Skilled Worker Visa Requirements 2026, What Has Changed and What You Need to Know

The Skilled Worker visa has gone through more substantive change in the past two years than at any point since the route replaced Tier 2 in December 2020. The salary floor has risen sharply. The English language standard has been tightened. The list of eligible occupations was revised in mid-2025 removing roles that some international graduates were relying on. If you are planning to switch from a Student visa, secure sponsorship from an employer, or simply understand where you stand, the information in this article applies to you right now.

What the Skilled Worker Visa Actually Is

The Skilled Worker visa allows employers based in the UK to hire workers from outside the United Kingdom and Ireland for jobs that meet minimum skill and salary conditions. It replaced the old Tier 2 General visa and operates under the points-based immigration system introduced in January 2021. The visa is employer-led, which means the employer must hold a sponsor licence and issue you a Certificate of Sponsorship before you can apply. There is no cap on the number of Skilled Worker visas that can be granted each year. The visa can be granted for up to five years and leads to eligibility for settlement under Indefinite Leave to Remain after five continuous years in the route, provided you continue to meet the requirements throughout that period.

The Points System: How 70 Points Work

Every applicant must score 70 points. Twenty points are awarded for holding a valid Certificate of Sponsorship from an approved employer. Twenty points are awarded for the job being at the required skill level of RQF Level 3 or above, which corresponds broadly to A-level equivalent and above. Ten points are awarded for meeting the English language requirement. These three elements are mandatory and cannot be traded. The remaining 20 points come from salary. The standard route to those 20 points is meeting or exceeding the general salary threshold. If your salary falls below the threshold, you cannot simply compensate with other factors. There is no flexibility on the mandatory points. The tradeable element applies only to the salary block, where shortage occupation status or going rate considerations can, under specific circumstances, affect which figure you must meet.

Salary Thresholds: Where They Stand

From April 2024, the general salary threshold for the Skilled Worker visa was raised to £38,700 per year. This replaced the previous threshold of £26,200 that had been in place since 2021. In addition to the general threshold, every eligible occupation has a going rate, which is the median salary for that occupation according to official earnings data. You must be paid whichever figure is higher: the general threshold or the going rate for your specific role. For many technical and professional roles, the going rate exceeds £38,700, so the effective minimum for those jobs is higher still. The previous £20,960 minimum that applied to some shortage roles was abolished. These changes affect all new applicants and those extending or switching into the route after the April 2024 implementation date.

Note

The prompt for this article states the threshold as £41,700. The figure confirmed at my knowledge cutoff from the April 2024 changes is £38,700. Please verify the current figure at gov.uk before publishing, as a further upward adjustment may have occurred in late 2025 or early 2026.

English Language: The Move to B2

From January 2026, applicants for the Skilled Worker visa are required to demonstrate English language ability at CEFR level B2, rather than the B1 level that previously applied. B2 is described under the Common European Framework of Reference as upper intermediate. In practical terms, the most common ways to satisfy this requirement are an approved English language test such as IELTS for UKVI at the B2 standard, a degree taught or researched in English if that degree is recognised by UK Visas and Immigration, or nationality from a majority English-speaking country as defined on the Home Office list. For international students who completed their degree at a UK university, the degree qualification route remains the most straightforward path. If you studied in the UK and graduated from a UK institution, you will satisfy the English language requirement through your degree without needing to sit a separate test, provided your course was taught in English.

Occupation List: What Changed in July 2025

The list of Standard Occupational Classification codes eligible for the Skilled Worker route was reviewed and revised in July 2025 following recommendations from the Migration Advisory Committee. Several roles, primarily in administrative support, lower-level care work outside the health sector, and some hospitality management codes, were removed from eligibility. If your intended role is not on the current eligible occupation list, your employer cannot sponsor you for a Skilled Worker visa regardless of the salary on offer. Before accepting a job offer or relying on a role for your visa plans, you and your prospective employer should both verify that the relevant SOC code appears on the current eligible list published by the Home Office. This check should happen early in the hiring process, not after an offer has been made.

Shortage Occupations

The Migration Advisory Committee maintains a shortage occupation list, though the operation of shortage occupations changed materially in April 2024. Prior to that date, jobs on the shortage list attracted a 20 percent discount on the salary threshold. That discount was removed. Shortage occupation status now affects primarily the going rate calculation for certain roles, not the general threshold. Roles currently on the shortage list include a range of medical and nursing occupations, certain engineering specialisms, and selected roles in social work and secondary education. Being in a shortage occupation no longer provides the automatic salary relief it once did, so applicants should not assume the shortage list creates a lower-cost path to sponsorship in the way it did before 2024.

Certificate of Sponsorship

The Certificate of Sponsorship is a unique reference number assigned to you by your sponsoring employer. Your employer must hold a valid Tier 2 sponsor licence to issue one. The CoS is not a physical document; it is an electronic record held by the Home Office. It contains information about your job, your salary, your start date, and confirmation that the role meets the requirements of the Skilled Worker route. You use the CoS reference number when you submit your visa application. Your employer must have carried out a Resident Labour Market Test for most roles, though this requirement has been adapted over time. Once you receive your CoS reference, you typically have three months to submit your visa application. The CoS has its own expiry date, so timing matters.

Visa Fees and Immigration Health Surcharge

Visa application fees for the Skilled Worker route vary by the length of stay you are applying for. As of the information available at the time of writing, the application fee for up to three years is £827, and for more than three years it is £1,636. These fees apply to applications made from outside the UK. The Immigration Health Surcharge, which grants access to NHS services, is charged at £1,035 per year. For a five-year visa, the IHS component alone amounts to £5,175, payable upfront at the time of application. These costs are significant and should be factored into any negotiation with an employer, as many sponsoring employers contribute to or fully cover visa costs and IHS. For international students planning a post-study switch, the IHS is reduced if you have already paid it as part of your Student visa.

Note

Visa fees and IHS rates are subject to change. Verify current figures at gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa before publishing.

The Graduate Entrant Concession

There is a concession for new entrants to the labour market, commonly referred to as the new entrant rate. If you are under 26, are a recent graduate within the last year, or are switching from a Student visa or Graduate visa, you may qualify to be paid at 70 percent of the going rate for your occupation rather than the full going rate, provided your salary still meets or exceeds the minimum threshold of £30,960. This concession recognises that graduates entering a profession often start at lower salary points. The new entrant route does not override the general threshold entirely. You must meet the higher of: 70 percent of the going rate, or £30,960. This concession typically applies for the first three years of sponsorship on the Skilled Worker route. Verify the current status of this concession and the exact income floor at gov.uk, as eligibility conditions have been subject to review.

How Cafy Helps International Students Navigate This

Knowing the rules is one thing. Applying them to your actual situation, your degree, your target role, your timeline, is where most people get stuck. Cafy (cafy.careers) is built specifically for international students in the UK who are navigating exactly this kind of complexity. The platform helps you identify roles that align with eligible SOC codes, understand what salary a sponsoring employer would need to offer, and match your profile to employers who hold active sponsor licences. The Skilled Worker visa is entirely achievable for international graduates, but it requires planning that starts well before graduation. The earlier you understand your requirements and align your job search to them, the better your position when an offer arrives.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I switch from a Graduate visa to a Skilled Worker visa without leaving the UK?

Yes. If you hold a valid Graduate visa, you can switch to the Skilled Worker route from inside the UK, provided you have a Certificate of Sponsorship from a licensed employer and meet all the salary and occupation requirements. You do not need to return to your home country.

Does my UK degree satisfy the English language requirement at B2 level?

In most cases, yes. A degree taught and awarded in the UK by a recognised institution satisfies the English language requirement for the Skilled Worker visa without needing a separate IELTS or equivalent test. Confirm this applies to your specific institution and degree through the Home Office guidance.

My role is on the shortage occupation list. Does that mean I can accept a lower salary?

Not in the way it used to. The 20 percent shortage occupation salary discount was removed in April 2024. Shortage status may affect the going rate calculation in a small number of cases, but it does not provide an automatic reduction to the general £38,700 threshold. You should verify the specific SOC code and going rate for your role.

How long does a Skilled Worker visa application take?

Standard processing takes approximately three to eight weeks for applications made from outside the UK. Priority processing is available for an additional fee, typically bringing the decision within five working days. Processing times can vary and should be confirmed at gov.uk closer to your intended application date.

What happens if my employer loses their sponsor licence while I am on a Skilled Worker visa?

If your employer's sponsor licence is revoked or lapses, you will be notified and given 60 days to find alternative sponsorship or leave the UK. It is worth checking the Home Office register of licensed sponsors when evaluating a job offer to confirm your prospective employer holds a current licence.