How to Apply for a UK Skilled Worker Visa in 2027
The Skilled Worker visaUK Skilled Worker visa — The main UK work visa. You need a job offer from a licensed sponsor at the required skill and salary level.Click for official info ↗ is the main UK work route. You need a job offer from a licensed sponsor. The pay must be at or above the salary threshold. This is £41,700 as the general threshold, or the going rate for the job if that is higher. Lower rates apply for new entrants and for health and care roles. Then you apply online with your Certificate of Sponsorship. You pay the fee and the immigration health surchargeIHS — The fee most UK visa applicants pay upfront to use the NHS — £1,035 per year for most adults (2025 rate).Click for official info ↗. You also give your biometrics. From spring 2027 the salary rules change: going rates drop from the median wage to the 25th percentile, the general threshold is uprated on 2026 wage data, and the PhD discount goes. Those changes are announced, not yet in force.
At a glance
- Cost:
- £819 visa (3-year) + £1,035/year health surcharge
- Total time:
- 3–8 weeks end to end
- Steps:
- 8 steps
- Where to apply:
- gov.uk
Last reviewed November 2026 against official sources. Re-checked every 6 months · next review due May 2027.
The Steps
Follow these in order
Each card shows the phase, expected time, and any cost. Data checked against official UK sources(November 2026).
0 of 8 steps
- Before You Go Ongoing
Find a job with a licensed sponsor
Only employers with a sponsor licence can sponsor you. Check the register of licensed sponsors on gov.uk before you apply for jobs. The register is updated regularly. On job boards, filter for "visa sponsorship". Your job must be a real vacancy. It must also be at an eligible skill level for new applicants. This is RQF 6, which is degree level.
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- Before You Go 20 min
Check the salary threshold for your role
The general threshold is £41,700/year or the "going rate" for the job, whichever is higher (discount floor £33,400). Lower thresholds apply if you are under 26, a recent graduate, or in health and care. Medium-skilled roles (RQF 3–5) only qualify if they are on the Immigration Salary List or the Temporary Shortage List. The Temporary Shortage List has a time limit. Under Appendix Skilled Worker, a TSL application must use a Certificate of Sponsorship issued before 31 December 2026; after that the route closes unless the government extends it. Your sponsor's HR team will know which rate applies.
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- Before You Go 10 min
Know what changes in spring 2027
None of this is in force yet. It was announced in Budget 2026 (28 October 2026) and needs a Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules before it bites. From spring 2027, the government plans to take the Migration Advisory Committee's advice on salaries. Occupation going rates drop from the median wage to the 25th percentile for each job, so more roles pass the going-rate test. The general threshold, £41,700 now, will be uprated on 2026 wage data, so it will probably rise. No new figure has been published yet, so do not plan around a number you saw in a headline. The separate new-entrant discounts merge into one figure, and the PhD salary discount goes. Until the Home OfficeUK Home Office — The government department responsible for visas, immigration, and citizenship in the UK.Click for official info ↗ publishes the new rules, the current thresholds in the step above are the ones that count.
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- Go
Receive your Certificate of Sponsorship
Once you are hired, the sponsor gives you a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS). This is an electronic record with a reference number. It costs them £525 and is valid for 3 months. So apply for the visa promptly. The CoS states your role, your salary, and your dates.
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- Fill / Prepare 1–2 hours
Apply online and pay
Apply on gov.uk up to 3 months before your intended start date (the date on your CoS), and within 3 months of getting your CoS. The fee is £819 for up to 3 years (£1,618 for longer) for applications from outside the UK, outside the health and care route. You also pay the immigration health surcharge of £1,035 per year of the visa. A 3-year visa totals about £3,924. Pay the IHS in full when you apply. There is no option to pay in instalments.
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- Submit & Pay
Give biometrics and upload documents
Most applicants can use the "UK Immigration: ID Check" app. Use it to scan your passport and your face. Or book an appointment at a visa application centre. Upload your CoS reference, bank statements, TB certificate, and proof of English, as asked.
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- Wait 3–8 weeks
Wait for the decision
The standard service takes 3 weeks if you apply outside the UK. It takes 8 weeks if you apply inside the UK, for example to switch employers or extend your visa. Priority services take 5 working days. Super priority takes the next working day. Both cost extra. You will receive an eVisaUK eVisa — The digital record of UK immigration status, accessed through a UKVI account. Replaces BRPs.Click for official info ↗. Check it in your UKVI account before you travel.
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- Follow Up
Know the settlement and family rules
After 5 continuous years on a Skilled Worker visa, you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain. Your absences are limited to 180 days/year. Your partner and children can apply as dependants. But dependants of new medium-skilled workers generally cannot join (exceptions include UK-born children and sponsors in medium-skilled roles since before 22 July 2025). Dependants who do join can work and study with almost no restrictions. Note: on 2 November 2026 the government announced that the standard wait for ILR will rise from 5 years to 10 years under an "earned settlement" model, with new rules expected in December 2026. That is announced, not law yet. The 5-year route still applies today.
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Be Careful
Don't make these mistakes
Applying for jobs with an employer who cannot sponsor you. Only employers with a sponsor licence can sponsor you. Check the register of licensed sponsors on gov.uk before you apply for jobs, and filter job boards for visa sponsorship. A job offer from an unlicensed employer cannot lead to this visa.
Assuming the salary threshold is just £41,700. The threshold is £41,700 or the going rate for the job, whichever is higher. Medium-skilled roles at RQF 3 to 5 only qualify if they are on the Immigration Salary List or the Temporary Shortage List, and a Temporary Shortage List application needs a Certificate of Sponsorship issued before 31 December 2026.
Letting your Certificate of Sponsorship expire. A Certificate of Sponsorship is valid for 3 months. Apply promptly: you can apply up to 3 months before your intended start date, and within 3 months of getting your CoS. Waiting too long means starting over with your sponsor.
Expecting to pay the health surcharge in instalments. The immigration health surcharge of £1,035 per year must be paid in full when you apply. There is no option to pay in instalments, so budget for the full amount alongside the visa fee before you submit.
Changing jobs without a new Certificate of Sponsorship. Your new employer must hold a sponsor licence and give you a new Certificate of Sponsorship, and you must submit a change of employment application before you start the new role. Working for an employer who does not sponsor you breaches your visa and can end your route to settlement.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change jobs on a Skilled Worker visa?
Yes, but only in some cases. Your new employer must hold a sponsor licence. They must give you a new Certificate of Sponsorship. You must submit a change of employment application before you start the new role. If you work for an employer who does not sponsor you, you breach your visa. This can end your route to settlement.
What is the immigration health surcharge and can I avoid it?
The IHS is £1,035/year for most people. It is £776 for students and under-18s. It pays for your access to the NHSNational Health Service — The UK's publicly funded healthcare system. Most services are free at the point of use; access depends on immigration status and the immigration health surcharge.Click for official info ↗ during your stay. Almost everyone must pay it. Only a few categories are exempt, like health and care workers on specific codes. It is refunded pro-rata if your visa is refused or if you leave early for good.
What changes for Skilled Worker visas in spring 2027?
Budget 2026 (28 October 2026) announced four salary changes from spring 2027, following the Migration Advisory Committee. Occupation going rates fall from the median wage to the 25th percentile. The general threshold, £41,700 now, is uprated on 2026 wage data, so it will probably rise, but no new figure has been published. New-entrant discounts merge into a single figure. The PhD salary discount is removed. None of this is law yet. No Statement of Changes has been laid, so the current rules still apply. Check gov.uk before you rely on any of it.
Does time on a Student visa count toward settlement?
No. The 5 years for ILR must be on qualifying work or family routes. But time as a Student or Graduate visa holder can make you a "new entrant". This gives you a lower salary threshold for your first Skilled Worker visa.
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