What do you need for a UK Skilled Worker visa?
GOV.UK lists five things for a UK Skilled Worker visa: a job offer from an employer approved by the Home Office, a certificate of sponsorship from that employer, a job on the list of eligible occupations, at least the minimum salary, and English. On pay, GOV.UK says: “You’ll usually need to be paid the ‘standard’ salary rate of at least £41,700 per year, or the ‘going rate’ for your job, whichever is higher.” On English: “You’ll usually need to prove your knowledge of English when you apply.” Each item is quoted in full below, with who controls it.
What are the Skilled Worker visa requirements?
To qualify for a Skilled Worker visa, you must: work for a UK employer that’s been approved by the Home Office
have a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ ( CoS ) from your employer with information about the role you’ve been offered in the UK
do a job that’s on the list of eligible occupations
be paid a minimum salary - how much depends on the type of work you do and the date you got your CoS
You must be able to speak, read, write and understand English. You’ll usually need to prove your knowledge of English when you apply.
Which requirements does the employer control, and which do you?
A CoS is a certificate of sponsorship, the electronic record your employer assigns for the job. Some of these items depend on the employer, some on the job, and two on you. The table is our reading of who to ask about each one. The GOV.UK wording for each row is quoted further down. General information, not immigration advice. Check GOV.UK or a regulated adviser for your own case.
| Requirement | Who it mostly depends on (our reading) | What you can check yourself |
|---|---|---|
| Approved employer (sponsor licence) | The employer | Whether the employer's organisation name is on the Home Office register of licensed sponsors |
| Certificate of sponsorship | The employer assigns it | Ask the employer for the reference number once it is assigned |
| Eligible occupation code | The job, as the employer describes it | The job's 4-digit occupation code and which list it is on |
| Minimum salary | The job's pay, agreed with the employer | The pay against the salary rules quoted below |
| Knowledge of English | You | Which way of proving English fits your qualifications or nationality |
| Fees and money to support yourself | You, with the savings exceptions quoted below | The current amounts on GOV.UK's costs page |
What counts as an approved employer, and what is the certificate?
You must have a job offer from an approved UK employer before you apply for a Skilled Worker visa. Approved employers are also known as sponsors, because they are sponsoring you to come to or stay in the UK.
The Home Office register of licensed sponsors lists organisation names, which can differ from the brand on a job advert. Each register file shows the date it was updated. So a search that finds nothing is not proof the employer has no licence: the listed name may be different.
The certificate of sponsorship is an electronic record, not a physical document. It will have a reference number, which you’ll need for your visa application.
You must apply for your visa within 3 months of getting your certificate of sponsorship.
How do I know if a job is eligible?
Before you can find out if your job is eligible, you need to know its 4-digit occupation code.
If your occupation code is listed as a ‘higher skilled’ job, you can apply for this visa.
If your occupation code is listed as ‘medium skilled’, you can apply for this visa if your job is: on the immigration salary list on the temporary shortage list prison officer (code 3314) and you’re extending or switching to this visa
You can also apply if you’re extending your visa and you got your first certificate of sponsorship before 22 July 2025.
How many codes is that? We counted the Home Office lists on 9 November 2026: the tables in Appendix Skilled Occupations, the temporary shortage list and the immigration salary list. This is our count of public pages, so open the lists to check any one code.
| What we counted | Codes |
|---|---|
| Appendix Table 1 (eligible codes) and Table 3 (eligible health and education codes) | 91 + 30 = 121 |
| Appendix Table 1a and Table 3a (additional codes, headed for applicants granted permission under the rules in place before 22 July 2025) | 170 + 8 = 178 |
| Of those 178, codes on the temporary shortage list | 52 (4 of them for listed job types only) |
| Of those 178, codes on the immigration salary list | 19 |
| Of those 178, codes on either list | 66 |
| Appendix Table 6 (not eligible for the Skilled Worker route) | 114 |
If your job is on the list and it is a medium skilled job you can make an application if you are switching to the route or applying for entry clearance as well as extending your permission as a Skilled Worker.
That line is from the temporary shortage list page. The appendix's note to Table 1a also refers to the Temporary Shortage List. The appendix covers all 412 occupation codes; one code, 9119, sits in both Table 1a and Table 6, so check that one on the appendix itself.
What is the minimum salary?
You’ll usually need to be paid the ‘standard’ salary rate of at least £41,700 per year, or the ‘going rate’ for your job, whichever is higher.
Each occupation code has its own annual going rate.
You may also be able to meet lower salary requirements if you’re: extending your Skilled Worker visa updating your Skilled Worker visa - for example if you have a new job or employer
If you do not meet the usual salary requirements, and you do not work in healthcare or education, you might still be eligible if your salary will be at least £33,400 per year.
GOV.UK lists those cases and their conditions on its page about being paid less. Our glossary explains the new entrant rate, one of those cases.
How do I prove my English?
You can prove it in one of the following ways, by: having a UK school qualification having a degree from a UK institution having a degree from an institution that was outside the UK and taught in English passing an English test from an approved provider
You must prove you can read, write, speak and understand English to at least level B2 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
If you had this visa before 8 January 2026 and you’re applying to extend or update it, you need level B1 English. You do not need to prove your knowledge of English again.
GOV.UK gives the B2 level in its section on English tests. It also lists the nationalities that do not need to prove English. Our English requirement page goes through each way of proving it.
What money do you need?
You, your partner or children will each need to: pay the application fee pay the healthcare surcharge for each year of your stay prove you have enough personal savings
You’ll usually need to show proof of this when you apply , unless either: you’ve been in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months your employer can cover your costs during your first month in the UK, up to £1,270
Which documents does the application ask for?
When you apply you’ll need to provide: your certificate of sponsorship reference number - your employer will give you this proof of your knowledge of English a valid passport or other document that shows your identity and nationality your job title and annual salary your job’s occupation code the name of your employer and their sponsor licence number - this will be on your certificate of sponsorship
What can I check first?
- The employer: search its organisation name on the Home Office register of licensed sponsors.
- The job: find its 4-digit occupation code and see which list it is on.
- The pay: compare it with the salary rules quoted above and the going rate for that code.
- If you are switching from a Graduate visa: our page on that switch.
How to check a UK sponsor licence
Find a job's occupation code and going rate
Graduate visa to Skilled Worker: how the switch works
SponsorJobs lists jobs at employers we match to the Home Office register and leaves out adverts whose wording rules sponsorship out. The employer still decides each role.
What it means for your job search
Common questions
Can I apply for a Skilled Worker visa without a job offer?
No. GOV.UK says: "You must have a confirmed job offer before you apply for your visa."
Who gives me the certificate of sponsorship?
Your employer. GOV.UK's documents page lists "your certificate of sponsorship reference number - your employer will give you this".
What is the minimum salary for a Skilled Worker visa?
GOV.UK says: "You’ll usually need to be paid the ‘standard’ salary rate of at least £41,700 per year, or the ‘going rate’ for your job, whichever is higher." Its page on being paid less lists the cases where a lower salary can apply.
Is my job eligible?
GOV.UK says: "If your occupation code is listed as a ‘higher skilled’ job, you can apply for this visa." For ‘medium skilled’ codes GOV.UK sets conditions. They are quoted word for word in the section on eligible jobs above.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Skilled Worker visa
- GOV.UK: Skilled Worker visa, your job
- GOV.UK: Skilled Worker visa, when you can be paid less
- GOV.UK: Skilled Worker visa, knowledge of English
- GOV.UK: Skilled Worker visa, how much it costs
- GOV.UK: Skilled Worker visa, documents you'll need to apply
- GOV.UK: Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Occupations
- GOV.UK: Skilled Worker visa, temporary shortage list
- GOV.UK: Skilled Worker visa, immigration salary list
- GOV.UK: Register of licensed sponsors: workers