What you need to qualify
Five requirements, and they are checked independently of one another.
- A licensed sponsor The employer must hold a valid sponsor licence covering the Skilled Worker route. Without that, nothing else matters.
- A Certificate of Sponsorship Assigned to you for a specific job, with a specific occupation code and salary. It is a reference number, not a visa.
- An eligible occupation The job must appear on the list of eligible occupations at the required skill level. The list is revised regularly.
- Salary at the right level Normally the higher of the general threshold and the going rate for that occupation code. Discounts apply to some applicants.
- English at B1 CEFR By an approved test, a degree taught in English, or an exemption such as nationality.
The occupation code decides more than people realise
If there is one thing to take from this page, it is that the occupation code is not an administrative detail. It determines the going rate, whether any discount applies, and in some cases whether the job is eligible at all.
Employers frequently assign a code that matches the job title rather than the actual duties. That is understandable and it is a common source of refusals: the Home Office assesses whether the role genuinely fits the code, and a mismatch can mean refusal even where everyone acted in good faith and the salary was generous.
The practical consequence is that the code should be settled before a Certificate of Sponsorship is assigned, by looking at what the person will actually do day to day, not at what the job is called on the offer letter. Reassigning a CoS costs money and time; getting it right first costs half an hour.
Salary thresholds, the eligible occupation list and the going rates for individual jobs are revised regularly, and the figures on this page were correct at August 2026. Confirm the current position on GOV.UK or with us before relying on any number here — this is the part of the Immigration Rules that changes most often, and a threshold that moved last month can turn a viable job offer into a refusal.
Extending a Skilled Worker visa
Extensions are usually more straightforward than the first application, but three things catch people out.
Apply before your current leave expires. Applying in time means your existing conditions continue while the decision is made, under section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971. Applying late ends that protection and puts overstaying on your record.
The salary must still meet the requirements as they are now, not as they were when you first applied. A threshold that has risen since your last grant applies at extension, and a salary that qualified three years ago may not qualify today. This is the single biggest risk in the current climate.
The job must still be the sponsored job. If your role, duties or occupation code have drifted since the CoS was assigned — through promotion or reorganisation — that needs addressing rather than hoping it is not noticed.
Extensions can normally be for up to five years at a time, and there is no limit on the number of extensions provided you continue to qualify.
Changing employer or role
Your permission is tied to a specific sponsor and a specific job, so a move is not simply a matter of resigning.
Changing employer normally requires a new application with a new Certificate of Sponsorship from the new sponsor. You should not start the new job until that permission is granted — starting early is working in breach and has consequences for both you and the new employer.
Changing role with the same employer depends on what changes. A promotion within the same occupation code, with the salary still meeting the requirements, may need only a notification by the sponsor. A move to a different occupation code generally needs a new application.
The order matters more than people expect. Resigning first and sorting the visa afterwards can leave you without valid permission, so take advice before handing in notice rather than after.
Bringing your family, and reaching settlement
Dependants. A partner and children under 18 can normally apply as your dependants, either at the same time as you or later. They can work and study, with limited exceptions. Some routes have restricted dependant rights, so check rather than assume — this is another area that has changed recently.
Settlement. After five years of continuous leave on qualifying work routes you can normally apply for indefinite leave to remain, subject to meeting the salary requirement at that point, English at the required level and the Life in the UK Test.
The planning point is this: absences from the UK, gaps between visas and changes of employer can all affect continuity. If settlement is the goal, it is worth reviewing the position at each extension rather than discovering a problem at year five when it is too late to fix.