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One number decides most UK sponsorship cases — and half the internet still quotes the old one. Here is exactly which threshold applies to you, from which date, with every figure verified against gov.uk.
By Manu · Rules last changed 22 July 2025 · Data verified against gov.uk on 6 September 2026
£41,700 is the current general threshold. It rose from £38,700 on 22 July 2025under Statement of Changes HC 997. £38,700 was the threshold from 4 April 2024 to 21 July 2025, and many articles written in that window still rank in search results. If a source quotes £38,700 without a date, it predates HC 997. The only people to whom lower figures still apply are those in the reduced-threshold categories below or with transitional protection from before 4 April 2024.
Find your row, then check both columns: you must meet the absolute floor and the going-rate percentage for your SOC code — whichever produces the higher number wins.
| Applicant type | Salary floor | Going-rate rule |
|---|---|---|
| Standard applicant | £41,700 | 100% of going rate (higher of the two applies) |
| New entrant (under 26, Student/Graduate switch, professional training) | £33,400 | 70% of going rate |
| STEM PhD relevant to the job | £33,400 | 80% of going rate |
| Non-STEM PhD relevant to the job | £37,500 | 90% of going rate |
| Immigration Salary List role | £33,400 | 100% of going rate |
| Postdoctoral position (science/higher education) | See gov.uk | 70% of going rate |
| Prison officer (extending/switching; transitional) | £31,300 | Lower going rate for the occupation |
| NHS / teaching (national pay scale occupations) | Pay scale | National pay scales replace the going rate |
Discounted going-rate values (90%/80%/70%) are published per SOC code with floors already applied — see the exact figure for any code on its SOC page. Workers sponsored before 4 April 2024 keep transitional (lower) thresholds — check gov.uk for your CoS date.
| SOC | Occupation | Going rate | You must be paid | Which rule wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2134 | Programmers and software development professionals | £54,700 | £54,700 | Going rate |
| 1111 | Chief executives and senior officials | £88,100 | £88,100 | Going rate |
| 2121 | Civil engineers | £50,400 | £50,400 | Going rate |
| 1150 | Managers and directors in retail and wholesale | £36,400 | £41,700 | General threshold |
| 3111 | Laboratory technicians | £33,400 | £41,700 | General threshold |
Straight arithmetic on the annual figure (contracts are assessed annually; the per-period numbers below are equivalents, not separate legal thresholds): £3,475 per month or £802 per week gross. Separately, gov.uk sets a hard minimum of £17.13 per hour whatever your working pattern — and going rates assume a 37.5-hour week, pro-rated to your contracted hours. A salary can pass the annual test and still fail the hourly one on a long-hours contract.
| Effective date | What changed | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 4 April 2024 | General threshold rises from £26,200 to £38,700; SOC 2020 codes replace SOC 2010; going rates move to median ASHE earnings. | gov.uk |
| 22 July 2025 | HC 997 takes effect: general threshold £38,700 → £41,700; new entrant £30,960 → £33,400; relevant PhD £34,830 → £37,500; hourly minimum £15.88 → £17.13; skill floor raised to RQF Level 6 (~180 occupations removed). | gov.uk |
| 1 December 2025 | Immigration Skills Charge rises 32% — £1,320/year (large sponsors), £480/year (small/charity). Paid by the sponsor. | gov.uk |
| 8 January 2026 | English requirement rises from CEFR B1 to B2 for new Skilled Worker applicants. | gov.uk |
| 8 April 2026 | Visa application fees rise ~6–7% under the revised fees table. | gov.uk |