The UK Skilled Worker visa is the main route into sponsored employment in the UK, and it is built around one idea: you cannot apply for it on your own. Everything starts with a licensed employer choosing you and issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship. This guide walks through what that actually means in practice — eligibility, the salary rules that changed in 2025, the application steps, and what happens after your visa is granted.
1. You need a sponsoring employer, not just a job offer
Not every UK employer can hire you on this visa. They must hold a sponsor licence from the Home Office, which means they’ve been vetted and approved to sponsor migrant workers. A regular job offer from an unlicensed employer does not qualify — check the register of licensed sponsors before you get too attached to an offer.
Once your employer decides to sponsor you, they issue a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) — a digital reference number, not a physical document — that records your job title, salary, and occupation code. You’ll need this CoS reference to apply.
2. The role must clear the salary threshold
This is where most Skilled Worker cases succeed or fail on paper before anything else is assessed. For applications made from 22 July 2025 onward, you generally need to be paid whichever is higher of:
- £41,700 a year (the general salary floor), or
- The “going rate” for your specific occupation code, published in the Home Office’s going rates tables — this is often higher than the general floor for skilled professional roles.
Two common reductions:
- New entrants to the labour market (typically under 26, recent graduates, or moving from a Student visa) may qualify for a reduced floor of around £33,400, provided the going-rate percentage is also met.
- Roles requiring a relevant PhD can have a reduced floor of around £37,500.
A frequent misunderstanding: hitting the £41,700 headline figure does not automatically clear you — if the going rate for your occupation code is higher, that’s the number that governs. From April 2026, the Home Office is also tightening how salary must be paid across compliant pay periods, not just as a compliant annual total, so ask your sponsor how your pay schedule is structured before assuming a headline salary is enough.
3. English language and qualification requirements
You must demonstrate English ability at the required level, usually through a secure English language test, a degree taught in English, or nationality from a majority English-speaking country. If your degree was awarded outside the UK and is relevant to your eligibility, it typically needs to be verified by Ecctis (formerly UK NARIC) as equivalent to a UK degree — this is a step applicants routinely leave too late, and delays in getting an Ecctis certificate are a common, avoidable cause of missed deadlines.
4. The genuine vacancy test — the refusal reason paperwork alone won’t fix
Beyond salary and English, the Home Office independently assesses whether the role is a genuine vacancy: real duties appropriate to your skill level, consistent with the sponsoring business’s actual size and business model, and not “created” mainly to support a visa application. Using the wrong occupation code to artificially hit a salary or skill threshold is one of the most common reasons Skilled Worker applications are refused — this sits with your employer’s HR/immigration team to get right, but it’s worth asking directly which SOC code they’ve assigned you and why.
5. How to apply — the actual steps
- Get your CoS from your sponsoring employer (valid for 3 months from the date it’s assigned — you must apply within that window).
- Apply online at GOV.UK, entering your CoS reference, job details, and personal information.
- Pay the visa fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge upfront — see our full Skilled Worker visa cost breakdown for exact figures, which depend on your CoS length and whether your role is on the Immigration Salary List.
- Prove your identity and give biometrics — most applicants use the UK’s “UK Immigration: ID Check” app; some are still directed to a visa application centre.
- Show maintenance funds if required — usually £1,270 held for 28 consecutive days, unless your sponsor has certified maintenance for you (common, and worth confirming directly with your employer since it removes this step entirely).
- Wait for a decision — see timelines below — then travel once your visa is granted.
6. Processing times
- Applying from outside the UK: decisions are typically given within 3 weeks.
- Applying from inside the UK (switching or extending): typically within 8 weeks.
- Priority service (where available, extra fee): a decision within 5 working days of your biometrics appointment.
- Super priority service (where available, extra fee): a decision by the end of the next working day.
These are service standards, not guarantees — incomplete applications, additional checks, or peak-season volume (typically spring through late summer) can extend them.
7. Visa length, extensions, and settlement
A Skilled Worker visa is usually granted for up to 5 years at a time, tied to your CoS. You can extend or switch employer sponsors as long as you continue to meet the rules, with no cap on the number of extensions. After 5 years of continuous residence on the route (with some absences permitted), you may become eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) — permanent settlement — provided you also meet the knowledge-of-language-and-life requirement.
FAQ
Can I change employers on a Skilled Worker visa? Yes, but your new employer must issue a fresh CoS and you generally need to apply again before starting the new role — you can’t simply notify the Home Office of a change.
What if my salary drops below the threshold after a raise freeze or role change? You risk falling out of compliance with your visa conditions; your sponsor is required to report significant changes to your role or pay, and this can put your status at risk. Flag any change to your sponsor’s HR team immediately.
Does my family need separate visas? Yes — partners and children apply as dependants, each paying their own application fee and Immigration Health Surcharge for the same period as your visa.
Is there a labour market test (advertising the job first)? No — that requirement was removed some years ago. Employers assess genuine need internally, but the Home Office’s genuine vacancy check applies instead.
This is preparation guidance, not immigration advice — sponsor licensing rules, salary tables, and processing times change and your specific occupation code governs your case. Always confirm current figures directly on GOV.UK before you or your employer commit to a filing date. For the paperwork itself, use our Skilled Worker visa document checklist and practice with our Skilled Worker interview questions. If you’re an Indian applicant specifically, see our UK Skilled Worker visa from India route guide for VAC locations and corridor-specific refusal patterns.
Getting sponsorship right the first time avoids a second CoS and a second fee. Join the VisaMet waitlist for AI-powered eligibility checks that flag salary and documentation gaps before you submit.
Sources: GOV.UK — Skilled Worker visa, GOV.UK — Skilled Worker visa: your job, GOV.UK — Register of licensed sponsors: workers, GOV.UK — Workers and Temporary Workers: sponsor guidance (Skilled Worker).
This is preparation guidance, not legal advice. Salary thresholds, going rates, and processing times change — confirm the exact figures for your occupation and application date on GOV.UK.