To qualify for a UK Skilled Worker Visa, you will need to meet the following:
- You are aged 18 or over;
- You have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship for the job you are planning to do;
- Your job offer is a genuine vacancy;
- Your job is at an appropriate skill level;
- You will be paid a salary that meets or exceeds both the general salary threshold and the 'going rate' for the relevant SOC 2020 occupation code.
- Where applicable, your sponsor has paid any required Immigration Skills Charge;
- You are competent in the English language to at least CEFR Level B1 (equivalent to IELTS 4.0);
- You have enough money to support yourself without relying on public funds;
- You have provided a criminal record certificate, if required; and
- You have provided a valid TB certificate, if required.
The specific requirements you need to meet will depend on your individual circumstances. It is advisable to consult an immigration lawyer for expert guidance.
To obtain a UK Skilled Worker Visa, you must have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship for the job you plan to do. This certificate must be issued by an employer authorised by the Home Office to sponsor the job under the Skilled Worker route. For more information, you can explore applying for a Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence or read some of our Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence success stories.
Your sponsor must be listed as A-rated on the Home Office's register of licensed sponsors, unless you were last granted permission as a Skilled Worker and are applying to continue working for the same sponsor.
The Certificate of Sponsorship must be issued no more than 3 months before the date of your Skilled Worker application and must include the following mandatory information:
- Details of your name, job, and salary.
- A start date no more than 3 months after the date of your Skilled Worker visa application.
- Confirmation that the Certificate of Sponsorship has not been used in a previous application that was either granted or refused and has not been withdrawn by the sponsor or cancelled by the Home Office.
In order to be granted a UK Skilled Worker Visa, you will need to satisfy the Home Office that you are being sponsored to undertake a genuine vacancy and are capable of undertaking the role for which your Certificate of Sponsorship has been assigned.
If there are reasonable grounds to believe that the job you are being sponsored to do does not exist, is a sham or has been created mainly so that you can apply for a UK Skilled Worker Visa then your application will be refused.
The Home Office will also want to be satisfied that you have not entered into an arrangement whereby you will fill a temporary or permanent position, or undertake contract work which involves undertaking an ongoing routine role or providing an ongoing routine service to a third party who is not your sponsor.
Your sponsor must also have paid in full any required Immigration Skills Charge.
The Immigration Skills Charge is a charge for each foreign worker that a sponsoring employer seeks to employ. The Immigration Skills Charge must be paid each time a sponsoring employer assigns a Certificate of Sponsorship to a migrant.
To qualify for a UK Skilled Worker Visa, the job you are being sponsored for must meet a minimum skill level. Under this visa route, the role must be skilled to at least RQF level 3, roughly equivalent to A-levels. You do not need to hold a formal qualification; the skill level of the job you will be doing determines if the threshold is met.
The Home Office outlines eligible jobs in Appendix Skilled Occupations and Appendix Immigration Salary List. Each eligible job has a SOC 2020 occupation code. You must be sponsored for a job in an eligible SOC 2020 occupation code listed in these appendices (with exceptions for extensions as a care worker or home carer).
Your sponsor must select an appropriate occupation code. If the Home Office has reasonable grounds to believe the chosen code is not the most appropriate, your visa application will be refused.
In assessing the appropriateness of the occupation code, the Home Office will consider factors such as:
- Whether there is a genuine need for the job as described.
- Whether you have the appropriate skills, qualifications, and experience for the job.
- The sponsor's history of compliance with the immigration system.
To qualify for a UK Skilled Worker Visa you will need demonstrate English language ability on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages in all 4 components (reading, writing, speaking and listening) to at least level B1 (intermediate).
Prospective employees applying for entry clearance or leave to remain as a Skilled Worker will satisfy the English language requirement if:
- They are a national of a majority English-speaking country;
- They have passed a Secure English Language Test;
- They have been awarded a degree taught in English;
- They have obtained a GCSE/A Level or Scottish Highers in English while at school in the UK; or
- They have already shown they met the requirement, of level B1, in a previous successful application for entry clearance or permission to stay.
You do not need to prove your knowledge of English if you've already passed an English Language assessment that is accepted by the relevant regulated professional body.
If you're a vet, you may need to prove that you passed an English Language assessment with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
You will typically need to be paid the higher of the 'standard' salary rate of at least £38,700 per year or the 'going rate' for your job.
Example
If your salary is £39,000 per year but the annual going rate for your job is £45,000, you do not meet the usual salary requirements for this visa.
Each occupation code has its own annual going rate. Check the going rate for your job in the going rates table.
If You Work in Healthcare or Education
There are different salary rules for some healthcare or education jobs, where the going rate is based on national pay scales.
When You Can Be Paid Less
If you do not meet the usual salary requirements and do not work in healthcare or education, you might still be eligible if your salary is at least £30,960 per year.
Check when you can be paid less.
