The UK skilled worker visa salary requirement 2026 is £41,700 a year for most applicants. In force since 22 July 2025, it is only one part of the test: employers must pay whichever is higher of the £41,700 threshold and the occupation’s “going rate”. An hourly floor of £17.13 applies, with lower rates for new entrants and listed roles. This guide explains how the skilled worker visa salary rules work, who can pay less, and what counts toward the total.
Table of Contents
| Applicant type | Minimum annual salary | Who it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Skilled Worker | £41,700 | Most applicants; or the going rate, whichever is higher |
| New entrant | £33,400 | Under-26s, recent UK graduates, trainees (strict criteria) |
| Immigration Salary List (ISL) role | £33,400 | Jobs on the published Immigration Salary List |
| PhD-level role (relevant subject) | Lower than standard | Roles linked to a relevant doctorate; exact figure follows the rules in force |
| Health and Care Worker | £25,000–£31,300 | NHS pay-scale roles and other eligible health roles |
How the UK skilled worker visa salary requirement works in 2026
The UK skilled worker visa salary requirement 2026 is not a single number — it is a test your pay must pass on every side. Sponsors must pay the highest of the figures that apply to the case: the general threshold (£41,700), the occupation-specific going rate, and the hourly floor (£17.13). Meeting just one of them is not enough.
Why does it work this way? The Home Office wants skilled worker visa salary levels that are both nationally meaningful and locally realistic. The £41,700 figure stops employers from importing cheap labour for roles that UK workers could fill at a fair wage. The going rate stops employers from paying overseas recruits below the market norm for their specific occupation. The hourly floor stops employers from meeting the annual figure by stretching the worker across an unreasonable number of hours.
The practical consequence: your employer calculates the skilled worker visa salary requirement before making the offer. If any of the three hurdles comes out higher than the salary on the table, the Certificate of Sponsorship cannot lawfully be assigned at that pay level.
The going rate: why £41,700 is only half the story
Every eligible occupation has a published going rate in Appendix Skilled Occupations, based on UK market salary data from the Office for National Statistics. If the going rate for your Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code is higher than £41,700, the going rate is the number your salary must reach.
This surprises many applicants. A job offer of £45,000 sounds safely above the skilled worker visa salary threshold — until you learn the going rate for that occupation is £54,000 and your pay falls short. Senior technical roles, finance roles and many health professions carry going rates well above the general minimum.
- Check the SOC code, not just the job title. The going rate attaches to the code your employer assigns, and titles can be misleading.
- Going rates assume a standard working week. If your contract requires more hours, the required salary is pro-rated upwards — a longer week means a higher minimum.
- Only the first 48 hours a week count toward meeting the general threshold, and every hour worked must still clear the £17.13 floor.
Lower thresholds: new entrants, ISL and Temporary Shortage List roles
Not every Skilled Worker pays the full £41,700. The immigration rules contain discounted salary options for specific groups:
- New entrants (£33,400). Applicants under 26, recent UK graduates switching from the Student route, and people in certain professional training programmes can qualify at £33,400, or 70% of the going rate — whichever is higher. Eligibility is strict, and the discount is time-limited.
- Immigration Salary List (ISL) roles (£33,400). Jobs on the current ISL qualify for the reduced £33,400 figure. The list is reviewed periodically and can change.
- Temporary Shortage List (TSL) roles. A stop-gap list covers selected lower-skilled occupations, but it is only valid until the end of 2026, workers sponsored under it cannot bring dependants, and roles are expected to lose eligibility after that date.
- Health and Care Worker route. Separate floors apply: £25,000 for roles on national NHS pay scales, £31,300 as the general floor for other eligible health roles.
A note of caution: one 2026 source reports a reduced figure of around £37,500 for relevant PhD-level roles. Treat any single-source figure as indicative and confirm the exact number in the current Immigration Rules before relying on it.
Can the UK skilled worker visa salary requirement 2026 be reduced for my role?
Only if you genuinely fit one of the discounted categories above. There is no negotiation, no regional discount, and no employer discretion to pay less. If your case does not fit new-entrant, ISL, TSL or health-and-care criteria, the full £41,700 (or the higher going rate) applies.
What counts — and what doesn’t — toward the salary
Only guaranteed, fixed pay counts. The Home Office draws a hard line here, and getting it wrong is a common reason sponsorship fails:
- Counts: basic salary and guaranteed contractual allowances paid regularly, such as London weighting written into the contract.
- Does not count: overtime unless contractually guaranteed, discretionary bonuses, stock options and equity, benefits in kind, and expense reimbursements.
This matters most in sectors like tech, where total compensation packages are heavy on equity. A £80,000 package with a £35,000 base salary does not meet the threshold — only the £35,000 base is measured.
2026 rule changes that sit alongside the salary threshold
Salary is one gate in a stricter system. Since 22 July 2025, most sponsored jobs must sit at RQF Level 6 (graduate level) rather than the old Level 3, with only listed and transitional exceptions. From 8 January 2026, most new Skilled Worker applicants must demonstrate English at CEFR B2 rather than B1. From April 2026, the Home Office strengthened pay-period compliance — the salary threshold must effectively be met in every pay period, not smoothed out as an annual average.
Applicants must also show £1,270 in personal savings held for 28 consecutive days, unless the sponsor certifies maintenance on the Certificate of Sponsorship.
Frequently asked questions
Is the UK skilled worker visa salary requirement 2026 really £41,700?
Yes — £41,700 is the general threshold for standard Skilled Worker applications in 2026, in force since 22 July 2025 when it rose from £38,700. But remember it is a floor, not a target: the occupation’s going rate or the £17.13 hourly floor can push the real requirement higher.
Can overtime push my salary over the threshold?
Only if the overtime is guaranteed in your employment contract. Voluntary or variable overtime does not count toward the skilled worker visa salary threshold. Similarly, only contractual guaranteed bonuses count — discretionary annual bonuses are ignored.
What happens if my salary drops below the threshold after the visa is granted?
From April 2026 the Home Office monitors skilled worker visa salary pay-period compliance more closely. If your pay falls below the required level, your sponsor must report the change, and your leave can be curtailed. Employers should audit payroll regularly, not just at the point of hire.
Does the threshold apply to part-time Skilled Worker roles?
Yes — the skilled worker visa salary threshold applies pro-rata, and the hourly rate must still clear £17.13. A part-time role at a low hourly rate cannot sneak under the annual threshold by working fewer hours; the floor applies per hour worked.
Will the £41,700 threshold change again in 2027?
The government reviews the skilled worker visa salary threshold regularly and has already moved it twice in recent years (£26,200 → £38,700 in April 2024 → £41,700 in July 2025). No specific 2027 figure has been confirmed as of 2026. Always check the current Immigration Rules before applying, and note the separate proposals on “earned settlement” salary tiers, which are assessed independently of this threshold.