compliance action, or, in serious cases, the downgrading or revocation of the sponsor licence.

Given the critical role that SOC2020 plays in international recruitment, NHS Employers gathered feedback from employers on how the classification could be improved to better reflect workforce roles, support effective recruitment, and streamline sponsorship processes for international staff.

Key messages in our response

- Consolidating nursing roles into a single SOC code (SOC 2237) to cover all registered nurse posts but retaining distinct codes for specialised roles such as midwives and registered children’s nurses.
- Consolidating SOC codes 2211 (general medical practitioners) and 2212 (specialist medical practitioners and consultants) into a single 4-digit code covering all medical practitioner roles.
- Incorrect SOC code selection during recruitment due to significant overlap in duties (nursing roles).
- Challenges when staff move between roles (including secondments and promotions).
- Increased compliance risk for employers.
- Reduced career progression opportunities for international nurses.
- Bottlenecks at NHS Band 5 level.
- Constraints on developing specialist skills and workforce capacity.
- Potential inequity between internationally and domestically recruited staff.
- Costs to both the employer and individual when switching visas and updating Certificates of Sponsorship (Cos).
- Reduce ambiguity and improve consistency in code selection.
- Minimise the risk of misclassification, a key reason of visa and CoS refusals.
- Streamline sponsorship processes and reduce administrative burden
- Reduce delays in issuing CoS, enabling faster recruitment and onboarding, supporting NHS service delivery.
- Reduce costs associated with updating CoS and visas.
- Improve national data quality for workforce planning.
- Better reflect the fluid nature of medical training and career progression (medical practitioner roles).
- Employers report that existing SOC2020 IT classifications do not adequately reflect the breadth and pace of change within the digital workforce.
- Updating IT SOC codes would improve alignment with current digital and technology roles and reflect the growing importance of AI, ML, cloud, and advanced data roles.
- Employers report uncertainty and inconsistent interpretation when applying SOC code 2259, particularly when assessing eligibility based on qualifications, professional registration, and skill level.
- Providing more detailed guidance, including clearer criteria, indicative role types, and worked examples would help employers determine when it is appropriate to use SOC code 2259.
- This would lead to greater confidence and reduce variation in practice across the NHS.
- More detailed descriptions within extended SOC groupings.
- Clearer differentiation between roles with overlapping duties.
- Indicative examples of hybrid and multi-professional roles.
- Stronger guidance on how to assess roles that can be filled by different regulated professions.
- More regular updates to the framework to ensure it keeps pace with evolving workforce needs.

The ONS will analyse the responses to the consultation from May – July 2026. The SOC revision cycle begins Autumn 2026 through to Spring 2029.

We will share details of the outcome of the consultation and any related updates when published by the ONS.

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Response to the consultation on Standard Occupational Classification 2020 revisions

Key messages in our response

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