Skilled Worker Route
Key points for the Skilled Worker Route
- The skilled worker salary threshold for new applications is £41,700 (previously £38,700).
- When extending a visa the new salary thresholds are required, however, if extending before 1 December 2026 you may be able to meet the lower salary threshold of £31,300.
- Minimum salary threshold of £25,000 (£12.82 per hour) applies to Skilled Worker and Health and Care Visa holders on Agenda for Change pay scales.
- Deductions from a sponsored worker’s salary for business costs, immigration costs or business investment will need to be considered when determining salary thresholds.
- The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) is £1,035 for over 18s.
- The Health and Care Visa is a subset of the Skilled Worker Visa.
- For skilled worker occupations on the ISL, applicants can be paid either £33,400 or their occupation-specific threshold and 80 per cent of the going rate, whichever is higher.
- The new Immigration Salary List (ISL) has been implemented from 4 April 2024. For skilled worker occupations on the ISL, applicants can be paid a lower rate of either £30,960 or their occupation-specific threshold and 80 per cent of the going rate, whichever is higher. Only allowing time-limited access to below degree level occupations through an expanded Immigration Salary List and interim Temporary Shortage List (TSL), with restrictions on bringing dependants.
- You can read our guidance and view illustrated scenarios on what the changes mean for the NHS.
Full details on the transition are available on the GOV.UK website.
Overview
When applying for a sponsorship licence you will be asked to provide an estimate of the number of certificates of sponsorships you expect to use for the next year. This can be reduced or increased if necessary. If your licence is due to expire after 6 April 2024, you no longer need to apply to renew. The Home Office will extend all licences from the date by 10 years.
More information on sponsoring a worker can be found on the GOV.UK website.
Eligibility
A full list of eligible professions for the Skilled Worker Visa and their standard occupational classification (SOC) code can be found on the GOV.UK website. The minimum skill level is RQF level 6 (degree level equivalent).
The Health and Care Visa is a subsection of the Skilled Worker Visa. The Health and Care Visa applies to qualified doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, and other professionals working in either health or social care. Lower thresholds and other exemptions are available for applicants on a Health and Care Visa.
An outline of the differences is available on the Health and Care visa webpage.
The Skilled Worker Visa requires applicants to have certain characteristics, three of which are fixed, and six which are tradeable however 70 points in total is required.
Individuals will need to attract the following three fixed characteristics (for 50 points):
- a job offer from an approved employer sponsor
- a job at the appropriate skill level (RQF 6 or above)
- the ability to speak English to the level set appropriate to the role.
In order to reach 70 points, they will also need to:
- attract 20 points from the other tradable characteristics on salary and higher education.
This table outlines the characteristics, whether they are tradable or fixed and the number of points allocated to each:
| Characteristic | Tradable | Points allocated |
| Job offer by approved sponsor | No | 20 |
| Job at the appropriate skill level (RQF 6 and above) | No | 20 |
| Speaks English at the required level | No | 10 |
All of the above are required. May score one entry from each section below: | ||
| SALARY: | ||
Salary of at least £25,000 – applies to: eligible health and care role on national pay scale job is a health and care role on the ISL *new entrant to a health and care role | Yes | 20 |
Salary of at least £31,300 – applies to: certificate of sponsorship application was before 4 April 2024 And in a health and care specified role (such as health services and public health managers) | Yes | 20 |
Salary of at least £33,400 – applies to: relevant PhD in a STEM subject job is on the ISL *new entrant to all other skilled worker roles | Yes | 20 |
| Salary of at least £41,700 or above for all other roles | Yes | 20 |
| OTHER: | ||
| Education qualification: PhD in subject relevant to the job and has a salary of £37,500 or above | Yes | 20 |
| Education qualification: PhD in a STEM subject relevant to the job and has a salary of £33,400 or above | Yes | 20 |
*The salary of a new entrant will depend on their occupation code, qualification level, age, and other factors. Applicants taking out a Skilled Worker Visa as a new entrant will need to meet the requirement of £33,400. However, new entrants on a health occupation code based on the national pay scale will need to meet the requirement of £25,000.
Case worker information and examples are available in the Skilled worker case worker guidance.
Eligibility checklist
- valid certificate of sponsorship
- job which meets the appropriate skill level
- evidence of knowledge of English language
- one or more of the other tradable characteristics to reach the 70 points
- demonstrate ability to travel and travel history over the preceding five years
- valid tuberculosis test results (if from a listed country)
- a criminal record certificate from any country where the migrant has lived for 12 months or more in the last ten years, if working with vulnerable people
- £1,270 in savings (main applicant).
Fee
The application fee for a Skilled Worker Visa varies from £769 - £1,751 per person depending on if the applicant is applying within or outside the UK and the length of visa required. Full Information including pricing is available on the GOV.UK website.
Heath and Care Visa applicants pay a lower application fee, which also applies to partners and dependants
Application processing time
Decisions on visa applications are normally made within three weeks if the applicant is outside the UK. A faster decision can be made on applications by using the priority service (within five working days) or the super-priority service (by the end of the next working day), both of which come with an additional fee. Applicants can start to apply for a visa up to three months before the date they are due to start work, as stated on the certificate of sponsorship.
Immigration Skills Charge
You might have to pay the Immigration Skills Charge when assigning a certificate of sponsorship to someone applying for a Skilled Worker Visa.
You must pay the immigration skills charge if they’re applying for a visa from inside the UK, or outside the UK to work in the UK for six months or more.
You will not need to pay the charge if you’re sponsoring someone with certain occupation codes or if the certificate of sponsorship was assigned before 6 April 2017.
Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)
Those with a general Skilled Worker Visa need to also pay an IHS of £1,035 per year.
Applicants applying for the Health and Care Visa and their immediate family are exempt from having to pay the IHS. Family is classed as those who are dependents of the applicant who is eligible for the health and care visa. It does not cover extended family or anyone living independently of the applicant.
Information on how individuals can claim a reimbursement for IHS fees paid after 31 March 2020 is available from the Department of Health and Social Care on the GOV.UK website.
Switching to the Skilled Worker Visa from another visa
Switching visas is streamlined under the new system and most migrants will be able to apply to switch from one immigration route to another without having to leave the UK.
Switching employers or job roles on the Skilled Worker Visa
The Skilled Worker Visa allows an employee to work in a sponsored role for one sponsor/employer. If someone wishes to change employers, they can do so if they receive a new qualifying job offer and Certificate of Sponsorship from another employer with a sponsor licence. The employee will have to make a new visa application.
If the employee will be doing a different job for the same employer, they will need to apply to update their visa if the new job is in a different occupation code.
