Skilled Worker salary rules: worked examples

Sources

1. Skilled Worker visa: Your job (gov.uk). Checked 7 October 2026.
   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.

   Each occupation code has its own annual going rate. Check the going rate for your job in the going rates table.

2. Statement of Changes HC 997 (gov.uk). Checked 7 October 2026.
   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”.

   APP SW3. In row B of the table following SW 4.4, for “£34,830”, substitute “£37,500”.

   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. Skilled Worker visa: When you can be paid less (gov.uk). Checked 7 October 2026.
   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:

   you’re currently in the UK on a Graduate visa (or you have been in the last 2 years, and a Graduate or visit visa was your most recent visa)

   Your total stay in the UK cannot be more than 4 years if you apply for one of these reasons. This includes any time you’ve already spent in the UK on a Graduate visa.

   If you have a science, technology, engineering or maths (STEM) qualification, you can be paid 80% of your job’s standard going rate, as long as you will still be paid at least £33,400 a year.

   If you have a non-STEM qualification, you can be paid 90% of your job’s standard going rate, as long as you will still be paid at least £37,500 a year.

   You must be paid at least £33,400 per year if you are being sponsored for a job on the immigration salary list.

4. Immigration Rules: Appendix Skilled Worker (gov.uk). Checked 7 October 2026.
   The passage relied on

   The applicant is a new entrant at the start of their career and their salary equals or exceeds both: £33,400 per year and 70% of the going rate for the SOC 2020 occupation code.

   (f) the applicant’s most recent permission (disregarding any permission as a visitor) was as a Graduate, and if that permission has expired, it must have expired less than 2 years before the date of application.

   SW 12.3. Granting the application must not mean the applicant’s combined permission as a Skilled Worker, Graduate and/or Tier 2 Migrant would be more than 4 years in total, whether or not the permission is for a continuous period.

   SW 14.3. If the applicant is being sponsored to work more than 48 hours a week, subject to SW 14.3A, only the salary for the first 48 hours a week will be considered towards the salary thresholds referred to in the table following SW 4.4.

   (a) the applicant must be under the age of 26 on the date of application; or

5. Immigration Rules: Appendix Skilled Occupations (gov.uk). Checked 7 October 2026.
   The passage relied on

   Going rates in Table 1 are per year and based on a 37.5-hour working week. They must be pro-rated for other working patterns, based on the weekly working hours stated by the applicant’s sponsor.

6. Skilled Worker visa: If you work in healthcare or education (gov.uk). Checked 7 October 2026.
   The passage relied on

   There are different salary rules if you work in some healthcare or education jobs. Your salary must be at least £25,000

7. Statement of Changes HC 733 (gov.uk). Checked 7 October 2026.
   The passage relied on

   APP SW2. In the table following SW 4.4, in the rows containing options H, I, J and K, for “£23,200”, substitute “£25,000” in each of the four places it occurs.

   The following paragraphs shall take effect on 9 April 2025. In relation to those changes, if an application for entry clearance or permission to stay has been made using a certificate of sponsorship issued by a sponsor to an applicant before 9 April 2025, or if an application which does not require a certificate of sponsorship has been made before 9 April 2025, such applications will be decided in accordance with the Immigration Rules in force on 8 April 2025:

8. Statement of Changes HC 590 (gov.uk). Checked 7 October 2026.
   The passage relied on

   The following paragraphs shall take effect on 4 April 2024. In relation to those changes, if an application for entry clearance or permission to stay has been made using a certificate of sponsorship issued by a sponsor to an applicant before 4 April 2024 (or is an application as a partner or dependent child of a person who has made such an application), such applications will be decided in accordance with the Immigration Rules in force on 3 April 2024:

How each figure is checked: Sources and method.