You Can Still Be Sponsored with a Salary Less Than £38,700 Here's How
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:
- £38,700 per year
- The 'going rate' for the type of job you're applying for
Important: You must meet whichever salary is higher between these two options.
Example Scenarios:
- Example 1: If you earn £42,000 per year but the going rate for your role is £45,000, you won't qualify for sponsorship. Even though your salary exceeds £38,700, it doesn’t meet the higher "going rate" of £45,000.
- Example 2: If your salary is £35,000 per year and the going rate for your job is £33,000, you still won’t be sponsored. This is because £38,700 is the minimum required salary, and you didn’t meet that threshold.
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.
Exceptions to the £38,700 Minimum Salary Rule
You can be sponsored with a salary below £38,700 if any of the following applies to you:
- Working in Healthcare
- Working as a Teacher
- Holding a Tier 2 Visa before April 4th, 2024, and changing employers or extending your visa
- Recent Graduate (on a Graduate Visa)
- PhD Graduate
- Under 26 Years Old
If any of these apply, you could be sponsored with a salary as low as £23,000. Let's break down each condition.
1. Working in Healthcare
To qualify for a Skilled Worker Visa in healthcare, your salary must meet the higher of:
- £23,200 per year, or
- The ‘going rate’ for healthcare jobs.
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.
2. Working as a Teacher
Teachers follow a similar rule to healthcare workers:
- £23,200 per year, or
- The going rate for the role.
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
3. Holding a Tier 2 Visa Before April 4th, 2024
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.
4. Recent Graduates or Young Professionals
If you're under 26, a recent graduate, or on a Graduate Visa, you can be sponsored with a salary of:
- £23,200 per year, or
- 70% of your job's going rate, whichever is higher.
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.
Summary
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.