UK Skilled Worker Visa Interview Questions & Answers (2026)

1. Q1Tell me about the job you've been offered — what will you actually do day to day?

   Describe the real duties of the role in plain language: the main tasks, who you report to, the tools or systems you'll use, and a typical day. Your description should match the job title and SOC occupation code on your Certificate of Sponsorship.

   Officers compare your answer to the CoS. If you can't describe the day-to-day work convincingly, the vacancy looks ungenuine.

2. Q2Who is your employer, and how did you find and apply for this role?

   Name the company, what it does, and how the process went — where you saw the role, the interview stages, who interviewed you, and when you were offered it. A genuine recruitment story is hard to fake.

   Be ready for follow-ups about the company's location, size and your manager's name.

3. Q3What is your salary, and how does it meet the requirements?

   State your exact gross annual salary and confirm it meets both the general Skilled Worker salary floor and the 'going rate' for your specific SOC code. Know whether any new-entrant or other discount applies to you.

   The general salary floor rose to around £41,700 in 2025 and going rates differ by occupation — confirm the current figures for your exact role on GOV.UK before your interview.

4. Q4What qualifications and experience make you suitable for this role?

   Connect your education and previous jobs directly to the duties of the sponsored role. Give concrete examples of work you've done that proves you can perform the job, not just a list of certificates.

   A gap between your background and the role is a common interview trigger — close it with specifics.

5. Q5What is a Certificate of Sponsorship, and what are the key details on yours?

   Explain that the CoS is the electronic record your licensed sponsor assigns confirming the job, salary, SOC code and start date. Know your job title, salary, working hours and start date as they appear on it.

   Inconsistencies between what you say and what the CoS records are the fastest route to a refusal.

6. Q6Why do you want to work in the UK, and what are your longer-term plans?

   Be honest and specific: the opportunity this role and employer offer, how it fits your career, and a realistic plan for your time on the visa. It's fine to mention settlement if that's genuinely your goal under the rules.

   Vague or purely migration-driven answers read poorly — anchor your reasons in the actual job.

7. Q7How will you support yourself when you first arrive in the UK?

   Confirm you meet the maintenance requirement — broadly £1,270 held for 28 consecutive days — unless your sponsor has certified maintenance on your CoS. Briefly cover where you'll live when you land.

   Check the current maintenance amount and the 28-day rule on GOV.UK; thresholds change.

8. Q8What questions about your English might come up during the call?

   There isn't usually a separate English test in the interview, but the officer listens to how you communicate. From January 2026 first-time Skilled Worker applicants must prove English at level B2 across reading, writing, speaking and listening, so be ready to discuss your role comfortably and unscripted.

   Speaking naturally about your own job is the clearest proof of both genuineness and English ability.

Sample answers are for preparation only — always answer truthfully and in your own words.