The Skilled Worker visa replaced the Tier 2 General visa in December 2020. It is now the main route for overseas workers to come to the UK in a skilled role. The rules changed significantly in April 2024 and again in 2026.
To qualify for a Skilled Worker visa you must score 70 points. The points are made up of mandatory and tradeable requirements.
| Requirement | Points | Tradeable? |
|---|---|---|
| Job offer from approved sponsor | 20 | No |
| Job at required skill level (RQF6+ (degree level) for new applicants) | 20 | No |
| English language requirement | 10 | No |
| Salary at or above general threshold (£41,700) | 20 | Yes |
| Job on the Immigration Salary List | 20 | Yes — trades against salary |
| PhD relevant to job | 10 | Yes — trades against salary |
| PhD in STEM subject | 20 | Yes — trades against salary |
The general salary threshold increased to £41,700 per year from 22 July 2025. However, the threshold that applies to you is the higher of: the general threshold (£41,700), or the going rate for your specific occupation code.
New entrant rate: If you are a new entrant to the labour market — under 26, switching from a student visa, or in your first year post-PhD — a lower threshold of £33,400 applies. This is a significant concession that many applicants miss.
Your employer must hold a valid Sponsor Licence from the Home Office. Not all employers are licensed. Before accepting a job offer, check the Register of Licensed Sponsors on gov.uk.
Once your employer confirms the offer, they issue a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) with a reference number. You cannot apply for the visa without this reference number.
You must demonstrate English at B2 level or above (for applications from 8 January 2026; B1 still applies to some existing visa holders extending). This can be done through: being a national of a majority English-speaking country, having a degree taught in English, passing an approved Secure English Language Test (SELT) such as IELTS for UKVI or a Trinity College London SELT.
In most degree-level (RQF 6 and above) roles, your spouse or partner and children under 18 can apply as your dependants. There are important exceptions: since 22 July 2025, new applicants in roles below degree level (RQF 3 to 5, on the Temporary Shortage List or Immigration Salary List) generally cannot bring dependants, and care worker and senior care worker routes have their own restrictions. Workers already on the route before 22 July 2025 have transitional protection, and narrow exceptions apply (for example, sole parental responsibility). Check the GOV.UK dependants page for your role before applying.
Where dependants are allowed, unless your sponsor certifies maintenance they must show funds held for 28 days: £285 for a partner, £315 for the first child and £200 for each additional child.
Dependants can work in the UK without restriction (except in immigration-exempted roles). Children can attend school. Dependants can also access the NHS.
After five years on a Skilled Worker visa, you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), which gives you the right to live and work in the UK permanently. You must have spent no more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month period, meet the Knowledge of Life in the UK test requirement, and meet the English language requirement. The government plans to lengthen the usual qualifying period under its ‘earned settlement’ proposals; the rules had not changed as at October 2026, so check gov.uk before you apply.
Sponsor reference letter, employment verification letter, financial evidence letter, and supporting statement templates for Skilled Worker and other UK visa applications. Word and PDF. Instant download.
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