Skilled Worker Visa

Is the Skilled Worker visa right for you?

The Skilled Worker route replaced Tier 2 (General) and is now the UK's main work visa. You need a genuine job offer from an employer that holds a sponsor licence, a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) for that role, a job that meets the skill level, a salary that meets the threshold, and English at the required level.

Since 22 July 2025 the route has become considerably tighter. The general skill level rose to RQF level 6 (graduate level) for new applicants, the general salary threshold is £41,700, and medium-skilled roles are only sponsorable if they appear on the Immigration Salary List or the time-limited Temporary Shortage List. The English requirement was raised to B2 for new applications from January 2026. Care worker roles closed to new overseas recruitment. A job that qualified two years ago may not qualify today, which is why we start every enquiry with a frank eligibility check rather than a form.

You are likely to qualify if

• your employer holds, or is willing to apply for, a sponsor licence;
• the role is at RQF 6 or above, or on the Immigration Salary List or Temporary Shortage List;
• the salary meets the higher of the general threshold and the occupation's going rate (lower thresholds apply to new entrants, PhD holders and some health and education roles);
• you can show English at B2 level, or hold a degree taught in English;
• you have no adverse immigration history that would engage the general grounds for refusal.

Watch out for

• Occupation codes: choosing the wrong SOC code is the single most common cause of refusal and of licence problems for the employer.
• Salary deductions: loans, repayment clauses and allowances that reduce pay below the threshold.
• Roles on the Temporary Shortage List: no dependants, and the list is reviewed regularly.
• Switching from a Visitor visa is not permitted; from most other routes it is.

How we handle your Skilled Worker application

1. Eligibility and strategy call

   We confirm the occupation code, salary, English evidence and timing, and flag any risk before you or your employer spend money on a CoS.

2. Document checklist and evidence review

   You receive a tailored checklist. We check every document, including tuberculosis certificates, criminal record certificates where required, and maintenance funds unless your sponsor certifies them.

3. Application drafting and submission

   We complete the online application, draft a covering letter that explains how each requirement is met, and manage the biometric appointment or ID check app.

4. Decision and next steps

   We chase the Home Office if needed, explain your eVisa and conditions, and diarise your extension and settlement dates.

Fees and costs

Home Office fees shown are from the fee table effective 8 October 2026 and were checked in September 2026. Employers also pay the Certificate of Sponsorship fee and the Immigration Skills Charge; see our sponsor licence page. Dependants pay the same application fee and health surcharge.

Extensions, switching and settlement

You can extend a Skilled Worker visa from inside the UK, change employer (which needs a new CoS and a new application) or switch into the route from most other visas, including Student, Graduate and dependant visas. We handle change-of-employment applications quickly because timing matters: you cannot start the new job until the new permission is granted.

After five years of continuous residence you may be able to apply for indefinite leave to remain. The Government's "earned settlement" reforms are changing the qualifying period and conditions for many work routes, so we advise every client on the settlement rules that will apply to them rather than assuming five years.

Why employers and applicants choose Fairhill

• We say no early. If a role or salary will not qualify, we tell you before anyone pays a Home Office fee.
• One team for the sponsor and the worker, so the CoS, the application and the compliance file all line up.
• Fixed fees agreed in writing before we start.
• Regulated solicitors in the City of London, with a track record across sectors from tech and finance to hospitality and healthcare.

28 occupations could join the Temporary Shortage List

Watch

28 occupations could join the Temporary Shortage List

82 occupations were reviewed. What it means for employers sponsoring medium-skilled roles.

More on this topic:

• From Skilled Worker to indefinite leave to remain
• Skilled Worker, settlement and citizenship

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