(Summary/Overview)
The Skilled worker visa is for the qualifying foreign individuals who would like to work in the United Kingdom under the sponsorship of their employer. Among the many qualifications required from the employee, the skilled worker visa minimum salary would be one of the more complicated criteria to understand.
We at Student Ports are here to guide you throughout the verification process. Keep reading to learn more about the skilled worker visa salary thresholds and other factors it would be based upon.
The minimum salary is one of the common grounds for visa rejection. Some of the reasons might be an incorrect calculation or the use of an incorrect threshold for the application. There are various thresholds under which you may fall as an employee which is why it is important to understand the skilled worker visa application process.
What Is The Skilled Worker Visa?
A skilled worker visa makes you eligible to work in the United Kingdom for up to 5 years under a licensed employer. It is mandatory to have a legitimate job offer from the company and there are various other criteria to qualify before attaining this visa.
Once you are eligible, you can also apply for dependent visas under which your family members, kids, and spouses can join you in the UK. There have been changes made to the rules in 2024 for the skilled worker visa salary thresholds. Keep reading to learn more about the new rules and how they impact you.
New Rules For Minimum Salary
The skilled worker minimum salary thresholds are currently more complicated to understand post the changes made on the rules and regulations. Student Ports is the perfect guide for you during this transition phase.
The new Immigration rules were published on 13th March 2024. The general salary limit for the skilled worker visa was increased to £38,700 from £26,200 making it significantly harder for immigration applications. The official change took place from 4th April 2024 which impacted many SMEs.
The Skilled worker visa UK new rules are based on the 50th percentile of the average salary being paid in the country. In order to be eligible for the visa sponsorship, you must receive an equivalent or greater than the salary limit or the SOC “going rate”. It usually is the amount which is higher among the two.
There are also additional rules which were introduced before April 2024 called the transitionary rules. These are based on the 25th percentile of the average salary being paid in the UK. There are currently 11 different salary levels that you could fit in to be eligible for the skilled worker visa. We will be explaining this in detail down below.
The intention of this change was to prevent the underpayment of resident labourers who have immigrated to the UK under a visa or any other provision. All international workers must meet the standard of sufficient wages to support livelihood.
Keep reading to learn how both existing and new sponsorships are impacted due to the introduction of the new Immigration rules.
Existing Sponsorships
You can remain eligible for the skilled worker visa under the transitionary rules if your first Certificate of Sponsorship was issued on or before the 4th of April, 2024. If you already hold an existing sponsorship, you can apply for a visa extension, change of employment, or settlement before the 4th of April, 2030.
The general salary threshold for the existing sponsorships is £29,000, and the going rates for the respective SOC codes are based on the 25th percentile of the average earnings. This basically means that your salary must meet the higher of these two rates.
There is, however, the option to apply tradeable points to decrease them by 90%, 80%, or 70%. The minimum possible salary is £23,200.
New Sponsorships
You will be eligible for the 50th percentile of the earnings if your Certificate of Sponsorship was issued on or after the 4th of April, 2024. If you’re looking to apply for a new sponsorship, Student Ports is here to guide you.
The general salary limit under the skilled worker visa new rules is £38,700, and the going rates for the respective SOC codes are based on the 50th percentile of the earnings. This means that your salary must meet the higher of these two rates. The criteria is similar for those holding existing sponsorships except for the process change.
Like existing sponsorships, you can opt to apply tradeable points to decrease these rates by 90%, 80%, or 70%. The minimum possible salary is £30,960.
Going Rate Comparison Table
Please go through the table below to understand the changes made and the difference the new rules brought to the salary criteria for the respective SOC codes.
| Old Rate(before 4th April, 2024) | Transitionary Rate(25th Percentile of earnings) | New Rate(50th Percentile of earnings) | |
| General | £26,200 | £29,000 | £38,700 |
| SOC 2119 (for staff in academic research) | £34,600 | £32,000 | £41,200 |
| SOC 2311 (for staff in academic teaching) | £41,200 | £38,100 | £47,700 |
| SOC 2136 (for staff in IT department) | £34,000 | £36,300 | £49,400 |
| SOC 3539 (for staff in professional service) | £24,200 | £23,500 | £30,960 |
Minimum Salary Thresholds: Tradeable Points
To be eligible for the skilled worker visa, you have to have a total of 70 points under the factors responsible. Out of the many criteria required to fill the visa application, you can gain an advantage from the tradeable points which are applicable for the respective SOC codes.
Keep reading to understand in depth, the different eligible occupations and codes for the points that are applicable.
New Rates Table
To remind you, the new rates are only applicable for people who have had their Certificate of Sponsorship issued on or after 4th April,2024. Go through the table below to understand the skilled worker visa eligible occupations and codes for the new rates.
| Eligible Option | Salary Requirements | Points Applicable |
| Only Salary | Your salary either is the same or is greater than both of the following:
|
20 point for salary only |
| Relevant PhD | You have a PhD in a relevant subject to your employment and your salary either is the same or is greater than both of the following:
|
10 points for salary
+ 10 points for PhD |
| Relevant STEM PhD | You have a PhD in a relevant STEM subject to your employment and your salary either is the same or is greater than both of the following:
|
0 points for salary
+ 20 points for STEM PhD |
| Employer Listed In The ISL | You have a job offer from an employer listed in the Immigration Salary List and your salary either is the same or is greater than both of the following:
|
0 points for salary
+ 20 points for listed employer |
| New Entrant | You are a new entrant and your salary either is the same or is greater than both of the following:
|
0 points for salary
+ 20 points for new entrant |
Transitionary Rates Table
Once again, the transitionary rates apply to you only if your Certificate of Sponsorship was issued on or after 4th April, 2024. Go through the table below to understand the skilled worker visa eligible occupations and codes for the transitionary rates.
| Eligible Option | Salary Requirements | Points Applicable |
| Only Salary | Your salary either is the same or is greater than both of the following:
|
20 points for salary only |
| Relevant PhD | You have a PhD in a relevant subject to your employment and your salary either is the same or is greater than both of the following:
|
10 points for salary only
+ 10 points for PhD |
| Relevant STEM PhD | You have a PhD in a relevant STEM subject to your employment and your salary either is the same or is greater than both of the following:
|
0 points for salary
+ 20 points for STEM PhD |
| Employer Listed In The ISL | You have a job offer from an employer listed in the Immigration Salary List and your salary either is the same or is greater than both of the following:
|
0 points for salary
+ 20 points for listed employer |
| New Entrant | You are a new entrant and your salary either is the same or is greater than both of the following:
|
0 points for salary
+ 20 points for new entrant |
| Employer in The Health Or Education Department | You are being sponsored for a job in the health or education department and your salary either is the same or is greater than both of the following:
|
0 points for salary
+ 20 points for job in the health or education department |
Who Are New Entrants?
New Entrants are individuals under 26 years old, commonly recent graduates and entering the labour market in the United Kingdom. If you qualify as a new entrant, you will benefit from the minimum salary rules.
It is mandatory to be under 26 years old before applying for the skilled worker visa. You may be eligible for the visa only if you qualify for one of the below:
- If you’re working towards the postdoctoral position.
- If you’re working towards registration, charter status, and other professional qualifications.
The maximum stay allowed in the UK for new entrants is only 3 years. If you get a sponsor for the skilled worker visa within 3 years then you can apply for a new visa and you will no longer be considered as a new entrant.
Selecting The Correct Occupation Code
One of the major factors which can make you eligible for the visa is if your employer belongs on the list of skilled worker visa sponsor list. There are a number of eligible occupations and codes on this list.
This list specifies the going rate and minimum salary requirements for each eligible job role. If your occupation code has a higher going rate salary than the relevant minimum salary, this is the salary that you will be paid.
There is a certain procedure to choosing an occupation code to be eligible for the . Before choosing an SOC code that applies to you, you should know how to operate the CASCOT coding tool.
The CASCOT tool is used to find the code which matches the job role you are being offered. This code will help you to apply for the correct minimum salary offered. If your job does not belong on the sponsor list then you will no longer be eligible for the skilled worker visa application.
After April 2024, the Home Office shifted to the Standard Occupational Classification 2020 coding system. It is important to know the new coding system and the correct salary you are eligible for. The employers should also check if the application holds the correct SOC code. Choosing the incorrect code is one of the most common grounds for visa rejection and could lead to longer processing time.
If an incorrect code was chosen as a genuine mistake, then it could be recovered from. But, if the Home Office believes an incorrect SOC code was chosen intentionally to attain a skilled worker visa, then they might suspend the employer’s sponsorship license until further investigation.
Calculation Of Salary
There are some factors on which the calculation of the skilled worker visa minimum salary depends on. Keep reading to understand more on the calculation process.
- Basic Salary: This is the salary that your employer has agreed to in the job offer given to you.
- Allowances and Incentives: There are certain allowances and incentives that can be added in this calculation to make you eligible for the minimum salary threshold. You can have a discussion with your employer regarding this.
- Additional Work Time and Bonuses: These timestamps are usually not included in the contract and eventually, also may not be included in the calculation.
Most employers in the UK allow for 37.5 hours of employment per week but there are allowable exceptions on the list. Overtime should be included in this calculation but if it is optional then it might not be added. Only guaranteed overtime can be added in the calculation but the discretionary overtime is not eligible to be added.
Reimbursement allowances for travel and accommodation are usually not included in the calculation for minimum salary threshold but you can still discuss this with your sponsor.
How Can We Help?
As you can see, there are many complications in the process of understanding the visa minimum salary requirements. This is why it is so important to understand this portion of the skilled worker visa application. Worry no more. Even though it looks very hard to understand, we are here to solve all your queries.
Do not forget to check the going rate for your job and calculate the salary you are eligible for. The list of eligible occupations and codes keeps on changing so it is important to check it regularly before you start applying for the UK skilled worker visa. Keeping certain minor things in mind, you could achieve your dream life in the UK.
At Student Ports, we have counselors and experienced consultants to help you every step of the way. Feel free to contact us by filling out the form on our website. Additionally, you can reach out to us on +44 (0207) 183 6336 or write to us on info@studentports.com.
In partnership with Holmes & Partners Ltd, a leading solicitor firm with OISC Registration: F202000183.