The Skilled Worker route allows employers to sponsor certain non-British and non-Irish employees to work for them in the UK. Employers who wish to do this must be registered with and approved by the Home Office as a sponsor and be able to offer a role which is:
- On the list of eligible occupations on GOV.UK opens in a new window
- Paid the relevant minimum salary (usually £26,200 or the going rate for the job, whichever is higher) subject always to a minimum of £10.75 per hour.
There are other criteria which must be met under this visa category, such as the English language requirement.
A Skilled Worker Eligibility Checker Tool opens in a new window has been published on GOV.UK. This may help you establish whether a specific recruit is eligible to be sponsored under this route.
We recommend that you also consult the Skilled Worker Route guidance for sponsoring a worker opens in a new window when using this checker tool.
Eligible occupations
Not all roles are eligible for sponsorship — only those which are classed as medium-skilled or above, which is set at RQF Level 3 (broadly A Level and equivalent).
The list of roles deemed eligible for sponsorship opens in a new window can be found on GOV.UK. Each eligible role is given a job code, a four-digit code that will be needed for the application process.
It’s important for the job code to be the best fit for the role that's being recruited for.
There’s also a list of occupations for which there are not enough resident workers to fill vacancies. This is known as the Shortage Occupation List opens in a new window .
Further details on eligible roles can be found on GOV.UK opens in a new window .
Minimum salary
Those being sponsored must also be paid the minimum relevant salary. This is usually £26,200 per year or the going rate for the job code — whichever is higher and subject always to a minimum of £10.75 per hour.
However, there are some cases where a sponsored worker can be paid less and still be eligible for sponsorship. For example:
- The job is in on the shortage occupation list
- The recruit is considered to be a new entrant under the rules (which includes those under 26, certain individuals who are studying or are recent graduates, or those who are undertaking certain professional training)
- The recruit has a PhD in a STEM subject or a PhD relevant to the role in question
If any of these apply, the recruit may obtain 'tradeable' points, which means it may be possible to pay the sponsored worker less than the normal baseline of £26,200.
See further details on when a skilled worker can be paid less on GOV.UK opens in a new window .