International recruitment

Skilled Worker sponsorship

The job offer is only the starting point. The sponsor, occupation code, duties, salary, working pattern and worker must all satisfy the route—and continue to align after permission is granted.

Discuss your position

Resolve the points that determine the outcome.

Strategic UK Skilled Worker sponsorship advice for employers and senior hires: eligible roles, salary, occupation codes, Certificates of Sponsorship and compliance.

The correct strategy depends on the current rules and the complete facts. Early advice is designed to identify the decisive legal, evidential and timing issues before avoidable commitments are made.

01Role and occupation-code analysis

02Salary and going-rate calculations

03Certificates of Sponsorship

04Defined and undefined CoS strategy

05New hires and in-country switching

06Senior and strategic appointments

07Changes to role, salary or work location

08Extensions, dependants and settlement planning

Three questions to settle early.

01

Classify the real job.

An occupation code should follow the substantive duties and level of the role, not a preferred job title. The code affects eligibility, the applicable going rate and the evidence the sponsor may need to retain.

02

Calculate salary against the correct option.

Skilled Worker salary analysis can depend on the general threshold, occupation going rate, weekly hours and any permitted points option. The applicable rules should be fixed against the intended Certificate of Sponsorship date.

03

Keep the sponsored role true after arrival.

Promotion, changes in duties, salary, location, working arrangements or employer structure can require reporting or a fresh application. Recruitment and HR teams need a route for escalating changes before they are implemented.

Before the process begins.

01Does every professional job qualify for Skilled Worker sponsorship?+

No. The role must fall within an eligible occupation and satisfy the applicable skill and salary rules. Eligibility is determined from the actual duties and current occupation tables.

02Can a worker switch employers?+

Potentially, but permission is linked to the sponsoring employer and role. A change of employer normally requires a new Certificate of Sponsorship and a new application before the new sponsored employment begins.

03Can salary be reduced after the visa is granted?+

A reduction can affect continued eligibility and may engage reporting or application requirements. The proposed change should be reviewed before it is made.

04Does Skilled Worker lead to settlement?+

It is a route to settlement, subject to the qualifying residence, sponsorship, salary, absence, knowledge-of-language-and-life and other requirements in force when the settlement application is made.

Current rules and official guidance.

Reviewed 20 July 2026. Immigration law and guidance change frequently; the current text and complete facts must be checked before action is taken.

Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Worker Sponsor a Skilled Worker Appendix Skilled Occupations

Understand it. Test it. Then decide.

01 · Understand

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03 · Discuss

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