Navigating the UK Skilled Worker Visa: A Guide for 2026

The UK Skilled Worker visa remains the primary route for international professionals seeking to live and work in the UK. However, by 2026, this route has become significantly more selective. Higher salary thresholds, stricter skill requirements, and tougher English standards mean that careful planning is no longer optional — it’s essential.

This guide explains how the Skilled Worker visa works in 2026, what has changed, and how to assess whether a job offer genuinely meets the Home Office rules.

Key Points at a Glance

• Sponsorship is mandatory: You must have a job offer and a valid Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from a Home Office-licensed employer
  
  
  

• Higher salary threshold: The general minimum salary is now £41,700 per year or the role’s going rate, whichever is higher
  
  
  

• Graduate-level roles: Most eligible jobs must meet RQF Level 6 (degree level)
  
  
  

• Stricter English requirement: New applicants must meet CEFR Level B2 across all four components
  
  
  

• No access to public funds: Skilled Worker visa holders cannot claim most benefits or the State Pension
  
  
  

What Is the UK Skilled Worker Visa?

The Skilled Worker visa allows non-British nationals to come to or remain in the UK to work in an eligible role for an approved employer.

It replaced the former Tier 2 (General) route and sits at the centre of the UK’s points-based immigration system. For many professionals, it is also the main pathway to Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) after five years of continuous residence.

The visa is job-specific. Your right to stay in the UK is directly tied to your sponsoring employer, your role, and your salary. Any material change usually requires a new application.

Core Eligibility: The Points-Based System Explained

To qualify, applicants must score 70 points. These are split between mandatory criteria and salary-based “tradeable” points.

1. The Job Offer and Sponsorship (20 Points)

You must have a genuine vacancy with a UK employer that holds a valid sponsor licence.

Your employer issues a digital Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS), which contains your job details, salary, and SOC code. The CoS is valid for three months from the date of issue and can only be used once.

Without a valid CoS, an application cannot proceed.

2. Appropriate Skill Level (20 Points)

Since July 2025, the minimum skill level for most Skilled Worker roles increased from RQF Level 3 (A-level equivalent) to RQF Level 6 (degree level).

This change removed many previously eligible roles from the route.

Practical tip: Always confirm your SOC 2020 occupation code with your employer and check it against the current Immigration Rules. The SOC code is used to confirm whether the role is eligible for a Skilled Worker visa and what minimum salary applies. Note job titles alone are not determinative — the Home Office assesses the actual duties of the role.

3. English Language Requirement (10 Points)

From 8 January 2026, first-time Skilled Worker applicants must demonstrate English at CEFR Level B2.

You can meet this requirement by passing an approved Secure English Language Test (SELT), holding a degree taught in English that is recognised as equivalent to a UK bachelor’s degree, or being a national of a majority English-speaking country.

This represents a clear tightening compared to earlier B1 standards.

4. Salary Thresholds and Tradeable Points (20 Points)

For those new to the route, the standard Skilled Worker salary threshold in 2026 is £41,700 per year, unless the role’s going rate is higher.

Lower thresholds may apply in limited scenarios:

• Option B – Relevant PhD (non-STEM): Minimum salary £37,500 and 90% of the going rate for the SOC code;

  
  

• Option C – Relevant STEM PhD: Minimum salary £33,400 and 80% of the going rate for the SOC code;

  
  

• Option D - Immigration Salary List roles: Minimum salary £33,400 but the full going rate for the SOC code;

  
  

• Option E – New Entrant: Applies to applicants under 26, recent graduates, or postdoctoral researchers, with a minimum salary of £33,400 and 70% of the going rate for the SOC code;

  
  

• Option K* - Health and Education roles: Applies to certain health and education roles,  a minimum salary of £25, 000 per annum and the full going rate for the SOC code.

  
  

*Note that options F - J exist but only be used for applicants already sponsored in the Skilled Worker route prior to 4 April 2024 or for particular health and care roles.

Each option has strict eligibility criteria, and assumptions in this area are a common cause of refusal.