The Skilled Worker visa needs a certificate of sponsorship from a licensed UK employer for a graduate-level job paying at least £41,700 or the going rate, and English at B2. The worker pays £819 for a visa of up to three years (£1,618 for longer) plus £1,035 a year for the health surcharge; the employer pays the sponsorship costs.
Who qualifies for a Skilled Worker visa? A worker with a job offer from an employer on the register of licensed sponsors, in an occupation listed as higher skilled (RQF level 6) or on the Immigration Salary List or Temporary Shortage List, paid at least £41,700 a year or the going rate for the occupation code, whichever is higher, with English at CEFR B2 for applications from 8 January 2026 and £1,270 in savings unless the sponsor certifies maintenance.
What does it cost? Worker side: £819 for a visa of up to three years or £1,618 for more than three years (£628 and £1,235 for Immigration Salary List jobs), plus the immigration health surcharge of £1,035 per year paid upfront. Employer side: the certificate of sponsorship (£525), the Immigration Skills Charge (£1,320 per year for medium and large sponsors, £480 for small ones) and the sponsor licence (£1,682 or £611), none of which may be passed to the worker.
How long does it take from India? Three weeks from biometrics is the service standard and UKVI has met it for most Indian applications in 2026. You can apply up to three months before the start date on the certificate of sponsorship, and the certificate must be used within three months of being assigned. A sponsor licence for a first-time employer takes about eight weeks.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Visa | Skilled Worker (Appendix Skilled Worker), up to 5 years per grant |
| Government fee, up to 3 years | £819 per person; £628 on the Immigration Salary List |
| Government fee, over 3 years | £1,618 per person; £1,235 on the Immigration Salary List |
| Health surcharge | £1,035 per year, paid upfront for the visa length |
| Salary threshold | £41,700 a year or the going rate for the occupation, whichever is higher |
| Skill level | RQF 6 (graduate level) unless the job is on the Immigration Salary List or Temporary Shortage List |
| English | CEFR B2 for new applications from 8 January 2026 |
| Processing from India | About 3 weeks after biometrics |
The employer goes first. It must hold a Worker sponsor licence, assign a defined certificate of sponsorship for a worker outside the UK, and pay the Immigration Skills Charge for the length of the visa. The certificate records the occupation code, the salary, the hours and the start date; the worker quotes its number in the visa application and must apply within three months of it being assigned.
Since 22 July 2025 new Skilled Worker jobs must be at RQF level 6 (graduate level) unless the occupation is on the Immigration Salary List or the Temporary Shortage List. The general salary threshold is £41,700, and the going rate for each occupation code is published in the going-rates table; the higher figure applies. Lower thresholds of £33,400 apply to new entrants, PhD holders in relevant subjects and listed occupations, and to national pay-scale jobs in healthcare and education.
The worker proves English at CEFR B2 (B1 only for people who held the visa before 8 January 2026 and are extending), shows £1,270 in savings held for 28 days unless the sponsor certifies maintenance on the certificate, passes a TB test if the stay is over six months, and provides a criminal record certificate for jobs in education, health and social care. Dependants can join except for care workers and senior care workers sponsored since 11 March 2024.
| Item | GBP | Paid by |
|---|---|---|
| Skilled Worker visa, up to 3 years | 819 (628 ISL) | Worker, per person including each dependant |
| Skilled Worker visa, over 3 years | 1,618 (1,235 ISL) | Worker, per person |
| Immigration health surcharge | 1,035 per year | Worker and each dependant; Health and Care visa holders are exempt |
| Certificate of sponsorship | 525 | Employer; cannot be recovered from the worker |
| Immigration Skills Charge | 1,320 per year (480 small sponsors) | Employer; cannot be recovered from the worker |
| Sponsor licence | 1,682 (611 small sponsors) | Employer; about 8 weeks to process |
| Priority service | 500 extra | Worker, where offered |
Recovering the Immigration Skills Charge or the certificate fee from a worker is a breach of sponsor duties that can cost the licence, and any clawback clause for the visa fee itself must be reasonable. A recruiter asking for payment for a certificate of sponsorship is a warning sign for both sides.
| Stage | Typical time |
|---|---|
| Sponsor licence (first-time employer) | About 8 weeks; priority £500 for 10 working days |
| Defined certificate of sponsorship | 1 to 5 working days |
| Visa decision from India | About 3 weeks after biometrics; priority about 5 working days |
| Passport back and travel | Same week; eVisa |
Plan six to ten weeks from offer letter to first day of work when the employer already holds a licence, and four months when it does not.
The visa is tied to the sponsor, occupation code and salary on the certificate. A new employer, or a new occupation code with the same employer, needs a new certificate and a change-of-employment application (£943 or £1,865 inside the UK) before you start; a pay rise or new title within the same code only needs the sponsor to report it. Supplementary work of up to 20 hours a week in an eligible occupation is allowed without a new application.
Each grant lasts up to five years and can be extended indefinitely while you qualify. After five years of continuous residence with no more than 180 days' absence in any 12 months, you can apply for indefinite leave to remain (£3,226) with the Life in the UK test; the [UK settlement route page](/destinations/united-kingdom/settlement) covers it. The government has consulted on a longer standard qualifying period for settlement; check the current rules when you reach the five-year mark.
| Document | Standard the officer applies |
|---|---|
| Certificate of sponsorship number | Defined CoS for an applicant outside the UK, assigned within the last three months |
| Job details matching the CoS | Occupation code, salary, hours, work address and start date; keep the offer letter |
| Maintenance certified on the CoS, or your own savings | £1,270 held for 28 consecutive days ending within 31 days of applying |
| Document | Standard the officer applies |
|---|---|
| English at CEFR B2 | SELT (IELTS for UKVI, PTE Academic UKVI, LanguageCert) or an Ecctis statement for a degree taught in English |
| Professional registration where required | GMC, NMC, HCPC or engineering registration for regulated roles; the CoS cannot be assigned without it |
| PhD certificate and Ecctis verification if claiming a lower threshold | Needed only for the £33,400 options based on a doctorate |
| Document | Standard the officer applies |
|---|---|
| Passport | Valid for the stay; old passports for travel history |
| TB test certificate | IOM-approved clinic in India, valid six months, for stays over six months |
| Criminal record certificate | Police clearance from every country lived in for 12 months or more in the last 10 years, for education, health and social care jobs |
| Document | Standard the officer applies |
|---|---|
| Marriage and birth certificates | Registered, with certified translations |
| Dependant maintenance | £285 for a partner, £315 for the first child and £200 for each further child, unless certified by the sponsor |
| Separate application for each dependant | Same fee band as the main applicant and £1,035 a year surcharge each |
The CoS salary was under £41,700, under the going rate for the occupation code, or pro-rated hours took it below the threshold.
The fix. The sponsor reissues the CoS at a compliant salary for the hours stated; check the going-rates table for the code before the offer is made.
The job was coded to a medium-skilled occupation not on the Immigration Salary List or the Temporary Shortage List, or the duties did not match the code chosen.
The fix. Re-examine the duties against the SOC 2020 descriptions; use the correct higher-skilled code only if the duties genuinely fit, otherwise the role cannot be sponsored.
An older B1 result, a non-SELT test or a degree without an Ecctis statement.
The fix. Take a SELT at B2 or obtain the Ecctis English proficiency statement before applying.
UKVI doubted the role existed as described, or the sponsor's licence was downgraded or suspended during processing.
The fix. Employers keep job descriptions, organisation charts and right-to-work records in order; workers should check the sponsor's licence rating on the register before accepting an offer.
Savings not held for 28 days without sponsor certification, an expired TB certificate, or no police clearance for a listed occupation.
The fix. Ask the sponsor to certify maintenance on the CoS, book the TB test within six months of applying, and request police certificates early; Indian PCCs take two to four weeks.
£41,700 a year or the going rate for the occupation code, whichever is higher, for a new certificate of sponsorship. Lower thresholds of £33,400 apply to new entrants, relevant PhD holders and Immigration Salary List jobs, and national pay scales apply in healthcare and education.
The employer, at £1,320 per year of the visa for medium and large sponsors and £480 for small sponsors and charities, paid when the certificate of sponsorship is assigned. It cannot be recovered from the worker.
You must prove English at CEFR B2 for applications from 8 January 2026. A SELT such as IELTS for UKVI or PTE Academic UKVI, a degree taught in English confirmed by Ecctis, or a UK degree all satisfy it; nationals of listed English-speaking countries are exempt.
Yes, a partner and children under 18 can apply as dependants, each paying the same visa fee band and £1,035 a year health surcharge, except for care workers and senior care workers sponsored since 11 March 2024. Partners can work in any job.
Work routes go to a licence-checked immigration partner on Vistolane who runs the employer's sponsor licence and certificate of sponsorship alongside the worker's visa; employers get a compliance check against the going rate and skill level before the offer letter goes out.