🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Work Visa
Skilled Worker
The main UK work visa for employer-sponsored roles. Requires a confirmed job offer from a Home Office-licensed sponsor paying at least £38,700 (or the shortage occupation rate if lower).
- Scoring
- Employer-sponsored
- Timeline
- 20d–2mo
- Est. cost
- $4K
- Category
- Work Visa
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The Skilled Worker visa is the UK's main work-based immigration route. If a UK employer with a sponsor licence offers you a role at the right skill level and salary, you can come to the UK to work, bring dependants, and after five years apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (settlement).
April 2024 was the inflection point. The Home Office raised the general salary threshold from £26,200 to £38,700, killed the old shortage occupation list, and replaced it with the Immigration Salary List, a tighter list with reduced (but still real) salary discounts. The skill level requirement was bumped from RQF 3 to RQF 6 (graduate-level) for new applicants, although certain roles and care workers retain older thresholds. The net effect: harder to qualify on the margins, more expensive for employers, but unchanged for senior tech and finance roles paying well above threshold.
Most well-prepared cases approve in 3-8 weeks. Once granted, the visa is tied to the sponsoring employer, changing jobs requires a new Certificate of Sponsorship from the new employer. After five years on Skilled Worker (or combination of qualifying routes), you can apply for ILR.
Is this visa for you?
A strong fit if you…
- You have a confirmed offer from a UK employer that holds a Home Office sponsor licence, at a salary that clears £38,700 (or the going rate for your role, if higher).
- You're in tech, finance, consulting, engineering, healthcare, or another field where UK employers routinely sponsor and the salary floor is comfortable.
- You want a clear five-year path to settlement (ILR) and eventually UK citizenship.
- You're moving with family, Skilled Worker dependants get full work and study rights.
Look elsewhere if you…
- You don't have a UK job offer yet. Skilled Worker requires a Certificate of Sponsorship from a licensed employer, you can't apply on potential.
- Your offer is below £38,700 (or below the role's going rate) and doesn't qualify for any of the lower thresholds. Most roles won't qualify under the new floor.
- Your role is below RQF 6 (graduate-level) and isn't on a protected list (care workers, education, certain shortage roles). The 2024 reform raised the skill bar significantly.
Key requirements
- Job offer from a UK licensed sponsor
- Role at RQF 3+ skill level
- Salary ≥ £38,700 (or shortage occupation going rate)
- English language proficiency
Eligibility, in plain English
Licensed UK sponsor
The employer must hold a Skilled Worker sponsor licence from the Home Office. About 80,000 UK employers hold one. Some hold it but rarely use it, verify the employer is willing and able to issue you a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) before counting on the route.
Job at RQF 6 or above
From April 2024, the role must be at Regulated Qualifications Framework level 6 (bachelor's degree-level) or higher. Some roles (care workers, certain education roles) retain older RQF 3 thresholds. Check the specific Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code your role maps to, this determines both skill level and going rate.
Salary threshold: £38,700 or the going rate
From April 2024 the general salary threshold is £38,700 per year. You also need to meet the 'going rate' for your specific SOC code, published in the Immigration Rules. Whichever is higher applies. Some categories have lower thresholds: new entrants (£30,960), Immigration Salary List roles (£30,960), and health/care roles (going rate or £23,200).
English language requirement
CEFR B1 in reading, writing, listening and speaking. Most commonly evidenced by IELTS for UKVI, Trinity College ISE, or a degree taught in English. Nationals of certain English-speaking countries (US, Canada, Australia, NZ, Ireland, etc.) are exempt.
Financial requirement
£1,270 of savings held for at least 28 consecutive days before applying. Sponsors who certify maintenance can waive this, and many large employers do. For dependants, additional savings are required (£285 for partner, £315 for first child, £200 each for additional children).
Five-year path to ILR
After five years of continuous residence on Skilled Worker (or in combination with other qualifying routes), you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain. Settlement requires the Life in the UK test, English at B1, and meeting the prevailing salary threshold at the time of ILR application, the moving target.
How the application actually goes
- 01
Employer applies for or uses an existing sponsor licence
If the employer doesn't already hold a Skilled Worker sponsor licence, they apply for one, process takes 4-12 weeks and a £574-£1,579 fee depending on employer size. Once licensed, the employer can issue Certificates of Sponsorship.
0-12 weeks (only if new licence needed)
- 02
Employer issues Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)
Once you've accepted the offer, the employer issues a CoS through the Sponsor Management System. The CoS is electronic, has a reference number, and contains your role details, salary, and sponsorship period.
1-2 weeks
- 03
Online visa application
You submit the visa application via the Home Office portal, pay the application fee and Immigration Health Surcharge, and book a biometric appointment. The IHS is £1,035 per year of visa duration, for a 5-year visa, £5,175, paid upfront.
1-2 weeks
- 04
Biometrics and document submission
Attend a visa application centre to provide biometrics (fingerprints, photo) and submit supporting documents. UK passport holders and certain nationalities can use the smartphone ID Check app instead.
Same day
- 05
Home Office decision
Standard processing is 3 weeks for applications from outside the UK and 8 weeks from inside. Priority service (£500) gets a decision in 5 working days; super-priority (£1,000) in 1 working day. Most well-prepared cases approve cleanly.
3-8 weeks standard
What it costs
Visa application fee (outside UK, 3+ years)
Shorter visas cheaper
£1,519
Visa application fee (Immigration Salary List)
Reduced for ISL roles
£1,191
Immigration Health Surcharge
Paid upfront for full visa length
£1,035 per year
Certificate of Sponsorship fee
Employer pays
£239
Immigration Skills Charge (employer)
Employer pays
£1,000/yr large, £364/yr small/charity
Priority service (optional)
Decision in 5 working days
£500
Super priority service (optional)
Decision in 1 working day
£1,000
Total typical cost (5-year visa)
Often split between employer and employee
£6,700+
Common pitfalls
- Assuming any UK employer can sponsor. About 80,000 employers hold sponsor licences, but most small UK companies don't. Verify the licence and the employer's willingness to issue a CoS before negotiating.
- Salary at offer letter time below the going rate for the SOC code. The going rate test is per-occupation, paying £40K for a role with a £55K going rate fails even though £40K clears the general threshold.
- Forgetting the Immigration Health Surcharge is paid upfront. For a 5-year visa with a family of three, the IHS alone is over £15K, paid at application, non-refundable if you leave early.
- Filing inside the UK on a status that doesn't permit switching. Visitor status, for example, generally doesn't allow in-country switching to Skilled Worker.
- Switching jobs without a new CoS. Skilled Worker is tied to a specific employer and SOC code. Job changes require a new CoS from the new employer, the old visa effectively ends.
- Ignoring the ILR salary threshold at year 5. The general threshold has been rising; settlement requires meeting the threshold at the time of ILR application, not the threshold at initial visa grant. Plan for salary progression.
Consider these instead
UK
Global Talent
If you have a track record of recognised achievement in tech, science, or arts, Global Talent skips the employer requirement entirely.
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UK
High Potential Individual (HPI)
If you graduated from a top-50 global university in the past 5 years, HPI lets you work in the UK without a sponsor for 2-3 years while you look.
Read more →
UK
Graduate Visa
If you just finished a UK degree, Graduate visa gives you 2-3 years of unrestricted work without a sponsor.
Read more →
Frequently asked
How much is the salary threshold for Skilled Worker in 2026?
£38,700 general threshold or the SOC code's going rate, whichever is higher. Reduced thresholds apply for Immigration Salary List roles (£30,960), new entrants under 26 or recent grads (£30,960), and health/care roles. Health and Care Worker visa has its own lower thresholds.
How long until I can apply for ILR?
Five years of continuous residence on Skilled Worker (or in combination with other qualifying routes). ILR requires the Life in the UK test, English at B1, and meeting the prevailing salary threshold at the time of application.
Can my family come with me?
Yes. Spouse/partner and dependent children under 18 can apply as dependants. They get full work and study rights in the UK, no separate work permit needed for the spouse. Each dependant has separate visa fees and IHS payments.
Can I change jobs?
Yes, but you need a new Certificate of Sponsorship from the new employer and you file a 'change of employment' visa application. The new employer must hold a sponsor licence and the new role must meet the threshold and skill level. Same-employer role changes don't require a new visa unless the SOC code changes.
What's the Immigration Health Surcharge?
It's the upfront NHS access fee, £1,035 per year of visa duration, per person. For a 5-year visa it's £5,175 per applicant. Paid at the time of application, non-refundable if you leave the UK early. Health and Care Worker visa holders are exempt.
How long does the visa take?
Standard processing is 3 weeks from outside the UK, 8 weeks from inside. Priority service (£500) cuts that to 5 working days; super-priority (£1,000) to 1 working day. Most well-prepared cases approve cleanly without delays.
What happens if my employer loses its sponsor licence?
Your visa is curtailed. You typically get 60 days to find a new licensed sponsor and switch your visa, or leave the UK. Sponsor licence revocations are rare but happen, and they cascade through all sponsored employees.
Other United Kingdom visas
Work Visa
Global Talent
No-sponsor visa for leaders and rising stars in digital technology, arts and culture, or science and research. Requires endorsement from a recognised body (e.g. Tech Nation, Royal Society, British Academy, UKRI).
Business / Investor
Innovator Founder
For entrepreneurs launching an innovative, viable, and scalable business in the UK. Requires endorsement from an approved endorsing body. No fixed minimum investment since 2023 rule changes.
Work Visa
Scale-up Visa
Sponsored by a qualifying fast-growing UK company (registered scale-up sponsor). Salary ≥ £36,300. After 6 months, the holder can work for any employer without further sponsorship.
Work Visa
High Potential Individual (HPI)
No-sponsor visa for graduates of top-50 globally ranked universities (according to the UK government's approved list) awarded within the last 5 years. Gives 2-3 years to work in the UK.
Work Visa
Graduate Visa
Post-study work visa for international students who have recently completed a UK degree. Allows 2 years of unsponsored work (3 years for PhD graduates).
Work Visa
Health and Care Worker
Fast-track, lower-cost variant of the Skilled Worker visa for doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, and adult social care workers employed by the NHS or a CQC-registered care provider.
Ready when you are
Find your immigration path.
Pick where you're headed. We score you against every visa we cover in that country.
1 of 4 selected.
Show me my matches, free→