What is a new entrant on the Skilled Worker visa?
A new entrant can be sponsored on a lower salary: at least £33,400 a year and at least 70% of the job’s going rate, whichever is higher, for up to 4 years in total, counting time on a Graduate visa.
What it means in pounds
Appendix Skilled Occupations lists a 70% rate for every occupation code with a going rate (91 higher-skilled codes; the other 30 follow national pay scales). For 45 of those 91, 70% of the going rate is below £33,400, so the new-entrant minimum is £33,400. (Our count from the appendix, 4 November 2026.)
| Job (SOC code) | Going rate | New-entrant minimum |
|---|---|---|
| Programmers and software development professionals (2134) | £54,700 | £38,300 |
| IT quality and testing professionals (2136) | £41,200 | £33,400 |
Every code’s rates are in the SOC code table.
Who counts as a new entrant
GOV.UK lists these. One is enough:
- you are under 26 on the date you apply
- you are on a Student visa studying a bachelor’s degree or higher, and have finished the course or are within 3 months of finishing it (PhD students: at least 12 months of study done in the UK), or you held such a visa in the last 2 years with nothing since except a visit visa
- you are on a Graduate visa, or your Graduate visa ended less than 2 years ago with nothing since except a visit visa
- you are working towards a recognised qualification in a UK regulated profession, or towards full registration or chartered status (for example a trainee solicitor, or an accountant working towards chartered status)
- you are in a postdoctoral research job in certain science and higher-education occupation codes
Applying for your first Skilled Worker visa doesn’t on its own make you a new entrant.
The 4-year limit
A new-entrant visa can’t take your combined time as a Skilled Worker, on the Graduate visa and earlier on Tier 2 past 4 years (Appendix Skilled Worker, SW 12.3). For example, after 2 years on a Graduate visa, a new-entrant Skilled Worker visa can be granted for up to 2 years. Once the 4 years are used up, a further application has to meet the standard rate: £41,700 or the full going rate, whichever is higher.
What it means for your job search
If you’re switching from a Graduate visa you can usually use the new-entrant rate, so a job paying less than £41,700 can still qualify if it meets the new-entrant minimum for its code. Most job pages on SponsorJobs show a Visa salary card with the new-entrant rate for the SOC code we think fits. It’s our reading of the advert; the code your employer uses is the one that counts.
Switching from a Graduate visa · New-entrant rate for every SOC code · Browse jobs
Common questions
What is the new entrant salary for a Skilled Worker visa?
At least £33,400 a year and at least 70% of the going rate for the job’s occupation code, whichever is higher.
Does a Graduate visa holder count as a new entrant?
Yes, if they are on a Graduate visa now, or it ended less than 2 years ago and they’ve had no other visa since except a visit visa.
Is everyone applying for their first Skilled Worker visa a new entrant?
No. You need to meet one of the conditions, such as being under 26 or coming from a Student or Graduate visa.