Tier 2 Visa Requirements: What You Need to Know Now

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If you have been searching for information about the Tier 2 visa, it is important to know that this route closed in December 2020 and was replaced by the Skilled Worker visa. The core requirements are similar but the rules have been updated, and salary thresholds have risen significantly. This guide explains everything employers and workers need to know about today's Skilled Worker visa - the direct successor to Tier 2 (General).

For related support, explore Annaizu’s sponsorship compliance software, secure document management and Sponsor Management System support.

For 2026 checks, cross-check the latest GOV.UK immigration skills charge before making sponsorship or visa decisions.

Key Takeaways

Essential Points for Employers and Applicants

• Tier 2 (General) closed on 1 December 2020 and is now the Skilled Worker visa.
• Employers must hold a valid sponsor licence before they can recruit overseas workers.
• The general salary threshold is £41,700 per year as of April 2024, with lower rates for some shortage occupations and new entrants.
• Workers must meet an English language requirement at CEFR level B1 or above.
• A Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) must be assigned before an applicant can apply.
• Processing times for out-of-country applications are typically three weeks for standard service.

What Happened to the Tier 2 Visa?

The Tier 2 (General) visa was the main work visa route for skilled workers coming to the UK from outside the European Economic Area. It was part of the points-based system introduced in 2008. When the UK introduced its new post-Brexit immigration system, Tier 2 (General) was replaced by the Skilled Worker visa on 1 December 2020. Tier 2 (Intra-Company Transfer) was replaced by the UK Expansion Worker and Intra-Company Transfer visas.

Anyone who held a Tier 2 (General) visa at the time of the transition did not need to reapply. Their existing visa remained valid. When they came to extend or apply for settlement, they moved onto the new Skilled Worker rules.

Skilled Worker Visa: The Current Tier 2 Replacement

Who Can Apply?

The Skilled Worker visa is open to nationals of any country outside the UK who have a confirmed job offer from a licensed sponsor. EU, EEA and Swiss nationals who arrived after 31 December 2020 must use this route in the same way as everyone else.

Eligible Occupations

Jobs must be at RQF level 3 or above, which is broadly equivalent to A-level standard. The Home Office publishes a list of eligible occupation codes. If a job does not appear on the list, the employer cannot sponsor a worker for that role under this route.

Sponsor Licence Requirement

Before any worker can apply, the UK employer must hold a valid Skilled Worker sponsor licence issued by the Home Office. Without this, no Certificate of Sponsorship can be assigned and no application can proceed.

How to Get a Sponsor Licence

1. Check your organisation is eligible - you must be a genuine business operating lawfully in the UK.
2. Appoint key personnel, including an Authorising Officer, Key Contact and Level 1 User.
3. Gather supporting documents proving your business is genuine.
4. Submit the online application on gov.uk and pay the licence fee.
5. The Home Office may carry out a pre-licence visit before making a decision.
6. If approved, you receive access to the Sponsor Management System (SMS).

Sponsor Licence Fees

• Small or charitable sponsors: £536
• Medium or large sponsors: £1,682

A sponsor licence is valid for four years and must be renewed before it expires. Sponsors have ongoing duties including record-keeping, reporting changes and carrying out right to work checks.

Certificate of Sponsorship

A Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) is a unique reference number that confirms the employer is sponsoring a specific worker for a specific role. It is not a physical document. The worker quotes the CoS reference number in their visa application.

Defined vs Undefined CoS

• A defined CoS is used for workers applying from outside the UK for roles paying above £73,900 or for certain shortage occupation roles. These must be requested from the Home Office individually.
• An undefined CoS is used for most in-country applications and extensions. These are allocated to the sponsor in batches.

The CoS fee is £239 per certificate. Employers are responsible for paying this cost and cannot pass it on to the worker in a way that would bring the worker's pay below the relevant threshold.

Salary Thresholds

The salary thresholds for the Skilled Worker visa increased substantially in April 2024. Applicants must be paid the higher of the general threshold or the going rate for their specific occupation code.

Current Salary Thresholds (from April 2024)

• General threshold: £41,700 per year
• New entrant rate (for those under 26, recent graduates or switching from a student visa): £33,400 per year
• Immigration Salary List (formerly shortage occupation list): 20% discount removed; workers must still meet the general threshold or going rate, whichever is higher
• Health and Care visa workers in eligible NHS or social care roles: lower thresholds apply based on NHS pay bands

The going rate for each occupation code is published by the Home Office and is based on median salaries from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Where the going rate for a role is higher than £41,700, the higher figure applies.

English Language Requirement

Applicants must demonstrate English language ability at CEFR level B1 or above in reading, writing, speaking and listening. This can be satisfied in several ways.

Ways to Meet the English Language Requirement

• Pass an approved Secure English Language Test (SELT) with a B1 score or higher.
• Hold a degree-level qualification that was taught or researched in English, confirmed by UK ENIC (formerly UK NARIC).
• Be a national of a majority English-speaking country as listed by the Home Office.
• Have already met the requirement in a previous successful visa application at the required level.

Points Requirements

The Skilled Worker visa uses a points-based system. Applicants must score 70 points in total. Some points are mandatory and others are tradeable.

Mandatory Points (50 points)

• Job offer from an approved sponsor: 20 points
• Job at an eligible skill level (RQF level 3 or above): 20 points
• English language at B1 level or above: 10 points

Tradeable Points (20 points required)

• Salary at or above the general threshold of £41,700: 20 points
• Salary between £33,400 and £41,700 with a PhD relevant to the role: 20 points
• Salary between £23,200 and £41,700 in a shortage occupation or with a relevant PhD in a STEM subject: 20 points

Application Costs

The overall cost of a Skilled Worker visa involves several fees paid by both the employer and the applicant. Employers must not charge workers for the Immigration Skills Charge or the Certificate of Sponsorship fee.

Applicant Fees

• Visa application fee: £769 for up to three years; £1,420 for more than three years (from 9 April 2025 these fees are increasing to £827 and £1,636 respectively for most applicants)
• Healthcare surcharge: £1,035 per year of the visa
• Biometric enrolment: included in the application process

Employer Fees

• Certificate of Sponsorship: £239
• Immigration Skills Charge: £1,000 per year for medium and large sponsors; £364 per year for small or charitable sponsors

Processing Times and Timelines

The Home Office targets the following processing times for Skilled Worker visa applications.

Standard Processing

• Outside the UK: approximately three weeks
• Inside the UK (extension or change of employer): approximately eight weeks

Priority and Super Priority Services

• Priority service (outside the UK): five working days - fee applies
• Super priority service (inside the UK): next working day decision - fee applies

Availability of priority services varies by country and application type. Not all applicants will have access to these options.

How Long Does the Skilled Worker Visa Last?

The visa is granted for up to five years at a time, or for the length of the CoS plus 28 days if that is shorter. Workers can extend their visa as long as they continue to meet the requirements. After five years of continuous residence on eligible visa routes, workers can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).

Route to Settlement

• Five years of continuous lawful residence is required.
• Applicants must still be in an eligible skilled worker role at the time of applying.
• They must meet the salary threshold at the time of the ILR application.
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