UK Skilled Worker Visa 2027: Requirements Guide

What the UK Skilled Worker Visa Allows You to Do

The Skilled Worker visa is for people who have been offered a skilled job by an approved UK employer and want to come to the UK, or stay in the country, to do that job. It replaced the older Tier 2 (General) work visa. The visa can last up to five years before it must be extended, and you can extend it as many times as you like while you still meet the requirements. A Skilled Worker visa is tied to a sponsored job, so you generally cannot apply for it without a confirmed job offer. Your partner and children may also be able to apply as dependants.

Sponsor, Job Offer, and Occupation Requirements

To qualify, you need to work for an employer approved by the Home Office and hold a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) that describes your role. Your job must also appear on the list of eligible occupations, which uses occupation codes. For example, IT roles such as programmers and software development professionals (code 2134) and cyber security professionals (code 2135) are listed as higher skilled. Medium skilled jobs are eligible only if they appear on the immigration salary list or the temporary shortage list, or in a few other limited cases. Before you accept an offer, check that the occupation code on your Certificate of Sponsorship matches the duties you will really perform.

Salary Thresholds and English Language Requirements

The standard minimum salary is £41,700 per year, or the going rate for your occupation code if that is higher. A lower minimum of £33,400 may apply in some cases for jobs outside healthcare and education that do not meet the usual requirements. You must also show that you can read, write, speak, and understand English at level B2 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), although a lower level applies if you are extending a visa you held before 8 January 2026. You can prove this with an approved Secure English Language Test (SELT), a qualifying degree, or a UK school qualification, and nationals of certain listed countries are exempt. Salary rules depend on your occupation code and the date of your Certificate of Sponsorship, so confirm the figures that apply to you.

Costs and Savings You Should Plan For

Application fees are charged per person. Applying from outside the UK currently costs £819 for a stay of up to three years and £1,618 for a stay of more than three years. Applying from inside the UK costs £943 or £1,865, and lower fees of £628 or £1,235 apply to jobs on the immigration salary list, which NHS Employers reports will close on 31 December 2026. You will also pay a healthcare surcharge of £1,035 per year, and you generally need £1,270 in savings held for 28 days in a row, unless an exemption applies. Verify the latest fees on the official page before you pay, because amounts are updated from time to time.

How to Apply, How Long It Takes, and What Comes Next

First, confirm that your employer is licensed and receives your Certificate of Sponsorship. Next, collect your passport, proof of English, and evidence of savings, then complete the online application and pay the fees. You can apply up to three months before your start date, and decisions usually take about three weeks if you apply from outside the UK and about eight weeks from inside the UK. A visa decision is never guaranteed, so avoid resigning from your current job or booking non-refundable travel until you have an approval. After five years in the UK, you may be able to apply for indefinite leave to remain, but settlement rules can change, so check the current requirements.

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