SKILLED WORKER VISA

Anyone with a job offer from a sponsor recognised by the Home Office will need to apply for the Skill Worker visa to work in the UK. Those with British or Irish nationality, Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK, settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme do not need a visa to work in the UK. 

To apply for the Skilled Worker visa, applicants must have scored at least 70 points under the new points-based system. Points are awarded based on meeting 50 mandatory points plus 20 tradeable points. 

20 mandatory points - A job offer from an approved sponsor (an A-Rated Licensed Sponsor)

To be eligible for a skilled worker visa,  the applicant needs to be employed by a licensed sponsor. The employer must issue a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) authorised by the Home Office with details of information about the job.

20 mandatory points - A job at an appropriate skill level

The Home office will check whether there is a “genuine vacancy” at an appropriate skill level. The role must be skilled to at least RQF level 3 (A-level equivalent), but no formal qualifications are required. Each eligible job for the skilled worker route has an occupation code and a right code must be assigned to the role.

10 mandatory points - English language requirements

Skilled worker visa applicants will need to prove they have the basic English language skills. They can demonstrate their English language

• By passing an approved Secure English Language Test (SELT) with at least CEFR level B1 in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Please refer to the Approved English Tests Providers List.

• By having a degree level qualification that was taught in English

• By being a national of one of the majority English speaking countries, i.e. USA, Australia, Canada, etc.

20 tradeable points - Meeting the minimum salary

The minimum annual salary requirement for the Skilled Worker visa is £38,700 for most applicants who are not eligible for any salary discounts. This is outlined as Option A in the Home Office guidance. In addition to meeting this salary threshold, applicants must also be paid at or above the going rate for their specific occupation.

The Home Office specifies these salary thresholds in Appendix Skilled Worker. The first threshold applies to individuals applying for their first Skilled Worker visa, while the second threshold applies to current Skilled Worker visa holders submitting new applications, such as for visa extensions or a change of employer.

The Skilled Worker visa offers multiple salary thresholds and points-based options depending on the applicant’s qualifications, occupation, and job role.Discounts apply for specific cases: applicants with relevant PhDs or STEM PhDs (Options B and C) qualify for reduced thresholds of £34,830 and £30,960, respectively, with proportional reductions in the going rate.

New entrants and jobs on the Immigration Salary List also benefit from a 20% discount on the general threshold and further discounts on the going rate ：£30,960 (Options D and E). For health, care, and education roles, thresholds are lower, starting at £23,200 (Options F to K), with additional reductions for PhD holders, STEM qualifications, and new entrants. All options require meeting both the general salary threshold and the adjusted going rate for the occupation.

Indefinite Leave to Remain (Settlement)

Applicants can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain after they have spent a continuous period of 5 years lawfully in the UK on this visa and meet other eligibility requirements.

You are most welcome to contact us at +44 (0)20 3371 0606 for answers to your questions. Below are some questions we are frequently asked by our Skilled Worker  clients:

Skilled Worker visa FAQs

What is a “new entrant” to the labour market?

 If the applicant qualifies as a “new entrant” to the labour market, then the salary threshold requirement will be reduced. The salary requirement for new entrants is £30,960 per year and at least 70% of the 'going rate' for the occupation. 

The applicant can be considered as a new entrant if he or she meets one of the following requirements:

1. The applicant is under the age of 26 on the date of application; or

2. The job offer is for a postdoctoral position in any of the following occupation codes:

   • 2111 Chemical scientists

   • 2112 Biological scientists and biochemists

   • 2113 Physical scientists

   • 2114 Social and humanities scientists

   • 2119 Natural and social science professionals not elsewhere classified

   • 2311 Higher education teaching professionals; or

3. The job is in a UK regulated profession and the applicant is working towards a recognised professional qualification for that profession; or

4. The applicant must be working towards full registration or chartered status with the relevant professional body for the job they are being sponsored for; or

5. The application is for permission to stay and the applicant’s most recent permission was as a Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) Migrant; or

6. All of the following conditions apply:

   • the applicant’s most recent permission, other than as a visitor, was as a Student; and

   • that permission is either current or expired less than two years before the date of application; and

   • in that permission or any previous permission as a Student, the applicant was sponsored to study one of the following courses (not any other qualifications of an equivalent level):

     • a UK bachelor’s degree; or

     • a UK master’s degree; or

     • a UK PhD or other doctoral qualification; or

     • a Postgraduate Certificate in Education; or

     • a Professional Graduate Diploma of Education; and

   • The applicant has completed (or is applying no more than three months before they are expected to complete) the course above, or the applicant is studying a PhD and has completed at least 12 months study in the UK towards the PhD; or

7. The applicant’s most recent permission, other than as a visitor, was as a Graduate, and that permission is either current or expired less than two years before the date of application.

An applicant can be considered as a new entrant for a maximum of four years. The four years’ permission in these categories does not have to be continuous.

What can I do if I change my employer?

A skilled worker will need to apply to update his or her visa status if one of the following applies:

• The skilled worker’s employer has changed.

• The skilled worker’s key duties have changed and the new role has a different Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code from the one stated on the original CoS.

• The skilled worker used to do a job on the shortage occupation list and has changed to another job that is not on the list.

An applicant can apply to update their visa up to three months before the new job is due to start. The new job will still need to meet the eligibility requirements, and the applicant will need a new Certificate of Sponsorship to prove this.

Can my family come with me to the UK?

Yes, a Skilled Worker visa holder can bring family members to the UK as dependents. A dependent is classed as one of the following:

• Husband, wife, civil partner or unmarried partner

• A child who is under 18. This includes children who were born during the main applicant’s UK residency

• A child who is over 18, if he or she is currently in the UK as a dependent

Documents and information are required to prove the relationship between the main applicant and dependents. 

If their application is successful, their visa expiry date will be the same as the main applicant.

To bring family members, applicants must be able to financially support themselves. The fees are as below:

• £285 for partner

• £315 for one child

• £200 for each additional child