The Skilled Worker visa explained

The Skilled Worker visa is the main route for non-British nationals to work in the United Kingdom, offering both a pathway to employment and, eventually, permanent residence. Whether you are applying from abroad or switching from another visa category inside the UK, understanding the sponsorship requirements, points system, salary thresholds, and what happens when you change employers is essential to staying compliant and planning your future.

What a sponsor licence means

Only UK employers who hold a valid sponsor licence issued by the Home Office can hire overseas workers under the Skilled Worker route. A sponsor licence is not automatic; companies must apply, demonstrate that they are genuine trading organisations in the UK, prove they have robust human resources systems, and show they can fulfil ongoing compliance duties such as record-keeping and reporting changes to the Home Office.

Employers are assigned key personnel roles, including an Authorising Officer, a Key Contact, and a Level 1 User who manages the Sponsorship Management System. The Home Office may conduct compliance visits at any time, including unannounced inspections, to verify the employer is meeting its obligations. Licence holders must not unlawfully pass sponsorship costs to the worker; fees such as the sponsor licence application fee and the Immigration Skills Charge must be borne by the employer.

Once licensed, the employer assigns you a Certificate of Sponsorship. This is a digital reference number, not a physical document. The CoS includes details of your job, salary, occupation code, and the length of sponsorship. You cannot apply for the visa without it, and it is valid for only three months from the date of issue.

Salary thresholds and skill levels

As of 2026, the general minimum salary for a Skilled Worker visa is forty-one thousand seven hundred pounds per year or the going rate for your specific job, whichever is higher. The going rate is tied to your Standard Occupational Classification code, a system that assigns every eligible role a detailed description and a median salary based on Office for National Statistics data. You must meet both the general threshold and the occupation-specific rate.

From July 2025, most new sponsorships require roles to be at Regulated Qualifications Framework Level 6, which is roughly degree-level or equivalent. Medium-skilled roles that previously qualified at RQF Level 3 to 5 are now largely removed from the eligible list. A Temporary Shortage List allows certain RQF 3 to 5 occupations to be sponsored until the end of 2026, but workers on this list cannot bring dependants and the roles may not remain sponsorable beyond that date.

Lower salary options

Some applicants may qualify under reduced salary thresholds. New entrants to the labour market, including those under age twenty-six, recent UK graduates, and individuals switching from the Graduate visa, can meet a lower general threshold of thirty thousand nine hundred and sixty pounds per year and only seventy percent of the going rate. This discount applies for up to four years, including any time spent on a Graduate visa.

If your role is on the Immigration Salary List or if you hold a PhD relevant to the job, further reductions may apply. Health and Care Worker visa holders benefit from separate, often lower thresholds tied to NHS pay scales. Always confirm your specific requirement using the most current Appendix Skilled Occupations on GOV.UK, as these figures are revised periodically.

Salary compliance from April 2026

From 8 April 2026, new salary compliance rules require that you meet the required threshold in each individual pay period, not just when averaged over the year. If your pay fluctuates from month to month due to variable hours, unpaid leave, or salary sacrifice arrangements, you could fall out of compliance even if your annual total would meet the requirement. Employers are now expected to ensure base salary, excluding bonuses and allowances, clears the threshold every pay cycle. This change has made payroll transparency critical for both sponsors and workers.

The points-based system

The Skilled Worker visa operates under a points framework. You need seventy points to qualify. Fifty points are mandatory and come from having a valid Certificate of Sponsorship, a job at the required skill level, and demonstrating English language ability. The remaining twenty points are usually earned through salary, though a relevant PhD or a role on the Immigration Salary List can also contribute.

English language ability must be demonstrated at CEFR Level B2 for first-time applicants from 8 January 2026 onward. This is higher than the previous B1 requirement. If you already hold a Skilled Worker visa and are extending or changing jobs, the earlier B1 standard continues to apply. You can meet the requirement through a Secure English Language Test, a degree taught in English, or by being a national of a majority English-speaking country.

• Valid Certificate of Sponsorship from a licensed UK employer: mandatory, twenty points
• Job at the appropriate skill level with the correct occupation code: mandatory, twenty points
• English language at the required level: mandatory, ten points
• Salary meeting the general and going-rate thresholds: tradeable, twenty points

Applying for the visa

Applications are made online through the GOV.UK website. You can apply up to three months before your job start date, which is stated on your Certificate of Sponsorship. You must pay the visa fee, currently eight hundred and nineteen pounds for applications from outside the UK and seven hundred and nineteen pounds if switching inside the UK, and the Immigration Health Surcharge, which is one thousand and thirty-five pounds per year for adults. The IHS gives you access to the NHS for the duration of your visa.

You will also need to provide biometric information at a visa application centre or, if applying within the UK, at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services appointment. Most visas are now issued as an eVisa, a digital record linked to your passport and accessible online through your UK Visas and Immigration account. Biometric Residence Permits are no longer issued.

Processing usually takes eight weeks if you apply from within the UK. Priority and super-priority services are sometimes available for an additional fee. Once granted, your visa is valid for up to five years, or the length of your Certificate of Sponsorship plus one month, whichever is shorter.

Changing jobs or switching employers

Your Skilled Worker visa is tied to the specific job and employer named on your Certificate of Sponsorship. If you wish to change employers or take a different role with a different occupation code, you must apply to update your visa before you start the new job. This is not optional, and starting work without approval is a breach of your visa conditions that can lead to curtailment or refusal of future applications.

To switch employers, your new employer must hold a valid sponsor licence and issue you a fresh Certificate of Sponsorship. You will then submit a change of employment application, paying the fee and meeting the eligibility criteria as if applying for the first time, including salary thresholds and English language requirements. The same applies if you change from a role on the Immigration Salary List to one that is not, or if your new job has a different Standard Occupational Classification code.

You can apply up to three months before your new job starts and continue working in your current job, or serve your notice, while the application is being decided. You must not begin the new employment until you receive written confirmation from the Home Office. You are also prohibited from travelling outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man while your application is pending; leaving the Common Travel Area will cause your application to be automatically withdrawn.

If your role changes within the same employer but your occupation code remains the same, you usually do not need to apply to update your visa. However, if the code changes, you must apply. Promotions, transfers, and even internal reorganisations can trigger the need for a fresh application, so check your CoS and the relevant guidance carefully.

Bringing dependants

Partners and children under eighteen can join you in the UK as dependants if you hold a standard Skilled Worker visa. Each dependant must apply separately and pay the visa fee and Immigration Health Surcharge. Dependants can work and study in the UK without restriction. If you are sponsored under the Temporary Shortage List, however, you cannot bring dependants.

Dependant visas usually run in line with the main applicant's visa. If you change employers or extend your visa, your dependants can remain on their existing permission as long as it has not expired; they do not automatically need to apply afresh unless their own visa is nearing its end or they wish to align expiry dates for future settlement applications.

The path to settlement

After five continuous years of lawful residence in the UK on a Skilled Worker visa, you may apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain, also called settlement or ILR. This gives you permanent residence, meaning you can live, work, and study in the UK without time limits and are no longer tied to a sponsor. You can apply for British citizenship twelve months after receiving ILR, or immediately if you are married to a British citizen.

Eligibility for ILR requires that you have not spent more than one hundred and eighty days outside the UK in any rolling twelve-month period during your five-year qualifying period, that you continue to meet the salary requirement at the time of application, and that you pass the Life in the UK test. The current ILR application fee is three thousand two hundred and twenty-six pounds per person.

Time spent on certain other visa categories, such as Tier 2 General, counts toward the five-year period if held continuously. Time on a Graduate visa, student visa, or as a dependant does not count unless you switch to Skilled Worker status and continue from there. Any gap caused by overstaying, even briefly, can break continuity and prevent you from qualifying.

Practical tips for staying compliant

Keep digital and paper copies of your Certificate of Sponsorship, visa approval letters, biometric appointment confirmations, and payslips. These will be needed when extending your visa, switching employers, or applying for settlement. If you move house, report your new address to the Home Office using the online update service. Failure to notify changes, including address and travel plans, can result in compliance breaches.

Ensure your employer notifies the Home Office of any changes to your employment, including salary increases, location changes, or absences longer than four weeks. Sponsors have strict reporting duties, and non-compliance on their side can affect your immigration status. If you travel abroad, keep records of entry and exit stamps, boarding passes, and travel itineraries. You will need to document your absences when applying for ILR.

If your circumstances change, such as a change in marital status, dependants, or if you are made redundant, seek advice early. Citizens Advice offers free, impartial guidance, and regulated immigration advisers can help you understand your options. The Home Office publishes detailed guidance for sponsors and workers, and the official Skilled Worker visa page on GOV.UK is updated as rules change.