UK Skilled Worker visa guide

How the Skilled Worker route works

The Skilled Worker visa is a points-based immigration route. Applicants must score a minimum of 70 points under the Home Office tradeable points system. All applicants must score 20 points for a job at the appropriate skill level (RQF 3 or above), 20 points for English language proficiency at B1 level, and 20 points for salary meeting the minimum threshold (currently GBP 38,700 per year for most applicants). The remaining 10 points can be earned through tradeable attributes: a PhD relevant to the job (10 points), a job in a shortage occupation (10 points), or new entrant status (10 points, which also reduces the salary threshold to approximately 70% of the going rate). Understanding the points system is essential before preparing an application — the tradeable points can make the difference between a qualifying and non-qualifying salary offer.

The application process begins with the employer. Before a worker can apply, the employer must assign a Certificate of Sponsorship through the Sponsor Management System. The CoS confirms the job title, occupation code (SOC 2020), salary, and that the employer holds a valid A-rated sponsor licence. Once the CoS is assigned (it is valid for 3 months), the worker can submit the visa application online, pay the fee and Immigration Health Surcharge, attend a biometric appointment (or use the UK Immigration: ID Check app), and submit supporting documents. The processing time from inside the UK is approximately 8 weeks; from outside the UK, approximately 3 weeks after biometrics.

The Skilled Worker visa is typically granted for up to 5 years, with extensions available. Settlement (indefinite leave to remain) is available after 5 years of continuous residence, provided the applicant meets the continuous residence requirement (no more than 180 days absences from the UK in any rolling 12-month period) and passes the Life in the UK test. Time spent on other visa categories (Student, Graduate Route, Tier 2) may count toward the 5-year settlement period, depending on the specific combination of routes. Workers should track their absences from the UK carefully throughout the Skilled Worker period, because absences over 180 days in any 12-month rolling period can break the continuous residence requirement and reset the settlement clock, adding months or years to the time needed before the worker becomes eligible to apply for indefinite leave to remain under the long residence provisions of the Immigration Rules.

The application fee depends on the length of the visa, the worker's circumstances, and whether the role is in a shortage occupation or healthcare. Standard fees range from GBP 719 to GBP 1,500 for entry clearance or leave to remain, with lower fees for roles on the Immigration Salary List or Health and Care Worker visas. The Immigration Health Surcharge is payable at the full rate of GBP 1,035 per year for most Skilled Workers, though healthcare workers benefit from a reduced surcharge as part of the Health and Care Worker visa pathway. Dependants pay the same IHS rate as the main applicant, and the surcharge must be paid in full for the entire duration of the visa at the time of application. Understanding the total cost of the application before submitting is essential because the IHS surcharge is not refundable if the visa is refused, and the applicant will need to pay the full fee and surcharge again if they reapply after a refusal or if they need to extend their Skilled Worker permission beyond the initial grant period of up to 5 years.

Dependants of Skilled Workers enjoy broad work and study rights in the UK. Partners can work full time in any role, including self-employment and company directorship, without the occupation-code restrictions that apply to the main Skilled Worker applicant. Children can attend state schools without needing a separate student visa. Each dependent must submit a separate visa application linked to the main applicant's Skilled Worker application, and the relationship must be evidenced with marriage or civil partnership certificates for partners and birth certificates for children. Maintenance funds must also be demonstrated for each dependant, typically GBP 285 for a partner and GBP 315 for the first child, unless the main applicant has been in the UK with valid permission for at least 12 months at the time of application. Care-sector dependant restrictions may apply for workers sponsored under the Health and Care Worker visa in certain roles, so workers considering bringing family should verify the current dependant rules for their specific occupation code before submitting the visa application to the Home Office.

The 5 most important things to know

• You must pass both the general salary threshold and the occupation-specific "going rate" for your SOC code — whichever is higher. Lower thresholds apply for new entrants, healthcare roles, and shortage occupation list jobs. See UKVI Skilled Worker guidance.
• A Certificate of Sponsorship is an electronic record, not a physical document. It is valid for 3 months and links your visa application to a specific job offer from a licensed sponsor. Without a valid CoS, you cannot apply.
• You can switch employers, but the new employer must hold a sponsor licence and issue a new CoS before you start work. In most cases, you can start once UKVI confirms receipt of a valid update application, but starting before receipt confirmation is risky.
• Dependants can work full time in any role, including self-employment, and can study. Each dependant needs their own visa application and proof of relationship and maintenance funds. Care-sector dependant restrictions may apply.
• The Immigration Skills Charge is paid by the employer, not the worker. It is typically £1,000 per year for medium or large sponsors and £364 per year for small or charitable sponsors. The charge is not refundable if you leave the job early.

Choose your path

The Skilled Worker cluster covers several distinct situations. Pick the guide that matches your current decision point. If you are changing employer, read the switching-jobs guide first. If you are bringing family, start with the dependants rules. If you are an employer, the sponsor licence guide explains how to get and keep a licence.

All guides in this cluster

• UK Skilled Worker salary threshold 2026 — the two-test system (general threshold plus occupation-specific going rate), new entrant discounts, healthcare exemptions, and how to audit your SOC code against the live tables.
• UK Skilled Worker switching jobs — changing employer, occupation code, or salary; the 3-month filing window; second jobs; and the risks of starting before permission is confirmed.
• UK Skilled Worker document checklist — CoS verification, sponsor licence checks, salary evidence, English proof, maintenance funds, and the most common refusal reasons.
• UK Skilled Worker healthcare pathway — the Health and Care Worker route, professional registration, national pay guidance, dependant restrictions, and compliance audits.
• UK Skilled Worker tech pathway — software engineering, data science, and cybersecurity roles: eligible SOC codes, salary thresholds, and how to map modern job titles to occupation codes.
• UK Skilled Worker dependants rules 2026 — partner and child eligibility, maintenance funds, care-sector restrictions, fees, and refusal risks.
• UK Sponsor Licence guide for employers — how UK employers get and keep a sponsor licence, including key personnel, Appendix D records, compliance visits, and CoS allocation.
• UK Skilled Worker Visa FAQ — answers to the most common questions about salary thresholds, the Certificate of Sponsorship, switching employers, the Immigration Skills Charge, and dependants.

Common questions

The UK Skilled Worker Visa FAQ aggregates the most common questions from this cluster: how the two-test salary system works, whether you can switch employers, what the Immigration Skills Charge costs, whether dependants can work, and how long processing takes. Read the FAQ first if you need a quick answer; use the articles above for depth.

If your situation involves a prior refusal, a status gap, or a criminal record, the FAQ will point you toward the right next step but cannot replace individual legal advice. In those cases, the document checklist review is the safest starting point because it flags risks before you file.

When to get help

Most Skilled Worker applications are straightforward if the CoS is correct and the salary evidence is clear. Complications arise when the occupation code is borderline, the sponsor has a compliance history, or the applicant has prior immigration refusals. If any of those apply, get a document checklist review before filing. It is cheaper than a refusal and re-application. Workers switching from the Graduate Route should also ensure their Student visa permission has not expired before the Skilled Worker application is submitted, because section 3C protection only applies if the new application is filed before the current leave expires. A gap in lawful residence can affect both the Skilled Worker application and future settlement eligibility, as the continuous residence clock for indefinite leave to remain is calculated from the date the new Skilled Worker permission is granted and any period of overstaying between the expiry of the previous leave and the grant of the new visa breaks the lawful residence requirement for the 5-year qualifying period toward settlement under the Immigration Rules.