UK Skilled Worker Visa: 2026 Requirements, Salary, Fees and Application

The UK Skilled Worker Visa lets an eligible worker come to or stay in the United Kingdom to do a sponsored job for a Home Office-approved employer. It is the main long-term sponsored work route and can lead to indefinite leave to remain (ILR) after five years under the current settlement rules.

A job offer alone is not enough. For a typical new application in 2026, you need:

1. A genuine job offer from an employer licensed for the Skilled Worker route.

2. A valid Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) assigned for that job.

3. An eligible occupation—normally skilled to RQF level 6 or above, unless a listed or transitional exception applies.

4. Pay of at least £41,700 a year or the standard going rate for the occupation code, whichever is higher, unless you qualify for a lower salary option.

5. English at CEFR level B2 in reading, writing, speaking, and listening, unless an exemption or transitional rule applies.

6. The required maintenance, identity, and any role- or country-specific evidence.

The role must be skilled at the required level; you do not necessarily need to hold a bachelor's degree. UKVI assesses the job duties, occupation code, sponsor, salary, and whether the vacancy is genuine.

The route uses a 70-point structure. Sponsorship, an eligible job, and English provide 50 mandatory points. Salary and certain qualifying characteristics provide the remaining 20 tradable points. Do not assume that a shortage-list job removes the need to meet the applicable salary and going-rate rules.

Start with the occupation code, not only the job title. Your sponsor should choose the SOC 2020 code that best matches the duties and level of the real job. UKVI can refuse an application if the code was selected mainly to obtain a lower going rate or to make an ineligible role appear eligible.

Since 22 July 2025, a new Skilled Worker role must normally be skilled to RQF level 6. Some RQF level 3 to 5 jobs remain eligible if they appear on the Immigration Salary List (ISL) or the time-limited Temporary Shortage List (TSL). Transitional rules can protect some workers who were already in the route before the change. The lists and transition dates can change, so check the official eligible-occupations table using the exact code on the proposed CoS.

What the employer must do

The employer must:

• Hold a valid sponsor licence covering the Skilled Worker route
• Assign the correct type of CoS through the Sponsorship Management System
• Put the genuine job title, duties, occupation code, hours, salary, and start date on the CoS
• Pay the sponsor-side CoS fee and any Immigration Skills Charge that applies
• Comply with record-keeping and reporting duties throughout the sponsorship

A CoS is an electronic record and reference number, not a paper certificate. Applicants outside the UK normally use a defined CoS; sponsors use their annual undefined allocation for eligible in-country applications. You generally must apply within 3 months after the CoS is assigned and cannot apply more than 3 months before the start date shown on it.

Form SU07 is not a Skilled Worker Visa application form or a standard requirement for this route. SU07 is a sponsorship undertaking used in certain family cases. The worker applies online using the Skilled Worker service and enters the CoS reference.

For most new applicants, the salary must be at least £41,700 per year and 100% of the occupation's standard going rate. You must meet whichever figure is higher. A £42,000 offer therefore fails if the standard going rate for the code, adjusted for the weekly hours on the CoS, is £45,000.

The salary calculation is technical. UKVI considers eligible guaranteed basic gross pay and applies occupation-specific going rates, normally based on a stated working week. Allowances, benefits, employer pension contributions, and one-off payments do not automatically count. The pay must also comply with National Minimum Wage and Working Time rules.

When a lower salary may qualify

Lower options can apply only when the rules for that option are met. Current examples include:

A new entrant can include some applicants under 26, people on or recently on an eligible Student or Graduate route, and workers pursuing recognised professional training. Time as a new entrant is limited; the total grant under routes counted by the rules generally cannot exceed four years.

Specified healthcare and education jobs can use national pay-scale rules. Workers extending or updating permission under older provisions may also have transitional thresholds. These are not general discounts. Compare the CoS date, immigration history, occupation code, weekly hours, and the exact option in Appendix Skilled Worker before relying on a lower figure.

A new Skilled Worker applicant must normally prove English at CEFR level B2 in all four components. This increased from B1 for relevant applications made from 8 January 2026. A person whose most recent permission was as a Skilled Worker under the earlier B1 rule can continue under the transitional B1 requirement when extending or updating that permission.

You can usually meet the English rule through an approved Secure English Language Test, an eligible UK qualification, an overseas degree taught in English with Ecctis confirmation, or nationality from an exempt majority-English-speaking country. Professional registration does not automatically replace the immigration English requirement unless the rules expressly recognise the evidence.

Money to support yourself

You normally need £1,270 held for at least 28 consecutive days, with day 28 falling within 31 days before the application. You do not need to show it if you have held valid UK permission for at least 12 months or if your A-rated sponsor certifies maintenance on the CoS.

Core document checklist

Depending on the application, prepare:

• A valid passport or other accepted identity document
• The CoS reference number
• Evidence of B2 English or an exemption
• Job title, annual salary, occupation code, and sponsor licence number
• Bank evidence for maintenance if required
• A valid TB certificate if you are applying from a listed country for a stay over 6 months
• Criminal record certificates for specified jobs, including certain education, health, therapy, and social-services roles
• ATAS clearance for certain research roles involving sensitive subjects
• Certified translations for documents not in English or Welsh
• Relationship and maintenance evidence for any eligible dependants

The online checklist is case-specific. A passport, CoS, and English evidence are common, but not every applicant needs every item above.

The application fee depends on where you apply, the length of sponsorship, and whether the job qualifies for the Immigration Salary List rate.

Most applicants also pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), usually £1,035 for each year of permission. The amount due is calculated during the application and can reflect the exact visa period. Each dependant pays a separate application fee and IHS. Eligible applicants using the separate Health and Care Worker Visa pay reduced fees and no IHS.

The employer—not the worker—pays the £525 CoS assignment fee and any Immigration Skills Charge. Budget separately for a TB test, English test, Ecctis assessment, translations, document services, or optional priority processing where available.

UKVI says a Skilled Worker decision usually takes about 3 weeks when applying from outside the UK and 8 weeks when applying inside the UK, measured after you prove identity and submit the required documents. Sponsor checks, interviews, criminal-record or TB evidence, and requests for more information can extend the time.

Applying from India

Indian applicants follow the same core visa, salary, and B2 English rules. If you have lived in India for at least 6 months and are applying there for permission exceeding 6 months, you normally need a TB test from a Home Office-approved clinic. Complete the online application, then follow the identity and document instructions for the relevant UK visa application centre. Submit certified translations for records not in English or Welsh and do not book non-refundable travel before the decision.

You can apply up to 3 months before the job start date on the CoS. Coordinate timing with the sponsor so the CoS, salary, passport, and intended start date all match.

1. Verify the sponsor.

Check that the employer appears on the official register and is licensed for the correct route. 2.

Confirm the occupation code.

Compare the actual duties with the eligible-occupations table, RQF level, ISL or TSL status, and going rate. 3.

Calculate salary correctly.

Test both the general threshold and the applicable going rate using the hours and CoS date. 4.

Receive and review the CoS.

Check your name, job, code, pay, hours, work address, and start date before applying. 5.

Prepare B2 English and other evidence.

Arrange maintenance, TB, criminal-record, ATAS, and translation documents where required. 6.

Apply online and pay.

Use the GOV.UK Skilled Worker service, pay the fee and IHS, and save a copy of the submission. 7.

Prove your identity.

Use the UK Immigration: ID Check app if instructed or attend a visa application centre for biometrics. 8.

Respond to UKVI.

Monitor messages and meet any request deadline. Wait for the decision before travelling or starting a new sponsored job.

Many people can switch inside the UK, including eligible Student and Graduate visa holders, but route-specific conditions apply. Visitors, short-term students, Seasonal Workers, overseas domestic workers, parents of Child Students, and people outside the Immigration Rules generally cannot switch in-country.

To change employer—or to move to a different occupation code with your current employer—you normally need a new CoS and must apply to update the visa before starting the new job. An extension also requires a new CoS and compliance with the salary and job rules that apply to the case.

A partner and eligible children can normally apply as Skilled Worker dependants, but important restrictions apply to care roles and medium-skilled jobs.

Each family member files a separate application and normally pays the same length-based visa fee plus the IHS. Where maintenance evidence is required, add £285 for a partner, £315 for the first child, and £200 for each additional child to the main applicant's £1,270. The money usually follows the same 28-day holding rule unless an exemption or sponsor certification applies.

Roles with dependant restrictions

New overseas applications for Care Workers (SOC 6135) and Senior Care Workers (SOC 6136) closed on 22 July 2025. Limited in-country switching remains available under transitional arrangements through 22 July 2028 where the conditions are met. Care workers generally cannot bring new dependants unless protected by the rules for people continuously employed in the route since before 11 March 2024 or a specific child exception applies.

Workers sponsored in other medium-skilled RQF 3 to 5 roles generally cannot bring new dependants unless they have been continuously employed in the UK on the Skilled Worker route in a medium-skilled job since before 22 July 2025 or meet a listed exception. Do not assume that appearance on the ISL or TSL creates dependant eligibility.

For applicants in unrestricted eligible occupations, a dependant partner can generally work, apart from restricted work as a professional sportsperson or sports coach. Children may study. Dependants' permission is normally linked to the main applicant's route and expiry date.

A Skilled Worker Visa can be granted for up to five years at a time and can be extended repeatedly while the requirements are met. You can work in the sponsored job, study, do voluntary work, travel, and take limited supplementary employment under the current conditions. You cannot normally access public funds.

Under the current rules, the route can lead to ILR after five years of continuous residence in qualifying categories. Settlement is a separate application. You must still satisfy the residence, absence, salary, employer-confirmation, English, Life in the UK, and suitability rules in force when you apply. A five-year visa does not automatically become permanent residence.

Common refusal or delay risks include:

• The sponsor licence is invalid or does not cover the route
• The occupation code does not match the real duties
• The role is below RQF 6 and no ISL, TSL, or transitional exception applies
• Salary meets £41,700 but not the higher occupation going rate
• Hours or non-guaranteed allowances are used incorrectly in the salary calculation
• The CoS, contract, and application contain inconsistent job or pay details
• B1 evidence is submitted for a new application that requires B2
• Maintenance funds do not meet the amount or 28-day timing rule
• A required TB, criminal-record, ATAS, or translation document is missing
• The applicant tries to switch from a category that does not allow in-country switching
• False documents or an artificial vacancy undermine the genuine-job assessment

Check the rules again immediately before submission. Salary tables, shortage lists, fees, and transitional dates change more often than the overall route name.