UK Visa and Immigration Updates: Essential In
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The UK Home Office typically requires a minimum salary of £38,700 for Skilled Worker Visa sponsorship, but did you know it’s possible to be sponsored with a salary as low as £23,200? Depending on your profession, age, or visa status, there are exceptions that allow for lower salaries while still qualifying for sponsorship.
In this article, we’ll break down the different conditions where you can still secure a Skilled Worker Visa with a salary below £38,700, and how you can benefit from these special rules. Keep reading to see if you’re eligible!
The UK Home Office recently introduced updated salary requirements for Skilled Worker Visa sponsorship. The minimum salary you need to earn for sponsorship depends on two factors:
Important: You must meet whichever salary is higher between these two options.
However, there are exceptions where you can still get sponsored with a salary as low as £23,000, depending on your circumstances. Let’s explore these scenarios.
You can be sponsored with a salary below £38,700 if any of the following applies to you:
If any of these apply, you could be sponsored with a salary as low as £23,000. Let’s break down each condition.
To qualify for a Skilled Worker Visa in healthcare, your salary must meet the higher of:
Certain healthcare roles, such as Health Care Assistants and Ambulance Care Assistants (band 3 NHS workers), are eligible for sponsorship with salaries starting at £23,200. You can check a list of eligible healthcare jobs here.
Healthcare Assistant Jobs in CQC approved homes are also allowed in this category according to this and are allowed to be sponsored in the lower rate of £23,200 in Senior Care roles 6135 and 6136
For further details on NHS pay scales, visit the official GOV website.
Teachers follow a similar rule to healthcare workers:
Teaching Assistants are also eligible for sponsorship with lower salaries. Pay scales for education jobs can be found here.
You might be qualified for the lower
If you hold a Tier 2 visa from before April 4th, 2024, and wish to switch employers or extend your visa, the minimum salary requirement is reduced to £29,000. However, your salary must still meet the ‘going rate’ for your specific role.
You can find the going rates for eligible jobs on the Home Office website.
If you’re under 26, a recent graduate, or on a Graduate Visa, you can be sponsored with a salary of:
For example, if the standard rate for your job is £42,000, but the going rate is £32,000, you can get sponsorship based on 70% of the £32,000, which is £22,400. However, your employer must increase it to at least £23,200.
There is one important limitation: this type of visa allows you to stay in the UK for a maximum of 4 years, including the time spent on your Graduate Visa.
The UK’s Skilled Worker Visa requires you to meet the higher of £38,700 or your job’s going rate, but there are several exceptions where a salary as low as £23,000 can still make you eligible for sponsorship. If you work in healthcare, education, or hold a Tier 2 Visa before April 2024, or if you’re a young professional or recent graduate, you may qualify under these lower thresholds.
For a full list of licensed sponsors, visit the UK Government website.
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