The Skilled Worker visa salary requirements have become more complex in 2026.
Employers must consider not only the minimum salary threshold and the going rate for the sponsored occupation, but also how salary is paid, which transitional arrangements apply and whether the relevant occupation remains eligible for a reduced threshold.
Two developments deserve particular attention.
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First, the new Pay Period Rule, introduced through paragraph SW 14.3B of the Immigration Rules, places greater emphasis on salary compliance during employment rather than relying solely on the annual salary stated in a Certificate of Sponsorship.
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Secondly, changes to the Immigration Salary List mean that employers and applicants cannot assume that reduced salary arrangements will remain available indefinitely.
For applicants, a salary that appears sufficient on an employment contract may not satisfy every applicable requirement. For employers, a compliant Certificate of Sponsorship is only part of the picture: payroll arrangements, contractual deductions and the actual duties of the role also matter.
📝This guide explains the Skilled Worker visa salary threshold for 2026, transitional salary arrangements, the Pay Period Rule, occupation-specific going rates, reduced thresholds for eligible applicants and the practical steps needed to avoid common salary errors.
It is intended for new Skilled Worker applicants, people extending their permission, sponsoring employers, HR professionals and immigration advisers.
Salary compliance should be reviewed before a Certificate of Sponsorship is assigned and again before an application is submitted. The distinction between an apparently adequate annual salary and a salary that meets the Immigration Rules is increasingly important.
The General Salary Threshold for 2026
For most new Skilled Worker applications, the standard general salary threshold is £41,700 per year, or the applicable going rate for the occupation code, whichever is higher. The increased threshold took effect on 22 July 2025. The previous £38,700 threshold therefore should not be treated as the current standard for new applications. Home Office Immigration Rules.
The going rate is the minimum salary assigned to the relevant occupation under the SOC 2020 classification. For many occupations, the going rate exceeds the general threshold. Meeting £41,700 alone is therefore not sufficient where the occupation-specific requirement is higher.
The applicable salary test depends on the applicant's circumstances. Different provisions may apply to eligible new entrants, applicants with relevant PhD qualifications, certain Immigration Salary List occupations and workers who qualify for transitional arrangements.
Salary is not simply the total value of an employment package. Under SW 14.1 and SW 14.2, the calculation generally focuses on guaranteed basic gross pay and qualifying guaranteed payments treated in the same way for tax, pension and National Insurance purposes. Bonuses, overtime, employer pension contributions, benefits in kind and business expenses generally cannot be counted.
Part-time roles require particular care. The applicable occupation going rate must be adjusted to reflect the relevant working hours, and the salary must satisfy the applicable threshold and hourly-rate requirements. Employers should not assume that a role meets the rules merely because its annual salary appears proportionate to a full-time equivalent.
The £41,700 threshold replaced the earlier £38,700 standard following the 2025 changes. The older £26,200 and £30,000 figures are also not the standard thresholds for new applications.
Applicants who entered the route before 4 April 2024 may qualify for transitional salary provisions, but eligibility depends on the precise rules applicable to their application.
Transitional Salary Arrangements
Transitional provisions can make a material difference to the salary an applicant must receive. They should be assessed individually rather than treated as a general entitlement for anyone who has previously held a Skilled Worker visa.
Who qualifies for transitional protection?
Applicants who were granted permission under the Skilled Worker route, or the predecessor Tier 2 (General) route, before 4 April 2024 may qualify for lower salary requirements if they satisfy the relevant continuity and application conditions.
For eligible applicants, the general salary threshold can be £31,300 rather than the standard £41,700, subject to the applicable occupation going rate and any further transitional provisions.
The precise requirements matter. A previous Skilled Worker visa does not automatically guarantee continued access to every historic salary concession. Applicants should establish whether they have continuously held the relevant permission and whether their proposed application falls within the applicable transitional rules.
Moving to a different immigration route and subsequently returning to Skilled Worker status can affect eligibility. Anyone considering a route change should assess the potential consequences before making an application.
Transitional arrangements for Tier 2 (General) holders
A specific provision applies to certain applicants who previously held Tier 2 (General) permission and have continuously held permission under the Skilled Worker route since then.
Under SW 14.5, eligible applicants applying before 1 December 2026 may be able to include certain guaranteed allowances in their salary calculation, provided the conditions are met. These include allowances such as London weighting where they are guaranteed, payable throughout the permission and would also be paid to a comparable settled worker.
The provision is conditional, including a requirement concerning the applicant's sponsor. It should not be interpreted as allowing every allowance or benefit to be counted as salary.
The 1 December 2026 date is particularly important for affected Tier 2 (General) holders. Employers should identify eligible workers well in advance, review their contractual remuneration and establish whether an application needs to be made before the relevant deadline.
A transitional arrangement should never be assumed to apply simply because it was available for an earlier application. The applicant's immigration history, occupation, sponsor and proposed application date must all be checked.
The Pay Period Rule: SW 14.3B
The Pay Period Rule is an important development in Skilled Worker salary compliance. Paragraph SW 14.3B of Appendix Skilled Worker establishes requirements concerning the salary actually paid during employment.
The change was introduced through the March 2026 Immigration Rules amendments and applies according to the relevant commencement provisions, including the applicable Certificate of Sponsorship assignment date. Employers should check the rules in force for the specific application rather than assume that the same provisions apply retrospectively to every existing worker.
How does the Pay Period Rule work?
The rules require the worker to receive the required salary in pay periods of at least monthly frequency, or as otherwise specified in the employment contract.
The salary paid in each pay period must equal or exceed the going rate for every hour worked during that period. Additional tests apply to the total salary paid over a longer reference period:
- Monthly or less frequent pay: salary over any three-month period must be at least one quarter of the required annual salary.
- More frequent pay: salary over any 12-week period must be at least 12/52 of the required annual salary.
- Irregular working patterns: where regular hours vary from week to week and produce uneven pay, the sponsor must confirm the working pattern, and salary over any 17-week period must satisfy the specified proportion of the annual requirement.
These tests are set out in SW 14.3B. They are more nuanced than a rule requiring every monthly pay slip to equal exactly one-twelfth of the annual salary threshold. The hourly going-rate requirement and the relevant longer-period calculation must both be considered. Home Office Skilled Worker caseworker guidance.
Why does this matter for employers and applicants?
An employment contract might specify an annual salary that appears to meet the applicable threshold, but the actual payments may not satisfy the Immigration Rules.
Employers should therefore check the relationship between contractual salary, working hours, payroll frequency and the salary actually paid. Payroll records should be capable of demonstrating compliance over the relevant periods.
The rule also makes it important to identify changes to remuneration before they take effect. A temporary reduction in pay, a change to working hours or an alteration to the payroll arrangement may create an issue even where the worker's original salary was sufficient.
Practical compliance risks
Employers should pay particular attention to:
- Unpaid leave and periods of reduced working hours.
- Temporary salary reductions during probation, restructuring or changes to working arrangements.
- Variable pay that is not guaranteed and cannot count towards the salary requirement.
- Salary deductions or repayments that affect the salary calculation under the Immigration Rules.
- Irregular working patterns that require the specific 17-week calculation.
Salary sacrifice arrangements require a careful assessment of the rules governing deductions and genuine optional benefits. It would be inaccurate to assume that every pension or cycle-to-work arrangement automatically reduces qualifying salary in the same way. The effect depends on the legal and payroll structure.
The safest approach is to assess the proposed remuneration and payment pattern before sponsorship begins, then retain payroll evidence capable of demonstrating compliance.
For further information, see our guide to how Certificate of Sponsorship requirements interact with salary compliance.
Going Rates by Occupation Code
The occupation going rate is the salary requirement assigned by the Home Office to a particular eligible occupation under SOC 2020. It is separate from the general salary threshold and may be the more demanding requirement.
The relevant occupation code and going rate are published in Appendix Skilled Occupations. The correct figure depends on the occupation, the applicable salary option and, where relevant, the working hours and transitional arrangements.
For example, technology roles such as software development, engineering roles, healthcare professions, education and finance can all have different going rates. There is no single figure that can safely be applied to an entire industry. Some occupations have rates above the general threshold, while others have different requirements under the applicable salary options or national pay scales.
Employers should verify the going rate against the actual role being sponsored. A job title alone is not sufficient: the duties, responsibilities and skill level must support the selected SOC code.
Where a role appears to span more than one occupation, the employer should identify the code that most accurately reflects the work. Selecting a lower-paid code merely because it produces a more convenient salary requirement creates a risk of refusal and sponsor compliance action.
The relevant going-rate table should be checked when the Certificate of Sponsorship is prepared and again when the application is assessed. Historical salary tables may not reflect the current rules.
See our guide to how to choose the correct SOC code for Skilled Worker sponsorship.
Reduced Salary Thresholds: New Entrants, PhDs and Other Exceptions
Not every Skilled Worker applicant must satisfy the standard salary threshold. However, reduced thresholds are available only where the applicant and role meet the relevant Immigration Rules.
New entrant salary threshold
Eligible new entrants may qualify where their salary is at least £33,400 per year and 70% of the applicable going rate, whichever produces the higher requirement.
The qualifying circumstances can include being under 26 on the date of application, switching from certain Student or Graduate circumstances, working towards a recognised professional qualification or qualifying through relevant post-PhD employment.
There are detailed eligibility conditions, and the combined period spent under relevant new entrant permission is generally limited to four years. Previous permission under the relevant routes may count towards that limit.
Applicants should confirm both that they qualify as a new entrant and that their proposed salary meets the correct going-rate calculation. Being under 26 does not remove the need to satisfy the other applicable requirements.
PhD-level salary reductions
Applicants with a relevant PhD may qualify for a reduction in the going-rate requirement.
Under the current salary options, the relevant PhD provision generally requires at least £37,500 and 90% of the going rate. For a relevant STEM PhD, the threshold is generally £33,400 and 80% of the going rate.
For example, where the applicable going rate is £50,000, the going-rate component would be £45,000 for a relevant PhD or £40,000 for a relevant STEM PhD. The applicable general salary floor must also be met.
The qualification must be relevant to the sponsored job, and the applicant must meet the detailed requirements of the relevant salary option.
Health and Care Worker visa
The Health and Care Worker route has its own eligibility and salary provisions. Some eligible roles have different salary requirements from the standard Skilled Worker route, with the applicable figure depending on the occupation and relevant pay-scale rules.
Applicants should not apply the general Skilled Worker threshold automatically to a Health and Care Worker application, or assume that every healthcare role qualifies for the separate route.
Immigration Salary List: Changes and Removal Dates
The Immigration Salary List (ISL) identifies certain occupations for which specific immigration and salary concessions may be available. It replaced the former Shortage Occupation List.
The list is not a general exemption from salary requirements. Eligibility depends on the precise occupation code, the relevant geographical criteria and the applicable Immigration Rules.
What salary concession applies?
For an eligible ISL occupation, the relevant Skilled Worker salary option generally requires a salary of at least £33,400 per year and the applicable standard going rate, whichever is higher. The occupation must satisfy the specific requirements of the list and the relevant rules.
The figure of £30,960, which appears in older material, should not be presented as the current general ISL salary threshold for new applications.
ISL eligibility can also affect application fees. The applicable rules and guidance should be checked rather than assuming that every listed occupation receives identical concessions.
When will ISL occupations be removed?
There is no single expiry date that applies to every occupation on the list. The Home Office publishes removal dates against individual occupation codes and criteria. Some entries have dates extending to 31 December 2026, for example, but the relevant date must be checked for the particular role.
It is therefore unsafe to state that the entire Immigration Salary List expires on 1 December 2026 or that all existing ISL concessions end on that date.
The practical issue for employers is whether the occupation remains eligible when the relevant Certificate of Sponsorship is issued and the application is made. The transitional provisions and any specific removal date must be assessed together.
What should employers and applicants do?
Employers relying on the ISL should identify the relevant occupation code and review its current listing and removal date. They should also consider whether the worker's salary will satisfy the applicable standard threshold if the concession is no longer available.
Applicants should not assume that an occupation's historical presence on the list guarantees a reduced threshold for a future application. The relevant rules depend on the timing and circumstances of the application.
For a broader explanation of eligibility, sponsorship and the application process, see our full overview of Skilled Worker visa requirements.
Salary Calculation: What Counts and What Does Not?
Skilled Worker salary calculations are based on the specific requirements of SW 14.1 onwards. The salary stated on a Certificate of Sponsorship should reflect qualifying remuneration, not simply the headline value of an employment package.
Generally, qualifying salary consists of guaranteed basic gross pay and other guaranteed payments treated in the same way for tax, pension and National Insurance purposes.
The following are generally excluded:
- Bonuses, overtime and additional shift payments.
- Employer pension contributions and employer National Insurance contributions.
- Benefits in kind, such as a company car, health insurance or school fees.
- One-off payments, including golden hellos.
- Relocation expenses and other business expenses.
- Payments relating to immigration costs.
The rules also contain provisions for deductions, repayments and investments involving the worker and sponsor. These should be assessed under the relevant paragraphs rather than treated as ordinary salary.
For part-time work, the relevant salary and going-rate requirements must be assessed against the contracted working pattern. The going rate is adjusted according to the applicable hours, while the relevant general or reduced threshold must also be met. There is no basis for applying a universal £19,200 minimum to every part-time Skilled Worker application without checking the applicable salary option and rules.
Salary must be accurately recorded on the Certificate of Sponsorship in pounds sterling. Variable or performance-related remuneration should not be used to make up a shortfall unless it satisfies the specific requirements for qualifying salary.
Under SW 14.3B, payroll compliance must also be considered over the relevant pay periods and reference periods. An annual salary figure alone may not demonstrate compliance.
Common Salary Errors That Lead to Refusal
Salary errors can arise even where the employer genuinely intends to pay the worker an appropriate amount. The following checks help reduce the risk.
1. Applying an outdated threshold. Using £38,700 as the standard threshold for a new application overlooks the increase to £41,700.
2. Using the wrong occupation code. The Home Office may determine that the role does not match the selected code, affecting eligibility and the required going rate.
3. Counting excluded remuneration. Bonuses, overtime, benefits in kind and expenses generally cannot be added to qualifying salary.
4. Misunderstanding transitional arrangements. Previous permission does not automatically mean that historic salary concessions remain available.
5. Ignoring the Pay Period Rule. Employers must check the actual payments and relevant reference periods, not just the annual salary in the contract.
6. Overlooking ISL removal dates. The relevant occupation's listing and any applicable transitional provisions must be checked.
7. Recording an incorrect salary on the Certificate of Sponsorship. The salary stated must accurately reflect the qualifying contractual remuneration.
8. Failing to assess part-time hours correctly. The applicable going rate, working hours and salary option must be calculated together.
A pre-assignment salary review should compare the job duties, SOC code, salary option, contractual remuneration and proposed payroll arrangements. This is more reliable than checking only whether the annual salary exceeds a headline figure.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum salary for a Skilled Worker visa in 2026?
For most new applications, the general threshold is £41,700 per year or the applicable going rate, whichever is higher. Reduced salary options may apply to eligible new entrants, relevant PhD holders, ISL occupations and applicants covered by transitional arrangements.
Does the salary threshold apply to every pay period or just the annual average?
SW 14.3B introduces requirements concerning salary paid during employment. It includes a going-rate test for every hour worked during each pay period, alongside three-month, 12-week or, for certain irregular working patterns, 17-week salary tests. It is not accurately described as a universal rule requiring every monthly payslip to equal one-twelfth of the annual threshold.
What happens when an Immigration Salary List occupation is removed?
The consequences depend on the occupation's specified removal date and the applicable transitional rules. Employers should check the current list and the rules governing the relevant Certificate of Sponsorship and application rather than assume that a single deadline applies to every occupation.
Can I include bonuses or overtime to meet the Skilled Worker salary threshold?
Generally, no. Bonuses and overtime are among the forms of additional pay excluded under SW 14.2. The calculation should focus on guaranteed basic gross pay and other qualifying guaranteed payments.
What is the new entrant salary threshold, and who qualifies?
Eligible new entrants generally need at least £33,400 per year and 70% of the applicable going rate, whichever is higher. Qualifying circumstances can include being under 26, certain Student or Graduate circumstances, relevant professional training and qualifying post-PhD employment. The detailed eligibility criteria and four-year limit must be checked.
How does SW 14.3B affect salary sacrifice arrangements?
The effect depends on the particular arrangement and the relevant salary rules. Employers should review how the arrangement is structured, how payments are treated for tax and payroll purposes, and whether any deductions fall within the provisions governing salary calculations. A blanket assumption that every salary sacrifice arrangement has the same effect would be unsafe.
What salary evidence should I prepare for a Skilled Worker application?
Relevant documents may include the Certificate of Sponsorship, employment contract, employer confirmation and payslips where appropriate. The evidence required depends on the application and its circumstances. Employers should ensure that the documents accurately reflect the role, contractual salary and actual remuneration.
Can I extend my Skilled Worker visa if my salary is below the standard threshold?
Possibly, but only if the applicant satisfies an applicable salary option or transitional provision. If the required threshold is not met, the applicant should obtain immigration advice before applying and consider whether a permissible salary adjustment or another route is available.
What happens if my salary drops below the required level after my visa is granted?
The consequences depend on the circumstances, the duration and reason for the reduction, the applicable rules and the sponsor's reporting obligations. A sponsor should assess any salary change promptly and take appropriate advice rather than assume that the original Certificate of Sponsorship guarantees continuing compliance.
Does the salary threshold change if I work part-time?
The applicable going rate is adjusted to reflect the relevant working hours, and the general or reduced salary threshold must also be assessed under the applicable rules. The Pay Period Rule continues to matter when assessing the actual remuneration paid.
Conclusion: Review Salary Compliance Before You Apply
Skilled Worker salary compliance requires more than checking whether an annual salary exceeds a headline threshold. The standard threshold is now £41,700 for most new applications, while occupation-specific going rates, reduced salary options and transitional arrangements can change the calculation.
The Pay Period Rule makes it particularly important for employers to review payroll arrangements and the salary actually paid. At the same time, changes to the Immigration Salary List require employers to check occupation-specific removal dates rather than rely on outdated assumptions.
Applicants and sponsors should review the role, SOC code, contractual remuneration, working hours and relevant salary option before assigning a Certificate of Sponsorship or submitting an application. Accurate documentation and early planning can help identify problems before they lead to refusal or sponsor compliance difficulties.
If you are applying for a Skilled Worker visa, extending your permission or sponsoring an overseas worker, Migrate UK can help review the applicable salary requirements, verify the occupation code and assess whether the proposed arrangements meet the current Immigration Rules.
