United Kingdom

How the system works

1. Step 1: Find a licensed sponsor first — the route does not exist without one

   The Skilled Worker route cannot be applied for on your own. You must be employed by a UK employer approved by the Home Office, and that employer must issue you a Certificate of Sponsorship. Without a licensed sponsor the route does not exist, regardless of qualifications, experience or salary. This is structurally different from points-based countries: in the UK the employer's licence is the first gate, not the last step.

   gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa

2. Step 2: Check the occupation code, then clear both salary tests at once

   The job must map to an eligible four-digit occupation code classified as higher skilled or medium skilled. The salary test is a whichever-is-higher rule: the general threshold or the going rate for that specific occupation. This is the part most often missed — clearing the general threshold but falling below your occupation's going rate is still a refusal, and the going rate differs by occupation.

   gov.uk/your-job

3. Step 3: Prove English at CEFR level B2

   You must prove reading, writing, speaking and understanding at level B2 on the Common European Framework of Reference. Accepted proofs include a UK school qualification (GCSE, A Level, or Scottish National Qualifications level 4 to 5), a degree from a UK institution taught in English, a degree from outside the UK taught in English assessed by Ecctis, or a Secure English Language Test with an approved provider. Some nationalities are exempt, as are doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives and vets who have passed an English assessment accepted by their regulated professional body.

   gov.uk/knowledge-of-english

4. Step 4: Understand the in-country restrictions and the settlement timeline

   The visa lasts up to five years before it must be extended. After five years living in the UK you may be able to apply for indefinite leave to remain. While on the visa you can study, take additional work in certain circumstances, and bring a partner and children as dependants; you cannot change job or employer without applying to update your visa, and you cannot claim most public funds or the State Pension.

   gov.uk/skilled-worker-visagov.uk/what-you-can-and-cannot-do

Key requirements and figures

Figures change. Each row shows the period it applies to and the source it came from.

What commonly blocks an application

These are frequent reasons a route is closed. Absence of a listed problem is not an eligibility decision.

• The employer holds no Home Office sponsor licence. This is the most common and most absolute blocker: no personal qualification substitutes for sponsorship.

  gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa

• Salary clears the general threshold but falls below the occupation's going rate. The requirement is the higher of the two, not either one.

  gov.uk/your-job

• The job does not map to an eligible occupation code, or does not meet the required skill classification.

  gov.uk/your-job

• One of the four English abilities falls below B2. The requirement applies to each ability.

  gov.uk/knowledge-of-english

• Changing employer or job without applying to update the visa removes the sponsorship the existing visa rests on.

  gov.uk/what-you-can-and-cannot-do

Reviewed programs

• UK Global Talent visa — The UK Global Talent visa needs no employer sponsorship, but outside the prize route it is a two-stage process: obtain an endorsement in your field, then apply for the visa.
• UK Scale-up Worker visa — The UK Scale-up Worker visa is for approved fast-growing businesses and needs only a six-month job offer; changing employer within the first six months requires updating the visa, after which the route loosens considerably.
• UK Skilled Worker visa — The UK Skilled Worker visa rests on employer sponsorship. The salary must be the higher of the general threshold and the occupation's going rate, which is the part most often missed.

Official sources

• Work visasUK Government · Reviewed 2026-09-03
• Skilled Worker visaUK Government · Reviewed 2026-09-06
• Skilled Worker visa: your jobUK Government · Reviewed 2026-09-06
• Skilled Worker visa: knowledge of EnglishUK Government · Reviewed 2026-09-06
• Skilled Worker visa: what you can and cannot doUK Government · Reviewed 2026-09-06