3431 Sports players
Unit group 3431 in the ONS Standard Occupational Classification 2020, with the line the Appendix Skilled Occupations gives it. Not immigration advice.
In short
- ONS unit group 3431, in minor group 343 (Sports and fitness occupations) and major group 3 (Associate professional occupations).
- Appendix Skilled Occupations (figures as at 3 August 2026, re-checked 26 October 2026): Not on the list: Table 6.
- Going rate as the tables print it:
What the ONS says
Description
Professional sportsmen and women train and compete, either individually or as part of a team, in their chosen sport for financial gain.
Typical entry routes
No academic qualifications are required. Entry is based upon talent that can be further developed through coaching and training.
Tasks
- participates in exhibitions, pre-qualifying events, tournaments and competitions
- attends training sessions to develop skills and practice individual or team moves and tactics
- builds stamina, physical strength and agility through running, fitness exercises and weight training
- maintains clothing and other specialised sporting equipment
- discusses performance problems with coaches, physiotherapists, dieticians and doctors
Related job titles
- Cricketer
- Footballer
- Jockey
- Golfer
What the Appendix Skilled Occupations says
The Appendix lists this code in the table below, with the table’s own caption and the row as printed. Read the full table, and any condition in it, on GOV.UK.
Table 6: SOC 2020 occupation codes which are not eligible for the Skilled Worker, Global Business Mobility or Scale-up routes
- SOC 2020 occupation code
- 3431 Sports players
- Examples of related job titles (non-exhaustive)
- Cricketer
- Footballer
- Jockey
- Golfer
Other unit groups in minor group 343
Sources
Occupation text: Office for National Statistics, SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions of unit groups (file dated 27 August 2026, version V13). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Open Government Licence v3.0. Tables: Home Office, Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Occupations on GOV.UK, page updated 3 August 2026; re-checked against the page updated 8 October 2026 on 26 October 2026, tables unchanged.
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