The UK government has announced an increase in the minimum salary threshold for certain Skilled Worker visa applicants, which will take effect on 9 April 2025.
According to the Home Office, the increased rates are based on Office for National Statistics (ONS) data to align salaries with the latest UK workforce earnings.
New Minimum Salary Rules from April 2025
The minimum salary floor of £23,200 is being increased to £25,000 per year, or £12.82 per hour. While the general salary threshold for most Skilled Worker visa applicants is £38,700 per year (or the going rate for the occupation, if higher), this new floor rate of £25,000 will apply to certain workers such as Care Workers and Senior Care Workers, New Entrants joining the job market, roles on the Immigration Salary List (previously the ‘Shortage Occupation List’), certain Health and Education roles and roles for which STEM PhDs are relevant.
The salary thresholds for health and education roles are also being updated in line with national pay scales, but not all will be subject to the £25,000 minimum. Instead, each role will have occupation-specific adjustments based on the latest salary data.
Updates to going rates for other occupations are being made only to reflect the new minimum salary floor of £25,000 per year / £12.82 per hour.
Building on recent restrictions that prevent sponsors from passing certain costs onto sponsored workers, the new salary rules also mean that any payments made by an applicant to their sponsor (such as salary deductions, loan repayments, or investments) will be deducted from the salary used to assess whether they meet the minimum salary threshold. The deductions will be averaged over the duration of the sponsorship period when calculating the eligible salary.
Impact for UK employers
If you already employ Skilled Worker visa holders, their current visas remain valid until renewal.
When renewing a visa or extending sponsorship beyond 9 April 2025, the relevant higher salary threshold will apply. Employers should therefore check skilled workers’ employment contracts and plan for potential salary adjustments to avoid future issues with visa renewals.
For employers recruiting new Skilled Worker visa applicants, any Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) issued on or after 9 April must reflect the new salary thresholds. For example, NHS Band 3 roles may no longer meet the new minimum salary threshold, but the exact impact will depend on specific NHS pay scales for different regions and roles. Some Band 3 roles may still qualify if they meet the new adjusted going rates.
Employers may wish to expedite any current plans to recruit before the higher rates take effect. Otherwise, employers will need to budget for higher salary commitments when planning recruitment under this visa route.
Need assistance?
The government has indicated that further details will be set out in the upcoming Immigration White Paper – which may well include additional changes to the Skilled Worker visa. For specialist guidance on the new thresholds, including whether it will be possible to apply before the higher thresholds take effect, or for advice on adapting to the new salary framework, contact us.
Author
Founder and Managing Director Anne Morris is a fully qualified solicitor and trusted adviser to large corporates through to SMEs, providing strategic immigration and global mobility advice to support employers with UK operations to meet their workforce needs through corporate immigration.
She is a recognised by Legal 500 and Chambers as a legal expert and delivers Board-level advice on business migration and compliance risk management as well as overseeing the firm’s development of new client propositions and delivery of cost and time efficient processing of applications.
Anne is an active public speaker, immigration commentator, and immigration policy contributor and regularly hosts training sessions for employers and HR professionals
