Skilled Worker route

You can apply overseas or in the UK. Employers have different requirements to meet for the Skilled Worker route if they are recruiting from overseas. If you have any questions how this may affect you, please contact your sponsoring organisation.

Applying from outside the UK

You can apply as soon as you have received your job offer, you meet the requirements, and you have received your Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from your employer.

If you are hoping to apply as a 'new entrant' from overseas, you can:

• Apply no more than 2 years after your Student or Graduate visa has expired (you must not have held any other immigration permission for the UK other than a Visitor after expiry)
• Apply after you have completed 12 months towards a UK PhD on your Student immigration permission
• Apply within 2 years of completing 12 months of study towards a UK PhD on Student immigration permission

Applying from the UK

For applications made inside the UK, your application timeline will vary based on your circumstances. The absolute deadline for applying in the UK to switch into the Skilled Worker route is the expiry date of your current permission, but it is important you are aware of the specific deadlines for your personal circumstances. The options for when you are able to switch to a Skilled Worker visa in the UK are mainly based on the type of study you are undertaking:

If you are studying for a UK bachelor's/UK master's/PGCE/PGDE you can apply when

• Your course of study is complete; OR
• You are studying a full-time course at a higher education provider with a track record of compliance and your CoS start date is no earlier than your course completion date 

If you are studying full-time for a PhD you can apply when

• Your course of study is complete; OR
• You are studying a full-time course at a higher education provider with a track record of compliance and your CoS start date is no earlier than your course completion date; OR
• You are studying a full-time course of study at a higher education provider with a track record of compliance leading to a PhD, and the start date of your CoS is no earlier than 24 months after the start date of your PhD

You apply online. There are different application forms for whether you are applying outside the UK or inside the UK. The application fee varies depending on the length of the certificate of sponsorship that you have been issued, the type of job you are being sponsored for, and whether you are applying from overseas or in the UK. A breakdown of how much it costs can be found on the government website.

You must pay for the immigration health surcharge as part of your application. This is charged at £1,035 per year of immigration permission granted.

You must have a qualifying job that is sponsored by an employer with a Skilled Worker license. The employer will issue you a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) for you to use in your visa application. Using a valid CoS obtains you the required points.

UK employers recruiting under the Skilled Worker route may be required to pay an Immigration Skills Charge (ISC). This is not a charge that you will pay, but it does mean that sponsoring you may incur extra costs to your employer. This charge does not apply if you are switching into the Skilled Worker route from the Student route in the UK.

Details about this charge can be found on the UK visa sponsorship for employers website. 

See the Register of licensed sponsors: Workers for a list of all sponsor license holders. 

You must be being sponsored for a job at, or above, the minimum skill level. This is described as Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) level 3, which equates to an A-level qualification in the UK. 

You must be taking up a job that matches an eligible SOC 2020 occupation code. Your employer must ensure that the job they are sponsoring you for has an appropriate SOC 2020 occupation code, and that the salary is appropriate for the job. There must be a genuine need for the job role and you must have the appropriate skills, qualifications, and experience to do the job.

You will evidence that this requirement has been met by submitting your CoS in your visa application.

You must meet the English language requirement. You must be able to demonstrate English language to B1 level. A degree-level qualification from a UK institution is one way of meeting this requirement. Further ways of meeting this requirement can be found on the Skilled Worker visa: Knowledge of English page.

Any eligible job that you are hoping to be sponsored for must meet a minimum salary requirement. A salary must meet or exceed the following requirements:

• the minimum salary threshold
• the "going rate" for the specific occupation

The minimum salary varies depending on how you are obtaining your tradeable points. As an example, the most common option for obtaining the tradeable points is through Option A.

The minimum salary for Option A is as follows:

• Yearly salary of £38,700
• The going rate for the SOC 2020 occupation code

Each of the other options have different minimum salaries, so it is important to understand which tradeable points you are seeking to obtain in a Skilled Worker route application.

Every job that can be sponsored under the Skilled Worker route also has its own minimum salary, and this is what is referred to as the “going rate”. These salaries can be found in Appendix Skilled Occupations in Tables 1, 2, 2a, and 3. When considering salaries under the Skilled Worker route, the highest figure will always be treated as the minimum. For those switching into the Skilled Worker route from Student or Graduate permission, you should use Table 1 as your reference.

Let's look at the first occupation listed under Table 1 in Appendix Skilled Occupations, '1111 Chief executives and senior officials', and let’s assume you are hoping to apply for a Skilled Worker visa as a Chief Executive at Company X:

You have a job offer as a Chief executive of Company X. You are hoping to obtain your tradeable points under Option A.

Your job offer must have a salary that exceeds £84,100 per year (the going rate) and £43.13 per hour (the hourly rate).

Because this occupation already exceeds the minimum salary of the Skilled Worker route (£38,700), you must demonstrate that you will be paid over and above £84,100 per year and £43.13 per hour in a visa application.

Appendix Skilled Occupations provides a long list of job roles and it is important that when you are seeking sponsorship that you understand what the minimum salary is for the role you are applying for. If you are unsure, it is important that you contact the sponsoring organisation.

If you are being sponsored for a job role in a listed health or education occupation, you can only claim your tradeable points through Option K. It is important to note that roles in the health or care sector have further rules and requirements that you must meet. We do not cover these in our information. 

It may be possible to obtain your tradeable points through as a 'new entrant'. The 'new entrant' option is designed for those that are new to the labour market in the UK, and this includes those coming from Student or Graduate permission.

If you are planning to use the 'new entrant' option to obtain your tradeable points and you do not currently hold Skilled Worker permission you should use Option E. The other 'new entrant' option, Option J, is reserved for those already with Skilled Worker permission that are seeking an extension. 

As is the case for all of the tradeable points options, it is your prospective employer that is responsible for evaluating your eligibility. It is important that you understand what you may be eligible for however, and that any concerns are raised with your employer directly.

There are many benefits to obtaining your tradeable points as a 'new entrant' such as a lower minimum salary and an extended eligibility period if you leave the UK. The most common way those switching from the Student route seek to obtain tradeable points under Option E is by having Student permission:

• your most recent permission was as a Student and it is still valid; OR
• your most recent permission was as a Student and it expired no more than 2 years before the date of applying for Skilled Worker permission
• you must have been studying either a UK bachelors degree, a UK master's degree, a UK PhD or other doctoral qualification, a PGCE, or a PGDE
• you are making a Skilled Worker application after your course of study is complete; OR 
• you are making a Skilled Worker application as you are no more than 3 months away from completing your course of study; OR
• you are making a Skilled Worker application after you have completed at least 12 months of a UK PhD

You can also obtain points through Option E if you meet any one of the other following provisions:

• you are under the age of 26 on the date of application
• the job is a postdoctoral position under specific occupation codes (see Appendix Skilled Worker, SW 12.2 (b))
• you are working towards a recognised professional qualification in a profession listed on the Centre for Professional Qualifications website
• you are working towards full registration or chartered status with the relevant professional body for the job you are being sponsored for
• your most recent permission was under the Graduate route and it is still valid or it expired less than 2 years before the date of application

The main benefit of being a "new entrant" is a lower minimum salary requirement. The minimum salary for Option E is as follows:

• Yearly salary of £30,960
• 70% of the going rate for the SOC 2020 occupation code

Let’s revisit the example we used earlier where you have been offered a position of Chief Executive Officer at Company X:

You have a job offer as a Chief executive of Company X. You are hoping to obtain your tradeable points under Option E.

According to Table 1 in Appendix Skilled Occupations, the going rate for this role is £84,100. However, 70% of the going rate for this SOC 2020 occupation code is £58,870 per year and £30.19 per hour.

Because this occupation already exceeds the minimum salary of the Skilled Worker route (£38,700), you must demonstrate that you will be paid over and above £58,870 per year and £30.19 per hour in a visa application.

You can see that being a new entrant has a major impact on the salary that is required in any particular role. It is unlikely that you will enter into the labour market at the level of chief executive however, so let's take a look at another example of an occupation that can be sponsored under the Skilled worker route. This time, let’s look at "1135 Charitable organisation managers and directors". Remember, as a new entrant, you are able to take a salary at 70% of the going rate: 

You have a job offer as a Charity Manager at Charity X. You are hoping to obtain your tradeable points under Option E.

According to Table 1 in Appendix Skilled Occupations, the going rate for this role is £40,900. However, 70% of the going rate for this SOC 2020 occupation code is £30,960 per year and £15.88 per hour.

Although this does not exceed the minimum salary threshold of the Skilled Worker route (£38,700), it does meet the minimum threshold as a 'new entrant' (£30,960). Therefore your job offer must have a salary at or above the 70% of the going rate, as listed above.

It may be the case that the 'new entrant' going rate for an occupation does not always equate exactly to 70% of the going rate. This is because the Immigration Rules round up any salary that falls below the 'new entrant' minimum rate of £30,960 (or £15.88 per hour) automatically. 

It is important to note that you have a time limit as a new entrant. You can only have 4 years of total immigration permission for the UK under these routes:

• New entrant under Skilled Worker route
• Graduate route
• Tier 2

Deadlines and timeframes for applying for the Skilled Worker route can be found above under "Deadlines". If you come to the UK as a Visitor after your Student/Graduate leave, it will not affect your eligibility as a "new entrant".  

If you have been living in the UK with valid permission for 12 months or longer on the date of application, and you are applying for a Skilled Worker route visa in the UK, you will meet the financial requirements automatically. This will also apply for any dependants that are applying in the UK. 

If you have been living in the UK for less than 12 months, or if you are applying outside the UK, you will need to demonstrate funds of £1,270 for 28 consecutive days prior to the date of application. If you are applying with dependants, they must also be able to demonstrate funds.

Certain employers can confirm on the Certificate of Sponsorship that they will cover your living costs during your first month in the UK, up to a maximum of £1,270. They may also be able to do this for any dependents. If you are unsure if your employer can offer this, speak with them directly.

The job and vacancy must be genuine, and the Home Office may check this. The Immigration Rules explains (Appendix Skilled Worker) that you as the applicant must:

"[...] genuinely intend, and be able, to undertake the role for which they are being sponsored; and not intend to undertake employment other than in the role for which they are being sponsored, or as otherwise permitted"

This is assessed by a caseworker when your application is under review.

The Skilled Worker caseworker guidance elaborates further on this and explains that caseworkers assessing your application will take specific steps to establish the genuineness of your application and role.

If you are applying from outside of the UK and being sponsored under certain SOC 2020 occupation codes, you will need to provide a criminal record certificate from the relevant authority in any country in which you have been present for 12 months or more (whether continuously or in total) in the 10 years before the date of application, whilst aged 18 or over. 

Your sponsor should inform you of this requirement if is applicable.  You can read more information on criminal record certificates on the Home Office website, and the list of relevant SOC 2020 occupation codes can be found in Appendix Skilled Worker, SW 16.1.

You may need to obtain Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) clearance as part of a Skilled Worker route application. Details on whether you may require ATAS are outlined in the Workers and Temporary Workers: guidance for sponsors part 2: sponsor a worker - general information, pp.45-47.

For further details about whether you will require ATAS, speak to your employer. 

If you have had your living costs and tuition fees paid for a course of study in the UK by a government and/or an international scholarship agency within the 12 months prior to your Skilled Worker route application, you must provider a consent letter. This letter must be from your financial sponsor and it must state that they consent to your application under the Skilled Worker route. 

The Immigration Rules do not require sponsor's consent to the application if you were only sponsored for fees alone, or living costs alone, but we have had reports that the application form does not make this distinction. You may wish to check with your sponsor employer how they would like you to answer the question.

Sponsor consent is not required at all if you are or were sponsored by a university, an international company or an independent school.

If you are applying for a Skilled Worker visa from overseas, you must wait until your visa has been granted before you are able to travel to the UK and start working in your Skilled Worker job.

If you are applying to switch to the Skilled Worker visa from your Student leave, when you are able to start working depends on when you make your Skilled Worker route application, what course you have been studying, and when your CoS starts. There is also interaction between the Skilled Worker rules and Student rules that you need to be aware of when discussing these options with your employer:

You submitted a Skilled Worker visa application before 17 July 2023:

• You can start your job up to three months before your course end date

You submitted a Skilled Worker visa application after 17 July 2023:

• If your course of study is complete, then you can start working in your Skilled Worker job immediately after a valid Skilled Worker visa application is submitted
• If you are within 3 months of the course completion date on your CAS for your course of study, are studying at a higher education provider with a track record of compliance, and your CoS start date is after your course completion date, you can start working in your Skilled Worker job immediately after a valid Skilled Worker visa application is submitted
• If you are studying a PhD at a higher education provider with a track record of compliance, your CoS start date is no earlier than 24 months after your course start date, and you are not within 3 months of your course completion date on your CAS, then you cannot start working in your Skilled Worker job until your Skilled Worker visa has been granted

The rules for starting work are very complicated, so it is important that you communicate with your employer at all times throughout the recruitment process. In all cases where you are unsure about this, check directly with your employer.