The Skilled Worker visa is the UK's principal sponsored work route, successor to Tier 2 (General). The salary floor is £41,700 or the occupation's going rate, whichever is higher; English rose to CEFR B2 on 8 January 2026; and since 22 July 2025 new sponsorship is confined to degree-level jobs. Fees run £819 to £1,865, and the route still leads to settlement after 5 years — for now.
UK Work Visas
Skilled Worker Visa UK 2026: Sponsored Route to Live and Work in Britain
What is the Skilled Worker Visa? (Formerly Tier 2 General)
The Skilled Worker visa is the UK's main employer-sponsored work permission, letting non-British, non-Irish nationals take an eligible skilled job with a licensed UK sponsor for up to 5 years per grant. It requires a Certificate of Sponsorship, a job at RQF Level 6 under an eligible SOC 2020 code, a salary of at least £41,700 or the going rate, and CEFR B2 English for new applicants from 8 January 2026. Extensions are unlimited, most workers can bring dependants, and 5 qualifying years lead to Indefinite Leave to Remain.
The route sits at the centre of the points-based system, governed by Appendix Skilled Worker. It is open to nationals from outside the UK and Ireland — including EEA citizens without EU Settlement Scheme status — and permits study alongside work, foreign travel, employer changes with a fresh Certificate of Sponsorship, and additional work within defined limits. Group transfers within multinationals belong instead to the Global Business Mobility framework, which trades away settlement for lighter entry conditions.
From Tier 2 (General) to Skilled Worker
The December 2020 transition was substantive: the Resident Labour Market Test was abolished, the annual cap lifted, and the points framework made explicit. Tier 2 (General) holders converted automatically, their residence still counting towards ILR — and a shrinking set of Tier 2 transitional salary concessions survives below.
The Route Under Pressure
Home Office Immigration System Statistics for the year ending March 2026 recorded just 5,821 Skilled Worker main-applicant grants in Q1 2026 — the lowest quarterly figure in over three years, the compound effect of the April 2024 salary uplift, the July 2025 skill-level reset and the January 2026 English increase. Applications now face tighter scrutiny than at any point since the route launched.
2026 Skilled Worker Visa Requirements
Applicants must score 70 points — 50 mandatory, 20 tradeable — under paragraphs SW 1.1 to SW 16.2 of Appendix Skilled Worker:
The 70-Point Test
| Requirement | Points | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Sponsorship by a licensed UK employer | 20 | Mandatory |
| Job at appropriate skill level (RQF 6+) | 20 | Mandatory |
| English language at CEFR B2 | 10 | Mandatory |
| Salary at or above the relevant threshold | 20 | Tradeable |
Source: Appendix Skilled Worker; Skilled Worker caseworker guidance v20.0 (3 August 2026).
Skill Level: Why RQF 6 Matters
Since 22 July 2025, new sponsorship is restricted to occupations at RQF Level 6 — graduate level — under SOC 2020. Sub-degree roles survive only three ways: the Immigration Salary List, the Temporary Shortage List of roughly 52 preserved medium-skilled occupations, or the transitional protection for workers whose first Certificate of Sponsorship predates 22 July 2025 and who have held Skilled Worker permission continuously since.
The sponsor must pick the SOC 2020 code matching the actual duties — bricklayers and roofers are eligible, construction labourers are not, and miscoding to reach a friendlier going rate is a classic refusal trigger.
English: B2 From 8 January 2026
First-time applicants and those switching from most other routes must prove all four skills at CEFR B2 — roughly IELTS 5.5 per component — by approved SELT, a UK degree, an Ecctis-verified degree taught in English, a UK school qualification (GCSE, A level or Scottish equivalents), or exempt nationality. Workers who held the visa before 8 January 2026 extend or update at B1 without re-proving; switchers from the Health and Care Worker visa also skip re-proof. Doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives and vets rely on their regulator's own English assessment.
Sponsorship and the Certificate of Sponsorship
The CoS is an electronic record carrying the role, SOC code, salary and dates. The visa application must follow within 3 months of assignment, and up to 3 months before the start date. Employers not yet licensed pay £611 (small/charitable) or £1,682 for a sponsor licence, with roughly 8 weeks' processing — and care workers in England must be sponsored by a Care Quality Commission-registered employer.
The £1,270 Financial Requirement
£1,270 held for 28 consecutive days, ending within 31 days of the application — waived where an A-rated sponsor certifies the first month's support on the CoS, or the applicant has been in the UK on a valid visa for 12 months. Dependants stack £285 (partner), £315 (first child) and £200 (each further child) on top.
Salary Thresholds and Going Rates for 2026
There is no single figure: every applicant must clear both a general threshold and the occupation's going rate from Appendix Skilled Occupations, whichever is higher. The tradeable options:
2026 Salary Threshold Options
| Option | Minimum Salary | Going Rate Required |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | £41,700 | 100% |
| New entrant (under 26, student/graduate switch, professional training) | £33,400 | 70% |
| STEM PhD relevant to the job | £33,400 | 80% |
| Non-STEM PhD relevant to the job | £37,500 | 90% |
| Immigration Salary List role | £33,400 | 100% — the full going rate still applies |
| Postdoctoral science / higher-education roles | £33,400 | 70% |
| Listed healthcare and education jobs | £25,000 | National pay scales (NHS bands, teacher scales) |
| Prison officer (code 3314) — switch or extension only | £31,300 | Lower going rate |
| Transitional: first CoS before 4 April 2024 | £31,300 | Lower going rate — until 4 April 2030 |
Source: GOV.UK Skilled Worker visa pages and Appendix Skilled Worker, verified 22 August 2026.
The floors override the discounts whenever the going rate is low: a new entrant whose 70% going rate works out at £18,410 must still be paid £33,400. New-entrant and postdoctoral applicants also carry a ceiling — total UK stay under those options cannot exceed 4 years, including time already spent on a Graduate visa. The prison officer concession is time-boxed: the CoS must be assigned on or before 31 December 2026 for switchers, 31 December 2027 for extensions.
What Counts — and What Gets Subtracted
Only guaranteed basic gross pay counts, capped at 48 hours a week: a 60-hour week at £12.50 scores as £31,200, not £39,000. Nothing can be pro-rated for part-time work. And the caseworker guidance directs deductions the other way too — loan repayments and money flowing back from worker to sponsor are subtracted from the assessed salary where the worker is effectively subsidising their own wage or the sponsor's immigration costs. Underpayment is checked pay period by pay period, not just annually.
The Tier 2 Allowances Deadline
One transitional concession is quietly expiring: Tier 2 (General) workers extending with the same sponsor may still count guaranteed allowances such as London weighting — but only for applications made before 1 December 2026. After that, the basic-pay-only rule applies to everyone.
How to Apply for a Skilled Worker Visa
Applications run online — entry clearance from abroad, or in-country extension and switching (not from visit, short-term student, Parent of a Child Student, seasonal or domestic-worker visas, immigration bail, or leave outside the rules; students need a completed course, a post-course start date, or 24 months of full-time PhD study):
- Step 1: the sponsor assigns the Certificate of Sponsorship; the worker applies within 3 months of assignment, up to 3 months before the start date.
- Step 2: complete the GOV.UK application and pay the fee plus the Immigration Health Surcharge.
- Step 3: prove identity — the UK Immigration: ID Check app for eligible passports, or biometrics at a visa application centre.
- Step 4: upload evidence — passport, CoS reference, English proof, financial evidence unless waived, TB certificate if applicable, criminal record certificate for health, education, therapy and social-services roles, ATAS certificate where the job involves sensitive PhD-level research.
- Step 5: decision — usually 3 weeks abroad, 8 weeks in-country, with priority (+£500) and super priority (+£1,000) where available; the grant issues as an eVisa.
Genuineness: The Test Behind the Points
Beyond the arithmetic, caseworkers must be satisfied the applicant genuinely intends, and is able, to do the sponsored role. The guidance tells them to probe knowledge of the role, relevant experience, knowledge of the sponsor and the recruitment story — by evidence request (10 working days to respond) or interview, with refusal for non-compliance. Sponsors assigning unusually many certificates for the same role type attract exactly this scrutiny.
Skilled Worker Visa Fees 2026
The applicant's bill turns on grant length, location and Immigration Salary List status; the employer's on sponsor size:
The Full Fee Schedule
| Fee Component | 2026 Amount | Paid By |
|---|---|---|
| Application — up to 3 years / over 3 years (outside UK) | £819 / £1,618 | Applicant |
| Application — up to 3 years / over 3 years (inside UK) | £943 / £1,865 | Applicant |
| Immigration Salary List role — up to 3 / over 3 years | £628 / £1,235 | Applicant — same inside or outside the UK |
| Immigration Health Surcharge | £1,035/year adult · £776/year under-18 | Applicant and each dependant |
| Certificate of Sponsorship | £525 | Employer |
| Immigration Skills Charge | £1,320/year large · £480/year small sponsor | Employer — cannot be passed to the worker |
| Priority / super priority | +£500 / +£1,000 | Applicant, where available |
Source: Home Office immigration and nationality fees, 8 April 2026; GOV.UK Skilled Worker fee pages, verified 22 August 2026.
GOV.UK's own worked example: a 2-year entry-clearance application costs £819 plus £2,070 of IHS — £2,889 up front. A 3-year grant runs £3,924; a 5-year grant £6,793. The ISC is exempt for first-grant switches from Student or Graduate visas and qualifying PhD-level research roles, and the whole employer side sits alongside the rest of the market in the UK work visa fees comparison.
Working and Living on a Skilled Worker Visa
The grant permits the sponsored role, study that does not interfere with it, unlimited overtime in the sponsored job, voluntary work for charities and statutory bodies, and free travel in and out of the UK. Public funds are barred, and changing jobs or employer without updating the visa breaches conditions.
Second Jobs: The 20-Hour Rule
Up to 20 hours a week of additional work needs no application — provided the second role is in a higher-skilled eligible occupation code, on the Immigration Salary List, or in the same sector and level as the main job. Running your own business fits the same 20-hour envelope, with invoicing and administration counting towards it. Beyond 20 hours, a second Certificate of Sponsorship and an update application are required.
Changing Employers
A new employer means a full new application — new CoS, full fees, and no starting the new role until the grant lands. The same applies to a new occupation code with the current employer, or leaving an ISL job for a non-ISL one. Continuity for ILR survives the change; the 3-month advance-application window lets the transition be planned around notice periods.
Losing Your Job: The 60-Day Window
When employment ends, the sponsor reports it and the Home Office normally curtails permission to 60 days. Within that window the worker must find a new sponsor and apply, switch routes, or leave — working in the meantime is not permitted, and overstaying invites re-entry bans. The same clock runs if the sponsor loses its licence.
Dependants — and Who Cannot Bring Them
Most workers bring a partner and children under 18 through the standard dependant process. The exclusions have grown teeth: care workers and senior care workers can add dependants only if continually sponsored since before 11 March 2024, and medium-skilled workers only if continually sponsored since before 22 July 2025 — with carve-outs for UK-born children, sole surviving parents, and couples where both parents are sponsored. Temporary Shortage List workers cannot bring dependants at all.
Dependants who do qualify may work — except as a professional sportsperson or coach — and study freely, and each settles after their own 5 qualifying years.
Settlement Pathway: ILR After Five Years
Five qualifying years lead to Indefinite Leave to Remain at £3,226: continuous residence within the 180-day absence rule, continued sponsorship in a qualifying role, salary at £41,700 or the going rate at the point of application, B1 English and the Life in the UK test. Tier 2 (General) time counts. One settlement trap is buried in the guidance: the new-entrant and PhD discounts do not exist at ILR — the full threshold and full going rate must be met, whatever option got the worker in.
The May 2025 White Paper "Restoring Control over the Immigration System" proposes extending the standard settlement qualifying period from 5 years to 10 for most work routes, with earned-settlement concessions for high contributors under design. None of it is in force: until a Statement of Changes amends the rules, the 5-year pathway stands. Workers within reach of ILR under current rules should progress applications rather than wait out the policy debate.
From ILR to Citizenship
ILR removes the time limit and the sponsor tether, and opens naturalisation 12 months later — a typical 6-year arc from first CoS to British citizenship. ILR itself lapses after 2 continuous years outside the UK.
The official entry point is the GOV.UK Skilled Worker visa guide; the legal framework sits in Appendix Skilled Worker, with occupation codes in the eligible occupations tables, applied through the Skilled Worker caseworker guidance (v20.0, 3 August 2026). Salary detail continues in the Skilled Worker salary guide and skill-level detail in the RQF Level 6 occupation guide. Figures verified 22 August 2026.
Frequently Asked
Questions about the Skilled Worker visa
£41,700 a year or the SOC code's going rate, whichever is higher. Reduced floors exist: £33,400 for new entrants (70% going rate), STEM PhDs (80%) and Immigration Salary List roles (full going rate); £37,500 for other relevant PhDs (90%); £25,000 for listed healthcare and education jobs paid on national pay scales; and £31,300 for prison officers and the pre-April-2024 transitional cohort.
CEFR B2 in all four skills — roughly IELTS 5.5 per component — for first applications and most switches from 8 January 2026. Workers who held the visa before that date extend and update at B1 without re-proving English, and Health and Care Worker switchers are also exempt from re-proof. Degrees taught in English, UK school qualifications and 18 exempt nationalities all substitute for a test.
Around 3 weeks for entry clearance and up to 8 weeks in-country, measured after identity and documents are in. Priority (+£500, 5 working days) and super priority (+£1,000, next working day) are available at most locations. Criminal-record-certificate roles and interview cases run longer.
Usually yes — partner and children under 18, each paying their own fee and IHS, plus maintenance of £285/£315/£200 unless waived. The exceptions matter: care workers sponsored after 11 March 2024, medium-skilled workers sponsored after 22 July 2025 and all Temporary Shortage List workers cannot bring new dependants, subject to narrow carve-outs for UK-born children.
The sponsor reports it, and permission is normally curtailed to 60 days. In that window you must secure a new sponsor and apply, switch to another route, or leave the UK — and you cannot work while waiting. Missing the deadline means overstaying, with re-entry bans of 1–10 years possible on future applications.
A 3-year visa costs the applicant £3,924 (£819 + £3,105 IHS); a 5-year visa £6,793 (£1,618 + £5,175). Immigration Salary List roles pay reduced fees of £628/£1,235. The employer separately pays £525 per Certificate of Sponsorship plus the Immigration Skills Charge — £1,320 a year for large sponsors, £480 for small — which it cannot lawfully recover from the worker.
Yes — up to 20 hours a week without any application, if the extra role is in a higher-skilled eligible occupation, on the Immigration Salary List, or in the same sector and level as your sponsored job. Overtime in your main role is unlimited. More than 20 hours needs a second CoS and an update application; self-employment counts inside the same 20-hour cap.
Yes — after 5 qualifying years, with sponsorship still in place, £41,700 or the going rate met without any new-entrant or PhD discount, B1 English, the Life in the UK test, and absences under 180 days in any 12 months. The fee is £3,226. The White Paper's proposed 10-year period is not law; the 5-year rule applies until the Immigration Rules change.
Functionally yes — Skilled Worker replaced Tier 2 (General) on 1 December 2020 and existing holders converted automatically, keeping their ILR clock. Two Tier 2 relics still run: allowances can count in same-sponsor extensions until 1 December 2026, and some pre-2024 cohorts keep the £31,300 transitional threshold until 4 April 2030.