Pay Period Salary Rule for Skilled Worker Visas Now Enforced from April 2026
From 8 April 2026, Skilled Worker visa sponsors must prove sponsored workers meet salary thresholds in every pay period, not just on an annualised basis. The general threshold remains £41,700 or the occupation's going rate, whichever is higher, and salary sacrifice schemes must preserve base salary above the minimum.
New Pay Period Compliance Requirement
From 8 April 2026, the Home Office introduced a pay period compliance requirement. Sponsors must ensure sponsored workers are paid at or above the applicable threshold in every pay period, not just on an annualised basis. This represents a material shift in how the Home Office audits salary compliance.
The general salary threshold for the Skilled Worker visa is £38,700 per year, or the going rate for the specific occupation code — whichever is higher, and in every case, the worker must also be paid at least the "going rate" for their specific Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code.
Salary sacrifice schemes can still be used, but only where the worker's base salary — after sacrifice — continues to meet the required threshold in every pay period. Arrangements that reduce base pay below the visa threshold are not compliant under the April 2026 rules.
Practical Impact for Workers and Employers
If you are a Skilled Worker visa holder or sponsor, the key change is frequency of verification—the Home Office now checks every payslip, not annual averages. This means if your pay dips below the threshold in any single pay period (even temporarily), your visa sponsor is in breach. Employers using salary sacrifice, bonus-heavy structures, or variable pay must restructure compensation so base pay always meets the threshold. Workers should verify with their HR team that their salary is compliant every pay cycle; those with temporary reductions (e.g. maternity leave) should discuss transitional arrangements with their sponsor before such events occur.
Sources
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