Skilled Worker visa
If you got your first certificate of sponsorship before 4 April 2024
There are lower salary requirements if both of the following apply:
- you got your certificate of sponsorship for your first Tier 2 or Skilled Worker visa before 4 April 2024
- you have continually held one or more Skilled Worker visas since then
You can be paid whichever is higher of £29,000 or the lower going rate for your occupation if you make an application to:
- extend your visa
- update your visa
Lower salary requirements will only be in place for applications made before 4 April 2030. These salary requirements will be updated regularly and your salary will still need to rise in line with the updated going rates each time you apply.
Each occupation code has its own annual going rate. Check the lower going rate for your job in the going rates table.
When you can be paid less
You can be paid between 70% and 90% of the lower going rate for your job if your salary is at least £23,200 per year and you meet one of the following criteria:
- you’re under 26, studying or a recent graduate, or in professional training
- you have a science, technology, engineering or maths (STEM) PhD level qualification that’s relevant to your job (if you have a relevant PhD level qualification in any other subject your salary must be at least £26,100)
- you have a postdoctoral position in science or higher education
Check how much you will need to be paid for these jobs in the going rates table.
There are different salary rules if you work in some healthcare or education jobs.
If your job is on the immigration salary list
If your job is on the immigration salary list, you need to be paid at least £23,200 or your job’s full going rate, whichever is higher.
If you’re under 26, studying or a recent graduate, or in professional training
You can be paid at least 70% of your job’s lower going rate if your salary will be at least £23,200 per year.
Your total stay in the UK cannot be more than 4 years. This includes any time you’ve already spent in the UK on a Tier 2 (General) or Graduate visa.
If you have a PhD level qualification that’s relevant to your job
If you have a science, technology, engineering or maths (STEM) PhD level qualification, you can be paid at least 80% of the lower going rate if your salary will be at least £23,200 per year.
If you have a relevant PhD level qualification in any other subject, you can be paid at least 90% of the lower going rate if your salary will be at least £26,100 per year.
If you have a postdoctoral position in science or higher education
You can be paid at least 70% of the lower going rate if your salary will be at least £23,200 per year.
Your total stay in the UK cannot be more than 4 years. This includes any time you’ve already spent in the UK on a Tier 2 (General) or Graduate visa.