Eligibility for the UK Skilled Worker Visa

The 70-Point Requirement

The Skilled Worker visa is a points-based system. You must score at least 70 points to qualify. Three core criteria are mandatory and together score 50 points; the remaining 20 must come from a qualifying salary or a tradeable characteristic.

Criterion	Points	Type
Valid Certificate of Sponsorship from a licensed UK employer	20	Mandatory
Job at RQF Level 6 (graduate level) or above	20	Mandatory
English language at B2 (upper-intermediate) level	10	Mandatory
Plus 20 points from salary — pick whichever route applies to you
Salary ≥ standard going rate for the job AND ≥ £41,700/yr	20	Standard route
New entrant (under 26, recent graduate, switching from a student visa, or working towards a qualification for a regulated profession) — salary ≥ 70% of going rate AND ≥ £33,400/yr	20	Discount route
STEM PhD relevant to the role — salary ≥ 80% of going rate AND ≥ £33,400/yr	20	Discount route
Non-STEM PhD relevant to the role — salary ≥ 90% of going rate AND ≥ £37,500/yr	20	Discount route
Postdoctoral researcher (specific research/academic occupation codes) — salary ≥ 70% of going rate AND ≥ £33,400/yr	20	Discount route

The new entrant and postdoctoral discount routes are each capped at a maximum of 4 years total stay on that basis — after that, the standard salary requirement applies. The Immigration Salary List (ISL) and Temporary Shortage List (TSL) are separate mechanisms, not extra rows in this points table — see below for how they work.

Salary Thresholds Explained

Route	Minimum Annual Salary	Conditions
Standard	£41,700 or going rate (whichever is higher)	Most applicants
New entrant	£33,400 floor, and ≥ 70% of going rate	Under 26, recent graduate, switching from a student visa, or training towards a regulated profession — capped at 4 years on this basis
STEM PhD relevant to role	£33,400 floor, and ≥ 80% of going rate	Relevant STEM PhD qualification required
Non-STEM PhD relevant to role	£37,500 floor, and ≥ 90% of going rate	Relevant PhD qualification (any subject) required
Postdoctoral researcher	£33,400 floor, and ≥ 70% of going rate	Specific research/academic occupation codes only — capped at 4 years on this basis
Immigration Salary List (ISL) job	£33,400 floor (some legacy/health-care occupations as low as £25,000)	Must still meet the full standard going rate for the job — this is a lower cash floor plus a reduced visa fee, not a percentage discount

Note: The "going rate" is specific to each SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code. Always check the official going rates table on GOV.UK for your occupation, and the official "when you can be paid less" page for full conditions on each discount route.

Immigration Salary List vs Temporary Shortage List — these are not the same thing

These two lists are easy to confuse but work differently:

• Immigration Salary List (ISL) — a list of specific occupations (each with its own published salary rate, often below the general £41,700 threshold) where the job must still be paid at least the standard going rate, but only needs to clear the lower £33,400 floor rather than £41,700. Sponsoring an ISL role also qualifies for a reduced visa application fee. It does not restrict skill level — ISL jobs are still RQF 6+ roles.
• Temporary Shortage List (TSL) — a separate, time-limited mechanism introduced on 22 July 2025 that allows sponsorship of certain RQF 3–5 (sub-degree) occupations that would otherwise no longer qualify under the RQF 6 skill-level rule. Each TSL occupation has its own set salary rate, and workers sponsored under a TSL role cannot bring dependants. Current TSL entries are due to expire on 31 December 2026 unless the government extends or replaces them following the Migration Advisory Committee's ongoing review.

Skill Level Requirement

Since 22 July 2025, new applications must be for a job at RQF Level 6 or above — that is, graduate level (bachelor's degree equivalent or higher). This is a significant tightening from the previous RQF Level 3 (A-level equivalent) threshold.

RQF Level	Qualification Equivalent	Skilled Worker eligible?
RQF 8	Doctorate (PhD)	✓ Yes
RQF 7	Master's degree, PGCE	✓ Yes
RQF 6	Bachelor's degree, Graduate Diploma	✓ Yes (minimum since 22 Jul 2025)
RQF 3–5	A-levels, HND, Foundation Degree, Higher/Advanced Apprenticeship	⚡ TSL only (time-limited, specific occupations)
RQF 1–2	GCSEs, Foundation Apprenticeships	✗ Not eligible

RQF 3–5 roles are only available where the specific occupation appears on the Temporary Shortage List (TSL), introduced 22 July 2025. Current TSL entries are scheduled to expire on 31 December 2026 unless extended — the Migration Advisory Committee is reviewing the list in stages, with recommendations expected around mid-2026.

English Language Requirement

From 8 January 2026, all Skilled Worker, Scale-up and High Potential Individual visa applicants must demonstrate English at B2 (upper-intermediate) level on the CEFR scale — up from the previous B1 requirement.

You can satisfy this by:

• A SELT (Secure English Language Test) such as IELTS for UKVI, LanguageCert, PTE Academic for UKVI, or Trinity ISE II — scored at B2 or higher
• Being a national of a majority English-speaking country listed in the Immigration Rules
• Having a degree taught or researched in English (in the UK or a listed country)
• Having previously been granted a UK visa based on English (some exceptions apply)

Settlement (ILR) — Currently 5 Years

The standard qualifying period for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) on the Skilled Worker route is currently 5 continuous years. The government's May 2025 immigration white paper proposed extending this to 10 years for most routes ("earned settlement"), with a consultation that closed in February 2026 — but as of June 2026 this change has not been laid in the Immigration Rules and is not in force. See our full settlement & ILR guide for details.

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