Figures in force

Changes since

The handbook

Figures in force

Rules for working after study

What a Skilled Worker job must pay, when you can switch to it from a Student or Graduate visa, and what happens if the job ends.

Figures in force for this section
Figure In force Since Authority
General salary threshold No longer applies: £38,700 Applies today: £41,700Note F1 SW 4.4 option A, HC 997 (gov.uk)

F1 Substituted by HC 997, APP SW2. In force . Show what it said before

New-entrant salary floor No longer applies: £30,960 Applies today: £33,400Note F2 SW 4.4 option E, HC 997 (gov.uk)

F2 Substituted by HC 997, APP SW4. In force . Show what it said before

English level for a Skilled Worker visa No longer applies: B1 Applies today: B2Note F3 SW 4.1, HC 1333 (gov.uk)

F3 Substituted by HC 1333, APP SW3. In force . Show what it said before
The clock face on the Strand front of the Royal Courts of Justice in London
Plate 5. The clock on the Royal Courts of Justice, the building on the Strand that houses the High Court and the Court of Appeal. Photo: The wub, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Adapted (greyscale, cropped).

Contents

Entries in this section
EntryTitleUpdatedChanged
Rules 1 Salary worked examples
Rules 2 What counts as salary None recorded
Rules 3 Switching before your course ends
Rules 4 After your course ends None recorded
Rules 5 Lost your job
Rules 6 English requirement
Rules 7 Time towards settlement None recorded

The general threshold rose to £41,700 on 22 July 2025

£38,700 4 Apr 2024 £41,700 22 Jul 2025 Today
Show as a table
General salary threshold by date
FromToThreshold
£38,700
In force today£41,700
Source: Statement of Changes HC 997 (gov.uk) and HC 590. Checked .

Common questions

What is the Skilled Worker salary threshold?

You usually need to be paid at least £41,700 a year, the general threshold since 22 July 2025, or the going rate for your job if that is higher. A lower rate can apply to new entrants, with a floor of £33,400 a year.

Can I switch from a Student visa to a Skilled Worker visa?

Yes, from inside the UK, if one of three conditions in the rules applies to you. The conditions are set out in switching before your course ends.

What English level does a Skilled Worker visa need?

Level B2 since 8 January 2026, including for people switching from a Graduate visa. The details are in the English requirement.

Sources

  1. Skilled Worker visa: Your job (gov.uk). Checked .
    The passage relied on
    You’ll usually need to be paid the ‘standard’ salary rate of at least £41,700 per year, or the ‘going rate’ for your job, whichever is higher.
  2. Statement of Changes HC 997 (gov.uk). Checked .
    The passage relied on
    APP SW2. In row A of the table following SW 4.4, for “£38,700”, substitute “£41,700”.
    APP SW4. In rows C, D and E of the table following SW 4.4, for each instance of “£30,960”, substitute “£33,400”.
    All other changes in this Statement shall take effect on 22 July 2025. In relation to those changes, (i) if an application has been made using a certificate of sponsorship issued by a sponsor to an applicant before 22 July 2025; or (ii) if an application which does not require a certificate of sponsorship has been made before 22 July 2025; such applications will be decided in accordance with the Immigration Rules in force on 21 July 2025.
  3. Statement of Changes HC 590 (gov.uk). Checked .
    The passage relied on
    The following paragraphs shall take effect on 4 April 2024.
  4. Skilled Worker visa: When you can be paid less (gov.uk). Checked .
    The passage relied on
    You can be paid 70% of your job’s standard going rate if your salary will be at least £33,400 per year and one of the following applies:
  5. Skilled Worker visa: Knowledge of English (gov.uk). Checked .
    The passage relied on
    You must prove you can read, write, speak and understand English to at least level B2 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale.
  6. Statement of Changes HC 1333: explanatory memorandum (gov.uk). Checked .
    The passage relied on
    5.22 The English language requirement for the Skilled Worker, High Potential Individual and Scale-up routes is increased from B1 Level to B2 Level (as defined under the Common European Framework for Reference for Languages (CEFR)).
  7. Skilled Worker visa: Switch to this visa (gov.uk). Checked .
    The passage relied on
    If you’re currently in the UK on a Student visa, you must also meet one of the following requirements:
  8. Immigration Rules: Appendix Skilled Worker (gov.uk). Checked .
    The passage relied on
    (a) Condition A: the applicant must have completed the course of study for which the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies was assigned (or a course to which ST 27.3 of Appendix Student applies); or

How each figure is checked: Sources and method.

This is general information about the rules, not legal advice. For advice on your own situation, use a solicitor or an adviser regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority (gov.uk).