Skilled Worker Visa UK: 2026 Requirements, Costs and How to Apply
We guide sponsors and skilled workers through sponsorship, eligibility and salary rules, so your visa application stays on track
The UK Skilled Worker visa lets an employer holding a Home Office sponsor licence recruit a non-UK national into a genuine vacancy that meets the required skill and salary level. Since 22 July 2025, most sponsored roles must sit at RQF level 6 (degree-equivalent) and pay at least £41,700 a year or the going rate for the occupation, whichever is higher. Since 8 January 2026, most first-time applicants must also show English to CEFR level B2. Our immigration solicitors in High Holborn and Upton Park advise both sponsors and applicants through every stage of the route, from Certificate of Sponsorship to settlement.
What is the Skilled Worker visa?
The Skilled Worker visa is the main route into the UK’s points-based immigration system for people with a confirmed job offer. Applicants need 70 points in total: 50 mandatory points for a job offer from an approved sponsor, a role at the required skill level, and English language ability, plus 20 tradeable points usually made up through salary (or through a PhD, a shortage/Temporary Shortage List role, or “new entrant” status where the salary threshold is lower). It replaced the old Tier 2 (General) visa in December 2020 and remains the standard employer-sponsored work route for most professional and skilled roles.
Skilled Worker visa eligibility requirements in 2026
To qualify, you need:
- A job offer from a UK employer with a valid sponsor licence for the role — we advise employers on sponsor licence applications and issuing a valid Certificate of Sponsorship.
- A role at RQF level 6 or above (broadly, degree level) for new sponsorships from 22 July 2025 onward. Around 111 previously eligible occupations — including several RQF3–5 roles — dropped out of scope with this change, though workers already sponsored in those roles before 22 July 2025 can continue until 22 July 2028. A narrower Temporary Shortage List of roles just below RQF6 will remain available for critical shortage occupations until the Immigration Salary List is retired on 31 December 2026, but Temporary Shortage List sponsorship does not currently allow dependants to join the worker.
- A salary that meets the going rate for the occupation, or the general minimum, whichever is higher.
- English language ability at CEFR level B2 (reading, writing, speaking and listening) for first-time applicants from 8 January 2026 — up from B1. If you already held Skilled Worker leave before that date, B1 is still sufficient when you extend or switch within the route. English requirements can be met through a UK degree taught in English, an approved Secure English Language Test, or exemption by nationality.
- Personal savings of £1,270 held for 28 consecutive days, unless your sponsor certifies maintenance on the Certificate of Sponsorship.
How much does a Skilled Worker visa cost in 2026?
For a family of three on a five-year visa, the Immigration Health Surcharge alone can run into five figures — it’s worth budgeting for this alongside the application fee before your Certificate of Sponsorship is assigned. Our sponsor licence and Certificate of Sponsorship advice covers employer-side costs like the Immigration Skills Charge in more detail.
How to apply, and how long it takes
- Your employer assigns a Certificate of Sponsorship confirming the role, salary and SOC code.
- You apply online, pay the fees above, and prove your identity (usually via the UK Immigration: ID Check app or a visa application centre).
- UKVI processes standard applications in 3 weeks if you’re outside the UK or 8 weeks if you’re applying from inside the UK — priority services can speed this up for an extra fee.
- If granted, your visa runs for up to 5 years, tied to your sponsor and role; changing employer or role generally requires a new Certificate of Sponsorship.
For a fuller walk-through of the application steps and common pitfalls, see our companion guide, UK Skilled Worker Visa 2026: Application, Extension & Advice.
Bringing your partner and children
Skilled Worker visa holders can normally bring a partner and children as dependants, provided the role isn’t sponsored under the Temporary Shortage List (which currently excludes dependants). Dependants pay their own application and Immigration Health Surcharge fees and must meet financial requirements. We’ve set out the specific dependant rules, evidence and costs in Bringing Dependants to the UK on a Skilled Worker Visa; if your family route is instead based on marriage or a long-term relationship with a British citizen or settled person, our Spouse/Partner Visa and Child Visa to Join Parents pages cover those routes.
Switching into the Skilled Worker route
Applicants already in the UK on a Student visa or Graduate visa can often switch into the Skilled Worker route without leaving the UK, provided they secure a qualifying job offer and Certificate of Sponsorship before their current permission expires. Switching from the Graduate route is one of the most common paths we advise on, since it avoids the cost and disruption of returning overseas to apply.
Settlement: the route to Indefinite Leave to Remain
Under the current rules, most Skilled Worker visa holders can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain after 5 years’ continuous residence, provided they still meet the sponsorship and salary requirements and pass the Life in the UK test. The ILR application fee is currently £3,226.
The Home Office has proposed replacing this with an “Earned Settlement” model — a 10-year baseline qualifying period, reduced to 5 years for higher earners and potentially 3 years for the highest earners, alongside new National Insurance contribution requirements. This proposal comes from the May 2025 white paper Restoring Control over the Immigration System and remains under consultation; as of September 2026 it has not been brought into force, and government timelines for implementation have already slipped once. Current 5-year Skilled Worker settlement rules apply unless and until new Immigration Rules are laid before Parliament — we track this closely and will update this page and our clients as soon as a firm commencement date is confirmed.
If your application is refused
Skilled Worker refusals are usually challenged by Administrative Review where the decision involved a case-working error, or by Immigration Appeals or Judicial Review where broader legal grounds apply. Strict deadlines apply to all three routes, so early advice matters.
Other work and study routes we advise on
Not every applicant fits the Skilled Worker mould. If your role is in health or social care, see our Health and Care Worker Visa page (note: this route is now closed to new overseas recruitment, with switching only available to existing UK-based care workers until 22 July 2028). If you’re founding a business rather than taking employment, our Business Start-Up and Innovator Founder Visa page may be the better fit.
Why choose Adam Bernard Solicitors as your Skilled Worker visa solicitor
Our SRA-regulated immigration team has advised sponsors and applicants across the Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker, and Global Talent routes for over 15 years, for more than 15,000 clients. We offer free consultations by phone, Zoom, Teams, WhatsApp or Skype from our High Holborn and Upton Park offices, and same-day advice where a Certificate of Sponsorship deadline is tight. Call us 24/7 on 0207 100 2525 or book a free video consultation to talk through your eligibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum salary for a Skilled Worker visa in 2026?
Do I need a degree for a Skilled Worker visa?
What English level do I need for a Skilled Worker visa?
How long does a Skilled Worker visa take to process?
Can I bring my family on a Skilled Worker visa?
Is the Skilled Worker visa still a 5-year route to settlement?
Can I switch from a Student or Graduate visa to a Skilled Worker visa?
Request to book a Free Consultation
Our Clients Share Their Success Stories.
Good service 👍 👌 many thanks for the great service you have provided to us. Our visa got approved just within 2 weeks only because of your hardwork and subject matter expertise. I am very thankful to you
For me, it was the attitude towards the job the lawyers displayed. Totally unmatched. I've been in and out of law firms because of the divorce with my wife and other related issues but Adam Bernard Solicitors was it for me guys. The best!
I want to thank Adam Benard team, they really helped me in my process of purchasing a property, their team are listen and respond to their customers fast. I really love your service, thanks alot.
Adam Bernard team helped me to purchase the best property for the best amount of time for the best money i have . i personally love dealing with them and i thank the team for all the efforts they made to make the task better .
