TL;DR
The UK Skilled Worker visa lets non-UK nationals work for a licensed sponsor in eligible roles. From April 2024 you need a job offer paying at least £38,700, English at B1, and £1,270 in savings. The visa fee is £719–£1,500+ plus the Immigration Health Surcharge. Standard processing is 3 weeks. Five years on this route counts toward Indefinite Leave to Remain.
How much does the UK Skilled Worker visa cost?
The Skilled Worker visa fee depends on length of stay and whether your role is on the Immigration Salary List. For a 3-year application, expect £719 (shortage role) to around £1,500 (standard) before adding the Immigration Health Surcharge of £1,035 per year of leave.
A worked example: a 3-year non-shortage application costs roughly £1,500 visa fee + £3,105 IHS = £4,605 total. Add biometric appointment costs and any priority service fee on top.
What is the salary threshold for the Skilled Worker visa?
The general minimum salary is £38,700 per year as of April 2024, or the going rate for your occupation under the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code, whichever is higher. Reduced thresholds apply to:
- New entrants (under 26, switching from Student/Graduate, or recent PhD): 70% of the going rate, with a floor of £30,960
- Immigration Salary List roles: 80% of the going rate
- Health and care worker visa: separate threshold of £29,000 with different IHS exemptions
Always check the going rate for your specific SOC code — it overrides the general minimum where higher.
How long does the Skilled Worker visa take?
Standard processing time is 3 weeks from outside the UK and 8 weeks from inside. Priority service (additional £500) reduces this to 5 working days. Super-priority service (£1,000) gives a decision the next working day after biometrics.
Times can extend if your application needs further checks — typically when documents are inconsistent, when the role under-pays the going rate, or when the sponsor's licence is under review.
What documents do I need?
You will need:
- Passport with at least one blank page
- Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) reference number from your employer — to find employers actively sponsoring Skilled Worker visas in your field, see our sister site Tarve
- English language proof — IELTS for UKVI, degree taught in English (UK NARIC confirmation), or passport from a majority-English country
- £1,270 in savings held continuously for 28 days, unless your sponsor certifies maintenance on the CoS
- TB test certificate if applying from a listed country
- Criminal record certificate if applying for a role on the relevant list (mainly health, education, social services)
Use our free Visa Document Bundler to merge these into one ordered PDF, named per Home Office convention, and compressed under the UKVCAS 6MB limit.
Can I switch from a Graduate visa to Skilled Worker?
Yes. You apply from inside the UK while your Graduate visa is still valid. You need:
- A job offer from a licensed sponsor that meets your SOC code's salary threshold (the new-entrant reduced threshold may apply)
- Your CoS issued within the last 3 months
- All standard documentation as above
The switch counts toward your 5-year qualifying period for ILR — your Graduate visa time does not.
What happens if my application is refused?
You can apply for an Administrative Review within 14 days if you believe a caseworker error was made. There is no right of appeal for most Skilled Worker refusals; the alternatives are to address the refusal reason and re-apply, or pursue judicial review for procedural unfairness.
Common refusal reasons include: salary below the going rate, inconsistencies between the CoS and supporting documents, missing maintenance funds evidence, and sponsor compliance issues outside the applicant's control.
How does this lead to ILR?
Five continuous years on the Skilled Worker route, with no excessive absences (more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12 months), plus a Life in the UK test pass and continued sponsorship at qualifying salary, lead to Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).
Time on certain other work routes (Tier 2 General, Health and Care Worker) counts toward the same 5 years if you switch into Skilled Worker.
Sources
- gov.uk: Skilled Worker visa overview
- gov.uk: Immigration Rules — Appendix Skilled Worker
- gov.uk: Eligible occupations and salary thresholds
- gov.uk: Find a TB clinic
- House of Commons Library: Migration statistics
Common questions
- 01
How much does the UK Skilled Worker visa cost in 2026?
The Skilled Worker visa application fee ranges from £719 (up to 3 years, shortage occupation) to roughly £1,500 (over 3 years, standard). On top of that, you pay the Immigration Health Surcharge of £1,035 per year of leave granted. A typical 3-year application costs around £4,800 once IHS is included.
- 02
What is the salary threshold for the Skilled Worker visa?
From April 2024 the general minimum is £38,700 per year, or the going rate for the occupation, whichever is higher. Lower thresholds apply to new entrants, shortage-list occupations, and PhD holders in relevant fields.
- 03
How long does a Skilled Worker visa take to process?
Standard processing is 3 weeks if applying from outside the UK and 8 weeks from inside. Priority service (additional fee) reduces this to 5 working days; super-priority is next working day.
- 04
What documents do I need for a Skilled Worker visa?
A valid passport, your Certificate of Sponsorship reference number from your employer, proof of English at B1 (CEFR) or higher, evidence of £1,270 in savings held for 28 days (unless your sponsor certifies maintenance), and a TB test certificate if applying from a listed country.
- 05
Can I switch to a Skilled Worker visa from a Graduate visa?
Yes. You apply from inside the UK using the same SET-O process. You need a job offer from a licensed sponsor that meets the salary threshold, and your Graduate visa must still be valid when you apply.