The four things every Skilled Worker job needs
- A job offer from an employer on the Home Office register of licensed sponsors.
- An eligible occupation. For new applicants this normally means a graduate-level job (RQF level 6 or above). Some medium-skilled roles qualify only while they are on the Temporary Shortage List.
- A salary of at least £41,700 a year or the going rate for that occupation code, whichever is higher. Some people qualify for lower rates (see below).
- English at level B2 in reading, writing, speaking and listening, proved by a degree taught in English, a UK qualification or an approved test.
Occupation codes and going rates
Every sponsored job is matched to a four-digit occupation code. Each code has its own going rate, and your salary must meet it as well as the general threshold. Two jobs with the same title can sit under different codes, so ask the employer which code they plan to use and look up its going rate on GOV.UK before you accept an offer.
Rekruuter's Visa Sponsors page includes an occupation code search with the standard and lower going rates for each code.
When you can be paid less
- New entrants: if you are under 26, switching from a Student or Graduate visa, or training towards a professional qualification, the floor is £33,400 or 70% of the going rate, whichever is higher. Your total time on these terms is capped at four years, including any time on a Graduate visa.
- Immigration Salary List roles: graduate-level jobs on the list can be paid £33,400, but still need 100% of the going rate.
- Health and education roles on national pay scales follow separate salary rules.
- People who already held a Skilled Worker visa before 22 July 2025 may extend or change jobs under older, lower thresholds.
Shortage lists in 2026
The Temporary Shortage List lets some medium-skilled occupations be sponsored even though they are below degree level. Its current entries are due to end on 31 December 2026, and the Migration Advisory Committee has recommended a different, shorter list from January 2027. Until the government confirms the change in the Immigration Rules, treat any medium-skilled role as uncertain and check GOV.UK before you rely on it.