UK Skilled Worker visa 2026 salary, skills and costs

New Delhi (Desk), 18 Oct 2026 (IST) · Explainer

The Skilled Worker visa is the main way for professionals from outside the UK to move there for a job. Indian nationals are among its biggest users, in fields from software and engineering to health and finance.

The route has become harder since July 2025. Most new applicants now need a graduate-level job and a salary of at least £41,700 a year, and employers pay more to sponsor them. This guide explains how the visa works today, what it costs, and what to check before you accept an offer.

Key points

• You need a job offer from a UK employer that holds a sponsor licence, and a certificate of sponsorship for that role.
• New applicants usually need a job at RQF level 6, roughly graduate level.
• The general salary floor is £41,700 a year, or the going rate for the job if that is higher.
• Employers pay an Immigration Skills Charge of £1,320 a year per worker (£480 for small sponsors).
• Rules change often; always check GOV.UK before applying. This article is not legal advice.

How the UK Skilled Worker visa works

The visa is tied to a job and an employer. You can't apply on your own: a UK company must first hold a sponsor licence from the Home Office, then offer you an eligible role and assign you a certificate of sponsorship (CoS), a reference number that confirms the job details and salary.

With the CoS, you apply online, pay the fees and the health surcharge, and give your fingerprints and photo at a visa centre in India. If the visa is granted, you can work for that sponsor in that role. Changing employer usually means a new application.

The visa can be granted for up to five years at a time and can be extended. Time on the route can count towards settlement, known as indefinite leave to remain (ILR).

The skill level: graduate jobs only

Since 22 July 2025, new Skilled Worker applicants generally need a job at RQF level 6, which is roughly the level of a bachelor's degree, according to immigration advisers' summaries of the Home Office rules. Before that, many jobs at A-level standard (RQF 3 to 5) qualified.

Some medium-skilled roles can still qualify, but only if they appear on a government shortage or temporary list. People already on the route before the change have some transitional protection, so the rules for an extension may differ from those for a first application.

Every job is matched to an occupation code, and each code has its own going rate. Getting the code right matters: a wrong code can lead to refusal.

The salary rules

You must be paid the higher of two figures:

• the general threshold of £41,700 a year, which replaced £38,700 in July 2025; or
• the going rate for your occupation code.

Lower thresholds apply in some cases. "New entrants", such as recent graduates and people under 26, and some PhD holders can be paid less, but usually not below £33,400 a year, advisers report. Health and care roles and education jobs on national pay scales have their own rules.

Only guaranteed basic pay counts. Overtime, most bonuses and allowances don't. If an offer sits close to the threshold, ask the employer to confirm the basic salary in writing.

What it costs

The costs fall on both the employer and the applicant.

The Immigration Skills Charge rose by about 32% on 16 December 2025, according to several immigration firms. Employers can't pass this charge on to the worker.

For a five-year visa for a family of four, the health surcharge alone can run into thousands of pounds, so budget for it before you resign from a job in India. The current fee tables are on GOV.UK.

English, family and settlement

English: You must prove English at a set level, through an approved test, a degree taught in English or some other routes. Several advisers report that the level rose to B2, upper intermediate, for applications from 8 January 2026. Check the level that applies on the date you apply.

Family: Skilled workers can usually bring a partner and children under 18 as dependants. Each pays the visa fee and health surcharge. Care workers have been barred from bringing dependants since March 2024.

Settlement: Skilled workers have usually been able to apply for ILR after five years. The UK government has proposed making settlement longer and dependent on contribution, and the details have been consulted on. If settlement is part of your plan, check the current position before you move.

Why it matters: The UK is home to one of the largest Indian communities abroad, and the Skilled Worker route is how most Indian professionals get there without a British spouse or ancestry. The higher salary and skill bars mean fewer junior and mid-level roles qualify, so a UK offer needs more checking than it did two years ago. For families, the total cost of fees and surcharges can match several months of salary.

Checklist before you accept a UK job offer

1. Ask whether the employer holds a sponsor licence; you can check the public register of licensed sponsors on GOV.UK.
2. Ask for the occupation code and confirm the job is at RQF level 6 or on a qualifying list.
3. Check that the guaranteed basic salary meets both £41,700 and the going rate for that code.
4. Agree in writing who pays the visa fee and the health surcharge.
5. Book an approved English test early if you need one.
6. Keep your degree certificates, payslips and offer letter ready for the application.

Switching to a Skilled Worker visa inside the UK

Many Indians don't apply from India at all. They switch from another UK visa, most often the Graduate visa after a degree, or a Student visa once their course is complete. Switching from inside the UK avoids leaving the country, but the same rules apply: a licensed sponsor, a certificate of sponsorship, an eligible job and the right salary.

Students usually can't switch before their course ends, with limited exceptions such as some PhD students. Graduate visa holders can switch at any point, which is why many use the Graduate visa as a bridge to find a sponsoring employer. With the Graduate visa falling to 18 months for most applicants from January 2027, that window is getting shorter.

Changing employer: if you move to a new job, your new employer must assign a new certificate of sponsorship and you must apply to update your visa before you start. You can't simply begin work for a different company on your old visa.

Losing your job: if your sponsored job ends, your visa may be cut short. You usually get a limited period to find a new sponsor, switch to another visa or leave. Get advice quickly if this happens.

A UK offer is still within reach for experienced Indian professionals. The difference now is that the paperwork, the salary and the job title all have to line up exactly, and it pays to check each one before you hand in your notice.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Rules change; check GOV.UK or a regulated adviser before applying.