Under UK immigration rules, a Skilled Worker visa (formerly called Tier 2 General) ties you to a sponsoring employer and occupation. By default you must work in the job on your Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS), but you may take a limited second job (up to 20 hours per week) outside your contracted hours. The official GOV.UK guidance states that you can work up to 20 hours/week in another job only if it meets specific criteria. These criteria include: Here is the discussion about Skilled Worker (Tier 2) Visa and Second Jobs.

• The second job must be in an eligible occupation code (“higher skilled” jobs) or on the Immigration Salary List. (In practice this means RQF level 3+ work.)
• It must not overlap with your main job hours and must not interfere with your sponsored work.
• You continue to fully perform your main, sponsored role at the same employer.

In short, additional work (often called supplementary employment) is allowed up to 20 hours per week, but only if the job is one that could itself be sponsored under the Skilled Worker rules. If you want to work more than 20 hours or take a job outside those criteria, you would need a second sponsorship (a new CoS) and a visa variation.

Customer Service Manager on Tier 2: Security Jobs?

Consider a practical scenario: Alex holds a Skilled Worker (Tier 2) visa as a Customer Service Manager (SOC code 4143). She wonders if she can work an extra 20 hours/week as a security guard or door supervisor (a common question phrased as a “customer service manager Tier 2 visa security job” issue). Under the rules, this second job would not be allowed. Here’s why:

• Different Occupation Codes: The Customer Service Manager role (SOC 4143) is classified as a medium-skilled managerial job. A security guard or door supervisor is a completely different occupation (SOC 9231) – and crucially, SOC 9231 is listed as ineligible for Skilled Worker visas. The gov.uk occupations list (updated 2025) shows “Security guards and related occupations” as Ineligible (not higher or medium skilled). Since supplementary work must be an eligible occupation, a security role fails this test.
• Not Shortage or Same Sector: Even under older rules, an extra job had to be in the same occupation code as your main job or be on the Shortage Occupation List. A security guard has neither. It’s a lower-skilled, unrelated role. It is not on any Skilled Worker list, so it cannot qualify as “sponsorable employment.”
• Skill-Level Mismatch: Skilled Worker visas require jobs to meet minimum skill (RQF) levels. A Customer Service Manager is around RQF4 (graduate level), but a security guard is usually RQF2 (elementary). The Home Office has made it clear that only skilled jobs (currently RQF3 or above, rising to RQF6 for new certificates from July 2025) are permitted. A security role is below that bar.

In summary, working as a security guard or door supervisor would violate your visa conditions. This scenario mirrors official examples: A Skilled Worker taking a second job in a different, lower-skilled occupation (like a barista or security guard) is explicitly not permitted. Alex would be breaching her Tier 2 rules if she took on those hours.

Matching RQF Skill Levels and Occupation Codes

The crux of eligibility is the match of Standard Occupation Codes (SOC) and skill level. All Skilled Worker jobs must be on the eligible list for visas. The GOV.UK list sorts roles by skill: “Higher Skilled” (RQF6+ or listed on the Salary List), “Medium Skilled” (around RQF4), or “Ineligible”. A Customer Service Manager (SOC 4143) is Medium Skilled and qualifies under pre-2025 rules. In contrast, a Security Guard or Door Supervisor falls under SOC 9231 – classified as Ineligible.

From 22 July 2025, rules tighten: the standard skilled worker role must be RQF6 (graduate level) unless on a special list. (Transitional provisions allow some lower-skilled roles if the CoS was issued earlier in 2025.) Regardless, a security guard is not on the Immigration Salary List or Shortage List, so it’s not eligible.

Key point: For any second job, the occupation code must match one the Home Office deems “eligible”. This usually means the same SOC code as your main job or another higher-skilled role that could itself be sponsored. If the second job’s code is ineligible (as security jobs are), you cannot do it under your visa.

Allowed vs. Disallowed Second Jobs (Examples)

To illustrate, here are sample scenarios:

• ✔ Allowed: John is on a Skilled Worker visa as a Customer Service Manager (SOC 4143). He finds an 8-hour/week part-time role as a Customer Service Supervisor at another firm (same SOC code). Because it’s the same occupation code, outside his normal hours, and under 20 hours, UKVI permits it. He does not need to notify UKVI or get a new visa, as it fits the “supplementary employment” rules.
• ✘ Disallowed: Maria works as a Sales Manager on Tier 2 (SOC 7144) and wants to serve coffee 10 hours a week at a café. This second job is a Barista role (a different SOC code and ineligible). The Home Office example notes that since this secondary role isn’t the same occupation code nor on the shortage list, it is not allowed. Similarly, a Customer Service Manager taking an evening security job would fail the criteria for the same reason.

In short, permitted second jobs must closely align with your main role. Working the same kind of work (same SOC code) or another eligible skilled role is fine; working in a completely different, lower-skilled job (like security, driving, basic retail, etc.) is not allowed under a Tier 2 visa.

Consequences of Violating Visa Conditions

It’s crucial to follow these rules. Working an unapproved second job (or exceeding 20 hours) is a breach of your visa conditions. The Home Office can curtail or cancel your visa on discovering such a violation. This might lead to deportation, a ban on re-entry, and serious harm to any future UK visa applications. In practice, if you are caught in unauthorized work, your employer and you could face penalties – employers can be fined for illegal working, and you could lose your immigration status.

Bottom line: Don’t risk taking an unapproved job. Always ensure any extra work is clearly allowed by the rules.

Recent Updates (2024–2025)

UKVI guidance has been updated recently. On 4 April 2024, new rules relaxed some restrictions: Skilled Worker visa holders can take up to 20 hours/week of any employment that falls under a sponsorable occupation code. (They still cannot exceed 20 hours or clash with their main job hours.) This means you no longer needed your second job to be the same occupation code as the main job – it could be any eligible code.

However, even under the new rules, a security job remains ineligible. The April 2024 change simply means the second job could be in a different eligible occupation (e.g. a different manager role, IT job, etc.), but it still must be sponsorable. Security guard roles are not in that list.

Also note that from 22 July 2025, the general Skilled Worker route increases its skill threshold to RQF6 (graduate level). Customer Service Manager is medium skilled, so new applicants after that date would need to rely on transitional provisions or specific salary/shortage exemptions. This change underscores the importance of checking up-to-date rules. The official GOV.UK pages (such as the “Taking on additional work” guide) were updated accordingly.

Summary – What Tier 2 Visa Holders Should Do

• Check occupation codes carefully. Your main job has a specific SOC code (e.g. 4143 for Customer Service Manager). Any second job must be a code eligible for Skilled Worker sponsorship (not security, not driving, etc.).
• Stay within 20 hours and outside your main hours. Even eligible second work cannot exceed 20 hours/week or interfere with your main employment.
• Keep documentation. For any second job, confirm in writing that it meets the criteria. The employer offering the second job should verify it is “sponsorable” before you start.
• Understand the rules if you earned your visa recently. If your Certificate of Sponsorship was issued before 22 July 2025, some medium-skilled additional jobs are permitted (see GOV guidance). After that date, only RQF6+ jobs (or listed exceptions) qualify.
• Avoid unauthorized work. If in doubt, consult a licensed immigration advisor or your sponsor. Working outside the rules can endanger your status.

In conclusion, a Customer Service Manager on a Tier 2/Skilled Worker visa cannot legally take an extra 20-hour/week job as a security guard or door supervisor, because those roles are not eligible. Staying informed of Home Office rules and following them strictly is the safest path for any visa holder.

Sources: Latest UKVI guidance on Skilled Worker supplemental work and immigration law firm publications (GOV.UK and expert sources, accessed 2025). These outline the specific criteria and consequences described above.