If you have been offered a job in the UK and you need a visa to take it up, the Skilled Worker visa is likely to be the route you will apply through. It is the main immigration pathway for overseas workers coming to the UK to fill eligible sponsored roles.
The Skilled Worker visa replaced the old Tier 2 (General) route in December 2020. Since then, the rules have changed several times, including important changes to salary thresholds, skill levels, English language requirements and dependant rules.
Eligibility is not automatic just because you have a job offer. There are specific criteria you need to meet, and understanding them clearly before you apply is the best way to avoid unnecessary delays or refusal. If you would like expert guidance from the outset, the team at Hedgley Immigration provides trusted immigration help london for workers and employers across the UK.
What Is the Skilled Worker Visa?
The Skilled Worker visa allows overseas nationals to live and work in the UK in a specific eligible role with a Home Office-licensed sponsor. Your visa is tied to the sponsored job, employer, occupation code and salary set out in your Certificate of Sponsorship.
It is a points-based route. In practical terms, this means you must meet a combination of mandatory requirements and salary-related requirements before your application can be approved.
The visa can usually be granted for up to 5 years at a time. After 5 continuous years in the UK on a qualifying route, you may be eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain, provided you meet the settlement requirements at that stage.
Our dedicated blog post on skilled worker visa eligibility goes into further detail on the technical aspects of the points system.
How the Points-Based System Works
Under the Skilled Worker route, you normally need 70 points to qualify. These points are split between mandatory requirements and salary-related requirements.
The mandatory requirements usually account for 50 points:
- A job offer from a licensed UK sponsor
- A role that meets the eligible skill requirement
- English language ability at the required level
The remaining 20 points come from salary-related criteria. For most applicants, this means being paid at least the standard salary threshold or the going rate for the occupation code, whichever is higher.
Some applicants can still qualify on a lower salary if they meet specific rules. This may apply to certain new entrants, PhD holders, jobs on the Immigration Salary List, some healthcare or education roles, prison officer transitional cases, or applicants covered by transitional salary arrangements.
Core Eligibility Requirements in Detail
A Valid Job Offer From a Licensed Sponsor
You cannot apply for a Skilled Worker visa without a job offer from a UK employer that holds a valid sponsor licence. It is worth confirming this with your prospective employer early in the process. Not every UK business is licensed to sponsor overseas workers, and if they are not, they will need to apply for a sponsor licence before they can sponsor you.
Once sponsorship is confirmed, your employer will assign you a Certificate of Sponsorship, usually called a CoS. This is a unique electronic reference number that forms the foundation of your visa application.
Your CoS must accurately reflect your job title, duties, occupation code, salary, working hours, work location and start date. The start date on the CoS must usually be no more than 3 months after the date you apply, so timing matters.
For businesses that want to understand the licensing process, our guide on the skilled worker sponsor licence guide covers what is involved in getting a licence in place.
The Role Must Be at the Right Skill Level
The job being offered must be eligible under the Skilled Worker rules. The Home Office uses occupation codes to decide whether a role qualifies.
Under the current rules, eligible jobs are grouped as higher-skilled, medium-skilled or ineligible. Higher-skilled roles can usually be sponsored if the salary and other visa requirements are met. Medium-skilled roles are more restricted and may only qualify in specific circumstances, such as where the role appears on the Immigration Salary List or Temporary Shortage List, or where transitional rules apply.
The Temporary Shortage List is currently a time-limited route for certain roles, and applications under that list are subject to additional restrictions. Care worker and senior care worker applications are also now tightly restricted, with new overseas entry applications no longer available under the previous care worker route.
This is not something you can work around. If the occupation code your employer selects does not accurately reflect your actual duties, or if the role is not genuinely eligible, the application is likely to be questioned or refused.
Your employer should choose the correct occupation code carefully from the outset. The role must be genuine, and the job description should match what you will actually be doing in the UK.
Salary Thresholds
Salary is one of the most important parts of Skilled Worker eligibility, and it has changed significantly in recent years.
For most new Skilled Worker applications, the standard salary threshold is currently £41,700 per year, or the going rate for the occupation code, whichever is higher.
This means it is not enough to meet the general threshold alone. If the going rate for your occupation is higher than £41,700, your salary must usually meet that higher figure.
There are some lower salary routes, but they are limited and depend on your circumstances. These may include:
- New entrants – If you are under 26, switching from a Student or Graduate visa, or in certain professional training situations, you may be able to qualify on 70% of the going rate, provided your salary is at least £33,400 per year and the new entrant rules are met.
- Immigration Salary List roles – Some roles on the Immigration Salary List can qualify with a lower general salary threshold, but you must still meet the relevant going rate requirement for the occupation.
- Temporary Shortage List roles – Certain medium-skilled roles may remain eligible for a limited period if they appear on the Temporary Shortage List and the relevant salary rules are met.
- PhD holders – If your role is eligible and your PhD is relevant to the job, a salary discount may apply. A relevant PhD can reduce the threshold to £37,500 and 90% of the going rate. A relevant STEM PhD can reduce it to £33,400 and 80% of the going rate.
- Healthcare and education roles – Some healthcare and education jobs follow different salary rules based on national pay scales.
- Transitional cases – If you already hold Skilled Worker or Tier 2 permission and your first Certificate of Sponsorship was assigned before a key rule-change date, different salary rules may apply in some cases.
Our dedicated post on skilled worker salary thresholds has the full breakdown by occupation code and category. It is worth reading before you or your employer finalises the salary package.
The English Language Requirement
You need to demonstrate that you can speak, read, write and understand English to the required standard.
For most new Skilled Worker applicants, the required level is now B2 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. This can usually be shown by:
- Passing an approved Secure English Language Test at the required level
- Holding a degree from a UK institution
- Holding an overseas degree taught in English, with the right confirmation from Ecctis
- Holding an accepted UK school qualification, where the rules allow it
- Being a national of a majority English-speaking country accepted by the Home Office
If you already proved your English language ability in a previous successful UK visa application, you may not need to prove it again. If you had a Skilled Worker visa before 8 January 2026 and are applying to extend or update it, the B1 English requirement may still apply.
If you have studied in the UK previously, for example on a UK student visa requirements route, you may already have evidence that helps you meet this requirement.
Financial Requirement
The Skilled Worker visa has a financial maintenance requirement. This is separate from the salary requirement.
You usually need to show that you have at least £1,270 available to support yourself when you arrive in the UK. The money must normally have been held for at least 28 consecutive days, with day 28 falling within 31 days of the date you apply.
You do not usually need to show this money if:
- You have been in the UK with valid permission for at least 12 months at the date of application
- Your sponsor certifies maintenance on your Certificate of Sponsorship and confirms they can support you for your first month in the UK, up to £1,270
If your partner or children are applying as dependants, they may also need to meet their own financial requirements unless an exemption applies.
Switching From Another Visa Category
If you are already in the UK on a different type of visa, such as a Graduate visa, Student visa, or even a spouse visa services london route, you may be able to switch to a Skilled Worker visa without leaving the UK, provided you meet the eligibility requirements and apply before your current visa expires.
However, not everyone can switch from inside the UK. You cannot usually switch into the Skilled Worker route if you are in the UK on a visitor visa, short-term student visa, Parent of a Child Student visa, seasonal worker visa, domestic worker in a private household visa, immigration bail, or certain other temporary routes.
Students also need to meet additional switching rules. If you are currently on a Student visa, you must normally have completed the course you were sponsored to study, have a job start date after your course ends, or have studied for a full-time PhD for at least 24 months.
You must not let your current visa expire before applying. You should also avoid travelling outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man while a UK-based application is pending, as this can cause the application to be treated as withdrawn.
Self-Sponsorship: A Separate but Related Route
If you do not have an external employer to sponsor you, but you own or plan to set up a genuine UK business, the self-sponsorship route may be worth exploring.
There is no separate visa category called a self-sponsorship visa. In practice, it usually involves a UK company applying for a sponsor licence and then sponsoring the business owner or director under the Skilled Worker route.
This still requires a genuine business, a real eligible role, the correct salary, a valid sponsor licence, and full compliance with Home Office duties. Our blog on the self-sponsorship visa UK explained explains how it works in detail.
Common Reasons for Refusal
Understanding the most frequent reasons applications are refused can help you avoid the same pitfalls.
- Salary below the required threshold – Your salary must meet the correct threshold and the going rate for the occupation code, unless a valid lower salary rule applies.
- Incorrect occupation code – If the code does not match the role you will actually be doing, the Home Office may question whether the job is genuine or eligible.
- English language evidence not meeting requirements – Submitting evidence below the required level, or evidence that does not meet Home Office rules, can lead to refusal.
- Financial evidence problems – If you need to show maintenance funds and the money has not been held correctly, your application may fail.
- Inconsistencies in the application – Differences between your CoS, job description, salary, working hours and application form can cause problems.
- Missing criminal record certificate – If you are applying from overseas for certain health, education, social care or welfare roles, you may need to provide a criminal record certificate for countries where you have lived for 12 months or more in the past 10 years while aged 18 or over.
- Sponsor compliance issues – If your sponsoring employer’s licence is suspended, revoked, under review, or affected by compliance concerns, this can affect your application. Our post on sponsor licence compliance in 2026 explains what compliance obligations look like from the employer’s side.
The Path Beyond the Skilled Worker Visa
The Skilled Worker visa is not just a short-term work permit. For many people, it is the beginning of a longer immigration journey.
After 5 continuous years on the Skilled Worker route, you may be eligible to apply for indefinite leave to remain application london, provided you meet the ILR requirements. These include residence, absence limits, continued sponsorship, salary requirements, Knowledge of Life in the UK, and other settlement criteria.
Following ILR, and after a further 12 months in most cases, you may go on to pursue British citizenship. If you are married to or in a civil partnership with a British citizen, you may not need to wait 12 months after ILR before applying, provided you meet the naturalisation requirements.
Our blog on british citizenship by naturalisation explains the naturalisation requirements in full, and our guide on dual citizenship in the UK is worth reading if you want to understand how holding British citizenship might interact with your existing nationality.
The work visa sponsorship london service at Hedgley Immigration covers both the employer and employee side of the process, so whether you are an individual applicant or a business looking to hire, we can help.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change jobs after I have been granted a Skilled Worker visa?
Yes, but there are conditions. If you change employer, you will need a new Certificate of Sponsorship from your new employer and you will usually need to apply to update your visa before starting the new role.
You may also need to update your visa if your job changes to a different occupation code, even with the same employer. You should not simply move into a new sponsored role without checking the rules first.
What if my salary increases after I am granted the visa?
A salary increase is usually not a problem, especially if you remain in the same role and occupation code. In many cases, you do not need to notify the Home Office every time your salary increases.
However, if your duties, occupation code, hours or job structure change significantly, your employer should check whether a report or new visa application is needed.
Can my family join me on a Skilled Worker visa?
In many Skilled Worker cases, your partner and children can apply as dependants. A dependant partner may include a spouse, civil partner or eligible unmarried partner. Children can usually apply if they are under 18, or in some cases if they are over 18 and already in the UK as your dependant.
However, dependant rules are now more restricted for some roles. If you are sponsored as a care worker, senior care worker or in a medium-skilled role, your family may only be able to join or stay as dependants in limited circumstances. This should be checked before you apply.
Dependants who are granted permission can usually work in the UK, but they cannot work as a professional sportsperson or sports coach.
Does time on a Skilled Worker visa count towards ILR?
Yes. Time spent on a Skilled Worker visa can count towards the 5-year qualifying period for Indefinite Leave to Remain, provided you meet the route requirements and remain compliant with your visa conditions.
You will still need to meet the ILR rules when you apply, including salary, absence, sponsor and Knowledge of Life in the UK requirements.
What happens if my employer’s sponsor licence is revoked?
If your sponsor’s licence is revoked, your visa may be curtailed. In many cases, you may be given up to 60 days, or until your visa expires if sooner, to find a new licensed sponsor, make a new application, or leave the UK.
This is why it is important to work for an employer that takes sponsor compliance seriously.
Can I apply from outside the UK if I have not received my CoS yet?
No. You need a valid Certificate of Sponsorship reference number before you can submit a Skilled Worker visa application. Do not apply until your employer has assigned the CoS to you and you have checked that the details are accurate.
Ready to Apply for Your Skilled Worker Visa?
Whether you have just received a job offer or you are still in the early stages of planning your move, getting proper advice from the start can make the whole process more straightforward.
At Hedgley Immigration, Sean and Lydia Hedgley work with both employees and employers to make sure Skilled Worker visa applications are prepared correctly and submitted with confidence. With Sean’s background as a former UKVI caseworker, they bring a clear understanding of what the Home Office is looking for.
Get in touch today for an honest, no-jargon assessment of your situation.
- Call Sean: 07704 909490
- Call Lydia: 07587145994
- Email: sean@hedgleyimmigration.co.uk
Clear advice, from a team that genuinely knows UK immigration inside out.