Skilled Worker Visa: 2026 Rules, Salary and Real Costs

You've found a UK job you want, and now you need to know whether the employer can actually get you here. The Skilled Worker visa is the main route for that, but the rules changed sharply in 2025 and 2026. Here's what applies as of September 2026, what it really costs, and where people trip up.

Everything below comes from GOV.UK. Rules and fees change often, so confirm each figure on the official pages on the day you apply.

Who qualifies for a Skilled Worker visa in 2026?

The route rests entirely on your job offer. There's no points tally you can boost with qualifications alone.

You generally need:

• a job offer from an employer licensed by the Home Office to sponsor workers
• a certificate of sponsorship (CoS) from that employer
• a job in an eligible occupation at the required skill level
• a salary that meets the relevant threshold
• English at the required level

The visa can last up to five years, and you can extend it while you still meet the rules.

The skill level: RQF 6 for most new roles

On 22 July 2025 the skill threshold rose from RQF level 3 to RQF level 6, which is roughly graduate level. Around 180 occupations dropped out of eligibility for new applicants.

Some medium-skilled jobs (RQF 3 to 5) still qualify if they appear on the Immigration Salary List or the Temporary Shortage List. The government has said entries on both lists are time-limited to the end of 2026 unless the Migration Advisory Committee recommends keeping them.

People already on the route before 22 July 2025 have some transitional protection. That includes continued access to jobs below RQF 6 when they extend.

Salary threshold and going rates

As of September 2026, you must usually be paid £41,700 a year or the going rate for your occupation, whichever is higher. Going rates are listed by occupation code on GOV.UK.

A lower threshold of £33,400 can apply in certain circumstances where you don't meet the standard requirement. The conditions are set out on GOV.UK's "Your job" page, so check whether you qualify rather than assuming.

English language: the B2 change

New applicants now need English at B2 on the CEFR scale. If you held this visa before 8 January 2026 and are extending or updating it, B1 is still enough.

You can prove it with an approved Secure English Language Test, a degree taught in English (non-UK degrees need Ecctis confirmation), or certain UK school qualifications. Nationals of majority English-speaking countries such as the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are exempt.

Checking your sponsor and certificate

The Home Office publishes a register of licensed sponsors, updated almost every working day. If the company isn't listed for the Skilled Worker route, it can't sponsor you, however polished the offer looks.

Your employer pays for the CoS. GOV.UK tells employers their licence may be revoked if they ask a sponsored worker to pay that fee or linked costs. Once assigned, you must use the certificate to apply within 3 months.

If you're still looking for the right employer, start with our guide to finding visa sponsorship jobs.

Skilled Worker visa costs: fees and the health surcharge

This is where many budgets fall apart. The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) is charged per year, per person, and it often costs more than the visa.

As of September 2026, GOV.UK lists these amounts:

For a five-year visa applied for from abroad, the fee plus five years of IHS comes to £6,793 for one adult. A partner adds the same again.

Health and care workers who qualify for the Health and Care Worker visa pay lower fees and don't pay the IHS, so check that route first if it fits your job.

Beyond government fees, budget for flights, a rental deposit and your first month or two of living costs. Opening a UK bank account can take time without a credit history, and if you'll support family abroad, it pays to compare international money transfer costs early. Paying the IHS gives you NHS access, but some people still add private health insurance to cut waiting times.

How to apply, step by step

1. Get a genuine offer from a sponsor on the register, in an eligible occupation at the right salary.
2. Receive your CoS reference number from the employer. Check the job title, occupation code and salary are correct.
3. Prove your English at B2, unless you're exempt or extending with B1.
4. Gather documents: passport, CoS details, proof of savings if needed, and a tuberculosis test certificate if your country requires one.
5. Apply online up to 3 months before your start date, and pay the fee and IHS.
6. Prove your identity as instructed, either through the app or at a visa application centre.
7. Wait for a decision: usually within 3 weeks from outside the UK, or 8 weeks from inside.

A worked example

Say you're a software developer from Lagos with a job offer in Manchester at £48,000. The role is graduate level, and the pay beats £41,700, but you'd also need to check it meets the going rate for your occupation code.

Nigeria isn't on the English-exempt list, so you'd book an approved B2 test. For a five-year visa you'd budget £1,618 plus £5,175 IHS. If your partner joins you, double it, and add the extra £285 in savings unless your sponsor certifies maintenance.

Bringing family, switching and changing jobs

Family members, including care workers

Most Skilled Workers in graduate-level jobs can bring a partner and children under 18.

There are important exceptions. Workers newly sponsored in Temporary Shortage List jobs below RQF 6 generally cannot bring dependants. For care workers and senior care workers, new visa applications from outside the UK closed on 22 July 2025. In-country switching into those roles remains possible until 22 July 2028, and care workers can only sponsor dependants in limited cases, such as continuous employment since before 11 March 2024.

Switching and changing jobs

You can switch into the Skilled Worker visa from many other visas inside the UK. You can't switch from a visitor visa, short-term student visa, seasonal worker visa or domestic worker in a private household visa, among others. People in those categories must leave and apply from abroad.

If you change employer, or move to a different occupation code, you need a new CoS and must apply to update your visa. Don't start the new job until you've applied correctly.

Settlement: where "earned settlement" stands

Under current rules on GOV.UK, you can apply to settle after five years on the route.

That may change. The government consulted on an earned settlement model between 20 November 2025 and 12 February 2026. It proposes a 10-year baseline, adjusted up or down for factors like earnings and contribution. As of September 2026, the consultation page says responses are still being analysed and no outcome has been published.

If British citizenship is your end goal, see our guide to British citizenship and naturalisation.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Assuming the salary is enough without checking the going rate for your occupation code.
• Relying on old thresholds from blogs written before July 2025.
• Booking a B1 test when you're a new applicant who needs B2.
• Forgetting the IHS for every family member and every year.
• Starting a new job before applying to update your visa.
• Paying for your own CoS. That's the employer's cost.

Your next steps

Search the sponsor register for your employer's exact name and confirm your occupation code and going rate on GOV.UK. Then book your English test and build a cost sheet that includes the IHS for everyone coming.

If your case involves past refusals, a job on a shortage list or a tricky switch, consider paying for advice from an IAA-regulated adviser or an immigration solicitor. It usually costs far less than a refused application.