UK Skilled Worker Visa 2026: New Salary Thresholds and Eligible Jobs

The UK Skilled Worker visa has a general salary threshold of £41,700 per year. But that is only the floor. Every occupation also has its own going rate, and you must meet whichever figure is higher.

If the going rate for your occupation code is £49,400, then an offer of £41,700 will not work. The general threshold does not override the going rate. It sits underneath it.

Miss either number and the application fails.

What Changed, and When

The biggest overhaul of this route since Brexit took effect on 22 July 2025.

The skill level change is the one that removed the most people from eligibility. Raising the bar from A level equivalent to degree level removed approximately 180 previously eligible occupations from the standard route.

Many care workers, chefs and skilled trades roles that qualified before no longer do.

All the Salary Options, Explained Simply

Not everyone pays the full £41,700. There are several reduced options, but each keeps its own floor and each demands a different share of the going rate.

Notice the Immigration Salary List row. It lowers your general threshold but gives you no discount on the going rate at all. That catches people out regularly.

There is also an hourly floor of £17.13, based on a 37.5 hour week. At the £41,700 threshold, the monthly equivalent is £3,475.

Three Rules That Trip People Up

Part time does not reduce the threshold. The general threshold is not scaled down for part time work. A part time salary must still reach £41,700 in full.

Only guaranteed contractual salary counts. Bonuses, overtime, commission and allowances generally do not count toward the threshold. The figure must be in your contract as guaranteed pay.

Healthcare and education jobs on national pay scales follow separate rules. If your role sits on a national pay scale, the standard calculation may not apply to you.

Which Jobs Still Qualify

For most applicants, the role must be at RQF Level 6 or above, meaning degree level, under an eligible SOC 2020 occupation code.

Two lists keep selected mid skill roles alive:

The Immigration Salary List, covering certain shortage roles at RQF Levels 3 to 5.

The Temporary Shortage List, covering further critical shortage roles below degree level.

If your occupation is not degree level and does not appear on either list, it is not sponsorable under the standard route. That is a hard stop, not a negotiation.

Because these lists change, check the current eligible occupation tables on GOV.UK before relying on any figure, including the ones in this article.

If You Are Extending Rather Than Applying New

Do not assume the £41,700 figure applies to you.

Transitional arrangements exist for some people already on the route, and the figure you need may be considerably lower. Workers whose current Skilled Worker permission was granted at B1 English may also continue under B1 rather than the new B2 requirement.

Check your specific position rather than reading the headline number and panicking.

What You Need Overall

The Skilled Worker route runs on a points system requiring 70 points.

Visa fees start from £819, with the Immigration Health Surcharge payable separately.

Before You Accept an Offer

•  Confirmed your exact SOC occupation code with your employer
•  Checked the going rate for that specific code, not just the general threshold
•  Confirmed which of the two figures is higher, since that is the one that applies
•  Verified the role sits at RQF Level 6 or appears on the Immigration Salary List or Temporary Shortage List
•  Confirmed the salary in your contract is guaranteed pay, not inclusive of bonuses or overtime
•  Checked whether a reduced option applies to you, and what going rate percentage it demands
•  For part time roles, confirmed the full £41,700 is still met
•  Confirmed your English level meets B2 for new applications from 8 January 2026

The Honest Summary

The UK did not simply raise a number. It changed who the route is for.

By lifting the skill bar to degree level and the salary floor to £41,700, roughly 180 occupations stopped being sponsorable, and sponsorship shifted decisively toward higher paid graduate roles.

For anyone who qualifies, the route still works well and still leads to settlement. For anyone whose occupation fell off the list, the honest answer is that this specific door has closed, and the better use of your time is identifying which routes remain open rather than hoping the rules reverse.