Skilled Worker visa salary threshold 2026: £41,700, explained
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 12 October 2026
- General threshold
- £41,700
- In force since
- 22 Jul 2025
- New entrant
- £33,400
- Relevant PhD
- £37,500
- Going-rate floor (hourly)
- £17.13
- Monthly equivalent
- £3,475
£38,700 or £41,700 — which is correct?
£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.
Which threshold applies to you
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 — most ISL occupations only for certificates issued before 31 December 2026 |
| 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.
Worked examples: threshold vs going rate
| 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 |
| 2452 | Chartered architectural technologists, planning officers and consultants | £35,800 | £41,700 | General threshold |
| 2462 | Probation officers | £35,700 | £41,700 | General threshold |
| 2471 | Librarians | £34,800 | £41,700 | General threshold |
What £41,700 means per month, week, and hour
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, the Immigration Rules set every going rate at no less than £17.13 per hour, 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.
Every threshold change, dated and sourced
| 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 |
How to check your own offer
- Find your SOC code in the SOC codes with salaries table (or on your Certificate of Sponsorship).
- Take the higher of £41,700 and your code’s going rate — that’s your minimum, unless a reduced category applies.
- If you’re a new entrant or PhD holder, use the discounted rate printed on your SOC code’s page (floors already applied).
- Check the hourly rate: salary ÷ 52 ÷ contracted weekly hours must be ≥ £17.13.
- Then verify your employer holds a licence on the sponsor register and browse live sponsored jobs by city.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the Skilled Worker salary threshold £38,700 or £41,700?
- £41,700. The general threshold rose from £38,700 to £41,700 on 22 July 2025 (Statement of Changes HC 997). Pages still quoting £38,700 are describing the rules that applied between 4 April 2024 and 21 July 2025. Your salary must be the higher of £41,700 and your occupation's going rate.
- What is the minimum salary for a UK Skilled Worker visa in 2026?
- £41,700 per year or your SOC code's going rate, whichever is higher, with going rates never below £17.13 per hour. Reduced thresholds apply to new entrants (£33,400 + 70% of going rate), STEM PhD holders (£33,400 + 80%), other relevant PhDs (£37,500 + 90%), and Immigration Salary List roles (£33,400 + full going rate; most ISL occupations only for certificates issued before 31 December 2026).
- What is the new-entrant salary threshold?
- £33,400 per year plus at least 70% of your job's going rate. You qualify if you're under 26, switching from a Student or Graduate visa, working towards a recognised professional qualification, or working towards full registration or chartered status. New-entrant status is capped at 4 years in total, including time on the Graduate visa.
- What is the going rate and how does it interact with the threshold?
- Every SOC 2020 occupation code has a going rate published in the Immigration Rules, derived from ONS earnings data. The rule is always 'the higher of': a software developer (SOC 2134, going rate £54,700) needs £54,700; a librarian (SOC 2471, going rate £34,800) still needs £41,700.
- Is the threshold pro-rated for part-time work?
- Going rates are based on a 37.5-hour week and gov.uk states they must be pro-rated for other working patterns. Going rates (and their 70/80/90% reductions) never fall below £17.13 per hour, so work out your pay per hour as well as per year.
- When did the Skilled Worker salary threshold last change?
- 22 July 2025, when HC 997 raised the general threshold from £38,700 to £41,700, the new-entrant floor from £30,960 to £33,400, the PhD floor from £34,830 to £37,500, and the hourly minimum from £15.88 to £17.13. The same package raised the skill requirement to RQF Level 6.
Sources
- GOV.UK — Skilled Worker visa: your job (general threshold, hourly minimum). Verified 12 October 2026.
- GOV.UK — Skilled Worker visa: when you can be paid less (reduced thresholds). Verified 12 October 2026.
- GOV.UK — Statement of Changes HC 997 (laid 1 July 2025, in force 22 July 2025).
- GOV.UK — Appendix Skilled Occupations (going rates, pro-rating, ASHE basis).