Kitchen Porter Jobs with UK Visa Sponsorship
Kitchen porter roles (also called kitchen assistants) do not qualify for UK visa sponsorship — but the closely related chef role does, and the distinction between the two is important.
Visa Sponsorship Overview
Visa Route
Not Eligible
Salary Threshold
N/A
Immigration Salary List
No
Skill Level
RQF Level 1
SOC Code
9272
Kitchen Porter Jobs from Visa Sponsors
Live listings from employers on the Home Office Register of Licensed Sponsors.
Kitchen Porter
Mount Charles · County Down, Northern Ireland · £23,480 – £23,480
Kitchen Porter
Wellington College · Little Sandhurst, Sandhurst · £20,179 – £20,179
Kitchen Porter - Swansea
Bistrot Pierre · Swansea, Wales · £23,194 – £23,194
Kitchen Porter - Chester
Brunning & Price · Chester, Cheshire · £26,516 – £26,516
Kitchen Porter - Putney
Brunning & Price · London, UK · £35,110 – £35,110
Kitchen Porter - Shipley
Brunning & Price · Shipley, West Yorkshire · £25,651 – £25,651
Kitchen Porter - Cardiff
Franco Manca · Cardiff, Cardiff County · £26,436 – £30,596
Kitchen Porter - Manchester
Franco Manca · Manchester, Greater Manchester · £26,436 – £30,596
Kitchen Porter - Exeter
Franco Manca · Exeter, Devon · £26,436 – £30,596
Kitchen Porter - London
Glendola Leisure · London, UK · £26,436 – £29,619
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Why Kitchen Porters Cannot Get UK Visa Sponsorship
Kitchen porter (SOC 9272) is classified at RQF Level 1 — an elementary occupation that involves dishwashing, basic food preparation, kitchen cleaning, and stock rotation. The role does not meet the minimum skill threshold (RQF Level 3) for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship and cannot be sponsored under any current visa route.
The critical distinction is between kitchen porter and chef. Chef (SOC 5434, RQF Level 3) IS eligible for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship with a going rate of approximately £25,600. The dividing line is the nature of the work: if your primary duties involve preparing, cooking, and presenting dishes that require culinary skill and creativity, the role may qualify as a chef position. If your primary duties involve cleaning, dishwashing, receiving deliveries, and basic preparation tasks (peeling, chopping) under direction, the role is classified as a kitchen porter and does not qualify.
Job titles are not determinative — UKVI assesses the actual duties described in the job description and Certificate of Sponsorship. An employer cannot simply title a kitchen porter role as "chef" to obtain sponsorship. Visa applications where the described duties do not match the SOC code are refused, and the employer's sponsor licence may be at risk.
If you are working as a kitchen porter and want to pursue a culinary career in the UK with sponsorship, the pathway is to develop your skills to a chef level: obtain culinary qualifications (NVQ Level 3 in Professional Cookery or equivalent), gain supervised cooking experience, and seek a genuine chef position with a licensed sponsor employer.
Salary Overview
Based on 47 listings with salary data:
Low
£6,448
Median
£25,230
High
£35,110
Employers Who Sponsor Kitchen Porters
These employers appeared in current listings and are on the Home Office Register of Licensed Sponsors.
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Salary thresholds, Immigration Salary List status, and visa rules are subject to change. Always check GOV.UK for the latest requirements. Job listings are provided by Adzuna and refreshed daily.