UK Skilled Worker Visa Complete Master Guide 2026
2026 master guide to the Skilled Worker route: 70-point eligibility, Home Office-approved sponsorship and CoS, current salary options (£41,700 standard / £33,400 New Entrant floor), B2 English, dependant restrictions, supplementary work and 5-year settlement.
1. Executive Summary & 70-Point Requirement
The Skilled Worker Visa allows licensed UK employers to recruit international professionals. Applicants must score 70 points on the UK Points-Based System.
2. 70-Points Breakdown Matrix
The table below details how the 70 points are scored:
| Point Category | Statutory Rule / Condition | Points Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Sponsorship | Valid CoS from a Home Office-approved sponsor meeting the Skilled Worker sponsorship requirements | 20 Points (Mandatory) |
| Eligible Skilled Occupation | Job must be in an eligible SOC 2020 occupation under the current Skilled Worker occupation tables and applicable transitional rules | 20 Points (Mandatory) |
| English Language | B2 in reading, writing, speaking and listening for new applicants, or B1 under the specified transitional rule | 10 Points (Mandatory) |
| Salary / Tradeable Option | Salary must satisfy one permitted option and the applicable SOC 2020 going-rate requirement | 20 Points (Tradeable) |
3. Defined vs Undefined Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)
Defined CoS is generally used where a worker is applying for Skilled Worker entry clearance from outside the UK; Undefined CoS is generally used for Skilled Worker permission-to-stay applications and other cases managed through the sponsor management system. Sponsors must use the CoS type appropriate to the application and route.
4. Supplementary Work & Changing Employers
Skilled Workers can normally do up to 20 hours per week of supplementary work where the additional job meets the permitted supplementary-employment rules, including eligible higher-skilled work, Immigration Salary List work, same-profession-and-level work, and specified transitional medium-skilled work. The additional work must be outside the contracted hours of the sponsored job. Changing the sponsored employer requires a new CoS and an application to update the Skilled Worker permission.
5. Current Skilled Worker Salary Options
For current applications, the principal salary option requires at least £41,700 per year and the full going rate for the SOC 2020 occupation code. Tradeable options can reduce the salary floor where the applicant qualifies for a relevant PhD, STEM PhD, Immigration Salary List or New Entrant option. Current minimum salary floors are £37,500 for a relevant PhD, £33,400 for a relevant STEM PhD, £33,400 for an Immigration Salary List job and £33,400 for a New Entrant, with the applicable 90%, 80%, 100% or 70% going-rate requirement respectively.
6. English Language Requirement
New Skilled Worker applicants generally need English at B2 in reading, writing, speaking and listening. A transitional B1 rule can apply where the applicant's most recent permission was Skilled Worker and was granted under the earlier B1 requirement. The English evidence can be demonstrated through the permitted methods in Appendix English Language.
7. Occupation Code and Skill-Level Rules
The Skilled Worker job must be in an eligible SOC 2020 occupation under the current occupation tables, Immigration Salary List or applicable Temporary Shortage List/transitional provisions. Most currently eligible occupations are treated as skilled to RQF level 6 or above, while special transitional tables preserve eligibility for some lower-skilled occupations for workers who already held Skilled Worker permission under earlier rules.
8. Dependants and Current Restrictions
A Skilled Worker can usually bring a qualifying partner and children, but important restrictions now apply to dependants of care workers, senior care workers and certain medium-skilled workers. Transitional exceptions protect some workers who already held qualifying Skilled Worker permission before 11 March 2024 or 22 July 2025 respectively, and separate exceptions exist for UK-born children and certain sole-parent or joint-responsibility situations.
9. Switching Into Skilled Worker
Applicants inside the UK cannot normally switch into Skilled Worker if they have or most recently had permission as a Visitor, Short-term Student, Parent of a Child Student, Seasonal Worker or Domestic Worker in a Private Household, or permission outside the Immigration Rules. The application must be made from a route that is permitted to switch.
10. Skilled Worker Settlement After 5 Years
Skilled Worker is a settlement route, but ILR is not automatic after five years. The applicant must meet the 5-year continuous qualifying residence requirement, continuous-residence absence rules, settlement English and Life in the UK requirements, suitability requirements, and the applicable sponsorship and salary requirements. Qualifying time can include certain other immigration routes. For settlement, only the full going-rate column applies; the 70%, 80% and 90% tradeable going-rate reductions do not apply.
Essential Summary & 2026 Checklist
- Must score 70 points under the Points-Based System.
- Mandatory job offer and sponsorship from a Home Office-approved sponsor.
- The current general salary option is £41,700 plus the applicable going rate, while the New Entrant option has a £33,400 salary floor plus 70% of the going rate, subject to the relevant rules.
- Supplementary work can be permitted for up to 20 hours per week where the additional job satisfies the current supplementary-employment rules.
- Skilled Worker is a route to settlement after a qualifying 5-year continuous residence period, provided the applicant meets the settlement requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions (6)
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