How to check occupation code, role eligibility, going rate, and current Skilled Worker salary rules.
For Skilled Worker applications, the job must be eligible, the employer must be approved by the Home Office, and the salary must meet the relevant minimum. GOV.UK currently describes the standard minimum as the higher of GBP 41,700 per year or the going rate for the occupation, with separate lower-threshold rules for some cases.
Start with the 4-digit SOC occupation code, then compare the job duties and salary with the eligible occupations table, going-rate table, and any route-specific salary page. Do not rely on job title alone, because similar titles can map to different occupation codes or salary rules.
Some roles now appear as Higher Skilled, Medium Skilled, or Ineligible in the official occupations table. Medium Skilled and lower-threshold cases can be limited by route, date, switching position, extension status, healthcare or education rules, or other facts, so check the exact GOV.UK page before treating a vacancy as viable.
No. The employer must be licensed for the right route, but the specific role, occupation code, salary, and candidate evidence also need to meet the current rules.
Sometimes. GOV.UK lists lower-threshold cases, including some recent graduate, training, PhD, postdoctoral, healthcare, education, extension, update, and other route-specific situations. Check the current page for the exact rule before applying.