Skilled Worker Sponsorship Explained

How UK Skilled Worker sponsorship works in 2026: £41,700 general threshold, going rates, ISC and CoS costs, ISL discounts and the 5-year path to settlement.

Wesbridge Associates is an IAA-regulated UK immigration law firm. Our advisers support individuals, families and UK sponsors with skilled worker visas, sponsor licences, family routes, settlement (ILR), British citizenship, appeals and compliance — combining experienced legal advice with AI-powered self-service tools.

Reviewed by Wesbridge Associates' IAA-regulated immigration advisers. Last updated: July 2026.

The Skilled Worker sponsorship route is the UK's main employer-led immigration channel, replacing Tier 2 (General) in December 2020. It lets a licensed UK employer sponsor an overseas worker into a role at RQF Level 3 or above (A-level equivalent), paid at least £38,700 per year and at or above the SOC 2020 going rate for the occupation. It is the workhorse route behind most professional, technical and skilled trade migration into the UK, and it offers a 5-year path to Indefinite Leave to Remain.

How it works

For the sponsor: hold an A-rated Skilled Worker sponsor licence, assign a defined Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from the annual allocation, and pay the £239 CoS fee plus the Immigration Skills Charge (£1,000 per year for medium/large sponsors, £364 for small or charitable sponsors) at the point of assignment. For the worker: hold the CoS, meet CEFR B1 English (via SELT, English-taught degree via Ecctis, or majority-English-speaking country nationality), satisfy the salary threshold (higher of £38,700 or the SOC going rate, pro-rated for actual hours worked up to 48 per week), and have £1,270 in personal savings held for 28 days unless the A-rated sponsor certifies maintenance on the CoS. Apply online, pay the visa fee (£769 for up to 3 years or £1,519 for over 3 years — Health and Care Worker rates are lower), the £1,035/year Immigration Health Surcharge, and attend a biometric appointment.

Salary discounts and shortage roles

The £38,700 general threshold falls to £30,960 for New Entrants (under 26, recent graduates, professionally regulated trainees, switchers from Student/Graduate routes), roles on the Immigration Salary List (ISL), PhD-relevant roles, national pay-scale jobs, and postdoctoral researchers. Immigration Salary List roles get a 20% going-rate discount but must still meet the £30,960 floor. Health and Care Worker roles use a separate, lower £29,000 threshold with reduced visa fees and IHS exemption for eligible SOC codes such as 2211 (medical practitioners) and 2231 (nurses); adult social care roles were paused for new overseas recruitment from March 2024.

Path to settlement

Skilled Workers can apply for ILR after 5 continuous years, provided absences do not exceed 180 days in any rolling 12-month period, they still hold sponsored employment, and the salary at that point meets the higher of £29,000 or the current going rate. Time on Global Talent, Innovator Founder, Scale-up, Representative of an Overseas Business, T2 Minister of Religion and International Sportsperson routes can be combined with Skilled Worker time to reach the 5 years. British citizenship becomes available 12 months after ILR.

Frequently asked questions

Can a sponsor recover visa costs from the worker?

The sponsor must pay the Certificate of Sponsorship fee (£239) and the Immigration Skills Charge, and cannot lawfully recover these from the worker — attempting to do so risks licence action. The sponsor may agree that the worker pays their own visa application fee and Immigration Health Surcharge, though many employers now cover these too, sometimes with a clawback clause if the worker leaves within 12-24 months.

What happens if a sponsored worker is made redundant?

The sponsor must report the end of employment to UKVI via SMS within 10 working days. The worker's leave is normally curtailed to 60 days (or the remaining leave, whichever is shorter) to give them time to find a new sponsor and switch, leave the UK, or apply for a different visa. Finding a new Skilled Worker sponsor within the 60-day window is the most common path.

Does time in the UK on a Student visa count toward ILR under the Skilled Worker route?

No — only time on Skilled Worker and specified combinable routes counts toward the 5-year Skilled Worker settlement clock. However, Student time can count toward the separate 10-year long-residence ILR route provided the residence is continuous and lawful with permitted absences.

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