UK Skilled Worker Visa Changes 2026: Salary Thresholds, ILR, ISL

Last reviewed: 31 May 2026

The 2024 salary threshold rise (what changed, who was affected)

The single most material change to the Skilled Worker route in recent years took effect on 4 April 2024, when the general salary threshold rose from £26,200 to £38,700. The going rate for individual Standard Occupational Classification codes was simultaneously updated to align with the 25th percentile of the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, which moved many occupation-specific minimums upward by 20% to 50%. The change affected new Certificate of Sponsorship assignments from that date onward; existing Skilled Worker holders extending their leave were placed on transitional arrangements at the old £26,200 threshold, which run until April 2030. The Skilled Worker visa cost guide in this sprint covers the linked fee implications.

The change was announced in December 2023 as part of a five-point plan to reduce net migration. The Home Secretary at the time framed the threshold rise as a return to the spirit of the post-Brexit points-based system, which had originally been calibrated to wages above the UK median. The Migration Advisory Committee was asked to review going rates on a quicker cycle and to advise on whether the Immigration Salary List (the successor to the Shortage Occupation List) should remain a 20% discount mechanism or be tightened further.

Quantitative effects of the threshold rise were visible in Home Office quarterly transparency data from Q3 2024 onward: new Certificates of Sponsorship for Skilled Worker roles fell by approximately 30% year-on-year, with the steepest drops in retail, hospitality and lower-paid administrative roles. Health and care sector volumes remained higher because of the separate Health and Care Worker route, which uses a lower £23,200 threshold for eligible occupation codes.

From Shortage Occupation List to Immigration Salary List

The Shortage Occupation List was replaced on 4 April 2024 by a new Immigration Salary List. Three structural differences distinguish the new list from the old:

• The 20% discount on the going rate was retained, but the discount on the general salary threshold was abolished. Roles on the Immigration Salary List still benefit from a lower hourly rate floor but must meet the general £38,700 threshold on the same basis as non-listed roles.
• The list itself was shorter at launch (around 20 occupations down from approximately 30 on the SOL) and was framed as a transitional measure pending a full Migration Advisory Committee review.
• Some occupations previously on the SOL (notably various engineering and graphic design codes) were removed from the new ISL on the basis that median wages in those roles were close to or above the new general threshold and no shortage adjustment was warranted.

The Migration Advisory Committee published its full ISL review in autumn 2024, recommending modest expansion of the list to include certain construction, social care and laboratory technician roles. The Home Office accepted the recommendations in part and the ISL was updated in early 2025. The current list is published on gov.uk and updated through Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules.

Health and Care Worker dependant restriction (March 2024)

From 11 March 2024 the Health and Care Worker visa route was restricted so that holders entering the UK as care workers (Standard Occupational Classification 6135 and 6136) can no longer bring partner or child dependants. The change does not apply retrospectively to existing holders, who retain the right to bring dependants under the original conditions of their leave, and does not apply to clinical NHS staff such as doctors and nurses entering on the same route under different SOC codes. The justification cited by the Home Office was the rapid expansion of care worker arrivals from 2022 to 2024 and concerns about employer compliance with sponsorship duties, including a number of high-profile cases of sponsor licence revocation.

The dependant restriction sits alongside a separate change announced in April 2025 closing the Health and Care Worker route to overseas recruitment of care workers entirely, while leaving clinical NHS roles open on the same route. The April 2025 closure is covered in the linked Care Worker visa cost guide.

The proposed 10-year ILR qualifying period (consultation status)

In a consultation paper published in autumn 2024, the Home Office proposed extending the qualifying period for Indefinite Leave to Remain on the Skilled Worker route from 5 years to 10 years. The consultation closed in early 2025 and the Home Office has not yet published a formal response. The proposal, if adopted, would be a structural change to the Skilled Worker route and would have several knock-on effects worth noting:

• An applicant would need to renew the Skilled Worker visa at the 5-year point rather than apply for settlement, incurring a further round of Home Office fees and IHS for the second 5-year period
• The compounding IHS cost over 10 years for an adult applicant would be £10,350 at the current rate, before any future IHS uplift
• The settlement income threshold (separate from the Skilled Worker salary threshold) would apply for a longer period before being tested
• Children born in the UK during a parent's Skilled Worker leave would not automatically benefit from British citizenship after the parent's first 5 years on the same route

The proposal is highly contested. Industry bodies including the Confederation of British Industry and the British Medical Association submitted responses opposing the extension on retention grounds. As of 2026 no statement of changes has been laid before Parliament implementing the 10-year period, and the existing 5-year qualifying period remains in force.

What might change next

Three further changes are flagged in the Home Office's published immigration strategy and in Migration Advisory Committee work plans. None has been confirmed in legislation as of 2026:

• A further uplift to the general salary threshold, potentially tied to annual ASHE updates rather than discretionary review, has been discussed at MAC level
• A change to the calculation of going rates from the 25th percentile to the median (50th percentile) of ASHE, which would substantially raise the floor for many occupations
• A possible cap or auction mechanism for Certificates of Sponsorship if net migration figures rebound above target levels

The Skilled Worker route is on a faster change cycle than at any point since its introduction in December 2020. Applicants and sponsors should treat fee schedules and thresholds as subject to material revision every 12 to 18 months and verify the current rules on gov.uk before submitting any application.

Frequently asked questions

What is the current Skilled Worker salary threshold?

The general salary threshold is £38,700 per year for new Certificate of Sponsorship assignments from 4 April 2024 onward. Specific Standard Occupational Classification codes have their own going rates aligned with the 25th percentile of the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, and the applicant must meet whichever is higher of the general threshold and the code-specific going rate. Roles on the Immigration Salary List benefit from a 20% discount on the going rate but not on the general threshold.

Did the salary threshold rise apply to people already in the UK on Skilled Worker visas?

No. Skilled Worker holders extending leave under their existing Certificate of Sponsorship before April 2030 are subject to transitional arrangements that apply the old £26,200 threshold rather than the new £38,700 figure. The transitional arrangements are detailed in the Statement of Changes published in March 2024 and are time-limited to extensions of existing leave on the same route with the same sponsor. A new Certificate of Sponsorship assigned after 4 April 2024, even to an existing holder, applies the new threshold.

Why was the Shortage Occupation List replaced?

The Migration Advisory Committee recommended replacing the SOL with a narrower Immigration Salary List on the basis that the 20% discount on the general salary threshold (which the SOL used to provide) was no longer justified given the broader increase in the general threshold itself. The ISL retains the 20% discount on the code-specific going rate but not on the general threshold, which the MAC considered a more targeted mechanism for genuine shortage occupations.

Is the ILR qualifying period definitely changing from 5 to 10 years?

No. The 10-year qualifying period was proposed in a Home Office consultation in autumn 2024 but no Statement of Changes has been laid before Parliament implementing the proposal. The 5-year qualifying period remains in force as of 2026. Applicants currently on the Skilled Worker route should plan on the 5-year qualifying period for settlement applications based on the rules in force at the time of their application.

When are further Skilled Worker changes expected?

Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules are typically laid before Parliament twice a year, in March and October, with fee schedule updates aligned to the start of the fiscal year in April. Changes to the going rate calculation, the Immigration Salary List, and the general threshold are the most likely items to appear in upcoming Statements. Applicants and sponsors should monitor gov.uk and the Migration Advisory Committee's work plan for advance notice.

Sources

• Skilled Worker visa route guidance (gov.uk)
• Statement of Changes HC 590 March 2024 (gov.uk)
• Immigration Salary List (gov.uk)
• Migration Advisory Committee publications (gov.uk)
• Immigration system statistics year ending December 2024 (gov.uk)
• UK statutory instruments 2024 (legislation.gov.uk)