Skilled Worker Visa Compliance — Complete Guide
The Skilled Worker route is the UK's main work visa. Sponsors who use it carry a narrow set of duties: assign CoS correctly, pay at or above the right threshold, report changes within 10 working days, and keep Appendix D records.
Salary thresholds (2026)
- £41,700 — general threshold
- £37,500 — PhD-level roles and new entrants
- £33,400 — Immigration Salary List (ISL) roles
The SOC code's going rate may exceed these — pay the higher of the two. See our full salary threshold guide for the breakdown.
The SW 14.3B rolling-window rule (in force 8 April 2026)
Sponsors must maintain the salary threshold on a rolling 12-month basis, not just at the point of CoS assignment. Variable hours, unpaid leave, and statutory pay periods all affect the calculation. A drop below threshold over any 12-month window is a compliance breach.
CoS assignment and use-by dates
The CoS use-by date is typically 3 months from assignment — the worker must apply for the visa before then. The visa expiry date is set when the visa is granted. Confusing the two is a common cause of missed renewals; SMS System tracks both clocks separately.