Skilled Labor Visa UK 2026: GBP 38,700 Threshold, Appendix Skilled Worker and the May 2025 White Paper

The two spellings, one visa route

UK English "skilled labour visa" and US English "skilled labor visa" both map to the same UK immigration route: the Skilled Worker visa, governed by Appendix Skilled Worker of the Immigration Rules. The spelling difference is purely orthographic. The Home Office uses "skilled worker" rather than either "skilled labour" or "skilled labor" in its official terminology; the latter two are common search terms and informal labels for the route.

Appendix Skilled Worker came into force on 1 December 2020 as the post-Brexit replacement for the Tier 2 (General) route. It has been amended by multiple Statements of Changes since, including HC 1118 (April 2024) raising the general salary threshold to GBP 38,700, and the May 2025 white paper has set the direction for further changes through 2026 and 2027.

The 70-point requirement and how points are awarded

The route uses a points-based system. An applicant needs 70 points to qualify, made up of 50 mandatory points and 20 tradeable points.

The 50 mandatory points come from three blocks. Sponsorship from a Home Office licensed sponsor with a valid Certificate of Sponsorship is 20 points. A job at the appropriate skill level (currently RQF 3 or above, with the May 2025 white paper proposing a return to RQF 6) is 20 points. English language at B1 CEFR or above, evidenced by an approved test or a degree taught in English, is 10 points.

The 20 tradeable points come from one of several routes. Salary at or above the general threshold of GBP 38,700 gives the full 20. Salary at or above the new-entrant threshold of GBP 30,960 gives 20 where the applicant qualifies as a new entrant (under 26, or transitioning from Student or Graduate routes, with the lower threshold available for up to 4 years). A job on the immigration salary list (the successor to the shortage occupation list) gives 20 where the salary is at least 80 percent of the going rate. A PhD relevant to the job gives 10, and a STEM PhD relevant to the job gives 20.

The 2026 salary thresholds in detail

The 2026 general salary threshold is GBP 38,700. The new-entrant threshold is GBP 30,960. The going-rate threshold for the specific Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code applies in parallel: the applicant must meet whichever of the two (general threshold or going rate) is higher for the role.

Sector-specific lower thresholds apply for health and care workers, certain education roles, and roles on the immigration salary list. The Health and Care Worker visa, a Skilled Worker subset, uses a GBP 23,200 threshold in 2026 for roles in eligible health and care occupations. These thresholds are reviewed annually and any change is published through a Statement of Changes.

What this means in practice: an applicant offered a software engineering role at GBP 45,000 by a UK-based sponsor with a valid licence will meet the GBP 38,700 general threshold, the RQF 3+ skill requirement, and (with B1 English plus a CoS) the full 70 points. The applicant pays the GBP 769 fee for a 3-year outside-UK application plus GBP 3,105 IHS for 3 years (GBP 1,035 x 3).

2026 application fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge

The 2026 Skilled Worker fee schedule, drawn from the GOV.UK fees page, runs as follows.

• Outside UK, up to 3 years: GBP 769.
• Outside UK, over 3 years: GBP 1,420.
• Inside UK (switch or extension), up to 3 years: GBP 1,049.
• Inside UK, over 3 years: GBP 1,704.
• Immigration salary list discount: reduced fees apply for roles on the immigration salary list; the published 2026 discount runs at approximately 25 percent off the standard fee.
• Immigration Health Surcharge: GBP 1,035 per adult per year, GBP 776 per child per year. The surcharge is paid in full upfront for the entire visa length.

A 5-year outside-UK Skilled Worker application in 2026 therefore carries a total Home Office cost of GBP 1,420 plus GBP 5,175 IHS (GBP 1,035 x 5), totalling GBP 6,595 for the principal applicant before any sponsor-side costs or dependant surcharges.

Dependants, switching and the ILR pathway

The route permits dependant partners and children to join the principal applicant. Each dependant carries its own application fee at the same band as the principal applicant and its own IHS. Dependant partners need to evidence the relationship (marriage certificate, civil partnership certificate, or two years of cohabitation evidence under Appendix Skilled Worker dependant rules).

Switching is permitted from the Student visa (after course completion or with sponsor agreement for postgraduate roles before completion), from the Graduate visa, and from several other routes. Switching is not permitted from visitor visas or short-term study visas.

The route leads to indefinite leave to remain (ILR) after 5 years of continuous qualifying residence on the Skilled Worker route or a combination of qualifying routes. Continuous residence breaks at 180 days outside the UK in any rolling 12 months. After ILR, British citizenship by naturalisation is available 12 months later, subject to the 5-year residence test under section 6 of the British Nationality Act 1981.

The May 2025 white paper and pending changes

The "Restoring control over the immigration system" white paper, published in May 2025, set the policy direction for the Skilled Worker route through the remainder of the Parliament. Three proposals are central. First, raising the minimum skill level back to RQF 6 (degree-level) from the current RQF 3+ threshold, narrowing eligible occupations. Second, scrapping the immigration salary list (the successor to the shortage occupation list) and ending salary-discount eligibility. Third, lengthening the qualifying period for settlement from 5 to 10 years on most work routes, with exceptions for high-priority sectors.

As of May 2026 none of these proposals has been brought into force by a Statement of Changes. They remain proposed-but-not-yet-implemented, awaiting consultation responses and draft rules. Implementation, when it comes, is expected through a Statement of Changes published with at least 21 days' notice in line with the Immigration Rules convention. Until that point, the current 2026 thresholds, skill levels and 5-year settlement path remain in force.

Sponsor obligations, CoS allocation and the compliance backdrop

The Skilled Worker route is structurally an employer-led one. The sponsor (the UK employer with a Tier 2 sponsor licence under the Workers and Temporary Workers framework) carries the bulk of the compliance burden. The sponsor must hold an A-rated licence at the time the Certificate of Sponsorship is assigned, must report changes (start date, salary, role) to UKVI through the Sponsor Management System within ten working days, and must retain right-to-work check evidence for the worker throughout the visa period.

The sponsor also pays its own set of fees. The Certificate of Sponsorship costs GBP 525 in 2026 (the figure rose from GBP 239 in April 2024). The Immigration Skills Charge runs at GBP 1,000 per year of sponsorship for medium and large sponsors, GBP 364 for small or charitable sponsors. A 5-year CoS from a medium-sized sponsor therefore carries a sponsor-side cost of GBP 525 plus GBP 5,000, totalling GBP 5,525 before the worker's own fees and IHS. Most sponsors pass at least some of this cost to the worker through clawback agreements, although the Home Office continues to consult on rules restricting this practice.

How we verified this

The points framework, salary thresholds, fees and IHS rates were checked in May 2026 against Appendix Skilled Worker of the Immigration Rules at gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-skilled-worker, the GOV.UK Skilled Worker visa page at gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa, the IHS page at gov.uk/healthcare-immigration-application, and the published Home Office fee schedule for 2025/26. The May 2025 white paper proposals were verified against "Restoring control over the immigration system" published on gov.uk in May 2025. ILR and citizenship pathways were cross-checked against the British Nationality Act 1981 section 6 framework. Only primary Home Office, GOV.UK and legislation sources were used.

Frequently asked questions

Is "skilled labor visa" the same as the UK Skilled Worker visa?

Yes. "Skilled labor visa" (US English) and "skilled labour visa" (UK English) both refer to the Skilled Worker route under Appendix Skilled Worker of the Immigration Rules. The Home Office's own term is "Skilled Worker"; "skilled labor" is an informal search variant. The eligibility, fees and process are identical.

What salary is needed for the UK skilled labor visa in 2026?

The 2026 general salary threshold is GBP 38,700 a year. The new-entrant threshold is GBP 30,960 for applicants under 26 or transitioning from Student or Graduate routes. Each role also has a Standard Occupational Classification going-rate, and the applicant must meet whichever of the general threshold or the going rate is higher.

How long can a UK Skilled Worker visa last in 2026?

The Skilled Worker visa is granted for up to 5 years per application, matching the length of the Certificate of Sponsorship. Extensions are permitted in the UK. The route leads to indefinite leave to remain after 5 years of continuous qualifying residence under the current rules, with a 180-day absence limit per rolling 12 months.

Can dependants come on a UK skilled labor visa?

Yes. Dependant partners and children under 18 can apply at the same time as the principal applicant or join later. Each pays the same band of application fee and the same Immigration Health Surcharge. Dependant partners need to evidence the relationship under Appendix Skilled Worker dependant rules.

What changes did the May 2025 white paper propose for the route?

The white paper proposed raising the skill level back to RQF 6 (degree), scrapping the immigration salary list, and lengthening the settlement qualifying period from 5 to 10 years for most work routes. As of May 2026 none of these proposals has been implemented by a Statement of Changes; current thresholds and rules remain in force.

Sources

• GOV.UK: Skilled Worker visa
• GOV.UK: Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Worker
• GOV.UK: Immigration Health Surcharge
• Home Office: Restoring control over the immigration system white paper (May 2025)
• GOV.UK: Statements of Changes index