Roofer in the UK: your Skilled Worker visa, step by step

Four trades under one code

The Home Office groups these related titles under code 5314:

• Felt and flat roofers
• Sheeters and cladders
• Thatchers
• Tilers and slaters

A thatcher and a flat roofer do very different work. For visa purposes they are treated the same. The sponsor selects the code on your Certificate of Sponsorship. The duties on the job description must genuinely match the code. A sheeter who spends most of the week fabricating metal panels in a workshop may belong under a metalworking code instead. Ask the sponsor which code they intend to use before you accept.

Salary: the £33,400 (UK Home Office, effective July 22, 2025) figure and how it is reached

Two tests apply to every Skilled Worker offer. The first test is the threshold. The general threshold is £41,700 (UK Home Office, effective July 22, 2025). Occupations on the Immigration Salary List use £33,400 instead. The second test is the going rate for the occupation code. Your salary must satisfy both. The larger of the two numbers is the one that counts.

Take a slater offered work by a roofing contractor in Manchester. The going rate for code 5314 is £33,400 (UK Home Office, effective July 22, 2025). Roofers are on the ISL, so the threshold is £33,400. Both tests point at the same figure. An offer of £33,400 satisfies the rule.

The lower going rate is £25,300 (UK Home Office, effective July 22, 2025). That number is only relevant when a reduced-threshold rule applies, for example to a new entrant. It is not a general discount on the £33,400 threshold.

Nothing to register

Roofing in the UK has no statutory licence and no protected title. Nobody checks a register before you start on site. Trade associations exist and some contractors prefer members. That preference is commercial. It is not a legal requirement and it is not part of the visa decision.

Canada names this trade too

IRCC's 2026 Express Entry trades category includes roofers and shinglers under NOC code 73110. The list was last modified on 22 June 2026. To qualify for a category draw you need at least 12 months of full-time work experience in the trade within the past three years. An equal amount of part-time experience also counts. Category draws can invite candidates at lower scores than the general pool. The list is reviewed by IRCC, so confirm your trade is still named before you rely on it.

Where else to look

• Canada Express Entry, trades category. Roofers and shinglers (NOC 73110) are named for 2026. The 12-months-in-three-years experience rule applies.
• Canada Provincial Nominee Programs. A provincial nomination is worth 600 CRS points. CRS is the ranking score Canada uses for Express Entry. Skilled-trades streams are common across provinces.
• Switching within the UK. A roofer already in the UK on a different visa can often switch to Skilled Worker if a licensed sponsor hires them.

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